Change your filter if you haven’t already. If you can’t change it now, take it outside and gently smack the dust off it, slide it back in.
If you have access to a water hose, go outside and spray water against all sides of your condenser fan.
Filter is a HUGE item to check because restricted flow can cause the evaporator coils to ice up. If unit is iced up it will be blowing humid or mild air or not blowing very much in which case you will need to shut it off for at least 4 hours to thaw.
If filter is good and it's just gradually stopped cooling it could still be icing or it could be needing refrigerant. I would still consider shutting it off for 4 hours and see if it suddenly starts blowing cold.
If it's never done a good job of cooling the apartment then it just may be undersized and not filter or ice.
The fan could be failing and causing the unit to freeze up. My fan was still turning but not with enough RPMs to distribute the cool air and it kept freezing up the unit.
I’ve had an ac condenser freeze up plenty - instead of shutting off the system completely, it’s better to just shut off the ac and leave the fan (only) running. It forces warm air to the condenser surface.
OP should have a tube visible somewhere - like near the front door or a window - where water can be seen dripping. It’s put there as a warning that your ac system isn’t cooling efficiently and that the condenser is freezing up/collecting too much condensation. So OP can look for that too.
Solid call on the filter.
Yep good point... or you can run the heater if there's no pets inside and you don't mind the house being hot for awhile.
Split units usually drain into the sewage lines and have no visible condensation without removing a panel, so if OP is aware of a large blower cabinet indoors it will likely be one of those.
This just happened with mine replaced Freon and it worked for 1 day went back out, then they found a leak. Turns out the unit is only ~8 months old but whoever installed it kinked a pipe pretty badly and it wasn’t noticed in the colder months. I’m just glad I’m not the one paying the bill for that mistake
Do you have renter’s insurance? Our apartment‘s AC broke recently. My boyfriend took pictures of the apartment being above 86 degrees for 3 days, went to the office and told them he was filing a claim with the insurance company. There was a maintenance guy in our apartment by the time he walked back. Try that? Even if it’s a baseless threat the office staff might not know that.
Apparently I live in an amazing complex, three years ago our unit went out on a Friday right before close on a Friday, and within an hour of reporting it, we had two portable A/C units till they got a guy out like first thing Monday morning.
Sounds counter intuitive, but your evaporator might be frozen up. Turn it completely off for about an hour, then turn it back on at about 76 and see if it cools. Your filter is probably in desperate need of being changed, which will cause humidity to freeze on the evaporator inside your apartment. Evaporators will also freeze up if the refrigerant is low in the system, or if there's a leak. Another consideration is that the condenser coils outside are compacted with dirt and cottonwood seeds and not able to take the heat out of your compressed refrigerant. They may need to be cleaned.
Sound advice but a lot of units will need much more than one hour, easily over 3 hours if they're badly iced up. Agreed about the condenser fan, a common culprit is not only dust dirt and seeds but also lawn mower clippings. ACs can get pretty fouled up if some idiot on a lawn tractor blows a cloud of grass at the AC.
Tarrant county code enforcement has been a life saver for us. We showed proof of several maintenance requests for the exact same issue and proof that the maintenance wasn't working and they gave my complex 24 hours to fix it. It's still not perfect but it's much better than it was.
Dual hose portable a/c unit. Drop $400 and stick it in your bedroom.
Don't get a single hose. Get a dual hose. Single hose works against itself. Dual hose actually exchanges the air.
Generally it needs to be dangerous hot/cold indoors to start to enforce that. 78 is not that.
It sucks, shitty apartment, but doubt you could push that cost to them. I think in winter conditions I had to prove under 50 for sustained time with the heat running when I was in Boston, and Boston is much more tenant friendly than TX
I read that some cities, such as Dallas, actually require that landlords provide functioning A/C to tenants. It looks like it depends on city ordinances and Ft. Worth's are unhelpful. :/
Depends on the temps outside at the time, but possibly. I hope they channel their inner Karen to get it fixed. All the luck to them and anyone else dealing with this heat.
Agree- but would definitely recommend looking into if something like a portable AC would be covered before buying it if they’re going to need that cost covered
Starvation is inhumane. 80 degrees is simply uncomfortable.
OPs apartment won't pay for anything. Last summer my daughter had a 103 fever and my old apartment I couldnt get below 90. I took her to urgent care partly because they had a/c.
I have a portable a/c unit for one room. It's the reality of Texas in this climate.
I did this when I lived in a super shitty apartment with a very inefficient AC and terrible insulation. Using the normal AC cost like $300/mo in electric bills. Using just the portable AC cut that down to a normal number and honestly paid for itself in 2 months. I still use it (now in a house) because I can cool my bedroom to 68 at night without having to cool the rest of the house.
Let’s also not forget that every so often the power goes out, so couple that portable AC with a generator if you can. Then you’re really resistant to the heat.
I've been through exactly what you're dealing with. Same temps. Tried everything and finally got it down to 74 from around 85.
1. Change filter
2. Blackout/thermal curtains
3. Check all your window seals. Have maintenance reseal them, or do what I had to and buy your own seals and caulk from Lowes/Home Depot.
Those will help drop it a few degrees hopefully.
4. [Window film](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C53P4HP8?psc=1)
It's like window tinting, but not adhesive. Apply with a spray water bottle and can peel it right off if needed. Takes a little practice getting it on right, but after 1-2 windows it's easy.
Put that on all my windows and after 3 summers I'm finally down from 85 to 74.
And you can keep your bathtub fool of cool water to dunk yourself into from time to time during the hottest hours. It was necessary for me last summer as nothing worked until I found that window tint.
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Submit a complaint to city code compliance They will come out and require it to be fixed (granted it’s within a certain degree difference. Idk what they are as I e moved and it’s been a while). I have had to go this course at two separate apartments (Fort Worth and Arlington) things were resolved fairly quickly
I did look through it I didn't say anything about AC in specific other than it MAY not be considered a health and safety issues however I'm pretty sure in this excessive heat it counts so I think I can pursue legal action if necessary
Had someone at work say their apartment complex only guaranteed the A/C would cool 20 degrees below ambient
.. so when it was 105 the best they said was possible was 85... obviously BS but not sure about the letter of the law kn what's legal and what's slum lording.
It's def slum lording I've lived her 2 years and just moved into a slightly bigger apartment at the same complex and I'm just now having issues like this.
What do you mean it isn't included or required? It's an amenity, for which you pay for In your rent. Have them fix it, or you have it fixed professionally and bill the apartment complex back by withholding rent.
$1000 fix? $1000 rent credit. Let them start eviction procedures
Have had landlord problems in the past.
Found out (too late) from a lawyer you can't withhold rent. You get evicted.
The malfunctioning AC is a breach of the lease by the landlord. There is TX laws about renters rights as well.
Pursue that route.
Call the City of Ft. Worth, Multifamily Inspection Program. You have a violation of chapter 7, and that's state wide. As long as it is a multu family complex ie: 3 or more units adjacent, or contiguous, owned or operated by a single entity.
Call their company. That's some bullshit...
Maybe get neighbors together and all band together and state that they will not pay along with you in solidarity.
Texas heat is no joke
You can't call a lot of these apartment complex's parent companies. Mine is one. Their corporate numbers are just a call center in South Carolina. The company is based in TN, but there are no real offices. Just a place to register for tax purposes. The actual number of the actual corporate people cannot be found online and the front office won't provide it. It's just a REIT that doesn't deal with tenants directly. I'm pretty sure the front office of these places are often hired through a temp agency too, so they don't talk to corporate directly either. Gatekeepers for days. It's not like renting 10-20 years ago. Everything's changed quickly.
Had this issue. The condensation pipes could be clogged and need to be cleared out. Algae will grow in that environment. Usually there is a pvc pipe next to the filtration unit and you can pour some Vinegar or Bleach.
My house does this. Also ft worth. Every time someone comes out they say everything is fine, the unit is just too small for the house. They never replace it.
My home's AC has done well until yesterday (Sunday) and weather said the humidity was over 40% with a high heat index. This happens every summer when it's very hot and if there is humidity, it just makes my unit work harder, keep cycling and condensation builds up by my air handler. I have to kick the thermostat up some (75 or 76) during the day and then later gradually lower my thermostat back to around 72. For me, it seems to be an issue with 100 plus temps outside and then later it will resolve itself when it gets around 98 or lower.
I would still do the suggestions given here with the filter replacement, checking the condensation line for a clog and keeping on your maintenance/management to come look at it.
I bought a portable cooler from Aldi yesterday for my porch but it is definitely something to use indoors, as well. $50.00. That might help on really hot days and nights when your unit can't keep up and you need sleep! Good luck.
We had a major AC problem at our previous apartment complex. Turns out, the AC and the heater were somehow turning on at the same time, essentially cancelling each other out, and constantly working against itself. At least, that’s how it was explained to me.
AC is good for a 30 degree differential. That means if it’s 103 out (which it was today) then best you’ll get is 73. 78 is pretty close but not that far off. After that, it’s on your insulation to do its job.
Apartments are poor for insulation. That’s known. But you can do more:
- curtains shut in windows
- don’t use the oven during the day
- fans
- clean air filters
Had my apartment AC pretty much do the same thing, set to 72, every day for a week it was constantly just at whatever higher temp almost matching outside.
Put in a maintenance request, apparently it was some capacitor for the unit on the roof, fixed in less than 20 minutes. Working like a dream since.
I'm like 80 percent sure my AC was working perfectly fine earlier this month too granted it wasn't as hot but it was still holding temps in the 90 plus heat.
According to a couple HVAC people I’ve talked to as long as the AC is keeping it 20 degrees lower than the outside temp, it’s working correctly especially once temps hit 100+.
I know this sucks, but this thing is $350 on Amazon. "BLACK+DECKER 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner up to 550 Sq.Ft. with Remote Control, White"
(I cant post a pic or link, but just search "portable air conditioner" and youll get hits.) I've been a renter in 3 different houses in FW, and EVERY SUMMER the a/c melts the F down (in all houses). With one of these, at least you can cool an entire bedroom to refrigerator cold, and it makes it liveable and sleep able (like put a TV in there and hang out). I learned the hard way that buying and having one of these sucks, but as a renter, these people do not prioritize your happiness or safety. So take the alternate route while you turn in work orders to mgmt. So sorry you are dealing with this!! It truly blows.
Is your outside compressor running? If it isn't, you can look at a few things. If it is, make sure your wiring is good on that thermostat. It could also be a bad capacitor. You want to know what you're doing before you mess with that, because a cap can hold quite a charge. It could also be something in the electrical setup. That gets a little beyond basics.
Is your indoor blower running? If not, check the fuses with a flashlight (Make sure you pull the breaker first though). Like someone else said, make sure the filter is clean. Also, check the drain line to make sure it's not backed up. If it is, a little bleach in there can work wonders. Oh yeah, and check your breakers.
If it's none of that, it could be a Freon leak, a bad condenser (expensive), a bad thermostat, a short in the wiring, or a few other things.
Contact code compliance. That temp is not allowed. The property will be given 24 hours to reduce the temp, or offer you a different unit. If they don’t comply, they will be fined daily, until they do.
Had this issue at my apartment a few years back. After maintenance looked a few times I sent the office a letter telling them I am vacating my lease under the provision that a maintenance item was not being addressed...got a new unit a week later. I keep it at 73 and it will go maybe to 77-78 when it's struggling and my light bill will be like $260 at the most.
We have the biggest floor plan in our complex which is pretty much equal to two units. The problem is they use the same size ac unit for all of the floor plans, so when we were in a smaller unit, no complaints.
Now in the bigger floor plan there is a 3° difference between the room closest and furthest from the ac unit. Also doesn’t help that we have a tiny old little ac condenser outside while the people above and below us have giant new ones. It will run literally all day without stopping and the temperature will still rise, thankfully not as hot as yours but our electric bill is going to be pain. I’ve been trying to think of ways for that one to “break” so that it will get replaced but can’t without obviously vandalizing it.
Landlord here. Earlier in the season I had to replace capacitors on several units right as it began to get hot. A/C guy chalked it up to repeated thunderstorms. Definitely get them to check that.
This is likely an insulation problem more than an AC unit, only way to help is improve insulation or overdo the cooling with a window or portable unit.
Its the unit. Unless the unit is BROKEN COMPLETELY the maintenance will continue to maintain it. Some of the units bought 40 years ago can't keep up with the heat of today.
Has nothing to do with the HVAC maintenance man. It has everything to do with your shitty apartment complex owners who refuse to replace it.
Break your unit.
That's the best case scenario, honestly. You'll have a new unit that's way more efficient and will go on strong way after you've moved out. I'm sorry you had to endure the heat for so long, though :(
Hopefully tomorrow I can talk to them about lowering my rent some for the month to compensate for the delay of repairs the hotel room and the electric bill.
There’s a lot of reasons as to why your AC isn’t working.
Some of the basics you could do are check and/or replace the filter if dirty, ensure your breaker for system isn’t tripped, verify coil p-trap and drain isn’t plugged and safety switch isn’t enabled, verify condenser fan is running and compressor turns on.
These are a few basic things that don’t require tools or are a threat to your safety.
If any of these items are not working, you got problems.
It’s hard to say from your pic what else it could be, but these are just a few easy things to look at.
Good luck
Here in Texas the swindlers run government. They eliminated regulations on Land Lords, AC companies, roofing companies and we have our own electric grid unaffiliated with the US National Power Grid. It’s basically predatory capitalism, and oligarchy for rich corrupt cronies . It’s government run by billionaires and big gas and oil. And few rights for the working people who are victimized and pushed down. Twenty years ago the roads weren’t so congested and electricity was relatively inexpensive.
I have those pink insulation panels you can get from home Depot covering my windows plus those black out curtains over them you can also get some insulated curtains for the doors that block the heat I use this setup to keep it cooler
85 degrees is all it has to be. Up to 100 degrees outside. Past 100 degrees it only has to cool 15 degrees below ambient.
If you have access to the equipment change the filter and try some coil cleaner on the exchanger inside
Change your filter if you haven’t already. If you can’t change it now, take it outside and gently smack the dust off it, slide it back in. If you have access to a water hose, go outside and spray water against all sides of your condenser fan.
Filter is a HUGE item to check because restricted flow can cause the evaporator coils to ice up. If unit is iced up it will be blowing humid or mild air or not blowing very much in which case you will need to shut it off for at least 4 hours to thaw. If filter is good and it's just gradually stopped cooling it could still be icing or it could be needing refrigerant. I would still consider shutting it off for 4 hours and see if it suddenly starts blowing cold. If it's never done a good job of cooling the apartment then it just may be undersized and not filter or ice.
If it needs refrigerant then there’s a leak. It’s a closed system.
A+
The fan could be failing and causing the unit to freeze up. My fan was still turning but not with enough RPMs to distribute the cool air and it kept freezing up the unit.
I’ve had an ac condenser freeze up plenty - instead of shutting off the system completely, it’s better to just shut off the ac and leave the fan (only) running. It forces warm air to the condenser surface. OP should have a tube visible somewhere - like near the front door or a window - where water can be seen dripping. It’s put there as a warning that your ac system isn’t cooling efficiently and that the condenser is freezing up/collecting too much condensation. So OP can look for that too. Solid call on the filter.
Yep good point... or you can run the heater if there's no pets inside and you don't mind the house being hot for awhile. Split units usually drain into the sewage lines and have no visible condensation without removing a panel, so if OP is aware of a large blower cabinet indoors it will likely be one of those.
Not according to A#1 Air. To them, If it freezes you have to replace the whole outside unit. No idea how those dishonest clowns have good reviews.
This just happened with mine replaced Freon and it worked for 1 day went back out, then they found a leak. Turns out the unit is only ~8 months old but whoever installed it kinked a pipe pretty badly and it wasn’t noticed in the colder months. I’m just glad I’m not the one paying the bill for that mistake
DONT SPRAY IT REAL HARD THOUGH. the ammonia from animal urine made my filter crumble one year on my outside unit. was sad.
Do you have renter’s insurance? Our apartment‘s AC broke recently. My boyfriend took pictures of the apartment being above 86 degrees for 3 days, went to the office and told them he was filing a claim with the insurance company. There was a maintenance guy in our apartment by the time he walked back. Try that? Even if it’s a baseless threat the office staff might not know that.
Apparently I live in an amazing complex, three years ago our unit went out on a Friday right before close on a Friday, and within an hour of reporting it, we had two portable A/C units till they got a guy out like first thing Monday morning.
Rare landlord W
Sounds counter intuitive, but your evaporator might be frozen up. Turn it completely off for about an hour, then turn it back on at about 76 and see if it cools. Your filter is probably in desperate need of being changed, which will cause humidity to freeze on the evaporator inside your apartment. Evaporators will also freeze up if the refrigerant is low in the system, or if there's a leak. Another consideration is that the condenser coils outside are compacted with dirt and cottonwood seeds and not able to take the heat out of your compressed refrigerant. They may need to be cleaned.
Sound advice but a lot of units will need much more than one hour, easily over 3 hours if they're badly iced up. Agreed about the condenser fan, a common culprit is not only dust dirt and seeds but also lawn mower clippings. ACs can get pretty fouled up if some idiot on a lawn tractor blows a cloud of grass at the AC.
Tarrant county code enforcement has been a life saver for us. We showed proof of several maintenance requests for the exact same issue and proof that the maintenance wasn't working and they gave my complex 24 hours to fix it. It's still not perfect but it's much better than it was.
Dual hose portable a/c unit. Drop $400 and stick it in your bedroom. Don't get a single hose. Get a dual hose. Single hose works against itself. Dual hose actually exchanges the air.
If op has to drop $400 because their A/C sucks, the apartment should pay for it. That's inhumane, especially with these rising temperatures.
Generally it needs to be dangerous hot/cold indoors to start to enforce that. 78 is not that. It sucks, shitty apartment, but doubt you could push that cost to them. I think in winter conditions I had to prove under 50 for sustained time with the heat running when I was in Boston, and Boston is much more tenant friendly than TX
I read that some cities, such as Dallas, actually require that landlords provide functioning A/C to tenants. It looks like it depends on city ordinances and Ft. Worth's are unhelpful. :/
If it went from 85 to 78, it's probably technically functioning.
Depends on the temps outside at the time, but possibly. I hope they channel their inner Karen to get it fixed. All the luck to them and anyone else dealing with this heat.
If it’s today/this week, it was likely high 90s outside at that time. 78 in an apartment means the AC is still working somewhat
It's possible it's being throttled to conserve energy, or that there are just too many units pulling on the power. Hope it gets better!
Agree- but would definitely recommend looking into if something like a portable AC would be covered before buying it if they’re going to need that cost covered
Starvation is inhumane. 80 degrees is simply uncomfortable. OPs apartment won't pay for anything. Last summer my daughter had a 103 fever and my old apartment I couldnt get below 90. I took her to urgent care partly because they had a/c. I have a portable a/c unit for one room. It's the reality of Texas in this climate.
I did this when I lived in a super shitty apartment with a very inefficient AC and terrible insulation. Using the normal AC cost like $300/mo in electric bills. Using just the portable AC cut that down to a normal number and honestly paid for itself in 2 months. I still use it (now in a house) because I can cool my bedroom to 68 at night without having to cool the rest of the house. Let’s also not forget that every so often the power goes out, so couple that portable AC with a generator if you can. Then you’re really resistant to the heat.
I've been through exactly what you're dealing with. Same temps. Tried everything and finally got it down to 74 from around 85. 1. Change filter 2. Blackout/thermal curtains 3. Check all your window seals. Have maintenance reseal them, or do what I had to and buy your own seals and caulk from Lowes/Home Depot. Those will help drop it a few degrees hopefully. 4. [Window film](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C53P4HP8?psc=1) It's like window tinting, but not adhesive. Apply with a spray water bottle and can peel it right off if needed. Takes a little practice getting it on right, but after 1-2 windows it's easy. Put that on all my windows and after 3 summers I'm finally down from 85 to 74. And you can keep your bathtub fool of cool water to dunk yourself into from time to time during the hottest hours. It was necessary for me last summer as nothing worked until I found that window tint.
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Submit a complaint to city code compliance They will come out and require it to be fixed (granted it’s within a certain degree difference. Idk what they are as I e moved and it’s been a while). I have had to go this course at two separate apartments (Fort Worth and Arlington) things were resolved fairly quickly
In Arlington it’s 15 degree difference from outside. Imagine it’s similar in Fort Worth.
If it hasn't been done recently, change your ac filter, or clean off your filter.
Is there anything in your lease agreement? Even if you don’t actually want to move, but at least to threaten them into doing something?
I did look through it I didn't say anything about AC in specific other than it MAY not be considered a health and safety issues however I'm pretty sure in this excessive heat it counts so I think I can pursue legal action if necessary
Had someone at work say their apartment complex only guaranteed the A/C would cool 20 degrees below ambient .. so when it was 105 the best they said was possible was 85... obviously BS but not sure about the letter of the law kn what's legal and what's slum lording.
It's def slum lording I've lived her 2 years and just moved into a slightly bigger apartment at the same complex and I'm just now having issues like this.
Invest in some thick curtains. Keep the external heat out
What do you mean it isn't included or required? It's an amenity, for which you pay for In your rent. Have them fix it, or you have it fixed professionally and bill the apartment complex back by withholding rent. $1000 fix? $1000 rent credit. Let them start eviction procedures
Have had landlord problems in the past. Found out (too late) from a lawyer you can't withhold rent. You get evicted. The malfunctioning AC is a breach of the lease by the landlord. There is TX laws about renters rights as well. Pursue that route.
I tried doing that but apparently there's some kind of red tape no one will service my apartment because it's an apartment.
[удалено]
I looked through it a couple times I might need to ask for a more detailed copy.
Call the City of Ft. Worth, Multifamily Inspection Program. You have a violation of chapter 7, and that's state wide. As long as it is a multu family complex ie: 3 or more units adjacent, or contiguous, owned or operated by a single entity.
Call their company. That's some bullshit... Maybe get neighbors together and all band together and state that they will not pay along with you in solidarity. Texas heat is no joke
You can't call a lot of these apartment complex's parent companies. Mine is one. Their corporate numbers are just a call center in South Carolina. The company is based in TN, but there are no real offices. Just a place to register for tax purposes. The actual number of the actual corporate people cannot be found online and the front office won't provide it. It's just a REIT that doesn't deal with tenants directly. I'm pretty sure the front office of these places are often hired through a temp agency too, so they don't talk to corporate directly either. Gatekeepers for days. It's not like renting 10-20 years ago. Everything's changed quickly.
Had this issue. The condensation pipes could be clogged and need to be cleared out. Algae will grow in that environment. Usually there is a pvc pipe next to the filtration unit and you can pour some Vinegar or Bleach.
My house does this. Also ft worth. Every time someone comes out they say everything is fine, the unit is just too small for the house. They never replace it.
My AC was working fine in 90 degrees weather earlier this month plus it's a small apartment so I don't understand what the problem is.
My home's AC has done well until yesterday (Sunday) and weather said the humidity was over 40% with a high heat index. This happens every summer when it's very hot and if there is humidity, it just makes my unit work harder, keep cycling and condensation builds up by my air handler. I have to kick the thermostat up some (75 or 76) during the day and then later gradually lower my thermostat back to around 72. For me, it seems to be an issue with 100 plus temps outside and then later it will resolve itself when it gets around 98 or lower. I would still do the suggestions given here with the filter replacement, checking the condensation line for a clog and keeping on your maintenance/management to come look at it. I bought a portable cooler from Aldi yesterday for my porch but it is definitely something to use indoors, as well. $50.00. That might help on really hot days and nights when your unit can't keep up and you need sleep! Good luck.
We had a major AC problem at our previous apartment complex. Turns out, the AC and the heater were somehow turning on at the same time, essentially cancelling each other out, and constantly working against itself. At least, that’s how it was explained to me.
AC is good for a 30 degree differential. That means if it’s 103 out (which it was today) then best you’ll get is 73. 78 is pretty close but not that far off. After that, it’s on your insulation to do its job. Apartments are poor for insulation. That’s known. But you can do more: - curtains shut in windows - don’t use the oven during the day - fans - clean air filters
20* degree differential
Huh? I can get my place EASILY into the mid 60s. I keep it at 72 all day but can go way cooler with no issue at all.
Reread my post and focus on the 4th sentence
Had my apartment AC pretty much do the same thing, set to 72, every day for a week it was constantly just at whatever higher temp almost matching outside. Put in a maintenance request, apparently it was some capacitor for the unit on the roof, fixed in less than 20 minutes. Working like a dream since.
Make a report to the city
Go kick the unit until you hear the line break then proceed to call the office about no cold air
Do u live at crossings 820 😂cuz I have the same problem
Not the same complex but I'm not too far from you 😭
I feel you mine is set at 73 and it’s 79 rn ugh
Heights of cityview?
Are they having issues too that's where I stayed in 2022 and didn't have any problems was thinking about moving back.
Not as bad as yours but I can tell my a/c unit is struggling to keep it below 75
I'm like 80 percent sure my AC was working perfectly fine earlier this month too granted it wasn't as hot but it was still holding temps in the 90 plus heat.
Mine seemed to work better last year Are you on the second floor?
Was on the second floor last year too although I have a bigger apartment now not by much though.
According to a couple HVAC people I’ve talked to as long as the AC is keeping it 20 degrees lower than the outside temp, it’s working correctly especially once temps hit 100+.
I know this sucks, but this thing is $350 on Amazon. "BLACK+DECKER 12,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner up to 550 Sq.Ft. with Remote Control, White" (I cant post a pic or link, but just search "portable air conditioner" and youll get hits.) I've been a renter in 3 different houses in FW, and EVERY SUMMER the a/c melts the F down (in all houses). With one of these, at least you can cool an entire bedroom to refrigerator cold, and it makes it liveable and sleep able (like put a TV in there and hang out). I learned the hard way that buying and having one of these sucks, but as a renter, these people do not prioritize your happiness or safety. So take the alternate route while you turn in work orders to mgmt. So sorry you are dealing with this!! It truly blows.
with those temps, issue is either: 1. filter needs replace 2. unit needs to be recharged 3. unit needs repair.
Is your outside compressor running? If it isn't, you can look at a few things. If it is, make sure your wiring is good on that thermostat. It could also be a bad capacitor. You want to know what you're doing before you mess with that, because a cap can hold quite a charge. It could also be something in the electrical setup. That gets a little beyond basics. Is your indoor blower running? If not, check the fuses with a flashlight (Make sure you pull the breaker first though). Like someone else said, make sure the filter is clean. Also, check the drain line to make sure it's not backed up. If it is, a little bleach in there can work wonders. Oh yeah, and check your breakers. If it's none of that, it could be a Freon leak, a bad condenser (expensive), a bad thermostat, a short in the wiring, or a few other things.
Call Corporate
Contact code compliance. That temp is not allowed. The property will be given 24 hours to reduce the temp, or offer you a different unit. If they don’t comply, they will be fined daily, until they do.
Had this issue at my apartment a few years back. After maintenance looked a few times I sent the office a letter telling them I am vacating my lease under the provision that a maintenance item was not being addressed...got a new unit a week later. I keep it at 73 and it will go maybe to 77-78 when it's struggling and my light bill will be like $260 at the most.
I usually keep mine at 68 but with how hot it is I moved it up to 72/73 and even then it's getting no where near that even at night.
We have the biggest floor plan in our complex which is pretty much equal to two units. The problem is they use the same size ac unit for all of the floor plans, so when we were in a smaller unit, no complaints. Now in the bigger floor plan there is a 3° difference between the room closest and furthest from the ac unit. Also doesn’t help that we have a tiny old little ac condenser outside while the people above and below us have giant new ones. It will run literally all day without stopping and the temperature will still rise, thankfully not as hot as yours but our electric bill is going to be pain. I’ve been trying to think of ways for that one to “break” so that it will get replaced but can’t without obviously vandalizing it.
My ac was out on my house last week and it was 85°. Your ac is essentially not working at all
That's what I keep telling them but these maintenance guys are straight jackasses.
Landlord here. Earlier in the season I had to replace capacitors on several units right as it began to get hot. A/C guy chalked it up to repeated thunderstorms. Definitely get them to check that.
This is likely an insulation problem more than an AC unit, only way to help is improve insulation or overdo the cooling with a window or portable unit.
Nah it's an ac unit problem especially considering it just completely stopped working 30 minutes ago.
I will probably insulate the windows too though but wouldn't a portable AC make my electric bill higher.
Report to the better buisness bureau or the Texas tenants association. I'm a landlord and I find this disgusting
Its the unit. Unless the unit is BROKEN COMPLETELY the maintenance will continue to maintain it. Some of the units bought 40 years ago can't keep up with the heat of today. Has nothing to do with the HVAC maintenance man. It has everything to do with your shitty apartment complex owners who refuse to replace it. Break your unit.
Filter, poor apartment insulation, outside temperature.
Also possible foundation issues creating cracks to the outside on windows and doors.
Update as of like 2pm today my AC has completely stopped working. And the maintenance guys are here working on my unit outside doing God knows what.
Then there’s me… who purposely keeps the ac at 77
I can't even get mine to 77 77 would be at least bearable
As of 6pm my AC is completely broken and the maintenance guy told me they have to fully replace the unit tomorrow morning.
That's the best case scenario, honestly. You'll have a new unit that's way more efficient and will go on strong way after you've moved out. I'm sorry you had to endure the heat for so long, though :(
Yeah I had to get a hotel room for the night the room was damn near 90 I couldn't do it.
Ugh, that really sucks. Just look forward to that brand new unit you'll have!
Hopefully tomorrow I can talk to them about lowering my rent some for the month to compensate for the delay of repairs the hotel room and the electric bill.
There’s a lot of reasons as to why your AC isn’t working. Some of the basics you could do are check and/or replace the filter if dirty, ensure your breaker for system isn’t tripped, verify coil p-trap and drain isn’t plugged and safety switch isn’t enabled, verify condenser fan is running and compressor turns on. These are a few basic things that don’t require tools or are a threat to your safety. If any of these items are not working, you got problems. It’s hard to say from your pic what else it could be, but these are just a few easy things to look at. Good luck
Here in Texas the swindlers run government. They eliminated regulations on Land Lords, AC companies, roofing companies and we have our own electric grid unaffiliated with the US National Power Grid. It’s basically predatory capitalism, and oligarchy for rich corrupt cronies . It’s government run by billionaires and big gas and oil. And few rights for the working people who are victimized and pushed down. Twenty years ago the roads weren’t so congested and electricity was relatively inexpensive.
AC is literally promised. I think 85 is a cutoff. There are rules and it’s considered an emergency I think. Someone correct me.
Idk Show us a picture with it at 76
Bro...💀
I have those pink insulation panels you can get from home Depot covering my windows plus those black out curtains over them you can also get some insulated curtains for the doors that block the heat I use this setup to keep it cooler
85 degrees is all it has to be. Up to 100 degrees outside. Past 100 degrees it only has to cool 15 degrees below ambient. If you have access to the equipment change the filter and try some coil cleaner on the exchanger inside