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Started By
Message
A/C question-definitely refrigerant problem....right?
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:26 am
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:26 am
Unit is blowing air. That air is not cold enough. Differential between air going out through return and air coming back is about 6-7 degrees. 75 going out, 68 coming back. Outside unit is not freezing up. For reference, difference in the upstairs unit vents is 16ish
My working theory is that I definitely have a leak and that the refrigerant is low, just not low enough yet to freeze.
Care to validate or offer an alternate theory?
3
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:39 am to AUjim
Is it freezing up on the inside unit? Mine would freeze up there and not the outside units. Turn the blower on but the air off, and check the return where the coils are and hit them with a blow dryer if they're freezing up. Definitely sounds like a slow leak. Get it checked out and recharged.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:44 am to TU Rob
I'll check the inside (under the house) one for sure.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:51 am to AUjim
Although there could be other potential causes, your diagnosis is likely correct. Temperature differential between the air entering the return plenum and supply registers should usually be in the range of 16 to 20 F. Have you checked to see if the evaporator coils inside the air handler are freezing up, even though you are not seeing the suction line to the compressor outside freezing up? I’ll assume you’ve checked the air filter to make it’s not dirty/restricted, and coils on the outdoor condensing unit are clean - not clogged with dog hair, lawn grass or other debris.
You’ll have to get a HVAC tech out to check pressures, superheat, subcool, etc. - might as well pay a few $ more and have them check pressures, etc with the other unit while they are there.
You’ll have to get a HVAC tech out to check pressures, superheat, subcool, etc. - might as well pay a few $ more and have them check pressures, etc with the other unit while they are there.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 8:59 am to CrawDude
Air filters are in good shape. Coils are clean (ish)
Let me follow up with this....I was just reading something about air flow inside the house.....
If I have a couple vents covered or closed....could that be contributing to a problem as well?
Let me follow up with this....I was just reading something about air flow inside the house.....
If I have a couple vents covered or closed....could that be contributing to a problem as well?
Posted on 3/30/20 at 9:08 am to AUjim
quote:
Care to validate or offer an alternate theory?
I agree with your theory.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 9:23 am to AUjim
quote:
If I have a couple vents covered or closed....could that be contributing to a problem as well?
You should never close or cover supply register vents - anything that restricts air flow though the HVAC can potentially cause problems - similar to having a restricted air filter. Actually that even includes keeping doors closed to rooms in the house on a continuous basis, which restricts air to returning to the return plenum
If you want less air to those rooms, and generally need to balance the air flow throughout the house, many, not all, ducts will have a “butterfly valve” in the ducts that allow you to adjust air to a room and balance air flow throughout the house.
I’d certainly open those vents to see if it makes a difference, or least a big difference, before calling a HVAC tech out, my guess is that I won’t, but I’d definitely try it first.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 9:33 am to AUjim
quote:
I'll check the inside (under the house) one for sure.
Ouch. Bad spot for one. My upstairs unit is in the attic and the return register on the wall. I can pop that open and check the coils.
My downstairs unit air handler is in the basement. I can’t think of anywhere I’ve lived where the air handler wasn’t easily accessible.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 9:36 am to TU Rob
quote:
TU Rob
Good sized crawl space under our house-I can walk bent over through half of it, and the unit is just about 10 feet from the door.
Posted on 3/30/20 at 10:19 am to AUjim
quote:
Good sized crawl space under our house-I can walk bent over through half of it, and the unit is just about 10 feet from the door.
That's good. Our old house where I grew up had a crawl space, mainly to access plumbing, and it was maybe 3 feet high at the tallest spot by the little half door to access it. I was imagining you having to get in something like that. It was an old house built in the early 40s that had been added on to multiple times. The kitchen and small den off of that was the biggest addition, and there were water and gas lines in there as well as pvc drain lines. I had to get in there once as a teenager to check something and it was of course miserably hot and full of cobwebs. And the latest and greatest flashlight was a 3cell D MagLite.
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