[SevillianSTS]

Hi, I have a Gibson window air conditioner 3 yrs old. When the compressor runs, it blows nice and cold. The problem is that sometimes I can turn the temp all the way to coldest and it still will not kick in the compressor. I have made sure the the temp probe is as far away from the coils as possible. Is this a thermostat problem??? I have shut it off and let it set for a while before restarting, and still... sometimes runs fine, others it won't kick in for a while.

[SublimeMasterJW]

If your thermostat has 2 wires going to it all you have to do is bypass it and see if the unit runs ok. Or you can easily bench test the thermostat. Remove it from the unit and sit it on the work table. Make sure the probe is warm. Turn it all the way with you meter attached to the terminals. It should have continuity. To see if it is working, plunge the probe into a glass of ice water. The thermostat should shut down fairly quick. If it does shut down then remove it from the ice water and warm the bulb with your hand. This should make the thermostat come on in a short time.