Posted: 7/1/2009 7:14:53 AM EDT
|
Hey guys, need some prof opinions. I had the A/C go out on my house. Had the air guys come out and it turns out my system was totally out of freon. They charged it and all is good but they said the leak is at the coil inside and those cannot be fixed so I would have to have a whole new unit put in. blah blah blah Well, I was calling bullshit on this anyway then my parents had the same people come out to their home and got told the same story. 1. Can the indoor compressors be fixed if they have a tiny leak? 2. How do i find an A/C guy that isn't trying to rip me off? |
|
Disclaimer: I am not an hvac tech.
Is this a split system, with the traditional compressor outside, coil/blower inside? If so, wtf are they talking about an inside compressor? If the leak indeed is at the compressor, it may still be possible for it be soldered for repair but this all depends on where the leak is exactly. The other possibility is that the entire compressor would need to be replaced and since compressors cost so much it may be worth just getting a whole new outside unit. We need more info. The best way to do that is to have another tech from another company out to check it. |
|
Quoted: Disclaimer: I am not an hvac tech. Is this a split system, with the traditional compressor outside, coil/blower inside? If so, wtf are they talking about an inside compressor? If the leak indeed is at the compressor, it may still be possible for it be soldered for repair but this all depends on where the leak is exactly. The other possibility is that the entire compressor would need to be replaced and since compressors cost so much it may be worth just getting a whole new outside unit. We need more info. The best way to do that is to have another tech from another company out to check it. yes, it is the coil they are talking about. Sorry, used the wrong term. edit: fixed it above. According to them, it is impossible to find a small leak and you cannot braze or fix a leaking coil in anyway. This seems like total BS to me. |
|
Quoted:
According to them, it is impossible to find a small leak and you cannot braze or fix a leaking coil in anyway. This seems like total BS to me. The way it was explained to me last year when I had this done was that the cooling fins in the coil assembly are thin and small and in order to repair it the fins would be damaged over too large of an area which would reduce the efficiency of the unit. Then who knows how long before another leak springs up. That is why they replace. |
|
Quoted: interesting. I found it out that two homes owned by my family had the exact same issue all of a sudden as diagnosed by the same company and was ready to call BS immediately. Maybe there is some truth to it.Quoted: According to them, it is impossible to find a small leak and you cannot braze or fix a leaking coil in anyway. This seems like total BS to me. The way it was explained to me last year when I had this done was that the cooling fins in the coil assembly are thin and small and in order to repair it the fins would be damaged over too large of an area which would reduce the efficiency of the unit. Then who knows how long before another leak springs up. That is why they replace. I do think I will have another company come out to both locations just to be sure. |
|
not an AC expert.......
Do you have the older 10 sear AC or the newer 12 sear? most houses still have the older 10 sear units....per EPA guidelines they don't make the older 10 sear units (has to do with energy effeciency). I have been told that when something breaks in an older 10 sear unit, you may end up having to replace the ENTIRE AC system (inside and outside units) as the 10 sear and 12 sear parts/units are not compatable. Anyone know about this? If the OP can't fix the leak, it could be a very expensive issue. |
|
Quoted: not an AC expert....... Do you have the older 10 sear AC or the newer 12 sear? most houses still have the older 10 sear units....per EPA guidelines they don't make the older 10 sear units (has to do with energy effeciency). I have been told that when something breaks in an older 10 sear unit, you may end up having to replace the ENTIRE AC system (inside and outside units) as the 10 sear and 12 sear parts/units are not compatable. Anyone know about this? both units are about 10 years old, as you can tell I know jack about A/C stuff. According to these cats the inside units need completely replaced but the outside units will still be good to go. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
not an AC expert....... Do you have the older 10 sear AC or the newer 12 sear? most houses still have the older 10 sear units....per EPA guidelines they don't make the older 10 sear units (has to do with energy effeciency). I have been told that when something breaks in an older 10 sear unit, you may end up having to replace the ENTIRE AC system (inside and outside units) as the 10 sear and 12 sear parts/units are not compatable. Anyone know about this? both units are about 10 years old, as you can tell I know jack about A/C stuff. According to these cats the inside units need completely replaced but the outside units will still be good to go. I would think about getting a second opion/estimate from another company before spending $$$..I don't know much about AC either, but have been told that the newer units are not compatable with the older ones... |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
not an AC expert....... Do you have the older 10 sear AC or the newer 12 sear? most houses still have the older 10 sear units....per EPA guidelines they don't make the older 10 sear units (has to do with energy effeciency). I have been told that when something breaks in an older 10 sear unit, you may end up having to replace the ENTIRE AC system (inside and outside units) as the 10 sear and 12 sear parts/units are not compatable. Anyone know about this? both units are about 10 years old, as you can tell I know jack about A/C stuff. According to these cats the inside units need completely replaced but the outside units will still be good to go. The warranty company on my house paid for mine. They installed a complete system. I was told that it is common to do just the coil assembly in the attic and the older compressor should still work. You might want to look into a complete system. If you are increasing your SEER ratings high enough there are tons of rebates available. Some Fed some State and some from your electric supplier. Make sure you look into them all. There will be forms to fill out and might be a pain in the ass, but after all of that you might get a complete new system for just a little more that a coil replacement. By all means have a second company take a look. See if they find the same thing wrong. Don't tell them about the first and see if they have different pricing for the replacement. |
|
Quoted: Dude this is pretty simple...pay some other company $50 to come out and do a cooling check on your system before you blindly spend a couple thousand based off the original tech telling you your unit's fucked. agree and i am going to do this for sure. Just trying to get some information up front so i have a little bit of knowledge. |
|
I'm not an HVAC guy either, but 10 years doesn't seem to be very old for a coil pack.
Try posting your question over at www.hvac-talk.com. Lots of professionals there who are more than willing to dispense free advise. That site was invaluable to me when I was shopping for a new central air unit. |
| I've been in the HVAC/R business for 30 years and hear these stories often. Most times techs don't want to spend the time needed to actually find the leak... and do what those guys did and just condemn the whole system. Leaks can be found with either electronic leak detectors or a dye that is added to the systems oil. As the refrigerant leaks out a small amount of oil goes with it and takes the dye with it too. After running the system for a few days, a black light is used to find the glowing leak. Depending on where the leak is found most can be repaired by a "competant" technician. If the leak actually is in the evap. depending on where exactly, the leak is the can be repaired most times. Usually the labor required to do a good job can be expensive ( at $60+ hourly wage) if the leak isn't found quickly. As far as replacement with new government efficiency madates now it is minimum 13 SEER required and both indoor and outdoor units should be replaced together. If the outdoor unit is still in good shape, a newer series evaporator can usually be used with the existing condensor. Unfortunately the newer 13 SEER outdoor units can't be used with the older evaps, due to the lesser coil surface of the older evaps. compared to the newer units. Most manufactures won't warranty compressors in these new units unless both indoor and outdoor units are replace together. |
|
JETWC pretty much covered it but I would like to add one thing. Evap coils can be repaired, it's a bitch but it can be done. The aluminium fins can be stripped away and the copper pipes inside can be brazed.
Most HVAC techs suck at finding leaks, it takes skill and patience. It's just so much easier and quicker to gas the unit up and run. |