AC Help

Jesse, even though we have already talked I will respond so that if anyone else ever runs into this problem they can reference it.

When your unit freezes up like this it is usually one of two things.

1. The units Freon charge is low. It is not out just low.

2. There is air flow problems at the furnace. Could be a plugged filter or even worse a plugged A-Coil. If the air can't flow through the coil enough then the Coldwell freeze up.

If it is the first which is most likely then your unit has a leak. A/C units don't consume Freon like a car consumes gas. If the charge is low it is because it has leaked out.

Pretty good having ol' Steve on call today. lol

If it makes you feel any better, we pulled into the campsite last night and the A/C wasn't working on the camper. Climbing up was a bitch without a ladder, but a dually backed up with coolers stacked on the tailgate did the trick.:smiley_crocodile:

We were running into similar issues today after hiking and ended up shutting it down and just running the fan until it thawed out a bit. Pretty much everyone I chatted with about it today (my Dad, brother in law, and one guy at the camp ground) said similar to what Steve said. Probably a charge.

Just a thought? Is your water decent? I am not sure if you are on a well or not, but we are at the house. I was told there is something about the the gases from well water shortening the life of appliances and A-coils. Not sure if it is the sulfur or something else. Maybe Mr Dlesk has a more professional answer, but I know our A-coil does not last as long as the one at my parents house where they have city water. Weird, but something to think about.

If it is leaking, I would have to wonder if you could braze any leaks up in the a-coil or if it is even worth the time. There again, I will defer to Steve, but thinking out loud with a couple TOO many Bud Lights in my system as I hang out around the campfire. Gotta roll, I think my Teva sandals are melting. lmao

Good point. Not looking for compassion. Definitely sucks when shit like this happens though. Hope you get it figured out. If you have already chatted with Steve, then I highly doubt there is much I can offer.
Only other thing I could think of is if the a-coil crudded up? Often the condenser unit sits on a plastic or concrete pad which sometimes sinks into the ground. If they settle enough, sometimes dirt or mulch will collect along the bottom edges and make them work harder. We had this issue once. My uncle is in the business and stopped over. He hooked some guages to it as we ran a hose over the a-coil. It was amazing to watch the pressure readings drop. The unit didn't have to work nearly as hard as it was prior to this. Probably not the case, but only other thing I could think as a possibility. Sometimes the simplest things are over looked. Not saying it is the case, but it sure would be nice if standing there with a garden hose fixed your issue. Good luck Jesse. Hope you get it figured out soon.

We just had to have a ac guy come to this dump we're living in now. Same thing yours is doing. I was at work when he came but the only explanation I got from my wife was " there was a wire broke outside"... lol

I once forgot to shut the furnace down and turned the air on. Then left for several hours. It caused the air to run constant and froze the unit up solid inside. I shut off them both and removed the covers on the AC to thaw it faster......... After it unthawed, all was fine until the unit died 15 months later (It was pretty old)

Phil, I have honestly never heard of your potable water effecting an a/c system. I really don't see how it could beings it isn't even tied into the system.

As far as brazing a leak, that can be done sometimes depending on where the leak is. If the leak is anywhere close to the aluminum fins on the coil then you can't braze without melting the aluminum. There is a product they came out with a couple of years ago that you can add to the charge of Freon that is supposed to seal up small leaks.

What is the general life expectancy on these units from new?What an when is the maintenance for these?We have been at our place for 4 years,the place an unit is about 15years old....
Sorry for the thread jack jesse..

OMO, there is no real rhyme or reason as to when the units go out. I have replaced units that where less than ten years old because the compressor in the outdoor unit was shot. Then on the other side of the coin my father just replaced his old unit this spring (that was still working) and it was 35 years old.
As long as the compressor is working, the coils are kept clean, and there is no leaks for the freon to escape the unit should work fine.

As far as regular maintenance goes just make sure that the outdoor coil stays clean. You keep the indoor coil clean by maintaining a clean furnace filter. Check that filter once a month, if it needs changed change it, if not let it go two months and then change. You also want to use a high efficiency filter with the pleated felt, not the horse hair fiberglass ones. It us not a bad idea for a certified tech to take a look at it at least biannually if not annually.

If you have a leak and it's in a spot that you can't braze, you might want to try some JB Waterweld. I don't know if it'll work or not, but I've used it on boats and plumbing, and it seals up leaks instantly... and cures hard as a rock, too. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1418990&CAWELAID=109359012It's worth a shot. Sorry to hear of your troubles, Jesse.... It's hotter than balls out today and I'm sure Tracie not having much fun. Good luck with it.

JD Boyd said:

We just had to have a ac guy come to this dump we're living in now. Same thing yours is doing. I was at work when he came but the only explanation I got from my wife was " there was a wire broke outside"... lol

Click to expand...

Sounds exactly like something my wife would say, JD. lmao Bless her heart... lol

I am glad to hear that you figured a couple things out. Although if you are still having ice form on the suction line then you still have issues. You should never have ice build up anywhere on the unit. If there is anything I can do to help just say the word.

Jesse;155807[B said:

]Tracie's cousin is here[/B] working on things and it's apparent our airflow is shit. Hoping the outside unit will keep up with a good cleaning of the coil and some rerouting of the duct work.

Click to expand...

so her brother is there? hehe...

Jesse said:

Like you said, we all be related down here!!!

Click to expand...

Don't get him pregnant TOO.

I sweep my A coil off at least once a year...

Running duct work is a bitch, but you can certainly tell the difference in our ranch which rooms have multiple ducts, as well as "in" and "out" vents