# Left cover on air conditioner



## donnamohn (May 11, 2011)

I accidently left the winter cover on my ac unit and turned it on for about 3 hours. The unit does not turn on now - the furnace turns on by the thermostat, but the ac unit doesn't turn on. What should I do? Thanks!


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

On most newer units there is a high pressure cutout safety switch inside the outdoor unit with a red reset button you need to reset. Can be hard to find and require covers etc to be taken off to get at. I would get a tech to do an annual service, check the freon level etc and reset it.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

First thing you should do is cross your fingers. Second thing you should do, is throw that cover away.

Then if you have a meter, check for open safeties.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

I like it when the customer says "I never touched it" (cover is now off). BUT wait!! the teenagers turned it on and mentioned it wasn't working.:laughing:

Ka Ching, $95 service call.:thumbsup:


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

yuri said:


> I like it when the customer says "I never touched it" (cover is now off). BUT wait!! the teenagers turned it on and mentioned it wasn't working.:laughing:
> 
> Ka Ching, $95 service call.:thumbsup:


Yep. Those covers make money for the company that makes them, and for us when they are left on when trying to use the A/c.


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## COLDIRON (Mar 15, 2009)

Covers Blah!!!!!!! All they do is cause trouble especially when they are put on real nice and tight with all that condensation build up it ruins the innards with moisture. A/C units are like cars, boats, trucks, they belong outside. If I was to put a cover on at all it would be just to cover the top from excess snow and ice.


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## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

looking at it from a positive side...you blew a fuse in the disconnect box outside with the compressor tripping on HP or internal thermal overload...on the negative side you burnt the condenser fan motor out overloaded...burnt the compressor up windings exploded freon burnt acid...:furious: from the heat.check for 208V at the condenser disconnect.next fall just shut the disconnect off outside..only if you don't have a crank case heater on the compressor lets here back on the findings


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

COLDIRON said:


> Covers Blah!!!!!!! All they do is cause trouble especially when they are put on real nice and tight with all that condensation build up it ruins the innards with moisture. A/C units are like cars, boats, trucks, they belong outside. If I was to put a cover on at all it would be just to cover the top from excess snow and ice.


If my neighbor had hers covered during Winter, it would not have had over a foot of leaf debris piled inside. Had to take the cover off, access panel on back, and the grid covering the coils to get all of the crud out of it.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

All the metal inside the unit is galvanized so I have never seen one get damaged from "moisture". Cover or tarp some people use needs to be removed early in Spring so water does not sit in the bottom but I have never seen a problem due to having a cover on. Contactor and other parts are exposed to high humidity in places like Florida yr round so the moisture level is not an issue in my experience. On the newer high SEER units they have large fan blades and a load of snow can bend them so covering is a good idea.


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## biggles (Jan 1, 2008)

the biggest saving is that the winter snow doesn't melt over the fan blades and all the water drips down and down the fan motor shaft...if you cover the condenser the life of it will be extended.even a plastic garbage can cover with a brick on top it something.you should hear and see what winter melt does to commercial rooftop condensers with 6-12-24 fans when they start for the spring load...and 480Vs ba boom and the building engineers aren't covering squat:wink: in the fall


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

biggles said:


> the biggest saving is that the winter snow doesn't melt over the fan blades and all the water drips down and down the fan motor shaft...if you cover the condenser the life of it will be extended.even a plastic garbage can cover with a brick on top it something.you should hear and see what winter melt does to commercial rooftop condensers with 6-12-24 fans when they start for the spring load...and 480Vs ba boom and the building engineers aren't covering squat:wink: in the fall



Got lots of old RTUs that have never been covered in their life, and still have the original condenser motors.

You must be talking about those (I'm not allowed to say the phrase) Trane units.


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## COLDIRON (Mar 15, 2009)

beenthere said:


> Got lots of old RTUs that have never been covered in their life, and still have the original condenser motors.
> 
> You must be talking about those (I'm not allowed to say the phrase) Trane units.


 
Ha Ha good one Been.


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## chrisbane (Feb 26, 2013)

Your Condenser coil must be burned off..you should contact service center


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## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

chrisbane said:


> Your Condenser coil must be burned off..you should contact service center


Another two year old post dredged up today


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## COLDIRON (Mar 15, 2009)

Man this is some old stuff, guess the OP was looking for something to talk about.

To cover or not to cover?

It's good for reference.


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## jagans (Oct 21, 2012)

How about killing the breaker and hanging a reminder on your load center to remind you about the cover? 

As far as leaves in the unit go, spring cleaning should include taking off the top, shop vac out the debris, and clean the coil.


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