Need some AC help please...

[Luckydevil]

For the second time in 2 weeks now, my air handler has frozen over on the inside blocking the air flow. There is also water puddling around the outside of the air handler.

The air handler is a Carrier and it is only a year old. I'm not sure why the builder decided to put it in the garage, but they did.

To fix this I have been turning it off and opening it up when it freezes over and then just letting it thaw out for half a day or so.

Is there any way I can fix this? Not having AC when it is hot as hell in Florida *****, even if it is only for half a day.

Thanks.

 

[dink]

If the house is only a year old this should fall under the new home warranty....call the builder this should be under them

 

[Luckydevil]

Sorry, I should have clarified. It is a little over a year old and out of warranty.

 

[SK2003TypeS]

Yikes Luke
Here are a few sites I've been able to get some decent info from.
HTH

http://www.diyrepair.com/forums/
http://www.contractortalk.com/
http://doityourself.com/sitemap.htm
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/index.php

 

[jonkav]

It may need recharging; my HVAC iced up this summer and that was found to be the cause...

 

[rickairmedic]

It may need recharging; my HVAC iced up this summer and that was found to be the cause...

Luke with a unit barely over a year old there are only 2 options as to why it is freezing up number one your filters are dirty as all hell .Number 2 the schmucks who installed it didnt get all the welds on all the fittings done right and you have a freon leak .You can check this yourself feel all the joints where the pipes were soldered or brazed together if you come up with oil on any of the joints you have found a leak .Freon does not dissipate the only way to loose it is through a leak . The third option is that one of the coils is leaking Doubtfull on a carrier 2and1/2 ton unit I would get ahold of the builder and find out who installed it and have them come out and check it DONT LET THEM JUST ADD FREON AND RUN make them fix the problem all the mechanicals on that unit are covered for 5 years and the compressor on the outside heat pump is covered for 10 years .Let me know if you dont get any justice out of the installers as I am a Carrier dealer and if I have the name of your installer I can pull some strings and make things uncomfortable for them .Either way let me know how it works out . By the way I took a second look at your pics and the install looks like chit there should be tar tape where the refridgerant lines go through the cabinet of the air handler .I would bring this too their attension as well .


Rick

 

[Luckydevil]

Thanks Rick. I have been changing the 18x24 filter for the AC in the house, but is there another filter somewhere? I assumed the air handler would have a filter of its own, but as of yet I haven't been able to find it.

 

[rickairmedic]

Thanks Rick. I have been changing the 18x24 filter for the AC in the house, but is there another filter somewhere? I assumed the air handler would have a filter of its own, but as of yet I haven't been able to find it.

Luke most likely there isnt anothewr filter as frozen up as that monster is I say Freon leak and you need to be chewin some Hind Quarters Just remember not only am I an HVAC Guy but I grew up in Carrolwood My mom still lives there .Sooooooooo I know how to raise a little Cain .


Rick

 

[Luckydevil]

I called the company that installed it a week ago and they said if it has been over a year then it is out of warranty. I'll call carrier this afternoon and have a chat with them about it. I appreciate the help Rick. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[rickairmedic]

I called the company that installed it a week ago and they said if it has been over a year then it is out of warranty. I'll call carrier this afternoon and have a chat with them about it. I appreciate the help Rick. I'll let you know how it goes.

Luke I would deffinately call carrier on this one as the unit itself has a 5 year warranty on all parts and if I am correct and its the workmanship quality that is causing your problems then the dealer should cover it .I have a one year labor warranty on anything we do BUUUT I have been known to send guys out to fix things that were installed 3 years ago simply becouse I felt it was the right thing to do . I would like to hear how this turns out and let me know if they give you any trouble .BVy the way if it is a slow leak then you wouldnt have noticed it last summer and they should by all means cover it .

Rick

 

[Luckydevil]

These people are killing me Rick. I spoke with Carrier and they did confirm everything you said and told me to call back the people who installed it.

I called them and the warranty lady said that it would be $95 for someone just to come out and look at it. She said that if it was a part that was covered by Carrier then I wouldn't have to pay for the part, but I would have to pay for all labor.

I told her I thought it was a slow freon leak and it was done when they installed it. She said she thought that that is unlikely because it would have showed up much sooner than a year later.

I told her I am not paying them $95 to look at anything.


What do you think Rick?

 

[river1]

i'd call carrier and let them know what their dealer is doing. see if they can put some pressure on the dealer. most stand up corporations don't like it when a dealer makes them look bad.

hope you get it worked out

later jim

 

[Tim240Z]

In my experience (none directly concerning the topic here), is that it is futile to talk to the minimum wage goober that answers the phone. Ask to speak to someone who actually controls corporate resources (like a supervisor/manager/officer). Anything less than that and the time frame for resolution increases geometrically.

 

[rickairmedic]

Luke I agree give Carrier another shout and tell them whats up if that doesnt work feel free too give me the name of the dealer you are dealing with and I will pull a couple strings on my end you can PM or email it to me if you prefer not to disclose the lousy bustards name here on the forum .


Rick

 

[Luckydevil]

Rick, I may just end up going with one of their competitiors. They screwed it up the first time and I would rather not give them the oppurtunity to do it again. Not only that, but I will also be supporting their competition.

What should I look for to find some good AC repair people down here and is my warranty still covered by someone other than who installed it?

 

[rickairmedic]

Rick, I may just end up going with one of their competitiors. They screwed it up the first time and I would rather not give them the oppurtunity to do it again. Not only that, but I will also be supporting their competition.

What should I look for to find some good AC repair people down here and is my warranty still covered by someone other than who installed it?

ROFLMAO good AC repair peaple in Fla Luke havent you watched 60 minutes ok seriously call carrier back and ask them who is a (FACTORY AUTHORISED DEALER ) in your area .There is a difference between a regular dealer and a factory authorised one basically the factory authorised dealers have to have more certifications and jump through more hoops thats where I would start. I would also lodge a formal complaint with Carrier and the BBB about the other company . Your up in new Tampa off of Bruce B downs arent you if so theres a pretty good guy up in Zepherhills ( where they arent famouse for their zephers and they dont have many hills Buuuuut they got pretty good drinking water . ) I can get his name for ya if ya like .
I forgot to add your warranty on the equipment is through Carrier and is good no matter who you use .

Rick

 

[TOMWELDS]

See if they have a "district manager"

 

[rickairmedic]

Well Luke whats the verdict are ya still sweating it out in tampa .


rick

 

[Luckydevil]

Well Luke whats the verdict are ya still sweating it out in tampa .


rick

Nope. The thing works I just have to defrost it every two weeks. I haven't had time to schedule an appointment for it yet. I'm gonna try to do it next week.

 

[rickairmedic]

Nope. The thing works I just have to defrost it every two weeks. I haven't had time to schedule an appointment for it yet. I'm gonna try to do it next week.

ROFLMAO ok Luke as long as your comfy down there dont want ya dieing from heat exhaustion .I have had the air off for a week up here actually had to break out a light jacket this week morning temps in the 40's still hitting the mid 70's low 80's durring the day .


Rick

 

[ranger_dood]

Luckydevil- you do have the fan on the A/C all the time, or just when it needs it? A lot of times if you leave the fan run all the time it will ice up the coils. We tried doing this in our house because it was always a lot warmer upstairs than downstairs, and we only have one t-stat which is downstairs. But after a few days it just started getting humid in the house, and we found it was because we were running the fan all the time.

 

[rickairmedic]

Luckydevil- you do have the fan on the A/C all the time, or just when it needs it? A lot of times if you leave the fan run all the time it will ice up the coils. We tried doing this in our house because it was always a lot warmer upstairs than downstairs, and we only have one t-stat which is downstairs. But after a few days it just started getting humid in the house, and we found it was because we were running the fan all the time.

Running the fan all the time is actually a good idea and wont ice up the coil .Mine has been running for over 2 years straight it helps to regulate the temps in the house which keeps the AC/Heat from running as ofter and also lengthens the lifespan of the blower motor as well as knocking down on the amount of dusting required in the house . (Ranger Dude if your house was getting humid with the fan running full time your system is most likely undersized for your house .

Rick

 

[ranger_dood]

Rick,

What would happen w/ the fan running all the time in my house is that the temp would say that it was 76, but it was very humid in the house. If we turned the fan on "auto", then the humidity would go down, and the thermometer would still be 76.

The reason we were trying to run the fan all the time is that with the A/C being set to 76 downstairs, it was upwards of 82 upstairs on a sunny day. I tried to convince my dad to turn the t-stat down a little, but he seems to think that having a/c is a priveledge, not a necessary comfort . I guess that's what happens when you grew up without A/C and also pay the electric bill!

 

[rickairmedic]

Rick,

What would happen w/ the fan running all the time in my house is that the temp would say that it was 76, but it was very humid in the house. If we turned the fan on "auto", then the humidity would go down, and the thermometer would still be 76.

The reason we were trying to run the fan all the time is that with the A/C being set to 76 downstairs, it was upwards of 82 upstairs on a sunny day. I tried to convince my dad to turn the t-stat down a little, but he seems to think that having a/c is a priveledge, not a necessary comfort . I guess that's what happens when you grew up without A/C and also pay the electric bill!

Ranger Dude tell dad too pick up a few of these they will help pull air to the second floor Equalizer ventilator I tried to post a link to the home desperate site but it didnt work out soooooo just go too the home desperate web page and type thos SKU # 423430 into the search on the page and it should pull up what I am talking about .


Rick

 

[SK2003TypeS]

Running the fan all the time is actually a good idea and wont ice up the coil .Mine has been running for over 2 years straight it helps to regulate the temps in the house which keeps the AC/Heat from running as ofter and also lengthens the lifespan of the blower motor as well as knocking down on the amount of dusting required in the house . (Ranger Dude if your house was getting humid with the fan running full time your system is most likely undersized for your house .

Rick

I recently had 2 2-ton Units put in my house. 1 for each floor. Each floor is roughly 900 sq-ft. It seemed like enough for us this past summer.

I was told by the installer, that it is a good idea to keep the A/C on all the time during the summer because the system doesn't have to work as hard. He went on to explain that the humidity builds up if you don't have it on all day. Then when you turn it on when you come home, the system has to work really hard to bring down the temperature. Kinda makes sense to me.

My system is only for A/C, not for heat. So is also a good idea to run the air handler during the winter time to circulate the air ?
I didn't know that it will cut down on dusting, but now that I think of it, it makes senses...kinda like a constant vacuum cleaner for the air.

 

[rickairmedic]

I recently had 2 2-ton Units put in my house. 1 for each floor. Each floor is roughly 900 sq-ft. It seemed like enough for us this past summer.

I was told by the installer, that it is a good idea to keep the A/C on all the time during the summer because the system doesn't have to work as hard. He went on to explain that the humidity builds up if you don't have it on all day. Then when you turn it on when you come home, the system has to work really hard to bring down the temperature. Kinda makes sense to me.

My system is only for A/C, not for heat. So is also a good idea to run the air handler during the winter time to circulate the air ?
I didn't know that it will cut down on dusting, but now that I think of it, it makes senses...kinda like a constant vacuum cleaner for the air.

Well actually the lack of dust is becouse the air is always moving therefore its harder for the dust to settle although it is a VERY GOOD IDEA to keep a closer eye on your filter when running fan full time also change your filters monthly at the least durring the summer as it will make life easier on the compressor .


Rick

 

[SK2003TypeS]

I have one of those "reusable" filters. How often should it be cleaned ? I was told every couple of months by the installer.
Which is better ?...Reusable or replacements ?

 

[rickairmedic]

I have one of those "reusable" filters. How often should it be cleaned ? I was told every couple of months by the installer.
Which is better ?...Reusable or replacements ?

Most reusable filters are ok the only problem with them is they should be replaced every couple of years becouse they will build up dirt that you will not be able to get out .Personally I prefer a good pleated filter such as the 3M filtrete brand .I would recomend washing a reusable filter at least once a month and perhaps even twice a month to keep it cleaner .


Rick

 

[SK2003TypeS]

Ok, I hear what you're saying about the reusable filters getting to a point of no return. Kinda like how some K&Ns get to a point when it's not worth the hassle of cleaning and just buying a new one.
For now, I think I'm going to use this reusable one and keep washing it. I'll look into 3M filters in the spring.
Thanks for your help Rick !

....oh...sorry for threadjacking Luke

 

[danski0224]

For the second time in 2 weeks now, my air handler has frozen over on the inside blocking the air flow. There is also water puddling around the outside of the air handler.

The air handler is a Carrier and it is only a year old. I'm not sure why the builder decided to put it in the garage, but they did.

To fix this I have been turning it off and opening it up when it freezes over and then just letting it thaw out for half a day or so.

Is there any way I can fix this? Not having AC when it is hot as hell in Florida *****, even if it is only for half a day.

Thanks.

Welcome to American tract homes, where "It only has to last a year".

As mentioned, your unit has a leak somewhere. More than likely, it is from a pipe joint. Puron systems are supposed to be brazed, but some nimrod could be soft soldering them. If you post a good pic of one of the pipe joints, someone here should be able to tell. If the unit was installed improperly, that could give you leverage.

Other places are the schrader valves and the king valve caps.

More fun places could be drywall screws or staples in the lineset where it goes through a wall.

Last resort is defective equipment.

If a buddy has a refrigerant leak detector, you could do some searching- just be sure it works with 410A. Fluorescent leak detectors will also work, and it will find any leak....

Your unit was not installed properly. Leaks are not normal.

As far as the fan thing goes, there are people that like to leave it on, which I do, but not always.

Then there is the other crowd that believes that leaving the fan on increases indoor humidity because the indoor coil is wet when the AC unit shuts off. Oversized systems that short cycle could present more of a problem because they never remove enough humidity in the first place. In the AC world, bigger is not better.

 

[Luckydevil]

Here is a pic...

What do you think?

 

[rickairmedic]

Here is a pic...

What do you think?

Well I think it was brazed and not soldered however it looks like it was the guys second maybe third time brazing by the looks of that I would say you have some leaky fittings I can almost see pin holes from here .


Rick

 

[danski0224]

Here is a pic...

What do you think?

Looks brazed to me, too. The smaller sizes are much easier, and that one looks kinda rough, so the bigger ones must not be much better.

If you have several half-assed brazed joints, and if the installing contractor did not use a nitrogen sweep while brazing, you could have other problems.

Brazing causes scale, and nitrogen prevents that from forming in the piping. This scale can dislodge and plug up the tiny factory filter in the condenser or plug up the metering device indoors, causing freeze up problems.

Because your system is Puron (410A), there must be a filter drier installed on the liquid (smaller) line. If you do not find something about 4" long by about 3" in diameter brazed in somewhere on the small line, your system is not installed properly... more ammo for you if it is not there. Look at the outdoor unit or by the indoor coil.