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Why does my A/C run for as little as a few seconds when the thermostat kicks in

Asked Oct 19, 2010, 06:13 PM — 2 Answers
I have a programmable thermostat. The A/C works runs fine when it's cooling a room from a different tempeture. The [potential] problem comes when it's the A/C turns on to maintain the programmed temp. It then runs for like 8 seconds, then I hear the outdoor condenser unit shut off, then the blowers inside turn off about a minute later. It does this every few minutes. I'm assuming it shuts off because the desired temp. Has been reached but the short duration concerns me. By the way, when the outdoor unit turns off, it sounds like a quick half a second grind from the A/C unit closet. Is this normal?

Age: 6
Tonnage: 3
Characteristics: Heat Pump System, Electric
Condensation: Condensate Pipe To Exterior
Cooling Testing: Reverse Valve Not Checked, Outside

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2 Answers
hvac1000's Avatar
hvac1000 Posts: 14,539, Reputation: 2381
Heating & Air Conditioning Expert
  
#2

Oct 19, 2010, 11:39 PM


BYpass the thermostat and see if the unit stays running. If so then I would suspect that the thermostat is installed in a incompatable area or the wire that comes through the wall has not been sealed to prevent in wall air migration to cause the thermostat to short cycle OR the thermostat is not setup correctly or is defective.
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timeticker's Avatar
timeticker Posts: 2, Reputation: 10
Junior Member
  
#3

Oct 27, 2010, 03:29 PM
It looks to be the swing on the programmable thermostat was set to .25. I set it to .5 and it seems to have fixed the problem.
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