[valdeztke]

Well I bought a home that had a brand new unit installed. We moved in during the early Spring and didn't have much need for the A/C so we didn't even turn it on.

When summer rolled around we turned it on and got nothing. I went outside and noticed none of the wires were hooked up nor was the valves cracked.

I wired it up myself (just low voltage wiring) and had a lisc friend crack the valves. We didn't even think to pull a vacuum on the system and the pipes all looked very well done.

The system never really did get super cold (its a little oversized for the house I believe). It gets cool, but not "cold" like my little window unit does. Total house is 1,110 sqft, but we have a nice cape cod which loves to create heat pockets upstairs that would kill most 80yr-olds.

Of couse I've done all the standard things. All coils are spotless, compressor does (if I recall) kick on, etc. Doubt I have a charge issue as the thing was ran last summer (blew cool then)...and now we are running it and its still blowing the same temp. I did HVAC a few summers and its blowing cool enough to tell its cooling....but not nearly like it should.

Any thoughts before I get a certified tech out? They want $150 just to show up....


Thanks!

 

[yuri]

Well I bought a home that had a brand new unit installed. We moved in during the early Spring and didn't have much need for the A/C so we didn't even turn it on.

When summer rolled around we turned it on and got nothing. I went outside and noticed none of the wires were hooked up nor was the valves cracked.

I wired it up myself (just low voltage wiring) and had a lisc friend crack the valves. We didn't even think to pull a vacuum on the system and the pipes all looked very well done. (how do we know it does not have air in it then or was charged up properly?)

The system never really did get super cold (its a little oversized for the house I believe). It gets cool, but not "cold" like my little window unit does. Total house is 1,110 sqft, but we have a nice cape cod which loves to create heat pockets upstairs that would kill most 80yr-olds.

Of couse I've done all the standard things. All coils are spotless, compressor does (if I recall) kick on, etc. Doubt I have a charge issue as the thing was ran last summer (blew cool then)...and now we are running it and its still blowing the same temp. I did HVAC a few summers and its blowing cool enough to tell its cooling....but not nearly like it should.

Any thoughts before I get a certified tech out? They want $150 just to show up....


Thanks!

Sounds confusing to me.

May have air in it or a nitrogen holding charge was left in the lines before the valves were cracked open so did it or did it not ever cool properly? If unsure then I would recommend they recover and get rid of the refrigerant and start over and charge it up properly. Sounds like the installer planned to come back but went out of business or disappeared for unknown reasons

 

[valdeztke]

It cooled, but never to the point what I thought a brand new system would of. The air was always cooler than the air outside, but never "cold"...or frigid

 

[yuri]

Reread my post, I added to it. Sounds like it needs recharging properly. VERY difficult to determine if it has air or contaminants in it and less than 5% of the techs out there would know how to figure that out. Tell the tech what happened as this is a very unusual occurrence and you don't want them misdiagnosing it and changing the compressor or TX valve or unnecessary repairs.

 

[valdeztke]

Going back through some of this place, I think the installed was the seller of the house. I'm quickly redoing many many things here. I'm having a guy come out this week and look at it. I'd rather drop some $$$ and have it right. I don't have hi/low lines, spare tanks or any legal reason to be messing with gases...so I'll suck it up and let the pros take me to the cleaners - haha.

I just hope they are nice.

 

[HVACDave]

Unfortunate that you hadn't pulled a vacuum when you opened the access valves. No way of getting any air that was in the line set out now. Hopefully you have a filter dryer on the liquid line at least. It isn't the best way to start out your euipment for a long life, but it happens. Best option is to recover refrigerant, pull vacuum and recharge with new refrigerant.

Unit is probably a little low on charge. Most units only come pre-charged for about 15 feet of lineset from factory and most installs are more than that. My bet is you add a few ounces, to proper subcooling, which will be a bit out of whack because of the air in the system, and it will cool down.

 

[yuri]

If you are nice about it and know a bit of the technical talk and honestly explain the situation I/we may sometimes feel Sorry for a "fellow tradesman" and may cut him some slack. Give me "attitude" or try get something for nothing and you get both barrels.:2guns:

 

[valdeztke]

Unfortunate that you hadn't pulled a vacuum when you opened the access valves. No way of getting any air that was in the line set out now. Hopefully you have a filter dryer on the liquid line at least. It isn't the best way to start out your euipment for a long life, but it happens. Best option is to recover refrigerant, pull vacuum and recharge with new refrigerant.

Unit is probably a little low on charge. Most units only come pre-charged for about 15 feet of lineset from factory and most installs are more than that. My bet is you add a few ounces, to proper subcooling, which will be a bit out of whack because of the air in the system, and it will cool down.

Sounds like a pretty good case of what I got. I'll just have them pull a vacuum, check it of course for leaks and then refill/top off.

Any idea what a unit sized for a 1100 will run to pull refrigerant and recharge?

 

[yuri]

Read my post above yours. I would allow 4 hrs at the going labor rate $100/hr plus freon so it may come out to $750 or more. Labor rates vary from $65-200/hr depending were you live so guessing a price is just that.

 

[valdeztke]

If you are nice about it and know a bit of the technical talk and honestly explain the situation I/we may sometimes feel Sorry for a "fellow tradesman" and may cut him some slack. Give me "attitude" or try get something for nothing and you get both barrels.:2guns:

I try to be 100% up front and always mention I spent two summers during college in FL doing HVAC and two more summers during grad school in Ohio crawling around doing more HVAC work.

I learned to love fiberglass, 125 degree heat, spiders and muddy frozen crawl spaces.

I'm a white collar guy now that sits at a desk, but I spent my summers wearing blue collars too

 

[yuri]

We gotta stop meeting like this (quick posting) read my post above yours. I live in the Great White North ( no hot attics, snakes, spiders, allygators etc) just the odd roaming Polar Bear in the Winter.:laughing: