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Summers a coming!! AC's a pumpin!!


j3grizz

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Anyone have opinions on window unit ac's? Just in general...

I don't have a particular name brand that I really like. I can tell you that for the most part they all do a decent job. My advice would be to spend the least amount of money possible. Reason being, they aren't really that expensive and often times you can buy a new one for less than it costs for someone to repair it! Or very close atleast.

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j3grizz;I guess where you can use a soap type solution it is good.My experience is primarily automotive.Its kind of difficult to use a soap solution on the evaporator.I have had good luck with my electronic detector.

I'm not totally inexperienced with other refrigeration my dad was an appliance repairman his specialty was refrigerators & freezers.I've watched him silver solder coils & compressors in a refrigerator.I have helped him find leaks with one of the old propane sniffers that the flame turned green when it found the freon leak.

I myself live in a part of the country where I can use an evaporative cooler most of the time.I have two refrigerative window units also.No bug problem with them .I just use good side panels & duct tape.In the summer my max bill is around 80 dollars for 1200 ft.Most days the evaporative cooler will keep the house at 68 degrees & we have 100+ temps in the summer.

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j3grizz;I guess where you can use a soap type solution it is good.My experience is primarily automotive.Its kind of difficult to use a soap solution on the evaporator.I have had good luck with my electronic detector.

I'm not totally inexperienced with other refrigeration my dad was an appliance repairman his specialty was refrigerators & freezers.I've watched him silver solder coils & compressors in a refrigerator.I have helped him find leaks with one of the old propane sniffers that the flame turned green when it found the freon leak.

I myself live in a part of the country where I can use an evaporative cooler most of the time.I have two refrigerative window units also.No bug problem with them .I just use good side panels & duct tape.In the summer my max bill is around 80 dollars for 1200 ft.Most days the evaporative cooler will keep the house at 68 degrees & we have 100+ temps in the summer.

Yea, I figured that you have probably done some work with refrigeration on cars. I noticed that you and tommie talk about them a lot. I'm not totally against them they just give me too many false-positives. Maybe they will come out with one that isn't too sensitive one day. I do not work on Auto AC if I can get out of it. Tooooooooo much stuff in my way!!!! lol :)

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j3grizz ;I agree the electrics can pickup false positives .I've walked around outside for the heck of it & had it go to beeping I'm not sure what it was picking up.Mine has a switch for different types of freon.& a sensativity switch .also its sensor probe is about a foot long to get into tight places.

Just curious have you ever used one of the old flame type freon sniffers?

There are a few of us gear heads that are forum members.

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Hi justinlay, I am guessing they found the leak in the coil and tried to repair it. If this is a correct assumption then I can tell you that repairing a coil is a little tricky and could have failed very easily. So if they did try to fix it in my opinion they did you a favor cause most people would have ordered a coil to start with. Which is $$$. I have repaired many coils that are still in use today but the tricky part is the tubing in the coils is very thin. So when you are repairing one you must be very very careful. Most techs don't even attempt it. Now that the coil is replaced you shouldn't have any more problems. As to the units size, I do not like oversizing a unit that much. Depending upon climate, house location, many many variables, you can have some houses that develop mold on the inside that is bad to your health! I am not saying to start tearing out sheetrock but I would inquire as to why they oversized the unit by 2 tons and mention the fact that it can cause mold. Hope this helps you out.

I really dont know why they uped it 2 tons ive nevered asked. They never attempt to fix the coil, they just replaced it. All i know it was a 400+ dollar coil. I forgot to metion this is also a moble home, and i also live in texas where it gets hot.On the paper it says it has a  30990 BTUs

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I installed 2 zones last year, both condensers are Ruud 13 SEER, 4 ton for downstairs and 2 tone for upstairs. Got a $600.00 rebate from electric company for the upgrade, and the max electric bill was $155.00 for July, when temps hit 95 here in NJ. Humidity is always bad here as well during summer months. The utility company has a higher rate for summer usage, 7.6 cents per KW.

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LOL! Ok Stank_Ho, I would pay $120 not to have to see the techs butt crack!! Seriously though, are you using the same company every year? Do they really only take 10 minutes? If so it sounds like you have a very small leak and all they are doing is coming to recharge your system. Have they told you if it is a leak, if they can/can't find it or if they just don't want to try. If you are using the same company try a different one and when the guy is finished inquire as to what the problem is. If it is a leak tell him you want it repaired. With all that said there are some things that you can do to help your system out. Always keep your filter clean!! You can go to a local HVAC store and buy their brand of coil cleaner, it is much better than the coil cleaner picked up at Lowes and Home depot. Follow the mixing directions and put it in a pump sprayer (I prefer the pump sprayer because it has more force but you can use a squirt bottle). All you have to do now is turn the power off and spray the coil down very good, let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes and spray it off with a water hose. If you have a split system, meaning you have part of the unit in your house there is a coil inside that can be cleaned as well. Do the same thing to it just be sure to keep the water from getting all over the place! A clean coil means that the unit is able to remove heat more efficiently from your house and it will take less time to remove it!!! I hope this gets you closer to getting it fixed right. ;)

Yah, all they did say last year was it need to be recharged. They did and it worked fine all summer. Now this year I started it up and after a while the line began to freeze. I shut it off. I tried it again later in the day and the line didn't freeze, but it didn't feel cool either. I suppose it is leaking. I'll be sure to ask this time to check for a leak. Filter is new, once monthly, and before I started the unit I sprayed of all the winter sludge with the hose real good.

But I think seeing butt-crack is inevitable..

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when it comes to leak detectors, Infiction D-tec is the way to go

I have one myself and its very accurate

I always use it first, if it indicate a leak, then i switch to leak spray just to be sure

Sometimes when you know the system leaking but you cant find where, it can help pushing up pressure in system with nitrogen and leave some "freon" as trace gas. Just make sure not to go above the manufacture test pressure.

http://www.inficon.com/download/en/ServiceToolsBrochure-06.pdf

VanBuren :)

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Quick question for the experts:

How important is it to have the insulating foam around the 3 foot section of pipe outside of my house from the AC unit to the wall?

I have none right now, but it is insulated on the inside of the house.

I live in Nebraska, USA, we have hot humid summers here.

Thanks-

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Quick question for the experts:

How important is it to have the insulating foam around the 3 foot section of pipe outside of my house from the AC unit to the wall?

I have none right now, but it is insulated on the inside of the house.

I live in Nebraska, USA, we have hot humid summers here.

Thanks-

id say 3 foot of pipe for a AC where the tempdiff between the pipe and air is not very big, the loss is of no significance, mening you wont notice any performance diff if you insulate it or not.

However, its no cost and in my opinion it looks better if you insulate it

The reason you want to insulate it inside your house, is that you will get problems with water outside the pipe, when air reached dewpoint.

Here in Sweden its not uncommon to use "dry" cooling systems, when teperature on the evaporator / coil always stay above air dewpoint. Yes you need alot larger coils to get same cooling power, but no need for drain or insulation.

VanBuren :)

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id say 3 foot of pipe for a AC where the tempdiff between the pipe and air is not very big, the loss is of no significance, mening you wont notice any performance diff if you insulate it or not.

However, its no cost and in my opinion it looks better if you insulate it

The reason you want to insulate it inside your house, is that you will get problems with water outside the pipe, when air reached dewpoint.

Here in Sweden its not uncommon to use "dry" cooling systems, when teperature on the evaporator / coil always stay above air dewpoint. Yes you need alot larger coils to get same cooling power, but no need for drain or insulation.

VanBuren :)

Thanks, Van, I have been wondering about that for a while.

I am going to pick up some insulation next time I am out at the hardware/home store.

Must be rough not worrying about high dew points.

Today is just a normal day and the dew point is 54

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j3grizz ;I agree the electrics can pickup false positives .I've walked around outside for the heck of it & had it go to beeping I'm not sure what it was picking up.Mine has a switch for different types of freon.& a sensativity switch .also its sensor probe is about a foot long to get into tight places.

Just curious have you ever used one of the old flame type freon sniffers?

There are a few of us gear heads that are forum members.

Hi Cholla, Yes I've used them and really like them. I would go with one of them over the electronic ones any day. The one I use is a R-22 propane halide leak detector. I assume you charge the automotive system with a little 22 so that it will pick it up. (A trace gas that is) It has it's own problems but has found many leaks for me. All in all I would say that it is pretty good at finding leaks. Finding the leak really has to do with experience. You have to know where to start and where they generally are. Hope this helps ya! :)

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I installed 2 zones last year, both condensers are Ruud 13 SEER, 4 ton for downstairs and 2 tone for upstairs. Got a $600.00 rebate from electric company for the upgrade, and the max electric bill was $155.00 for July, when temps hit 95 here in NJ. Humidity is always bad here as well during summer months. The utility company has a higher rate for summer usage, 7.6 cents per KW.

Sounds like you have a jam up system! I like Ruud systems. You also have a good SEER rating.

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Yah, all they did say last year was it need to be recharged. They did and it worked fine all summer. Now this year I started it up and after a while the line began to freeze. I shut it off. I tried it again later in the day and the line didn't freeze, but it didn't feel cool either. I suppose it is leaking. I'll be sure to ask this time to check for a leak. Filter is new, once monthly, and before I started the unit I sprayed of all the winter sludge with the hose real good.

But I think seeing butt-crack is inevitable..

I still reccomend getting the coil cleaner. What happens is the dust and dirt gets compacted in the fins. When this happens you lose the ability to efficiently pull the air across the coil. That means that the system has to work harder to remove the heat from the coil. Which in the end could cause you to pay a little haighr wlectic bill! The coil cleaner foams up and pushes the dirt and dust out of the fins to be rinsed off. The water hose just gets what is on the outside. Try this and see if it can help you out. It will also shine your coils up too.

fixed quote...

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when it comes to leak detectors, Infiction D-tec is the way to go

I have one myself and its very accurate

I always use it first, if it indicate a leak, then i switch to leak spray just to be sure

Sometimes when you know the system leaking but you cant find where, it can help pushing up pressure in system with nitrogen and leave some "freon" as trace gas. Just make sure not to go above the manufacture test pressure.

http://www.inficon.com/download/en/ServiceToolsBrochure-06.pdf

VanBuren :)

Hi Van, I will give the Infiction D-tec a try.

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Quick question for the experts:

How important is it to have the insulating foam around the 3 foot section of pipe outside of my house from the AC unit to the wall?

I have none right now, but it is insulated on the inside of the house.

I live in Nebraska, USA, we have hot humid summers here.

Thanks-

I will agree with VanBuren here. It will not make any difference if you insulate it. Also it does make it look better. I will say that the if you can, you need to put a decorative wall of some sort up to keep rocks and flying objects from accidentally penetrating the line set or coils on your unit. I have seen this happen many, many times. And if your thermostat wire is coming out there it would be beneficial to you to put something around it as well to keep from cutting it with a weed eater. Hope this helps ya out! :)

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j3grizz ;I haven't use the flame type for a long time.the one my dad had would turn the flame green for R -22 or R-12 .When my dad died somehowthe detector disappeared out of his company van along with some other tools that were his.Hard to beleive what your fellow employees will take even in a death situation.

I haven't had one since to test to see how it would do for R-134a.

So I think yours wiildetect R-12 anyway.

My electronic is a tif 5050 .It detects HFC(134a).CFC,&HCFC.It has always found the leak as far as I can tell.

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j3grizz ;I haven't use the flame type for a long time.the one my dad had would turn the flame green for R -22 or R-12 .When my dad died somehowthe detector disappeared out of his company van along with some other tools that were his.Hard to beleive what your fellow employees will take even in a death situation.

I haven't had one since to test to see how it would do for R-134a.

So I think yours wiildetect R-12 anyway.

My electronic is a tif 5050 .It detects HFC(134a).CFC,&HCFC.It has always found the leak as far as I can tell.

Yea, it is pathetic to see how people act in different situations. People that he probably would have given it to if they would have asked. The one I describe will not pickup 134A. In order to use it you would have to charge just a little into the circuit in question (a trace gas) and then search for the leak with the Hal. leak detector. After finding the leak you would have to recover the gas and pull a vacuum before re charging. Preferably a weighed in charge!! You could also evacuate the system and charge it with nitrogen like Van said and put a little 22 in (trace gas) that way also to increase the pressure in the system. This will blow a better stream of gas out of the leak making it easier for ya to find. Just make sure not to exceed the manufacturers design pressure for the particular system you are working on. Or KaaaBaaaaaaaaM!! Seriously though, I have seen it done and the guy was fortunate that he didn't get hurt.

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Just make sure not to exceed the manufacturers design pressure for the particular system you are working on. Or KaaaBaaaaaaaaM!! Seriously though, I have seen it done and the guy was fortunate that he didn't get hurt.

yea testpreassure things is very dangerous, and it gets even worce now with carbon dioxide

Our company built a direct expansion system charged with carbon dioxide, it has a work pressure of 90 Bar on high side and around 30 Bar on suction side, i cant remember what the test preassure was, but i think it was around 150 Bar.

150 BAR = 2175.566 PSI at 0 FT Above Sea Level

A total of 200 metres of chill counters are cooled with carbon dioxide, which is five times more efficient as a refrigerant and therefore uses less energy than conventional refrigeration equipment. The use of an efficient heat recovery system makes the environmental gain even greater and gives excellent operating economy.Refrigeration with carbon dioxide complies

with paragraph 6 of Swedish refrigerant legislation, which states that refrigeration systems must be chosen that give the least environmental impact.By way of example, the emission of one kilogram of R404A refrigerant is equivalent to 3,800 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon dioxide can be recycled from other industrial processes, which means that there are no additional environmental emissions.

One pipe did blew up during test preassure, luckely no one was close, it spinned around the unit several laps lol

VanBuren :)

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Hey j3grizz, I just had to have mine recharged today. Been 2 years since I had it installed. It was bone dry.My partner said that it would be a pretty hard leak to detect. And he would probably rather wait till fall after the season was over.

What do you think? 

4 more.  ;)

id say that tech was a lazy ass if he didnt search for the leak  ;)

VanBuren :)

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yea testpreassure things is very dangerous, and it gets even worce now with carbon dioxide

Our company built a direct expansion system charged with carbon dioxide, it has a work pressure of 90 Bar on high side and around 30 Bar on suction side, i cant remember what the test preassure was, but i think it was around 150 Bar.

150 BAR = 2175.566 PSI at 0 FT Above Sea Level

A total of 200 metres of chill counters are cooled with carbon dioxide, which is five times more efficient as a refrigerant and therefore uses less energy than conventional refrigeration equipment. The use of an efficient heat recovery system makes the environmental gain even greater and gives excellent operating economy.Refrigeration with carbon dioxide complies

with paragraph 6 of Swedish refrigerant legislation, which states that refrigeration systems must be chosen that give the least environmental impact.By way of example, the emission of one kilogram of R404A refrigerant is equivalent to 3,800 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon dioxide can be recycled from other industrial processes, which means that there are no additional environmental emissions.

One pipe did blew up during test preassure, luckely no one was close, it spinned around the unit several laps lol

VanBuren :)

I bet it still scared the crap out of whoever wa around it!! lol

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Hey j3grizz, I just had to have mine recharged today. Been 2 years since I had it installed. It was bone dry.My partner said that it would be a pretty hard leak to detect. And he would probably rather wait till fall after the season was over.

What do you think? 

4 more.  ;)

I agree with Van!! He should have went ahead and repaired the leak. Leaks are sometimes aggrevating to find but not that big of a deal once found. They are generally easy to repair. Even changing out a coil isn't too terribly bad, just time consuming. He should've repaired it so you wouldn't have to pay for the refrigerant twice! ;)

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VanBuren & j3grizz ; I know what enviromental agencies say .The USA one anyway & we have to comply.But my opinion is freon used in refridgeration systems even what leaks doesn't majorily effect global warming.The problem was when freon was used as the propellant in most aerosol cans .These are what may have made the holes in the ozone layer  & freon  hasn't been used for several years as a propellant.

btw the holes in the ozone layer are still getting larger the last time I watched something on it.So even with all the restrictions on freon the problem is getting worse .I say the problem is something else & never was the freon.I have a theory is that since I beleive the ozone destroyer is Chlorine in the freon that other Chlorine sources are the problem.Like evaporating Chlorine bleach for instance.

Van what do you think of the tif 5050 halogen leak detector it made by TIF Instruments?

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