AboutCraig HVAC Expert Expertise I have been in the HVAC field for the past 12+ years. I can help with most HVAC questions. I work on commerical buildings for the most part, and have yet to find anything I could not troubleshoot and repair, when repairable. I work on small 1 ton units to a 2500 ton chiller. Troubleshoot air flow, elect, and control problems. I attend regular classes to keep up with the latest and greatest.
Experience I have work in the HVAC trade for the past sixteen years. I work on commerical sites, hospitals, gov't buildings. I can troubleshoot just about anything in the HVAC business.
Education/Credentials 5 years union trade school, VFD training classes, Liebert factory training, some York and Trane factory training.
Question My central air conditioner is less than 2 years old. I turned it on for the first time this year on June 28th, 2009. It did not cool the downstairs area sufficiently and certainly not the upstairs. Both areas only cover 832 sq. ft. I put the thermostat as low as it would go and it only improved a little bit. After I shut it down for a day, when I turned it back on it was still not cool enough so I put in a new filter in the unit. It turns out it didn't even have a fiter in there. The furnace unit is inside the laundry closet and after turning the air conditioner on again I noticed condensation around the pipe that juts out of the furnace. It's a thin copper pipe that runs up somewhere into part of the wall where I can't see, near the ceiling line. This may be part of the new air conditioner installation. I'm not sure. I've been told to cover the pipe where it condenses. However, I'm wondering if that's what is preventing the rooms to not get cooled sufficiently. Thanks for your help.
Answer Insulating the pipe is not going to change the fact the unit is running so poorly. The lack of a filter can lead to a dirty coil, which will cause the problems you are facing. Without knowing how well the unit is working, I can to say what is wrong. There are several things that can be wrong. Turning down the thermostat will not make it work colder, harder or anything else. It is just a switch, not a gas pedal.
