FIXED Outdoor AC Condenser Compressor Short Cycling; compressor turning on and off every few seconds

If the compressor and/or fan motor in your outdoor AC condensing unit is turning on for a few seconds and then off for a few seconds, cycling on and off, you might have a clogged liquid line filter drier possibly due to contaminated refrigerant.

[strblastn_HTX]

Thank you, you're video, helped me. My next door neighbor is an a c man, and he said it was the contactor. The fan wouldn't wcome on and the heater either. so I knew it wasn't anything to do with the freon.

[denisebuzzelli]

Thanks for the info! Mine starting doing this over the weekend. Sounds like it’s igniting then stalling, igniting, stalling repetitively then finally ignites and stays on fine for hours. It sounds like short cycling but with extremely short intervals as you describe. Have a tech coming out on Friday to check it out. Hopefully its an easy fix because we’re expecting temps in triple digits this weekend!

[Jon-hxpe]

low refrigerant, failed condenser fan motor can cause this too. good units have pressure switches to prevent compressor damage.
it is wise to add a delay on break timer to prevent the short cycling - timer has minimum off time like 5 minutes.

[FAISALALYAHYA-]

You should do a full vaccum everytime after replacing the filter drier, I don't think you mentioned that.

[freddyguerrero]

Very helpful, I believe to have the same issue!!!

[davidthompson]

This sounds exactly like what my ac has been doing

[accumulator]

Any idea why my ac condenser would turn on for 1 minute and off for 2 minutes even though it’s several degrees away from the set temperature?this started happening right after the ac guy came to check out my heater. They’ve come back about 5 more times and keeps telling me they don’t see a problem!!!! And I’ve already paid $700 for them to replace parts.

[mr.fixdaplate]

Can't you just pump refrigerant in compressor and cut line and replace instead of recovering.?

[cyrilazoulay]

My condenser unit is short cycling after being turned on for 3/4 hours. I changed the contactor, added a new Nest thermostat, new start kit, new run capacitor. I checked the voltage on the contactor and get 24/26v. I changed my filter, no ice is visible anywhere, I'm at lost. Any other ideas than the filter dryer? My unit is 5 years old (York).

[qifridek]

Any idea? All the timer shortcut are in my video description