My AC is now working

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My AC is now working

Posted: 8/17/2004 10:04:49 AM EDT

My upstairs AC unit stop working Saturday. The house is 9 yrs old and I was worried about getting hit with a big repair bill.

But.......2 lbs of freon and $110 and I'm back in business. So I guess I dodged a bullet this time. What can I expect in the future as far as repairs and costs are concerned. How long do these things last.

Man it got hotter than the hinges of hell up there last night so I glad I don't have to worry about it anymore........at least for a while.

Posted: 8/17/2004 10:10:16 AM EDT

[#1]

If it is 9 yo then start saving now.

What part of GA are you in?

I work at an A/C wholesaler and the industry average is now 7 years for life expectancy.

Mostly due to the efficiency requirements the .gov has mandated.

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/17/2004 10:17:58 AM EDT

[#2]

If it lost freon, it has a leak.

It's not like an old hound dog. It won't just get better.

If they didn't fix the leak, it will quit again. Sorry to break the news to you.

Posted: 8/17/2004 10:27:47 AM EDT

[#3]

9 years old?

Shit. The Goetll on my roof is the same one that was on the house when it was built in 1969!

I'm fixin' to replace it this fall.

Posted: 8/17/2004 10:59:18 AM EDT

[#4]

Same thing happened to me earlier this summer. The starter capacitor took a dump. It was also a little low on freon. The repair guy was pretty straight up dude and told me the current unit could go 1 day or a couple of years. Gave me a rough quote of $4-6 Grand for a switch-over to a Puron (sp?) system and a slightly larger compressor. My units are 10 yrs old now. He said pretty much the same thing "Start saving"

Posted: 8/17/2004 11:08:48 AM EDT

[#5]

got a buddy doing my hvac now- he said he could set me up with a 13 see AC unit for under a grand think it was a 2 ton

Posted: 8/17/2004 6:53:11 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
9 years old?

Shit. The Goetll on my roof is the same one that was on the house when it was built in 1969!

I'm fixin' to replace it this fall.

They don't make 'em like that anymore!

They still make them though...in Arizona IIRC.

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/17/2004 6:54:23 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
got a buddy doing my hvac now- he said he could set me up with a 13 see AC unit for under a grand think it was a 2 ton

Was that installed or not?

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/18/2004 12:25:52 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
If it lost freon, it has a leak.

It's not like an old hound dog. It won't just get better.

If they didn't fix the leak, it will quit again. Sorry to break the news to you.

BINGO!!!!

Actually if the guy just added freon without finding and fixing the leak, he violated EPA laws and could get his ass in a sling.

Posted: 8/18/2004 1:49:49 AM EDT

[#9]

Leaks can be a bitch! Some morons soft solder connections. Some manufacturers use mechanical joints on line sets that are a BIG problem! Areas of evaporator coils are nearly impossible to get to. A leak rate of a pound or two per year is generally tolerable if not kosher.

Life span? Heat Pump, around 7 yrs. AC, around 10. Compressor life is actually MANY years (30 or more!) in properly installed unit that is not abused with leaks, low indoor air flow, electrical disturbances, etc.

Replacement of an outdoor unit runs around $1000, give or take, depending on size. Up to douple that if lines and indoor coil need changed. 6k quote is outrageous! That would cover complete AC, furnace and most if not all the ducting as well. Replacing a unit for eff improvement alone (AC or furnace) rarely pays.

"Puron" is a proprietary name for a generic product, R410. Runs at very high pressures. I remember the Carrier mess with Carrine - R500. That one required a lawsuit to get the formula released!!

Posted: 8/18/2004 4:15:57 AM EDT

[#10]

installed

Posted: 8/18/2004 4:36:34 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
The starter capacitor took a dump.

When the A/C in my upstairs went down last summer, the good people at the AR15.com All-Encompassing Hive Mind and Information Clearinghouse vectored me in on the problem: a bad start/run cap. Replacing it myself cost less than just the run charge would have been for the A/C repair guys I had called, and my upstairs was cool again before they even got around to responding to me.

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:34:34 AM EDT

[#12]

I just got my AC going this last weekend. The fan motor on the outside unit burned out for some reason, and I had to replace it. I've only owned my own home for a few months, so this was my first experience with HVAC repair. Made me feel all manly.

I'm just glad it went out when it did. We actually had a few mild days there, and it was tolerable in the house with the windows up. Pretty rare for Georgia in August.

Posted: 8/18/2004 6:20:06 AM EDT

[#13]

Thanks guys for the comments. I am mentally prepared for a $1k-1.5K fix one day. The $4-$6K replacement has me concerned.

Posted: 8/18/2004 7:27:17 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

"Puron" is a proprietary name for a generic product, R410. Runs at very high pressures. I remember the Carrier mess with Carrine - R500. That one required a lawsuit to get the formula released!!

AHHHH the AC world has one of "THOSE" companies too huh? In the appliance field we have GE. The big ol' badass BIG companies who think they can rule the roost. I cant speak for Carrier but I can tell you that the big ol' tough GE makes appliances that I would NEVER put in my house.

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:39:37 PM EDT

[#15]

Doc, I have had my battles with GE appliances - and no longer own any! Their parts distribution system sucks - as bad as Sears IMHO.

BDP or Bryant DayNight Payne also known as Carrier (United Technologies) is the one I was slamming.

Condenser fan motors on central air units most often fail because of bad bearings. Rotor drags, windings overheat and all the smoke put in the motor at manufacture is lost. Once all the smoke is gone, the motor is junk! Ball bearings are rather rare but can be replaced IF the end bells aren't wallowed out - IF found before all the smoke is lost. Sleeve bearings can't be successfully replaced.

Oil them once every 2-3 years and they will run a LONG time!! Current crop must be disassembled to lube them..... A FEW have oil ports. Same for indoor blowers.

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:48:08 PM EDT

[#16]

Just had Central Air installed on my furnace. Always had an swamp cooler. Looking forwaard to many years of having a cool house at the touch of a button. Went with a Rheam system that bolted on my existing furnace. It was only a couple grand to install on a house that did not have one. I plan on being in another house before the 7 years are up, so it will be another persons problem. But then again I am sure I will have someone elses problem in another house-HAHA!!

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:52:07 PM EDT

[#17]

Mine hasn't worked after Charley roared through here Friday the 13th. It is FREAKIN hot too! Oh the light, dishwasher and well pump is not working either...

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:52:17 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Oil them once every 2-3 years and they will run a LONG time!! Current crop must be disassembled to lube them..... A FEW have oil ports. Same for indoor blowers.

Man, I haven't seen any of those little flippy doors for lubricating oil in years. Most of the motors I've seen, the bearings are sealed, if they seize up, then you'll have to replace the motor.

Posted: 8/18/2004 5:58:48 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Mine hasn't worked after Charley roared through here Friday the 13th. It is FREAKIN hot too! Oh the light, dishwasher and well pump is not working either...

I hope and pray that all will be back top normal soon.

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/18/2004 6:02:53 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Oil them once every 2-3 years and they will run a LONG time!! Current crop must be disassembled to lube them..... A FEW have oil ports. Same for indoor blowers.

Man, I haven't seen any of those little flippy doors for lubricating oil in years. Most of the motors I've seen, the bearings are sealed, if they seize up, then you'll have to replace the motor.

The ones that have an oil port have plugs in them not the little flapper door that bigger motor have.

Most are 'sealed' and not oilable mainly because they never got oiled anyway!

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/18/2004 6:05:49 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
The starter capacitor took a dump.

When the A/C in my upstairs went down last summer, the good people at the AR15.com All-Encompassing Hive Mind and Information Clearinghouse vectored me in on the problem: a bad start/run cap. Replacing it myself cost less than just the run charge would have been for the A/C repair guys I had called, and my upstairs was cool again before they even got around to responding to me.

I do remember that dreaded day!

That is only one of the reasons that ARFCOM is the greatest community in the world!

BigDozer66

Posted: 8/18/2004 6:24:26 PM EDT

[#22]

Sleeve bearings use felt to hold oil. Disassemble the motor or gently pry off end caps to relubricate (if no oil port is present). Just running oil down the shaft MIGHT help very short term but is doomed to failure beyond that.

Ball bearings are often "sealed". They can be replaced (cheap) or re-lubed. Often failure is because of water entry or separator failure. Either is fatal to the bearing. If they seize, replace them. For those interested, I can detail replace or re-lube procedures.

Sleeve bearings can be damaged by the fan "windmilling". At low RPM oil is not "pumped" correctly in the bearing, believe it or not!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My AC is now working

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