Posted by: Emile on June 26, 2001 at 20:13:08

My air conditioner runs fine for about five minutes and then the air gets progressively warmer until finally it gets about as warm as running with just the fan only. This is in spite of the fact that the compressor is still running. I also smell a hot smell just before the air starts to get warmer. Any suggestions?

Answer:
You have symptoms that indicate the refrigerant is not moving correctly through the circuit to cool the compressor. This may be due to a lack of refrigerant or a clog in the metering device. Both require the services of a refrigerant certified repairman. If it is a window unit it may be time for a new one rather than a repair.