[wanderersfan]

I have a trane 5 ton system barely 3 years old, when the thermostats set to cool, the inside unit is running constantly but the outside unit switches on but shuts down after about 1 min, I have checked inside the iner unit and it isn't frozen up, if I push in the contactor on the outside unit it fires up but when I let go it turns off, any ideas?

[Joshdta]

Is this a heat pump or strait ac unit? Sounds like you may be low on freon

[wanderersfan]

Is this a heat pump or strait ac unit? Sounds like you may be low on freon

Thanks , it's a heat pump

[Joshdta]

Well if it is a heat pump if you take off the electric pannel off the outdoor unit. Odds are there will be a defrose board in there and may have a fault code light flashing on it. If not, there are a number of things. High pressure, low pressure. Does the fan on top come on or just the compressor?

[wanderersfan]

well if it is a heat pump if you take off the electric pannel off the outdoor unit. odds are there will be a defrose board in there and may have a fault code light flashing on it. If not, there are a number of things. high pressure, low pressure. Does the fan on top come on or just the compressor?

It has a flashing green light , but I think the info says something about it flashing rapidly( per second) its flashing but not that fast. I think the fan just comes on, hard to tell with the noise if the compressor kicks in

[Joshdta]

What is the model of your unit?

[wanderersfan]

what is the model of your unit?

Hi, Its a Trane XR13

[Joshdta]

Do you have you owners manual, there should be a scetion in the on the codes and the defrose board. Have you ever seen a red light?

[wanderersfan]

Do you have you owners manual, there should be a scetion in the on the codes and the defrose board. Have you ever seen a red light?

Erm.. not so much an owners manual but there is a sheet in an envelope in the unit. I have never seen a red light. The sheet goes through some stuff, as it mentions the flashing light, but as I said it doesn't appear to flash so fast

[Joshdta]

Well sense it is a heatpump. Your best bet is probably just to call your local hvac contractor. There are a number of things that can lock a heat pump out, but with out the proper tools and gages it will be very hard to find out what is causing it. You say the indoor fan never shuts down? If that is correct then there should in no way be trouble with the t-stat so the problem is in the heat pump its self.

[wanderersfan]

well sence it is a heatpump. your best bet is probaly just to call your local hvac contractor. There are a number of things that can lock a heat pump out, but with out the proper tools and gages it will be very hard to find out what is causing it. you say the indoor fan never shuts down? If that is correct then there should in no way be trouble with the t-stat so the probelm is in the heat pump its self.

Thanks for that, so do you think its low and freon

[Joshdta]

That unit probably has a high pressure and a low pressure freon switch. The unit will come on and run then when the pressure gets to low or high it will shut down. To get it to come back on are you just reseting the t-stat or the breaker?

[wanderersfan]

that unit probally has a high pressure and a low presure freon switch. The unit will come on and run then when the pressure gets to low or high it will shut down. To get it to come back on are you just reseting the t-stat or the breaker?

The system is set to cool so every now and then the outside unit kicks in and shuts off, should I kill the power

[Joshdta]

If this is the case then I would say that you are defentally low on freon. And yes I would kill the power. You don't want to do any damage to the compressor.