I've lost control of my appliances

[Chuck Bao]

I have no clue what is happening here and desperately need some advice.

My air-con units go on/off/on/off and I can't control them. Well, I can but only by throwing the breaker switch to the entire unit and then I have no electricity.

And, it only happens at night. Yesterday, I brought in some air-con technicians and they said that nothing is wrong. Well, it wasn't during the day when they were here and then it started again last night.

I have heard that the electricity companies can remotely control new appliances such as hot water heaters through some signal sent over the electricity lines and turn them off during peak demand.

The reason I bring that up is that my air-cons are acting up only at night when there is peak demand and everyone is running them and trying to sleep. I would be quite okay with that whole thing except my air-con unit in my bedroom produces a seriously loud beep every time it is turned on and off. It is constantly beeping and I am just about to take my beeping hands and rip out that beeping thing and throw it out the beeping window.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[pphilfran]

A few questions and a lot probably inaccurate answers...

Only the AC is giving you problems?

What voltage do you have over there? 220 for the AC?

You could have one phase of the line going out...though I doubt if this is the problem

The power company shouldn't be able to cut power to one appliance unless that appliance has a remote device installed...

In fact I just received a notice from PSO that I can have such a device installed on my AC and they will rebate me $25 a year...of course they want to be able to cycle my unit during peak periods...

[olevetonahill]

Chuck , Mine has an energy saver mode. It turns itself off when the temp drops to whatever I have it set at, then kicks it self back on as the room heats up.
Could that be the prob?

[sappstuf]

I'm confused.. Is this in Thailand?

[MsProudSooner2]

We once had electrical problems that were the result of the transformer on the pole being hit by lightning 3 times. The electric company put a new transformer on the pole and we had no more problems. Are you having problems w/ any thing other than your a/c?

[olevetonahill]

Why are you confused? That is where he lives.

[sappstuf]

Why are you confused? That is where he lives.

Then the answer is obvious...

Electricity coup.

[Chuck Bao]

Chuck , Mine has an energy saver mode. It turns itself off when the temp drops to whatever I have it set at, then kicks it self back on as the room heats up.
Could that be the prob?

That is definitely not it because it is hotter than...okay ya know. It is some sort of electrical problem that happens only at night.

Maybe not. I hear it beeping right now on/off/on/off and it is almost 7am.

I hit the breaker switch yesterday because I didn't want to burn out the unit. I don't give a **** today just because I need to sleep and can't stand anymore the that beeping.

[olevetonahill]

That is definitely not it because it is hotter than...okay ya know. It is some sort of electrical problem that happens only at night.

Maybe not. I hear it beeping right now on/off/on/off and it is almost 7am.

I hit the breaker switch yesterday because I didn't want to burn out the unit. I don't give a **** today just because I need to sleep and can't stand anymore the that beeping.

Then you may need to get the wiring checked. It may not be a large enough gauge to carry the required load.

Or get a dif. A/C Repairmen to check it out. There may be a bad relay er somepun in the unit.
Good luck

[Chuck Bao]

Then the answer is obvious...

Electricity coup.


Well, how did you know? I don't think I have ever told the story about my visits to Electricity City. There really is such a place. In the parking lot outside of the HQ building in Electricity City, there are 30 matching and brand new Mercedes with license plates that match the parking spot 1-30. That just brings tears to see such a thing of beauty to behold. Have any of you seen that? 30 brand new cars arranged by license number. You can tell they are really engineers and worth their stuff.

[Chuck Bao]

Then you may need to get the wiring checked. It may not be a large enough gauge to carry the required load.

Or get a dif. A/C Repairmen to check it out. There may be a bad relay er somepun in the unit.
Good luck

I don't think the load is different than the previous 3 years? Maybe she has some hot wire up her *** now. You'd think the air-con people could figure that out. Now, it has stopped the bloody beeping again and I just want to ask why it ****s me like that.

[StoopTroup]

Or get a dif. A/C Repairmen to check it out. T
Good luck

Yep....

Quit hiring this guy....

http://v7web.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/air-conditioner-repair.jpg

And start hiring this guy....:D

http://s6.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/4F182200.jpg

[StoopTroup]

The loads are different...I'd bet on it. :D

[StoopTroup]

My Wife made me fire Stacey. She would come out and clean our condenser twice a month until my Wife found out. :D ;)

http://www.charlesandhudson.com/photos/air-conditioning-repair.jpg

[proud gonzo]

HOLY ****, CALL EMILIO ESTEVEZ!

7K44PqV2Idk

[BudSooner]

Well, how did you know? I don't think I have ever told the story about my visits to Electricity City. There really is such a place. In the parking lot outside of the HQ building in Electricity City, there are 30 matching and brand new Mercedes with license plates that match the parking spot 1-30. That just brings tears to see such a thing of beauty to behold. Have any of you seen that? 30 brand new cars arranged by license number. You can tell they are really engineers and worth their stuff.Engineers are strange people. Very strange.

[olevetonahill]

I don't think the load is different than the previous 3 years? Maybe she has some hot wire up her *** now. You'd think the air-con people could figure that out. Now, it has stopped the bloody beeping again and I just want to ask why it ****s me like that.

If its the same units and they worked right for 3 years and yer A/C guys can find no prob , then maybe the Lectric company are doing a 'Rolling Blackout'

Just about have to be the only explanation left.

[soonerchk]

I think you have evil spirits. Call someone had have your appliances smudged with sage.

[NormanPride]

Yeah, you probably have a Kra-sue.

[3rdgensooner]

I had an issue with the short-cycle mechanism on mine. It kind of reminds me of what you're describing. Other than my appliances also having evil spirits, that's about the extent of my knowledge.

[Jammin']

Does someone have tulsaweather's number?

[soonerchk]

I had an issue with the short-cycle mechanism on mine. It kind of reminds me of what you're describing. Other than my appliances also having evil spirits, that's about the extent of my knowledge.

I thought you just had devil trees. Did not know the appliances had turned on you as well.

[3rdgensooner]

I thought you just had devil trees. Did not know the appliances had turned on you as well.How quickly you forget July 4th weekend of 2009.

[soonerchk]

How quickly you forget July 4th weekend of 2009.

Sorry, I was focused on my own personal appliance rebellion and just plain forgot the Great A/C War of 09.

[JDMT]

I have heard that the electricity companies can remotely control new appliances such as hot water heaters through some signal sent over the electricity lines and turn them off during peak demand.



http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jdmt37/tin-foil-hat.jpg

[Chuck Bao]

I am still having this problem. I have had air-con repairmen come out to look at it twice and they can't find anything wrong. And, it works perfectly during the day when they are here. It is only after 11pm that it goes into a very rapid on-off-on-off-on-off mode. My only choice is to cut off electricity to half of my condo each night. My other air-con units work just fine at night, but they are on separate meters and power supply. The lights don't flicker on that side of the condo when my air-con unit is having its spasms.

I thought about throwing a party and inviting several air-con repairmen over to see it at night. But on second thought, drunky and electricity seldom end up very well.

I guess that I will have them start replacing the electrical parts piece by piece until the thing isn't so spastic when it is time to go to bed.

[Sooner_Tuf]

Your lights are flickering when the A/C kicks on? That's a pretty good sign the compressor is burned out. But since it works OK during the day (I have no idea why that would be) look at the starter capacitor(s) and see if they are swollen. If they are replace them.

[Chuck Bao]

Your lights are flickering when the A/C kicks on? That's a pretty good sign the compressor is burned out. But since it works OK during the day (I have no idea why that would be) look at the starter capacitor(s) and see if they are swollen. If they are replace them.

No, the lights don't flicker on THAT side. The electric hot water heater doesn't kick off like the air con unit and I guess that it also takes a fair amount of electricity.

I am wandering if it is related to all of that remote control and high tech stuff of a 2-year old unit. That still doesn't explain the timing of the problem. Tomorrow we are going to start change all electricity components and I hope it doesn't get to changing the compressor unit.

[soonerchk]

Yeah, you probably have a Kra-sue.

Sounds like NP is exactly right. Do you need a shaman?

[Sooner_Tuf]

No, the lights don't flicker on THAT side. The electric hot water heater doesn't kick off like the air con unit and I guess that it also takes a fair amount of electricity.

I am wandering if it is related to all of that remote control and high tech stuff of a 2-year old unit. That still doesn't explain the timing of the problem. Tomorrow we are going to start change all electricity components and I hope it doesn't get to changing the compressor unit.

Air Conditioners are pretty to simple to check out. If the compressor and the caps are OK I would check out the T-Stat and maybe the power supply itself to see if it is sagging when the A/C is trying to start.

Shouldn't be hard at all for someone that has a couple of meters to check out in 5-10 minutes. But I feel your pain sometimes the easiest stuff is the hardest to get repaired.

When you figure it out let us know. I am curious as to what fixes it for you.

[SoonerBread]

Sorry if already asked... Are you on a smart grid?

[Chuck Bao]

Sorry if already asked... Are you on a smart grid?

Yeah, I think Bangkok for the most part is. I used to be a utilities stock market analyst here and the top regulatory and power producers have bragged before about being able to turn off air-con units when people are asleep and wouldn't notice. Of course, that is a very good thing if it lowers our electricity bill and peak demand.

On the other hand, we have been having a lot of black outs recently because of some dumb stupid skyscraper condo building being built next door. I can unplug my TV and computer but I can't unplug my air-con units. The wiring could very well be fried. I just don't know where to start on replacing that.

[GKeeper316]

is it just the AC or is it all of your appliances at the same time?

power companies have to do a very hard balancing act. electricity usually has to be consumed within miliseconds of its generation, and if something in your power grid is sucking up all the allocated power, then everything else in that grid will suffer some sort of "brown-out" effect.

[GKeeper316]

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t267/jdmt37/tin-foil-hat.jpg

you know, by now you'd think the tin foil hat guys would at least have figured out the rest of the world is laughing at them and just put the foil inside a baseball cap or something...