| Author | Message | ||
     Nevrenuf |
my buddy dereks sisters a/c is down and along with having to deal with some other personal issues seems to be getting the run around with the a/c. any help would be appreciated. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I'm having to find the same thing.  Friggin' racquet it is. | ||
| Etennuly |
Racquet?? French for Racket?  Unless you are playing one of those lawn games. I had an A/C tech come to my place a couple of years ago for a burned relay and five melted wires. I tossed him out the door and refused to pay his service call when he asked how old the unit was, then said it cannot be fixed, it would call for a complete replacement of everything because it is ten years old. I then learned home A/C wiring and terminology in a crash course with a Service Manual. Wasn't any worse that chasing down similar wiring problems on the Buell. My total cost of repair was about $60 including new filters, relay, wiring parts, the book, and cleaning supplies for the inside coils. That was two years ago. New set of filters and a good coil cleaning has it tuned up good again. All is good as long as the gas has not leaked, the fans still work, the coils are clean, the condensation tray can drain, and the thermostat works. The new unit he wanted to put in was about $3000, it would have required the same cleaning and new filter procedure to start this season. Good luck with that.....the sharks are circling!  | ||
| Fast1075 |
I don't know anybody in Texas to recommend...but you should always go with an authorized dealer....(Trane, Carrier, York, Goodman) check BBB records..there are a LOT of shadetree A/C "mechanics" out there...The business is not cheap...the overhead for a shop following all the regs is absolutely freakin outrageous...ANYWAY... if there are any tech questions that need answers...I can help..I just happen to have 27 years experience with A/C systems...bring on the questions...answers are free...correct answers are $5.....just kidding  . Used to tickle me...if you call Sears tech line for assistance with diagnosing your own problem....they charge your credit card by the minute....(or did the last time I checked)... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
My outside unit froze up. Everything I've read says low coolant (leak). The unit is a POS Heil for which I had to replace the coil 4 years ago. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Ft_bstrd- Your outside unit should only freeze up if it's a heat pump in the heating mode. The outside coil gets hot when the unit is in cooling mode so it shouldn't freeze up even if the refrigerant charge is very low. The reversing valve could be stuck in heating mode, but hopefully you'd have noticed it blowing hot (really hot) air inside. Does that sound like a possibility? You might try flipping it from cooling to heating, turn the thermostat to make it run, flip it back to cooling, turn the thermostat to make it run, etc. a few times to try to unstick the valve. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It's not a heat pump. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
yea, unless you know someone personally in the business and have dealt with them, they can be as bad as used car salesman. hey harry, if i can get her number from my buddy, could you be so kind as to give her a call to find out what kind of crap the people she has talked to her is giving her. oh yea, my # is in the bran if you want to call me. thanks | ||
| Hughlysses |
Ft_bstrd- OK, that's just weird. I've heard and seen inside coils (evaporator) ice up many times; first I've ever heard of an outside coil (condenser) icing up. I guess if virtually ALL the freon is gone, it might be able to cause that, but otherwise, I can't imagine how. Good luck finding a tech. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It's a Heil combo unit with gas furnace. The external compressor unit froze. One of the pipes coming into or leaving the unit was encased in ice. I didn't open it up to see how far into the unit the ice went, but I assume the entire coil was frozen as well. I let it deice and didn't run the compressor at all yesterday. I switched it back on today and it appears to be cooling. I don't think the compressor is damaged, but I do think the gas is low. I'm assuming some sort of a crack in the coil somewhere. I hate HVAC systems. | ||
| Hughlysses |
OK, that's very different. Low A/C charge would result in ice on the line going to outside unit and eventually ice on the inside coils until they ice over shutting off air flow. It would be practically impossible to ice over the outside coil on your unit. The refrigerant is cold going into the compressor but HOT leaving the compressor. It then goes to the condensor (outside coil) where it is cooled off (but it's still relatively hot). Then it goes to the inside unit and through an orifice or expansion valve where it expands and turns very cold. It picks up heat in the evaporator (cooling off the air in your house) and returns outside to the compressor where the cycle repeats. If the refrigerant charge is low, the inside coil gets TOO cold causing icing. Some ice on the line going into the outside unit is probably no big deal. Hopefully it'll run for a while longer. Look for oil at fittings on the refrigerant lines or on either of the coils- that's a sign of a leak. | ||
| Fast1075 |
F.B. What kind of air filter do use use? is the air filter dirty?...how often do you change it?? How long has it been since the system was serviced..(more on that later)... Simple test you can make...crank up the unit and turn the temp down so it will stay on...after 20minutes take a thermometer and place it where the air goes into the unit....let the temp stabilize and record it....now stick the thermometer UP INSIDE a supply air vent and let it stabilize....record the temperature....if the air coming out of the vent is 15-16 degrees colder than the air going into the unit, that is pretty good. If the air is less than 14 degrees colder coming out...you have a problem. If the air coming out of the vent is more than 20 degrees COLDER than the air going into the unit....you have a major problem. Make the tests and post up...Icing is a symptom of an extreme problem with the system...a problem that if left uncorrected will DESTROY the A/C system. A short list of things that can make a system ice up are...Air flow restriction from dirty coils/blower/air filter, wrong TYPE of air filter...incorrectly sized ductwork and/or improperly installed ductwork, Plugged or defective refrigerant metering device, drier, or debris blocking capillary tubes, low refrigerant charge due to leaks, or incompetent repairs, overcharge of refrigerant (though usually over charge will have a different symptom set). Beyond that you get into what I call Sherlock Holmes territory (where after all other possibilities are exhausted, whatever is left, however unlikely must be the cause) Most A/C equipment is not a POS when it come in the box...in order for a system to be reliable it must be properly selected, installed and maintained...over 90% of all mechanical failures of A/C system HARD PARTS (coils, compressors) are the direct result of improper installation and/or maintenance. To add more to the story...all a/c systems are not alike...every brand has it's equivalent to a Blast....and it's equivalent to an 1190RR....there is a system for every budget....lets hear some test results... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I pulled the filter and ran the unit. I am concerned about running the unit too much if there is a major problem because I don't want to have to replace one completely grenaded. The unit did cool the house down about 6 degrees. I don't have a thermometer to be able to test. I need to go buy one. The air coming out does feel cooler than the ambient air. It definitely isn't 20 degrees cooler, so that part is good. The air filter was replaced about a month ago. I replace them every month to two months depending upon how dirty they are. It looked dirty, but I've seen worse. When I ran it without the filter today, there was no icing on the line that returns to the compressor. There wasn't even any condensation on it. I did notice condensation dripping out of the drain tube, so I know the coil was at least cold enough to pull moisture out of the air. The quantity of moisture appeared to be about the same as the second unit that cools the up stairs areas. The Heil unit I have was produced during the time that production was first transferred to Mexico. I had to have the coils in both units and the heat exchanger in one of the units replaced just before the 5 year mark (under warranty). They said that the issue was that the coils produced for these units lacked an additional plating dip that provided longer life and resistance to corrosion. I asked if the new parts would last longer than the first. They said no, that the same things would occur at about the same time horizon. Maybe it was BS. I don't know. | ||
| Fast1075 |
The lack of sweat on the suction line at the outdoor unit is a bad sign...it is most likely low on refrigerant due to a leak. The tin plating the technician spoke of was the manufacturer's attempt to address what is called "formicary corrosion" where the copper tubing pits through and causes a refrigerant leak....the tin plating is supposed to be immune to the corrosion... I don't think it is corrosion causing the problem, but rather poor quality copper. Another part of the tubing leak problem is because the tubing is drawn extremely thin to boost thermal efficiency...any surface flaws on the tubing will cause cracks and leaks. They just don't build em like they used to. (Actually they do...you can buy a unit that will last 30 years and then get rebuilt and used for another 20....but we are talking custom equipment in the 20,000.00 range.. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Nevrenuf, just read this was busy all weekend. I just had my AC repaired a few weeks ago. I ended up with Christian Brothers on a recommendation from a coworker. They were awesome. I would highly recommend them. Their local number is 512-476-6800. Wayne (Now is not a good time to be without AC here. It was 97 degrees with 60% humidity yesterday!) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I don't know Austin, but there's probably somewhere you can pick up an ac/dc guy if you feel that way.  | ||
| Nevrenuf |
hey wayne, i just caught this and passed the info on to dereks sister there. i told her if she wanted i would get her your number if she had any questions about them. if i hear anything else, i'll let you know and thanks for the tip. |
