Apartments and houses without ductwork cool with window and through-wall units instead of central air. Ephraim Heating & Air repairs larger window units, through-wall units that sit in a sleeve in the wall, and packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) with heat strips or heat pumps.
Window and through-wall AC repair covers these parts:
Fan motors, fan blades and blower wheels
Run and start capacitors
Compressor overloads and relays
Thermostat sensors, selector switches and control boards
Evaporator and condenser coil cleaning
Base pans, drain holes and slinger rings
Power cords and plug-in current devices
PTAC heat strips, limit switches and reversing valves
Window AC Leaking or Freezing Up
A window unit is built to drain toward the outside, so water dripping into the room means the unit tilts the wrong way or its pan and drain holes are clogged with dirt and slime. Ice across the front coil means the coil is dirty, the filter is clogged, the fan is turning too slowly or the unit is low on charge. Running it on fan only melts the ice; the cause still needs fixing.
A unit that hums but does not start has a failed capacitor or a stuck fan motor. A unit that trips its breaker is drawing too much current from a weak compressor, a shorted fan motor or a circuit shared with other appliances.
Through-Wall and PTAC Repair in Bronx Apartments
Through-wall units sit in a metal sleeve that passes through a brick or block wall. The sleeve size is fixed, so a through-wall unit is worth repairing because a replacement has to fit that exact opening. The unit slides out of the sleeve for repair, and the sleeve itself needs a clear drain and a seal around it so water does not run into the wall.
PTACs, the units with a grille under the window in many newer apartment buildings, both heat and cool. They fail at the same fan motors, capacitors and boards as window units, plus their heat strips, heat pump valves and the wall thermostats some of them are wired to.
Window Unit Repair or Replacement in the Bronx
A large window unit or a through-wall unit with a failed fan motor, capacitor, switch or board is worth repairing. A small, light window unit with a failed compressor usually is not. Units that smell musty or drip need cleaning more than parts: pulled from the case, the coil, pan and blower wheel come clean.
It depends on the part. A fan motor, capacitor, thermostat sensor, switch or control board is worth replacing on a large unit, and a through-wall unit that fits a sleeve in the wall is worth repairing because a new one must match that sleeve. A failed sealed system on a small window unit usually is not.
Why is my window AC leaking water inside?
A window unit is built to drain toward the outside. If it tilts back into the room, or its drain holes and pan are clogged with dirt and slime, the water runs out the front instead. Check the tilt first, then clean the pan and the drain path.
Why does my window air conditioner freeze up?
Ice on the front coil means the coil is too cold for the air moving over it. A dirty filter or coil, a fan running on low on a humid day, a failing fan motor or a unit low on charge all cause it. Running it on fan only melts the ice.
Why does my window air conditioner keep tripping breaker?
A window unit that trips its breaker is drawing more current than the circuit allows. The cause can be the circuit itself shared with other appliances, a compressor struggling to start, a failed start capacitor or a shorted fan motor. An extension cord can cause it too.
Why is my window AC not blowing cold air?
If the fan runs but the air is not cold, the compressor is not running or not pumping. A failed capacitor, an overload that keeps tripping, a bad thermostat sensor or a dirty condenser coil on the outside half of the unit are the common causes.
Why does my window air conditioner smell musty?
Water sits in the base pan of every window unit, and dust and mold grow in it and on the coil. The fan blows that smell into the room. Pulling the unit from its case to clean the pan, coil and blower wheel takes care of it.
Why is my PTAC unit not cooling?
A PTAC that blows room air without cooling usually has a dirty filter or coil, a failed capacitor, a compressor overload that keeps tripping or a fault on its control board. Many also have a heat mode, so check that the unit is set to cool first.
Why is my PTAC unit not heating?
A PTAC heats with an electric strip or with a heat pump. If it blows cold in heat mode, the heating element or its limit switch may have failed, the heat pump reversing valve may be stuck, or the unit may be wired to a building hot water coil with a valve that is closed.
Window Unit Not Cooling?
Window, through-wall and PTAC air conditioner repair in the Bronx.
