HVAC system not working

[Drew7a]

I'm sorry, but OP is out of his wheelhouse and needs to call a PRO.

I am all for DIY, but when you are asking an Oil Forum for advice on an HVAC repair it is Comical.

 

[maverickfhs]

Took about 2lbs of freon and seems to be good now. Unit is almost 10 years old, should I be looking at replacing it or spend $$$ in terms of isolating a leak? Thank you

 

[Nukeman7]

I suspect they will quote you ~50% the cost of a new unit just to fix your 10 y/o HVAC system; thereby making it impractical to repair. I'd just keep running what you have until it dies again, but start planning/budgeting to get a new unit whenever that happens. Who knows, you might be able to milk several more years out of it before you need freon again.

 

[KrisZ]

I'm sorry, but OP is out of his wheelhouse and needs to call a PRO.

I am all for DIY, but when you are asking an Oil Forum for advice on an HVAC repair it is Comical.

Come on, tell us how you really feel, we do psychology on the side.

 

[brianl703]

Took about 2lbs of freon and seems to be good now. Unit is almost 10 years old, should I be looking at replacing it or spend $$$ in terms of isolating a leak? Thank you

Buy a cheap freon sniffer and see what it finds when the system is running?

 

[maverickfhs]

Buy a cheap freon sniffer and see what it finds when the system is running?

Thank you, was thinking to PM you as am not far from Nokesville.

Something like this ? Are there any caps or o rings that can be installed to overcome leak issues?

 

[Skippy722]

Thank you, was thinking to PM you as am not far from Nokesville.

Something like this ? Are there any caps or o rings that can be installed to overcome leak issues?

I was going to suggest something like a fieldpiece but they’re $300-$500.

You can use big blu (Chris from HVACR Videos on YouTube has tons of videos of him using it) though, check every solder joint and around any schraders which will be your most likely places for a leak. If a schrader is leaking you *might* be able to seal it off with a metal cap, a plastic one however will not hold the pressure. If you can’t find any leaks there, it might be in the evaporator or condenser.

 

[Nukeman7]

Thank you, was thinking to PM you as am not far from Nokesville.

Something like this ? Are there any caps or o rings that can be installed to overcome leak issues?

I think he was referring to an electronic sniffer, not leak check fluid. I have this inexpensive one from Amazon and it works amazingly well.

 

[maverickfhs]

I was going to suggest something like a fieldpiece but they’re $300-$500.

You can use big blu (Chris from HVACR Videos on YouTube has tons of videos of him using it) though, check every solder joint and around any schraders which will be your most likely places for a leak. If a schrader is leaking you *might* be able to seal it off with a metal cap, a plastic one however will not hold the pressure. If you can’t find any leaks there, it might be in the evaporator or condenser.

Thanks for all your help. Have any recommendation for metal caps with orings or gaskets? I'll probably buy this one as recommended above and use it near compressor area, outdoor unit and then near evap coils.

 

[Skippy722]

Thanks for all your help. Have any recommendation for metal caps with orings or gaskets? I'll probably buy this one as recommended above and use it near compressor area, outdoor unit and then near evap coils.

Brass do not use steel, grab a bottle of Nylog as well. Can’t tell tell you what size or thread pitch off the top of my head though… grabbing a cheap set of calipers from hazard freight or Home Depot/Lowe’s/Menards would probably be the easiest way, McMaster Carr will likely have them if they’re some goofy size.

Best Gasket and Thread Sealant For AII HVAC Systems - Nylog Blue

Nylog Blue is a sealant that prevents gaskets and fittings from leaking in HVAC systems by creating a temperature and vibration resistant seal.

www.refrigtech.com

 

[brianl703]

Thank you, was thinking to PM you as am not far from Nokesville.

Something like this ? Are there any caps or o rings that can be installed to overcome leak issues?

All the connections are brazed so if there's a leak it maybe at one of the brazed connections. Spraying that leak detector on it may show a leak. I would try to use an electronic leak detector, and check the service ports and around the evaporator in the furnace/air handler for leaks (I would think the tech who recharged it would have done that, though):

Electronic Refrigerant Leak Detector

Amazing deals on this Electronic Refrigerant Leak Detector at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Silver Samurai]

My central air took a dump on me 2 weeks ago...Called in the experts 0.5 miles down the road to check it all out...Option #1 $4500 to fix the central air and update the furnace (17 years have wreaked alot of havoc on the HVAC).

Went ahead with option #2 and replaced everything for $10 K.....

 

[maverickfhs]

All the connections are brazed so if there's a leak it maybe at one of the brazed connections. Spraying that leak detector on it may show a leak. I would try to use an electronic leak detector, and check the service ports and around the evaporator in the furnace/air handler for leaks (I would think the tech who recharged it would have done that, though):

Electronic Refrigerant Leak Detector

Amazing deals on this Electronic Refrigerant Leak Detector at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Tech recharged it as according to him finding a leak is a "complicated and very expensive" process, so did nothing.

Checked from Ameristar website and it has a warranty of 5 years and not 10(?) - anyone know if warranty is transferable?

Very hypothetical question, probability of having a leak on the outdoor unit vs indoor coils, which one is high? Thank you.

 

[brianl703]

Tech recharged it as according to him finding a leak is a "complicated and very expensive" process, so did nothing.

Checking the common leak spots (service valves, evaporator, brazed connections) isn't complicated or expensive. If he didn't even bother to spend a few minutes on those......

From what I've seen, the evaporator (indoor) coil is more likely to corrode and leak than the condenser (outdoor) coil.

 

[maverickfhs]

Checking the common leak spots (service valves, evaporator, brazed connections) isn't complicated or expensive. If he didn't even bother to spend a few minutes on those......

From what I've seen, the evaporator (indoor) coil is more likely to corrode and leak than the condenser (outdoor) coil.

Thanks, will start easy from outdoor unit based on your advice of targeted spots and then move up to coils. Hoping am able to find a leak.

 

[Skippy722]

Tech recharged it as according to him finding a leak is a "complicated and very expensive" process, so did nothing.

Checked from Ameristar website and it has a warranty of 5 years and not 10(?) - anyone know if warranty is transferable?

Very hypothetical question, probability of having a leak on the outdoor unit vs indoor coils, which one is high? Thank you.

Check out HVACR Videos on YouTube. Generally only takes minutes to find a leak. Tech just sounds lazy and didn’t want to take the 10 minutes to go get his leak detector and check a few common spots (braze joints, any valves) at minimum.

 

[dogememe]

Check out HVACR Videos on YouTube. Generally only takes minutes to find a leak. Tech just sounds lazy and didn’t want to take the 10 minutes to go get his leak detector and check a few common spots (braze joints, any valves) at minimum.

Yeah it sounds lazy or dumb to me. Why recharge a system when you know there is a leak, after all, if there wasn’t a leak, you wouldn’t be recharging it…

 

[Bladecutter]

Tech recharged it as according to him finding a leak is a "complicated and very expensive" process, so did nothing.

That's impressive that you found an hvac tech that is that lazy.
Must be daang hot where you are, right now.

Buy the electronic sniffer, and start at the outside condenser unit.
Start sniffing at the connection points between the condenser and the pipes that lead to the house.
Look around the unit to see if there's any impact damage from a weed whacker, or other type of yard implement.
Just kind of go all around the outside of the condenser and see if the sniffer finds anything.

Then go inside, and again, sniff around the connection points between the lineset and the coil.

Seriously, this isn't that hard to think up a proper list of things to inspect.
There's really only 3 parts to an hvac system that contains refrigerant.
The condenser, the coil unit in the air handler, and the lineset between those two units.

 

[Leo99]

Sounds like it lost its charge of coolant. Good luck finding a competent repairman. I have a homeowner policy on my sisters home and after 5 compressor replacements, I finally got a replacement with a seasoned repairman that knew what he was doing. It took him about 5 hours to replace the compressor correctly and pump the system down for hours and then charge it to the correct volume.

I'm more jaded than you. I don't think it's incompetence. They make more money if they're called back.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Tech recharged it as according to him finding a leak is a "complicated and very expensive" process, so did nothing.

That's not true. They can use a dye or a sniffer and it takes no time at all. Have them come back out and dye trace the system.

Very hypothetical question, probability of having a leak on the outdoor unit vs indoor coils, which one is high? Thank you.

Bi-metal (Copper/Aluminum) evap coils are prone to developing leaks but I'd be surprised if they were still being installed on a 10 yr old system.

The other area for common leaks is at the connection where the lines attach to the exterior condenser.

You could also have a leak at the connections of the thermal-expansion valve (TXV).

It's not that complicated.