Home AC question

[Hypnautic]

There are some equipment repairs that are easier to understand and feel like your not getting ass punched. Home AC is not one of them- for me at least.
Anybody in the industry, or recently experienced, an AC repair that had to replace the condenser and coil? Unit is 12 years old. Has a leak and freezing over. This is for my downstairs AC unit- cools about 2000sqft.
Trying to see if this is a 1000-1500 job or 5-6K kinda deal.
Thank you, Gary

 

[rivrrts429]

@Riverbound

 

[Riverbound]

5-6k deal for replacement.

Have they tried stop leak?


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[Riverbound]

If they do a leak search and locate what is actually leaking you could replace that part only.


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[rivermobster]

5-6k deal for replacement.

Have they tried stop leak?


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How could it have a leak AND be freezing over??? Me thinks that's not possible??

 

[Riverbound]

How could it have a leak AND be freezing over??? Me thinks that's not possible??

When refrigerant is too low the coils get too cold and ice up. It’s common.


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[rivermobster]

When refrigerant is too low the coils get too cold and ice up. It’s common.


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So like a tiny little leak somewhere. That makes sense then. Thanks.

 

[Riverbound]

So like a tiny little leak somewhere. That makes sense then. Thanks.

Yes. Micro leaks. Very slow and happen over time.


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[Hypnautic]

They will be doing a leak test later today.
They did say I was about 3-4lbs low on Freon and icing up the coils. But that doesn’t mean my leak is there, right?
I’m afraid that is what they will just tell me and go for the home run sale.
Anything I should ask or know to make sure they are the level?

 

[TrollerDave]

They will be doing a leak test later today.
They did say I was about 3-4lbs low on Freon and icing up the coils. But that doesn’t mean my leak is there, right?
I’m afraid that is what they will just tell me and go for the home run sale.
Anything I should ask or know to make sure they are the level?

The leak could be anywhere in the refrigerant system. An iced up evap and a few pounds down means it might have been happening for a while. If that’s the case, you should find an oily spot where the leak is. Refrigerant oil travels through the system with the refrigerant. When refrigerant leaks, so does the oil. You could ask him to show where the leak is and look for the oily spot. Maybe he will use the electronic sniffer as well. It could be as simple as the schraeder valve cores. If it is small enough, it should be able to be repaired depending on location.

 

[Melloyellovector]

Iv thrown it out there a few times. If you need a 5 ton condenser
I have and anyone’s welcome to it. Was new and only used for 3 years. Changed out for a slimline unit to go on side of house instead of near backdoor.
Near 15 and 210 anyone needs let me know and come grab it, just takin up room in my garage

 

[78DiMarco]

Iv thrown it out there a few times. If you need a 5 ton condenser
I have and anyone’s welcome to it. Was new and only used for 3 years. Changed out for a slimline unit to go on side of house instead of near backdoor.
Near 15 and 210 anyone needs let me know and come grab it, just takin up room in my garage

I might take it off your hands. I’m in AZ but will be out your way in about a week. Will that work? If so PM me. Thanks B

 

[TrollerDave]

Hypnautic, just be aware that some leaks may be tough to find and/or fix. It's the busy season and sometimes some companies might not want to put the time in to find that tough leak.

 

[Melloyellovector]

I might take it off your hands. I’m in AZ but will be out your way in about a week. Will that work? If so PM me. Thanks B

9098437172
Tim
Text or call me when your gonna be in the area, it’s yours if you want it. Perfectly good unit, just wouldn’t work for side of house.

 

[Hypnautic]

Hypnautic, just be aware that some leaks may be tough to find and/or fix. It's the busy season and sometimes some companies might not want to put the time in to find that tough leak.

I figure with triple digit temperatures I’m likely to pay triple the price on repairs. They know it’s something you can’t live without.
If it comes to a replacement decision-I’m gonna need some recommendations on what units are best. Hope it doesn’t come down to that.

 

[rrrr]

So like a tiny little leak somewhere. That makes sense then. Thanks.

Look at a R-22 temperature-pressure chart. When the refrigerant leaks out dropping the evaporator pressure under 55 lbs, the coil temp is below freezing. Then the condensate water on the coil freezes.

.

 

[Angler]

Have them Recharge it and deal with it after Summer.

 

[Dalton]

you could charge it up, but I think you get into a grey area as the techs know its leaking and you're not supposed to knowingly vent the stuff.....so they would be inadvertently doing that. They go for replacement because imagine springing a leak in the center of your radiator on your car, with all the fins, not possible to seal it up really, and just asking for problems if you did somehow get it to seal up

 

[TrollerDave]

Any luck on the leak testing? Just curious if they were able to find it and where it was.

 

[Kbach]

9098437172
Tim
Text or call me when your gonna be in the area, it’s yours if you want it. Perfectly good unit, just wouldn’t work for side of house.

If this doesn't work out for @78Dimarco let me know. I have a failing 5T condenser that I'm trying to limp through the summer with. Depending on compatability your newer condenser may get me by for a while longer.

 

[RVRKID]

9098437172
Tim
Text or call me when your gonna be in the area, it’s yours if you want it. Perfectly good unit, just wouldn’t work for side of house.

If nobody grabs it my brother might want it, I am right down the 15 from you..


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[LHC Kirby]

If nobody grabs it my brother might want it, I am right down the 15 from you..


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I’m interested, let me know if the 2 above don’t happen

 

[Hypnautic]

Any luck on the leak testing? Just curious if they were able to find it and where it was.

I wanted to be home when they do the leak test so it is scheduled for Saturday morning at 8am. I’ll let you know what the outcome and outlay is!

 

[yz450mm]

Have them Recharge it and deal with it after Summer.

My landlord just did that at my house, I called her 5 days later and told her the compressor is getting ready to shit the bed. Two days after that, it blew its guts... They just got done with a full indoor coil, condenser, and Compressor replacement, working great now. I think she was right around 4800.



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[DLC]

My landlord just did that at my house, I called her 5 days later and told her the compressor is getting ready to shit the bed. Two days after that, it blew its guts... They just got done with a full indoor coil, condenser, and Compressor replacement, working great now. I think she was right around 4800.



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I don’t think that’s not a bad price.. if it’s in Havasu.. Africa HOT right now

 

[yz450mm]

I don’t think that’s not a bad price.. if it’s in Havasu.. Africa HOT right now

No, she got a good price. I'm in the high desert of California, just a couple degrees less than Havasu. I went a couple weeks without AC, and was pretty much done with that bullshit... Glad she got it fixed. I have a couple of large portable swamp coolers I was using, but that was getting old...

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[rrrr]

My landlord just did that at my house, I called her 5 days later and told her the compressor is getting ready to shit the bed. Two days after that, it blew its guts... They just got done with a full indoor coil, condenser, and Compressor replacement, working great now. I think she was right around 4800.

That's great stuff. The old equipment had probably lost 20-25% in efficiency over the years, so now you're getting more bang for the buck.

For example, if you had a 5 ton system, its design output of 2,000 CFM was easily degraded 20% from its rated capacity due to dirty evaporator and condenser coils. The dirt and funk built up on the air handler fan and scroll also limited output. A 20% loss would reduce airflow to 1,600 CFM.

The compressor was also under performing due to age, and the new one is producing colder air and a lower humidity rate by extracting more moisture from each pound of air passing over the indoor coil. The mechanical arrangement of the compressor also changed, from a reciprocating unit with pistons and cylinders to a scroll type with a rotary swash plate and fewer moving parts. It's more quiet, efficient, and will perform longer than the recip type.

You would see this efficiency as more condensate water being removed for each minute the unit runs, and feel it as cooler more comfortable air in the conditioned space.

You might have seen my thread about A/C adventures last weekend. We had a new fan motor installed, and when the dead fan was removed from the unit, I degreased and cleaned the fan scroll and housing.

In spite of me using pleated 20 micron filters, the entire fan scroll and blower wheel was covered with a 1/8" layer of greasy dark dirt, accumulated over its 20 year lifespan. The moving fan parts picked up much more dirt than stationary items inside the air handler, like the coil itself.

This had a huge impact on the operation of the fan. Now that it's clean, it blows noticeably harder at each outlet of the duct system.

A good cleaning of all system components during an annual checkup keeps things operating at peak efficiency. Use pleated media air filters with the ability to trap 15-30 micron particles. The price range for those filters will help you decide which filter to use.

I'm using 20 micron filters, and after 20 years my coils are still bright and clean. The cheap fiberglass filters pass so much debris that in 10 years you will have to pay for someone to clean the coil surface.

 

[Hypnautic]

Looks like I need to replace a TXV ??

 

[wsuwrhr]

Looks like I need to replace a TXV ?? View attachment 666054

Subscribed....

 

[Hypnautic]

Looks like I need to replace a TXV ?? View attachment 666054

System takes 410 not R22.
He charged the system but the high side pressure climbed to just under 500? And the low side temp did not change. So he evacuated the whole thing thinking there could be a mix of Freon. Then pulled a vacuum that held at 620.. which he said was good. So he charged the system back full of R410 but you can see the low side temp (bottom left #) is low. He said it should be around 40*

Guy needs to get the part and come back. More to come.

 

[Riverbound]

System takes 410 not R22.
He charged the system but the high side pressure climbed to just under 500? And the low side temp did not change. So he evacuated the whole thing thinking there could be a mix of Freon. Then pulled a vacuum that held at 620.. which he said was good. So he charged the system back full of R410 but you can see the low side temp (bottom left #) is low. He said it should be around 40*

Guy needs to get the part and come back. More to come.

Could be a stuck txv


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[grumpy88]

What does a txv do ?

 

[DrunkenSailor]

My system is a carrier 3 ton from 1982. Dang thing still works but every time we turn it on there is a short prayer said. I know I need to replace the whole system. Furnace condenser ducting all of it. Anyone got an idea on price? Back patio condenser, furnace in garage, ducting in attic 2200 sqft 2 story. Would like to go dual zone 5 ton. This house is going to be the death of me.

 

[Riverbound]

What does a txv do ?

Thermal expansion device. It’s what Meters the refrigerant to the coil.


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