Ac Troubles

[other dog]

This is certainly a non truck-related trouble- Anybody know anything about air conditioners? Mine keeps freezing! It'll work good for a while,then it'll get hot in here and I looked and the AC was completely iced over. Turn it off for a while,the ice melts off,turn it back on-same thing It's Sunday so I can't call the friendly experts down at the -where ever the friendly air conditioner experts work,if there is such a thing. Would be the hottest day of the year so far too! It was working fine 'til today.

[Rob]

This is certainly a non truck-related trouble- Anybody know anything about air conditioners? Mine keeps freezing! It'll work good for a while,then it'll get hot in here and I looked and the AC was completely iced over. Turn it off for a while,the ice melts off,turn it back on-same thing It's Sunday so I can't call the friendly experts down at the -where ever the friendly air conditioner experts work,if there is such a thing. Would be the hottest day of the year so far too! It was working fine 'til today.

It is low on refrigerant causing the condensate water of the evaporator to ice over blocking airflow through the core. What type and year of vehicle?

Rob

[David]

This will happen if you are a little low on freon.

[other dog]

oh...it's my home AC. Better call the AC man in the morning.

[Rob]

oh...it's my home AC. Better call the AC man in the morning.

Is it R-22, or R-410 in the system? Check for a clogged evaporator just the same that would impede airflow across the coil. Most home systems are sealed and have to broken open to service, or repair a leak unless service port fittings were silver soldered in upon installation.

Is this system a wall unit, or central with a detached condensing unit outside of the space?

Rob

[other dog]

Is it R-22, or R-410 in the system? Check for a clogged evaporator just the same that would impede airflow across the coil. Most home systems are sealed and have to broken open to service, or repair a leak unless service port fittings were silver soldered in upon installation.

Is this system a wall unit, or central with a detached condensing unit outside of the space?

Rob

uh...good question-this is the first home i've lived in that didn't have just window units. The heat pump (I guess?) is outside and the other thing (blower,filter,and the thing that keeps freezing) is in a space in here with a metal door on it. It is r-22. It is 84 dgrees outside,89 inside!

[David]

You can check it with R-12 gauges.

[NoClueJoe66]

Yeah it's low on freon, better have the vaseline ready ours done this the other day cost $170.00 to charge ours, plus labor, etc. We have a pinhole somewhere on the cor they said, and of course it's the only part of the system that's not covered on our 10 year warranty "so they say". This is the second time in our 5 years of owning this place it has happened. Good luck

[other dog]

Yeah it's low on freon, better have the vaseline ready ours done this the other day cost $170.00 to charge ours, plus labor, etc. We have a pinhole somewhere on the cor they said, and of course it's the only part of the system that's not covered on our 10 year warranty "so they say". This is the second time in our 5 years of owning this place it has happened. Good luck

thanks

[Rob]

thanks

Once the system is verified to be low on refrigerant, and not a restriction to airflow, or a TXV problem, it would be a good idea to have the servicing technician install a couple of ounces, (amount sized to system capacity) of tracer dye to find your leak. A tight system does not leak in normal service unless their is a problem.

It gets expensive to have them come back time and again.

Of course the flip side of the coin is that it is cheaper to just shut it off. I think I'd probably have it fixxed so as to not have to "LISTEN TO MOMMA"! I'm sure you know about happiness and momma.

Rob

[other dog]

Once the system is verified to be low on refrigerant, and not a restriction to airflow, or a TXV problem, it would be a good idea to have the servicing technician install a couple of ounces, (amount sized to system capacity) of tracer dye to find your leak. A tight system does not leak in normal service unless their is a problem.

It gets expensive to have them come back time and again.

Of course the flip side of the coin is that it is cheaper to just shut it off. I think I'd probably have it fixxed so as to not have to "LISTEN TO MOMMA"! I'm sure you know about happiness and momma.

Rob

absolutely! when i do shut if off and let it defrost it cools really well,until it freezes again. where's the possibly clogged 'vapperator located if anywhere?

wonder why it freezes right up to that fitting and no further?

I called the AC man already,but he hasn't called back-supposed to be 97 today too,so he might be "covered up".

[Rob]

absolutely! when i do shut if off and let it defrost it cools really well,until it freezes again. where's the possibly clogged 'vapperator located if anywhere?

wonder why it freezes right up to that fitting and no further?

I called the AC man already,but he hasn't called back-supposed to be 97 today too,so he might be "covered up".

Your evaporator is referred to as the "A" coil. Air is forced through this coil from either the top, or the bottom depending on the design of the furnace, (updraft, or downdraft). If the core were clogged with an updraft furnace setup, the coil in the underside of the coil is where to look. This would only happen with inlet filter neglect!!

The reason the system freezes where it does is this is the expansion device in the system where the refrigerant, (liquid at this point) flashes, or evaporates to a gas. This is at the inlet to the evaporator. The gas flows through the evaporator and air is forced across the outside of the coil. As you remember from physics, compression causes heat, expansion causes a rapid reduction in heat. As the gas flows through the coil, it is very cold. The hot air from the space is blown across the coil and heat is removed from it and this air is returned to the space as "conditioned air", hence the term "air conditioning".

This is basic I know but the gist of the problem is you most likely have a slight leak in the system.

Rob

[other dog]

yup,that was it-I hope! the man came this evening and it was a little low in freon,but not much he said. He also tightened up the fittings outside where the lines connect to the heat pump-they were a little loose too,he said,so I hope that takes care of the problem. Thanks for all the help guys!

[HK Trucking]

yup,that was it-I hope! the man came this evening and it was a little low in freon,but not much he said. He also tightened up the fittings outside where the lines connect to the heat pump-they were a little loose too,he said,so I hope that takes care of the problem. Thanks for all the help guys!

Cool!!!!!!!

[other dog]

Cool!!!!!!!

yeah,finally! down to 79 in here now. Had 2 fans in the windows today,blowing the hot air from outside in here.

I've gotten soft I guess,our ancestors didn't even have a fan,and they dealt with it. I remember when I was hauling chips with no AC in the truck,left arm would be twice as dark as my right one from having it out the window all the time. You could only sleep late at night when it was really hot,and i'd always get off of 64 at the old exit 10 and go a little ways up north mountain on rt. 60 and pull off at a big wide spot by a creek under some big oak trees so i'd be in the shade longer in the morning. The F-model Macks had the best vents ever-you could put a kool-cushion in the seat and open the vent in front and open the one in the ceiling facing towards the rear and stay pretty cool-as long as you were moving.

[Rob]

yup,that was it-I hope! the man came this evening and it was a little low in freon,but not much he said. He also tightened up the fittings outside where the lines connect to the heat pump-they were a little loose too,he said,so I hope that takes care of the problem. Thanks for all the help guys!

Taking a little liberty here: I am assuming you have an approximate 1800 square ft. home, single level, average insulation value.

This home would require about 3.5 ton of refrigeration capacity, (square footage divided by 600 multiplied by 12,000 equals tonnage of cooling capacity in average household formulations) to adequately cool the living space. I always figger on adding an additional 1/2 ton capacity for abnormal heating spells. Install too large capacity of system and the humidity level in the conditioned air space is not reduced appreciably and comfort is not acheived, just cold uncomfortable existance, (this in itself will not make MOMMA happy with the expected resultant) A refrigerant loss of 10%, (in this case 42,000 btu) could cause evaporator icing. This of course relies upon clean filters, adequate airflow across the coil, relative humidity, and dew point.

There are many variables that can be calculated on both the commercial, and residential side. One has to know what they are trying to acheive before properly designing a system to fit the given parameters.

Also did you know that most automobile air conditioners are high enough capacity to cool a small house? They are usually about 1.5 to 2 ton capacity. An automobile has a much higher "heat load" placed upon it than a residence due to all the absorbed heat from it's surroundings.

Back to trucks now........

Rob

[other dog]

Taking a little liberty here: I am assuming you have an approximate 1800 square ft. home, single level, average insulation value.

This home would require about 3.5 ton of refrigeration capacity, (square footage divided by 600 multiplied by 12,000 equals tonnage of cooling capacity in average household formulations) to adequately cool the living space. I always figger on adding an additional 1/2 ton capacity for abnormal heating spells. Install too large capacity of system and the humidity level in the conditioned air space is not reduced appreciably and comfort is not acheived, just cold uncomfortable existance, (this in itself will not make MOMMA happy with the expected resultant) A refrigerant loss of 10%, (in this case 42,000 btu) could cause evaporator icing. This of course relies upon clean filters, adequate airflow across the coil, relative humidity, and dew point.

There are many variables that can be calculated on both the commercial, and residential side. One has to know what they are trying to acheive before properly designing a system to fit the given parameters.

Also did you know that most automobile air conditioners are high enough capacity to cool a small house? They are usually about 1.5 to 2 ton capacity. An automobile has a much higher "heat load" placed upon it than a residence due to all the absorbed heat from it's surroundings.

Back to trucks now........

Rob

no wonder you're the "forum guru"-I've never seen anyone who knew so much about so many things. At least now I know who to ask for advice when I start building the spaceship in the back yard!