I have a apartment a/c ?? too

[thursday85]

I just moved into an apartment and tried the ac yesterday. It cools, but the airflow is really weak. Im going to check the filter. Would that work? And make sure the return air is all clear of furniture. Any other suggestions on this. Last year the people who lived there spent 30 bucks on electric for the winter, but with the ac running it was 275. That just doesn't seem right to me.

Thanks.

[dash]

Checking those is a good start.

You likely need to get the apartment mgr., to have it checked and the indoor coil and blower "cleaned',as they may have never been.

[thursday85]

Yeah. I checked the filter. I don't think its ever been check from the look of it. So Im going to get a new one today and see how it runs after that. If its still bad I will look into about cleaning the coils.

Thanks

[dash]

In many apartments,with the filter out ,you may be able to see the coil with a flashlight,it should be very clean,unlikely that it will be.

[thedisastermaster]

Thak the filter out and see if the airflow improves if it does then the filter needs replacing. If the coils are dirty you can try cleaning them with a vacuum cleaner. Remember not to run the unit with no filter installed or to damage the evaporator fins.

[Shophound]

Apartment air handlers are notorious dirt collectors. Changing the filter will help. If the air handler is one of those Firt Company units in a drop ceiling over one of the bathrooms or halls, using ceiling or wall cavities for returns, that return chamber is likely pulling from other areas of the construction, thereby bypassing the filter.

Not much you can do about that. Change the filter.

I rented an apartment last summer while changing jobs. The air handler blower wheels and evap were packed with crap. The return pulled from near the floor into a wall cavity. I stuck my head into the cavity with a flashlight and shone it around. Holes in the construction everywhere...occasionally cooking and cigarette odors from adjancent apartments got pulled into mine. Not fun.
I also found this system, which had a new condenser recently installed, was overcharged. Brought the charge inline, cleaned the coils...you could hang meat inside that place. I wasn't about to let the apt. maintenance guys do it, as they were the ones who overjuiced the system to begin with. Last condenser likely died from filthy evap and blowers letting liquid slug the compressor.