Replacing Evaporator HVAC Repair
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- Опубликовано: 27 апр 2021
- I am replacing a leaking evaporator coil on an HVAC system. I found the AC evaporator coil leaking at the end of last summer. First I pump down the air conditioning unit. Second I disconnect the condensate drain and open the paneling of the unit up. Third I cut the copper refrigerant lines and pull out the coil. Finally I push the new coil back into place and seal up the pipes.
Once the Evap coil is in place and piped then I placed the AC unit into a pressure test. A pressure test verifies that there’s no leaks on the HVAC system. After the pressure test I evacuated the refrigeration circuit of the ac unit down to 400 microns. And evacuation/vacuum is performed to pull any contaminant and moisture is out of the AC system. Finally I charge up the AC system. Then test the air conditioning system. 
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you got lucky with that one no crawl space attic or celing full of sprinkler pipe to work around. thanks for posting.
Just thinking the same thing. Lol
I had very BAD experiences with AC techs over the yrs. To say I distrust the profession is an understatement.
their as bad as roofers...
@@rollawy They're
Yes, most, not all, of them are as bad as auto mechanics. They know they’ve got you, because you need the darn thing to work and you don’t have either the knowledge, the skills, the time, or all of the above necessary to get into fixing it, so they’ll make you pay $$$.
Agreed. Called an HVAC to load a refrigerant. He looks around and says the whole system needs to be replaced. Quotes me for $25k
@@PH-md8xp Plus they know the HVAC Cabal won't sell most parts to DIY... usually won't even let the see parts lists or schematics... it's the most opaque and dishonest industry out there IMHO.
Great video thanks for keeping me sharp and giving me a bit more confidence whenever I come across this myself.
That tubing cutter was awesome. When you stuck that on I didn’t know what you were doing. Then it came on and I was like cool it’s sanding the tubing were he is going to cut it.
Nice little replacement Hackster ... Thanx for sharing ...
After connecting the new coil, you did the followings: 1. filled nitrogen with pressure to find any leaking using the bubbling method; 2. released nitrogen, removed valve cores, connected vacuum pump; 3. closed vacuum source, opened king valve to fill R410A from compressor; 4. put the valve cores in; 5. filled more R410A from the tank. Please correct me if any wrong or missing. Thank you!
Nice easy workspace too. Insane how quality has gone down. I've seen evaps with much more rust that still held a full refrigerant charge.. great changeout Bill
410a coils like to rust. R22 coils didn’t rust like these. The metal drain pans over time did
It’s NOT the refrigerant type that makes a coil rust up. It’s the materials that the coil manufacturer uses. Back in the day coils were made of copper tubing, and thick walled at that, with galvanized sheet metal for the tube plates. Now they use aluminum tubing and cheap metal for the wall plates because of the cost of the materials. The refrigerant has NOTHING to do with the failure of a coil. It’s all due to the economics of selling their product.
Impressive, this guy is a real pro
Any suggestions on where we can obtain replacement a-coils?
Mine is quite rusty/crusty and I thought I'd have a replacement on hand in preparation for the day it springs a leak...
Have an evaporater pan that has that white algae slime that seems to be clogging up in the back drain channels and dripping water down into plenum. is there an easy way to flush that snot out of there, thinking i may need to bring hose in and just spray it out from below? Thanks!
how old is the system, and is it better to replace the whole system depending on age? Might not be worth it to have an efficient handler but still have a rusty and clogged condenser unit, will still have trouble down the road.
Great job 👍👍👍
Nice work man. ME and my OCD would like to know if you cleaned out the unit before you zipped it back together? (all the leaves, debris and crap)..
Great video all in all sir. Thank you for sharing.
I will be having both of my coils replaced very soon. 1st owners, house built in 2016, units installed in 2017 (attic), we took possession mid 2017 and now after 4 years both coils are shot.....
nice educational video and wonderful work, may i ask where can we buy the new entire evaporator coil? from local or an Internet store , thanks
Great video. What is a "flex" coil? Trying to order a TXV for my 4 ton R410A Heat pump coil (XAHC48FXXN1A) that came without one. I keep seeing this term and just thought I'd ask. Thanks! If you could recommend a TXV that would be great too.
Nice video 👍🏻. I’m 100% sure it’s probably user error but I have the same cutter and can’t seem to work it correctly and get nice copper cuts. Any tips?
Man, I was surprised to see that was a Lennox with a leaky coil. 😂😂😂
#NOT
I am new to this field, is this heat pump unit, I wonder it have … service line outside of the unit, my question why you need ..open the panel do it inside? Please rely thanks 🙏
Great video thank you
This guy has skills
Just wondering, can you replace the plastic drain tray without cutting into the copper lines? My drain tray has a small Crack in the 3/4 inch plastic thread built in the main drain tray. Not leaking yet but I'm sure time will take its toll.
I fixed mine with a piece of tin and jb weld
Why is it that at the metering device you can use a compression fitting and all other connections are welded ? Nice video work , the clearest I have ever seen .
Great question. They use to use compression fittings on old carrier's from the 80's
@@thehvachacker p
I wish I had this guy at my house ,almost everyone I talk to is about more money , have to go all new inside & out , more ,, lots more money,,,scammers,,,,,
Hard to find trustworthy individuals in this profession.
It sure is
Cheapest I found that would Not do it was $2000
If you have a older unit outside that still has the old refrigerant it’s better to replace coil and ac
Why would you replace a evap if it still has r22 or over 15+ years makes sense to replace it all the ac just going to be a money pit
Do you tape the back of the coil box when going from copper to aluminum to avoid corrosion through dissimilar metals?
Never tried it. Have you done that? Does it help?
@@thehvachacker we do it on every copper to aluminum coil change out. I have seen it where new tape was not applied to the back and it leaked on the U-bends a couple years later
What camera are you using?
Question. why do you use nitrogen before sweating? i have alot of plumbing expierence and wanted to help my friend who has a badly (confirmed) leaking A coil. i thought i could just get a new Acoil, pan, and sweat it in and have a tech come by to put a charge on it.....im a little confused about the purpose of running nitrogen before sweating.
Sweating doesn’t require nitrogen before. What your thinking of is purging with nitrogen, while brazing the line set. That is due to heat required to braze. Leaves carbon soot inside the pipe. Only soldering/Sweating on a 410a staybrite 8. No other solder is approved for 410a.
@@thehvachacker gotcha. thanks
Great Bill to see u
Thanks for the video =)
Love the video. Can you replace the drip pan without having to remove the coils and cut into the copper pipes. Are there screws that are holding the drip span to the coils?
You have to pull coil out and remove screw underneath that connect it to the coil
What happened with the old evaporator? What was the diagnosis made it necessary to change the evaporator? Thanks!!
The coil had a bad leak and the drain pan was coated in oil. I mentioned that at the beginning. Sometimes RUclips doesn’t start all videos at beginning. I added gas two years in a row. First year was only one lb, last summer a day before Labor Day I was their for a no cooling call and added 9lbs. Then leak searched unit. This unit had a lot of oil in pan and my D-TEK was going off outside the unit. A coworker changed another coil on this system that was a little tricky to find yet after some time I was able to locate a micro leak on the evaporator.
Nice boondock saint's reference btw.. didn't see anybody else point that out 🤷♂️ lol
How much does it cost to replace the entire evaporator unit? Also, is it 2.5 ton unit?
No, it's 10 ton🙄
Just bought a home with a Miller downdraft unit like this. I know it's about 18 years old but not sure which refrigerant it has. It won't last forever.... I've done plumbing but not AC work so I may be able to change it out myself but need someone to charge it. Side note: why are the drain plugs on the side and not on the bottom? common sense would be make it like a shower drain and grade the pan toward the drain.
Mine has two like that one but for some reason, one is slightly higher than the other, and from the factory they put the drain on the higher one so the condenser is always sitting in 1/4" of water and got rusty.
Not an HVAC professional so take what I say with some salt.
- If it is a unit from 18 years ago, then it is likely using R22 refrigerant. There is usually a sticker on the outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit that species the charge type (e.g. R22, R401a).
- Sometimes units come with two drain holes: a primary one, and a secondary one. The secondary one is usually higher positioned than the primary (not sure why it is reverse here. Sounds like an installation error.). The purpose of the secondary is to alert you that the primary is blocked and buy you enough time to fix it instead of dripping all over the place.
- As for why the drain holes are at the side as opposed to the bottom of the pan. I'm not sure about this one but I suspect it is to for easier maintenance access.
Has any repairs been done on your unit? Normally ductless split units last 10 years or so while ducted split units last 10-20 years. Might be best to just replace it sooner than later (and also benefit from the technology upgrades that can lead to lower electricity bills)
What did you mean at 9:43 ? He didn't purge it with nitrogen, just goes ahead and pulls vacuum?
My old system is using R22, is it better to change the whole system rather than fixing the Evaporator coil? Thanks for the video.
Yes replace the system, it’s old, less efficient seer then modern standards, and the price of R22 is outrageous
@@mathewbrown8206 Thanks for the input.
@@shaun4bigblocks993 Thanks for the information.
Definitely
Depends, my 23 year old 5 ton trane (R22) had a new compressor put in 6 weeks back. After labor and parts it was $2700. That versus $15,000 for a new one was a no brainer for me. You have to have an expert though. Side note, found R22 for $50/lb, 2lb bottle for $99 in Dallas. Tech reinstalled the old freon after drying in into the recycle tank so $99 for topping it off worked for me.
Looks like they are changing to aluminum tubing. You would think that copper would be better. Yet I have a 43 year old aluminum evaporator coil sitting on top of an electric resistance heating coil, which still works fine. And its been running for 10 years with no dryer installed in the system in humid Louisiana.
Maybe the government will send some people around to install a nice new efficient heat pump, to help fight climate change. I wonder if they will use a vacuum pump to evacuate the system, unlike the guy my sister sent over, who didn't bother to do much besides flush the system with nitrogen when he installed the new condenser unit. But like they say, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' That is a good excuse for us lazy folks. Although I did just change the capacitor before it had chance to die one day, when the heat index was 105. You don't want to experience this summer heat & humidity without AC. The Saints has to build an indoor practice facility, since it is even hot at night because the humid air doesn't cool down much all night.
I need to replace my blower motor and capacitor. Those two copper pipes you removed, on my system, run directly in front of the blower. So basically what I got from your video is, I am unable to remove those pipes, they need to be moved out of the way by a professional? And then my next question would be, is that an industry make money “scheme”? Because supposedly I’m supposed to be able to remove my blower and clean it, but those copper pipes are in the way. So just basic maintenance requires a professional, right? Apologies if this is coming off rude, I’m just frustrated because I literally don’t have money for a professional and I live in Tucson where it’s 108 degrees today. I’m sorry just one more, how much would you charge to remove and reconnect those copper pipes? I realize where you live and where I live prices will be different but I just kinda want to get an idea of what I’m looking at? Thank you so much if you are able to take the time to read this and then thank you again if you are able to respond.
If your copper tubes are in your way it could be because the copper comes from the floor or you have a down flow unit and who ever installed it didn’t have room to put the copper else where or they just didn’t think about the other guy
capacitor is on the outside unit... and its like 30$ replaced by a pro the blower is different and sometimes the motor can come out the side of the blower cage if u examine it.. i have a coleman and i just serviced it instead of removing my pipes and capturing the freon then putting it back together I cut some tin on my cover to fit around the pipes but remember it has to be put back together fairly air tight because the blower is blowing air thru the space and if it leaks air itll be suer inefficient.. just a thought.l... really looking at the parts figuring out how it comes apart is half the battle i had to clean my coil and clean the drain for the run off it was clogged and the ice would melt but never drain creating an ice block every time hoping i dont have to add freon becase thats the other reason they freeze up low freon
Bill. Hello. From edbonjovi aka leak master plumbing great. Too. See. U brotherman
Hey what’s what good. Hope everything is good
Mine is 30yrs old and has rust on bottom ....should i replace it? Or keep using it
Is the metal bottom soft. If so replace, if not it’s ok.
@@thehvachacker no its not soft only where the drain is..i gobbed some j.b. weld there yesterday..im testing it out now
@@jayc4715 how did it work out for you
Mine sit on top of furnace . How can you remove it ? Does the enitre furnace and coils need to be taken out ?
Yes. If coil dosnt fit thru the ducting and hits. Remove furnace. Coil is light just have to push back on it to hold and slide furnace out ,then coil.. 2 man job after that one man..
@@STUNT4516 man , i'm not going to do all that. Just too much work. Remove entire furnace to check clean coils ? And what ? Cut freon and the other lines ? Maybe just slide the furnace out of the way get under coils to check clean ? Wow. I removed blower motor but it's a universal replacement with SEPERATE bracket. But not sure it'll fit. I thought when I first called parts store it'd been an exact match but nope. Looks like I wasted all that time going over there. Any advice ? OEM motor is much more expensive and take days to get. ?
The origianl bracket should fit on new motor. Universal are just taller or longer than old blower motor. Depends where u put bracket on blower higher or lower. Sucks if u jist wana check for clean coils. Maybe slide evap back or forward a little depending if it has play, with a flash light and mirror u can check that way. Or if its a clear view after removing blower motor take a look...LETS LEARN TOGETHER MY FRIEND
@@STUNT4516 no , the coil is top of furnace . I've removed blower motor / housing the whole thing but that's on the bottom so that doesn't get me to coils . Yeah the old original bracket I don't think it comes off old motor . Looks welded on . The new bracket which I did just get .doesn't quite fit align with bolt holes on housing . If I had new motor maybe , I'd be taking quite a chance that buy it maybe won't fit into the bolt holes
@@STUNT4516 UPDATE - It di fit !! yeah it was blower motor . replaced it and could tell it was working right away at the vents . It was blowing weakly beflore so replaced capacitor at first but that wasn't it . Only $16 . Next suspected motor . Great that I fixed it . Century universal motor $74 plus needed bracket $30 YAY
Why didn't you replace the liquid line filter drier?
It’s inside the condenser and was never exposed to moisture. The condenser had refrigerant in it the whole time. Removed any moisture or contaminants when I evacuated the system
Can you install an other filter drier without removing the old one
@@ditprengasway5405
No need to replace lost oil?
@@shaun4bigblocks993 Basically, estimate oil loss and replenish using correct type of oil. There's at least a liter of oil in the factory compressor oil fill this it's not completely dry and will probably be just fine but the right way is to add.
Just like everything else, too much is bad news and there's no way of knowing for sure without removing the compressor and receiver, flush, etc
Better than in an attic
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you pay a professional to do this kind of stuff. This guy probably has multiple decades of experience and is the kind of person you want doing your HVAC work
That is exactly correct, many don't understand that
I’ve had nothing but trouble with the Appion tee.
Make sure your gasket is seated correctly. I find the gasket sometimes slows down refrigerant flow. Have you found a better t?
i would have thought the dryer would have been changed at the same time
Why the drier would require recovering instead of pumping down. The dryer never was contaminated or exposed to moisture since it remained sealed in the condenser. If dryer is external/ after the valves, yes it would be removed
What's the reason for changing it
It was leaking
Mine had to be replaced because maintenance destroyed it so bad after every cleaning that is couldn't even get air through the bent coils. It was always moldy, constantly freezing and smelled HORRIBLE. Took over 2 years just to get them to finally do it!
Why didn’t you can’t the filter drier?
Good point
filter drier was never exposed to moisture. inside the condenser where all the refrigerant was stored for repair
@@thehvachackerit’s always good to change for any major repair
@@carcrashmayhem3423 can all moisture be removed from POE oils?
Why did you evacuate 400 microns? Isn't 500microns minimum to ensure no refrigerant is in the system???
Low value is better
You can take the microns as low as 50.
I usually vacuum to 200 but 400 is ok too
Volum in the video is a little low for me...
My AC guy wanted to charge me 1800 to change not to include Freon. I called the manufacturer to get the new part number and the coil was 475. IF what you are doing is correct why are the AC guys charging so much. What really made no, he could patch the area because it wasn't that big.
Cost of labor, parts and refrigerant. Is your system running r22? There is no guarantee after patching that coil it won't potentially leak again. That's if it's even patchable. Hvac work is costly unfortunately.
The cost is for labor. Your talking maybe 2-4 hrs of work with tons of equipment your regular handy man might not have
Try to buy all these prof... tools you will be surprised 😳 and not the " made in china stuff" i meen " made in America " stuff
pay the truck
pay for insurance ( in case your house burns down) liability
pay for good quality tools
truck insurance
truck repair
labour
Goverment taxes
and finally whats left of it food on your table
ho : i forgot Gas in your truck
Pay for what I know not how long or total of parts.
It's because they know you can't live without it is why they can get away with screwing you coming and going. And don't give me this cost of tools crap because you can make the cost of tools back on many calls. It doesn't have to be this much but THEY GOT YA.
when you put gas back in with your vaccum guage still on the system u end up getting refrigerant & oil on the sensor which will fuck it, better to valve off your vaccum guage next time
Did you change the filter dryer?
No I did not since the filter drier never was exposed to contamination’s. I pumped down the system so it remained with clean refrigerant. If it was outside the condenser service valves I would change it
@@thehvachacker per EPA says to always change filter drier for any major repair
EPA section 608 Filter driers will remove moisture from the refrigerant in a system, but there is a limit to their capacity. Some systems are equipped with a moisture indicating sight glass. When the sight glass changes color, the system contains
excessive moisture and will need to be evacuated. The filter‐drier should be replaced anytime a system is opened for servicing. If a strong odor is detected during the recovery process, a compressor burn‐out may have occurred. When recovering refrigerant from a system that experienced a compressor burn‐out, watch for signs of contamination in the oil.
Yet this does not take into account a filter drier installed inside the condenser. You replace the drier whenever a system is open due to it being contaminated when a system is open. The drier here never gets exposed to atmospheric pressure or moisture.
AL System, seriously. it will not last long. Copper is the king.
Actually the aluminum seems to hold up better than the copper. I had 4 coil leaks at this house last year. Copper coils. 2 I fixed and 2 that were replaced. Lennox has had too many copper coils leak. I think it’s electrolysis from dissimilar metals. The copper and steel. I could be wrong. Let’s see what comes from these aluminum coils. Mandy I wouldn’t mind pushing. Newer equipment if I know they won’t leak
The home builder in our neighborhood installed Lennox coils with Goodman furnaces. All of my neighbors had to get their coils replaced due to leaks. I replaced my Lennox coil to upgrade to R410a last year but the coil never leaked for 28 years.
Some guy is charging me 1500 for a coil do you think is a fair price?
Depends on what size and type coil you are replacing. That is not a fair price, extremely high.. Just get a new air handler.
Let me add...If that is the price for just the coil then its too expensive, but if thats for the labor also, then even it seems high, that is what the techs charge.
@@ssfouryou coils are pretty expensive including labor, usually about the same cost of a new air handler. try getting a quote from a family owned company, or just a smaller one. not guaranteed but you might get a better price and good quality work.
Yes that's a fair price. Do you see all the work that goes into changing an evaporator coil ? This replacement is highly technical and takes a lot of know how.
Cannot hear any of his instructions!
Hacker you can do it all !!
Why using old coil panel on new coil? They didn't give you new panel?
The panel is part of the air handler - doesn’t come with the coil.
The housing stays, just the coil was replaced.
The coil doesn’t come with panel when part of air handler. Only the coil with a vertical drain pan. Since it’s a vertical application I tossed the horizontal drain pan. Manufacturers give bare bone minimum when dealing with warranties.
Can I use j-b WELD?
NO. Never use JB Weld, it’s great for other projects but NEVER use it instead of welding . It will end up leaking and is very hard to scrape off . I’ve had maintenance guys use JB Weld when replacing a compressor and ended up replacing the whole system and disposing of a new compressor .
J B Weld is good for a temporary repair on a low pressure plastic radiator, not a high pressure coil.
an AC company is wanting to charge me $2733.00 to replace evaporator on air handler unit in attic includes parts and labor. Seems high
how old is your air handler and condensor?
@Brian Mullin if your system is old and no longer covered by warranty i recommend you either replace or clean the entire system. Having a good air handler and a poor outside condenser will still leave you with an inefficient heating/cooling system.
Your average cased coil runs about $800+ now but the company is going to mark up that cost plus labor. Let’s face it. HVAC installs are hard work and your average millennial doesn’t want to work hard. This video shows a fairly straightforward coil replacement. Most coils are not this easy to replace. My furnace and coil are located in a tiny closet and would be a pain in the rear to replace.
@@brianmullin2302 There, its that expensive because its r22. Down in Miami Fl, a can of R22 is now 1000.00 dollars. They been wanting to phase out R22 a while back. 410A is on the same route, eventually we will be switching out to A2L. Plus the fact that its in the attic adds to the price as well. So those are two items not in your favor.
👍
Filter drier needs replaced
Why?
The filter drier in this system has never been exposed to contaminants or moisture. It’s inside the condenser. All the refrigerant for the system is stored in the condenser. When drier is inside condenser it doesn’t need to be replaced when pumping system down
they say u should replace em every time you breach the system..
i understand what you are saying and do agree but to be on the safe side i’ll just swap em out whenever i breach
anytime a system is opened up you have to change the filter drier, r-22 you may be able to get away with it but with 410A moisture is your biggest problem because of the POE oil.
Don’t use oxygen and acetylene l been stop using turbo torch years ago unless I’m doing plumbing
Lennox just sucks. i find leaks in 1 year old coils on a constant basis
I guess my parents AC is special, its 15 years old with no maintenance, still blows cold.
@@WilliamVG Most systems from 15 years ago are better than todays. Lennox had a class action lawsuit against them 5 years ago for faulty evap coils. They paid out money but never fixed the coils.
Customer is not around? My mask comes off.
Some people love to wear it all day. They feel the virus falls from the sky and is flying around all day looking for a random human
@@mrprfct7069 and wear cloth masks that do absolutely nothing lol..Fauci is a shit brain liar telling people to wear them..The only mask that works is N95 and thats when you are around other people...
That way an asymptomatic person can fill a house with Covid and leave after collecting big bucks for a repair. Cool.
@@thardyryll brainwashing at its best.
@@mrprfct7069 Trumpyites are impervious to that, for sure - gotta have a brain to wash.
There shouldn't be a trap in the condensate line.
Code required a useless trap, I do everything to code.
Hello my friend, I am Brazilian and I am graduated in Air conditioning and refrigeration technician, I would like to work with you if you need an assistant, I have completed high school and I am 28 years old I am single would have this opportunity for me.
This was hard to watch
Trocou um evap. De cobre pelo de um alumínio pior
Ok
Everytime i see someone use the electric tubing cutter i cringe a little
Why it’s a great tool I never know I would use. Yet was gifted it by a plumber subscriber. It cuts great without leaving too much of a burr inside pipe
@@thehvachacker to me it seems like overkill for an ac guy. I'm sure it works great but don't see myself owning in the foreseeable future. There's nothing wrong with the tool and I'm pretty young in the trade still so likely to change my mind. I would like to see something smaller.
That was one of those bastards w/ that fiberglass top that will eat your forearm up if you lean on it.
Ditch the mask. Your video is good 👍
I do where I can. Have to respect customers that want the mask worn. I stopped wearing a mask everywhere I go except when working. I ask my customer if I need to wear.
@@thehvachacker right on..I get it. Your video helped me out with understanding the basics on an AC unit. Its a 20 year old Rheem that used the R22. The whole system needs to be replaced but now I have a better understanding why that is. Take care.
@@rapturebound197 Keep that Rheem until it dies I relpaced one that had 28 yrs. Of service and the only reason why I replaced because furnace had rusted so I went with whole new setup Goodman they suck
@@dirtyred1687 hey Dirty Red. Update on my Rheem situation. My unit was actually 17 yrs old. Its a 5 ton system. It was not putting out cold air and the compressor would shut the unit down (due to excessive heat). Although the outside condensor unit was actually debri free..no leaves or dirt clogging the fins etc etc I went ahead and cleaned those fins all the way around the unit anyway. We also checked the R22 and the guages showed it to be 'overcharged'. So what do you do when a system is "overcharged"? It means some refrigerant actually needs to be taken out..not added. The proper amount of refrigerant in home AC units have a small window to operate within.
Ok so once we removed some refrigerant we set the thermostat to kick the AC on and it kinda worked for a while but just mediocre at best ..and then a new problem showed up in that the evap coils (mine are inside the furnace unit) began freezing up. It was frustrating because at that point we weren't sure what the heck the problem was. We had the refrigerant levels set right..no leaks..nothing obvious was wrong everything checked out ok and everything but the AC still didnt work. It was a real head scratcher.
So I watched several other YT videos and they all indicated it was a refrigerant level problem which wasn't our issue but one video happen to mention as a side note that the "line dryer filter" is sometimes a problem. On that video they said it was rare to have one go bad but it was worth checking just in case. To do a quick check on your line dryer filter you can actually check it with just your fingertips. The line dryer filter on my unit is located on the smaller copper line between the house and the outside condensor unit.
Thats where it is on most all split systems. *Note - on split systems there will be 2 lines running parallel to each other between the house and the condensor unit. One copper line is about the size of a garden hose in diameter and one is the diameter of a pencil. The smaller copper line is the one that the line dryer filter is on. Mine was blackish copper colored and the actual line dryer is that thing about as round as a pop can but a little shorter in length. Its a real simple looking device. It has the copper line going in - and the copper line going out. It looks like no big deal ..and for that reason can be easily overlooked when troublshooting. But in fact that filter is critical to the refrigerants' ability to flow thru the system as it needs to. We had to wait a couple hours for all that ice to melt inside the evap coils before we started the unit back up to test that line dryer filter. After the system ran for about 15 minutes I did indeed have a noticeable difference in temp right where it went in the filter as opposed to where it comes out. Now if that line dryer filter is not the problem and not clogged you won't notice any difference in temp to the touch on either side of the line going in and going out. But if there is a difference (even just 10 degrees or so) that tells you the filter is clogged. There is no other way to test it. And when that filter is clogged, or even partially blocked, the refrigerant can't get to the condensing unit to be cooled. When the refrigerant can't get to the condensor portion to be cooled it makes the compressor get hot. Most systems have a heat threshold switch which shuts the entire AC system off automatically when that heat threshold is surpassed. Its a safety feature to not allow the system to sit there and burn itself up. I don't know if all manufacturers have that heat switch feature so yours may or may not shut off when the conpressor gets too hot. Excessive heat is always bad for any mechanical device so hopefully you catch this problem before heat does irreparable damage..but I digress.
Ok so we replaced the line dryer filter with a new one. The good news is those line dryer filters are only about $30 bucks.. but the bad news is the process to change that filter out by your tech is actually very time consuming because the entire system has to have the existing R22 refrigerant vacuumed out and put into a holding tank. Sounds easy.. and it is..but its a very slow ordeal. Once the refrigerant is vacuumed out you can then cut the copper line on both ends of that faulty filter to solder the new filter back in. *once you take the old filter out you can try blowing thru it and if its hard to blow thru you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that line dryer filter was definitely bad. They should be really easy to blow thru if they have no obstructions.
Ok so next we recharged the system back up with new R22 refrigerant (you can put the old R22 you vacuumed out back in..but just know it can be, and often is, contaminated with water or dirt particles ..especially if its been in your system a long time. If it is contaminated it will cause other problems you don't want or need..so if your tech can get you new R22 refrigerant I would definitely pay to have it put in).
This entire process takes about 4 hours start to finish to do. Its a slow boring process..lots of waiting time while the vacuum does its thing. There are no shortcuts.
So if your paying a technician to do this just know you're going to get a hefty labor charge. Thats just how it is. I spent about $600 total when it was all said and done but that sure beats the heck out of the $8 GRAND I would have had to spend on a new system! Maybe you can relate!
I'm very confident replacing that line dryer filter fixed my problem and the AC system has been running perfectly for a month now. No issues.
Hopefully my system will last as many years as yours has. That would be awesome.
I know R22 is getting hard for the technicians to get. Laws are prohibiting them from using it in some states. So if your tech tells you something like that he or she is not lying. The Gov't is tightening the screws on using R22. Eventually it will be completely outlawed and when your system goes down due to issues involving R22 refrigerant you will not have a choice. You will have to replace your entire system with the one that uses R410a refrigerant.
Here's the catch unfortunately that R410a refrigerant works on MUCH higher internal pressures than your old system R22 does. That means your old evap coils, condensor coils, compressor and lines can't handle that higher pressure. It would be great if all you had to do is put in a different refrigerant in your old system but if you did the pressure would blow things apart. Which is why the only thing you can do at that point is replace the entire AC system end to end with an entirely new system even though many of your old parts still work fine! Bummer eh!
I know this was a long winded story bud..sorry for that..but most of us don't understand these sysyems and it might help anyone else reading this go thru how to fix it step by step and save some big bucks before they throw in the towel and spend the $8K. I'm glad I did! I know some day I'll have to but that day has been put off for now.
Take care man! And God bless!
Stay cool!
Mike
@@rapturebound197 No I love your story Yes it was worth to have a tech fix it I love your write up
Aluminium Eva is not good.
You don't know why you're holding the txv in place? Because you're a hacker.
lol or you're fucking retarded, he changed the coil and it had a new txv. why would he save the old txv if the coil is damaged? stfu
Very poor recovery system need to step your game up
I didn’t recover. I pumped the system down and stored refrigerant in the condenser. Better than recovering.
@@thehvachacker never pull vacuum through manifold way to slow
@@F150_King_Ranch I never pull a vacuum through a manifold. I am guessing you didn’t watch the video. I do show the vacuum I pulled and my setup is shown. The vacuum being pulled by a manifold is a coworkers set up on a different system. Most of my coworkers use a manifold. I stopped a few years back. My vacuum setup is in at least 20+ vids. If you comment without watching the whole video then your comment makes you look like a fool. Since your comment has nothing to back it up. I did say in vid that is a system a coworker working on. He didn’t even use a micron gauge. I always use micron gauge.
@@thehvachacker yeah pumping it down is a lot more convenient and saves time and money.
A good mechanic fixes the leak not replaces the unit anybody can change parts
Coil is under warranty. I fixed 2 leaks on their systems here. Yet his coil had a few leaks, replacing is best at that point
Not if its under warranty..
The Audio on this is terrible. You need to put a mic on the narration.
he owes you nothing did you learn something?
@@HoodHandyman yes. If you're going to do something (even a video). Do it correctly. Actually, my dad taught me that lesson long ago.
And what was the purpose of removing the shader valve cores? This guy makes more work out of something not relevant to his repair/replacement. You only need to remove a valve core if you are doing “hot” work in the immediate area ( which you also could do by using a wet rag wrapped around the area and keeping it saturated with water as a heat sink.
He is a real hacker, has some limited knowledge of what he’s doing.
Showing more ignorance young snowflake. Again your comment shows a lack of experience and knowledge. Industry-standard is to remove valve cores, to pull, faster deeper vacuum. Yes if your brazing the service valves it's good to remove the cores, also. I love when an uneducated/ inexperienced fool, tries insulting my work. What in this video shows any hacked-up work. You attaching my work because of my channel name? The name keeps trolls, exposing their lack of experience and knowledge. Yet research before making an ignorant comment that most would disagree
Brazing the line with the shrader valves in is a big no no. Especially if your brazing that close to the valves. You fukn dipshit and your stupid ass comment shows you have no clue. They will basically melt and become leaky asshole. Take em out when you set the line and put them back in after wards before you pull the vaccuum.
He also cracked the suction line open first, which often leads to slamming the txv shut. This guy sucks
Hi snowflake, sorry your wrong. Your suppose to crack suction line first. If you open liquid line first you flood the txv with oil and it screws it up. Cracking suction line lets oil be pulled into suction. Then the compressor sucks oil back with refrigerant.
@@thehvachacker your the man!
Great job but what about safety eyewear 🥽 when dealing with refrigerant and especially brazing.