ac freezing up

[TOOL MASTER]

had a guy come out..he said r22 was low..250 bucks later same ****....everything flows fine(till iced in an hour)...there is no defrost controller on the outside unit.(about 30"x 30").it is a 15 yo bryant...

any ideas...

i am thinking of installing a NCC repeat timer relay on the 24volt circuit out to the condensor 20 min on 20 min off or something like that

 

[mrgm]

The indoor coil will freeze up if the compressor runs without the evaporator fan running.

also check the thermostat and make sure it's working right.
check the fan relay make sure it is turning the fan off when tstat called for cooling off

 

[TOOL MASTER]

Everything runs outside...grill is all clean and hosed out the other day..i just stuck my camera in the squirrel cage..a light build up but not clogged..just brushed that out minutes ago.. i stuck a piece of tape on a register to gauge airflow..no dif than before when first started

tstat ok...just won't go below 75-80 when is cooler outside even

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Did he check the A-coil to see if its plugged,Whats the suction and high side pressures?

 

[TOOL MASTER]

I wasn't home

 

[TOOL MASTER]

i'm charging up some c cells for my leak detector....should it still be making an intermittent ssss sound in the lines?

beginning to wonder if the guy did anything

 

[TOOL MASTER]

does home depo sell r22?

i may just have to dig out my block and see what its pumping at..

 

[skulldrinker]

I think you're going to need a Refrigeration Certificate to buy R-22.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

back to the original problem...any one know if the bryant 395cav has a defrost cycle or not...there in no info in the paperwork that came with it.

 

[ken w.]

My a/c froze this year.I forgot to turn off the humidifier.

 

[bullnerd]

I'm not even remotely close to being an HVAC guy(or any guy for that matter!),but I always thought when they frosted up it was just an airflow problem? Not enough flow through the A-coil.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Normally an A/C only unit would not have a defrost cycle. A heat pump unit would have a defrost cycle that would work only in heating mode to defrost the outside unit. Sounds like you have a system with low charge or restriction in the system. Air flow if very far off would also cause a freezing condition but most likely you are still low on charge. Get another A/C guy out there as the last one didn't do the job right. If extremely low on charge you need to check for leaks and get them fixed. R22 is now on restricted use as it's being replace by R410 and other freons. Its now $400 a cylinder so any leak get expensive very fast. 15 year old unit is probably past its' normal life and is ready to be changed to a more efficient unit it there is much wrong with it. Get several estimates on replacement from bigger companies and don't just go with the lowest price.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

it is a heater /ac

 

[TOOL MASTER]

$400 for 30 lbs and these bastards are charging $150 a pound

 

[EOC_Jason]

Normally an A/C only unit would not have a defrost cycle. A heat pump unit would have a defrost cycle that would work only in heating mode to defrost the outside unit. Sounds like you have a system with low charge or restriction in the system. Air flow if very far off would also cause a freezing condition but most likely you are still low on charge.

+1... Being that old you probably have a leak in your evap coil...

 

[Bulldog13]

That's what happened to mine...I replaced the whole unit...they are gouging the R22 price to get you to convert.My unit had a slowleak...500 bucks for a recharge and a capacitor replacement and it was dead again.I had a feeling because it ran up my electric bill while I was away.I now have a whole new system...4k later...but I was dropping 500 bucks every 6 months to nurse the old one along.

 

[rkevins]

You do have to have a 608 permit to buy r22 which is being phased out, make sure the inside fan is running full speed, the return filter is not stopped up.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

Hooked up my gauges..got 33 low 167 high ...r22 77 degrees outside

 

[ozyborn]

shares the same vents as furnace? Replace the furnace filter.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

Filter is clean

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

That's seriously low suction pressure,although it makes sense that its icing up that normally happens in the 30 psi range on suction side.
Ive never been a carrier/Bryant fan,Ive seen 5 year old carrier coils leak.

 

[Bustawrench]

You didn't give me enough info to make a diagnosis, but off hand, I'd say that it's either very low on Freon or the powerhead has failed on the txv. Could be a clogged drier too.

If you can give me the splits across the coils and superheat/subcooling values I can help you better.

And no, an a/c unit should not have a defrost cycle in a normal residential application.

 

[rkevins]

33 PSIG = 11*F real low suction pressure if he did add R22 earlier sounds like you have a bad leak

 

[dclassical]

When mine (A/C heater combination) froze outside it was a leak in the condenser, became low on R22 and froze. Replaced under warranty as there were too many holes to fix it.

Since you have a leak detector, did you find anything around the condenser or anywhere else?

If you want to buy R22 you can take the test online and print your certificate before getting it in the mail. Read up for an hour, take the test and be done. Grainger was the cheapeast on R22 for me a few years ago.

Good luck.

 

[danski0224]

Hooked up my gauges..got 33 low 167 high ...r22 77 degrees outside

Subcooling? Superheat? Amp draw?

Gauge pressure alone tells nothing.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

72f on low
95f on high side

 

[TOOL MASTER]

i would think a sniffer would find a leak that big then...but i got nothing..i went from A all the way out ...popped the schrader valve to check tester..works fine

 

[rkevins]

what type of metering device do you have?

cap tube, TXV,

 

[TOOL MASTER]

does ProSeal XL4 A/C work good?

 

[TOOL MASTER]

what type of metering device do you have?

cap tube, TXV,

don't know.

 

[danski0224]

don't know.

The condition that coil is in, you are throwing good money after bad. Hate to say it, but you need to pony up for some new stuff.

does ProSeal XL4 A/C work good?

About the only thing A/C sealants geard toward the residential (cheap) market will do is gum up the system and take out the compressor. Use at your own risk, even if you follow the directions explicitly.

72f on low
95f on high side

Wrong answers. Without knowing how to do proper diagnostics, you are unable to determine whether or not just replacing the indoor A-coil is even an option, if you can get one.

 

[Bustawrench]

what type of metering device do you have?

cap tube, TXV,

Based on the pictures, it looks like a piston coil to me.

Hate to say it, but you might want to call a different contractor to come out and look at it. Sounds like the last guy just did a "gas and go" and ran to the next call. Not the way things should be done, but it happens.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

I am sooooooooo piiiisssed right now.. I was getting ready to button up the A and i see something that i didn't see before laying against the outside of the A....one of the paperwork manuals it must have been stuck to the wall above a bit or something inside the vent...that %#%#@$^&$# must have stuck it in there when he sent me upstairs to turn on the ac .. it certainly hasn't been in there 15 years...it was just laying flat..and soggy from ice ..

it got crunched up from me getting it out with a wire....

just can't trust anyone...%&#$^

 

[pop pop]

At least you know who not to call now. 999 more to go. Sorry about that.
My best guess is you are still low of refergerant. Suction pressure should be high enough to be above freezing on the coil and the head should be higher. Not hot enough to get rid of the heat at that press.

 

[acmikee]

whats your pressure now that your removed the obstruction from the coil. also need temp diff.

 

[brihvac]

Proper way to charge is to use super-heat or sub-cooling, depending on if your using a orifice or expansion valve. There are a lot of factors to consider like orifice size and outdoor temperature.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

non ttxv

Had 70 wet bulb inside 95 outside

freon should arrive by afternoon

will re check but probably the same thursday

we will go from there..looking like i need about 70 psi

 

[TOOL MASTER]

At least you know who not to call now. 999 more to go. Sorry about that.
My best guess is you are still low of refergerant. Suction pressure should be high enough to be above freezing on the coil and the head should be higher. Not hot enough to get rid of the heat at that press.

yeah it's low found the in Schrader leaking..in fact verrry loose..hmmmm

 

[pop pop]

yeah it's low found the in Schrader leaking..in fact verrry loose..hmmmm

That way they can bill ya for another service call!!
BThen, it could be accidental. About half the leaks are Schraders and they usually don't get checked while servicing!

 

[EOC_Jason]

Yeah, that's another reason to check and make sure the o-ring is intact in the brass cap, and that you put the caps on TIGHT (in case the schraders do leak)