I replaced a 15 year old heat pump/AC unit about 2 years ago. When I turned on the AC a few weeks ago, it wasn’t blowing cold. I called the guy that did the install and he came and checked it out. He said it needed freon, put some in and now it is blowing cold. My question is this. Should a 2 year old unit need freon at this point? I don’t mind paying some kind of service call but I don’t recall my last unit ever needing freon.
Any thoughts?
quote:
Originally posted by DFreedomI replaced a 15 year old heat pump/AC unit about 2 years ago. When I turned on the AC a few weeks ago, it wasn’t blowing cold. I called the guy that did the install and he came and checked it out. He said it needed freon, put some in and now it is blowing cold. My question is this. Should a 2 year old unit need freon at this point? I don’t mind paying some kind of service call but I don’t recall my last unit ever needing freon.
Any thoughts?
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
What a coincidence. My guy literally just left the house. Unit is three months old and needed freon. American Standard. Do you have a variable speed compressor?
Its a sealed system. If it needs freon there is a leak. A unit if installed properly would never require freon unless there is a leak. Pm with details. I am a licensed contractor. Also work for a major manufacuter.
quote:
Originally posted by stuart29801Its a sealed system. If it needs freon there is a leak. A unit if installed properly would never require freon unless there is a leak. Pm with details. I am a licensed contractor. Also work for a major manufacuter.
What Stuart said. I know I’m on borrowed time, my unit is 22 years old and never had to add any gas. Just a few capacitors. Any loss is due to a leak.
“Why Bruce?”
In an a car system , the weak point is the seals. , and its not unusual to lose minute amounts of Freon , but in a home system, if the Freon is low, it escaped somewhere, and more will get out. Some shady companies use “adding Freon” as a way to get the repair cost up.
yep there is a leak and that is now a big legal issue, they need to fix it
and Mr Fred67, replace that old clunker and the HVAC part of your utility bill will drop 40-60%, the efficiencies of the new units are much better than a 22 year old unit
Pioneer 197SF
This is actually a guy I have done business with for several years so trust isn’t (or hasn’t been) an issue. Just thought having to add Freon was unusual and a little disturbing. Being billed $241 ($156 for Freon and $85 for labor) seems unreasonable in that I don’t expect to have to add Freon on a unit this new.
PM sent to Stuart29801
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
Adding $156 in Freon without finding the leak is like throwing money in the air.
That’s ridiculous. The guy who came to my house said they just didn’t put enough in the first time. How do you not know how much is enough? I thanked him, but reaching in my pocket wasn’t an option. I would pursue this, and make sure you keep the service ticket.
What natureboy said! Kind of like a slow leak in a tire. Are you going to keep pumping it up, or are you going to plug the hole? DF, you may trust the guy, but you can still ask him if he plugged the leak! The Freon went somewhere.
Not trying to thread jack here, but what units are you guys running?
Going to have to add an attic unit and dont really know where to start aside from what my HVAC guy is telling me. I trust him and all, but a second option never hurts
Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges; he got guys off the fishing docks.
A few years back, we had our compressor replaced by a local company. About two months later, no cool air. Technician came out told us we were out of freon, due to a leak in the system. They tracked it down to a bad solder job between the copper and aluminum lines in the system. He told us that the previous technician, from the same company, didn’t do a good job soldering the joints, hence the leak.
Good luck!
Find the leak–
I have installed many new units through the years that have been defective and had issues from the manufacturer
R410a operates on higher pressures than the old r22 and the copper the manufacturers are using is getting thinner every year
Not uncommon to have factory solder joints blow out in the intense heat around here
25 years in the hvac field and glad i dont do it anymore
Lot of crooks out there so be careful!!!
84 HYDRA SPORT 1800SS
89 Yamaha 150
‘BAD HABIT’
89 TRACKER 17 TX
MERC 50
‘OL LEAKY’
quote:I bet DF's problem is a poor solder job, sweating the high and low side copper lines is a little time consuming, and takes some time and practice to master. Most of the issues I've seen with bad solder jobs come from poor preparation, the ends of each line needs to be sanded and cleaned, most don't take the time, hence the slow leak down of freon.
Originally posted by sea tonicA few years back, we had our compressor replaced by a local company. About two months later, no cool air. Technician came out told us we were out of freon, due to a leak in the system. They tracked it down to a bad solder job between the copper and aluminum lines in the system. He told us that the previous technician, from the same company, didn’t do a good job soldering the joints, hence the leak.
Good luck!
Hopefully your leak is there, it could be a pinhole leak in either high/low side line, or a leak in the A-coil.
Most of your AC companies have a sniffer that will detect the freon, that’s where I would start. It will only get worse as the summer heat builds, I would try to find out now, August is near.
quote:we have a Goodman and have not had any issues in 5 years. Nock on wood. You can call Sweatmans A/C for a second opinion.
Originally posted by FishinMissionNot trying to thread jack here, but what units are you guys running?
Going to have to add an attic unit and dont really know where to start aside from what my HVAC guy is telling me. I trust him and all, but a second option never hurts
Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges; he got guys off the fishing docks.
Double D.
DF breaks something else. the beat goes on.
I’m a regular mayhem.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
that you are buddy, but in a good way
quote:
Originally posted by DFreedomI replaced a 15 year old heat pump/AC unit about 2 years ago. When I turned on the AC a few weeks ago, it wasn’t blowing cold. I called the guy that did the install and he came and checked it out. He said it needed freon, put some in and now it is blowing cold. My question is this. Should a 2 year old unit need freon at this point? I don’t mind paying some kind of service call but I don’t recall my last unit ever needing freon.
Any thoughts?
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
I’m sure your friend found the leak and repaired it for the service call which sounds reasonable to me. He can’t help it if there was a problem with the unit to start with since he didn’t make it. The warranty for this is one year. I bet he is a straight up guy. Sometime a year or two of vibration will cause a joint to fail and leak. Call him to make sure he did a repair and not just add freon. By the way ; a 2 year old unit does not use freon; they use the new gas.
Come see us the next time you are in town. George
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Originally posted by Blueskyguyyep there is a leak and that is now a big legal issue, they need to fix it
and Mr Fred67, replace that old clunker and the HVAC part of your utility bill will drop 40-60%, the efficiencies of the new units are much better than a 22 year old unit
Pioneer 197SF
You are right, been pricing a little. Everyone tells me it’ll drop my electric bill. Hard to replace something that still works good.
I think it’s my hardheadedness that several years ago many told me a central unit was only good for 12 years. What’s probably gonna happen is me coming home on the hottest day to find it broke.
“Why Bruce?”