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HVAC Guys. Help (1 Viewer)

SHIZNITTTT

SHIZNITTTT

Footballguy
Ok, so yesterday I had to replace a fan motor on my air conditioner unit. Hooked everything up and it works great. Too great it wont shut off. I have the temp set for 74, and the inside temp is reading 65 at the moment. I have tried shutting the thermostat off and on, which didn't help. I have removed the thermostat to check for loose wire, and didn't find one. I did notice that the unit still ran with the thermostat off. Normal? I replaced batteries in the thermostat. At this point any tip would be appreciated. TIA

 
Sounds like you have some wires crossed on the fan motor hook up. Go back and retrace your steps there.

 
ChiefD said:
Sounds like you have some wires crossed on the fan motor hook up. Go back and retrace your steps there.
Click to expand...
It's got to be this...if the thing is running, it's likely just something screwed up with the wires from the thermostat or whatever kind of relay you have controlling it.

Set your thermostat to a level where the thermostat would normally send a signal to turn ON (you said it runs even when your thermostat should be telling it to be OFF) Does it by chance cut off if you set it there? If so, you likely just have something hooked up to the wrong pole of a relay.

 
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?

 
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
So I don't know exactly what is going on for sure, but we had a similar issue - Had a supposed freon leak on a newly installed unit. Service guy came out and serviced it, said he found the leak at a loose connection, and refilled it. Unit then wouldn't blow cold air, but nothing froze up anymore. Second service guy came out, and found that the first guy way overfilled the refrigerant. The pressure was way too high and it wasn't cooling.

That might be something to check...maybe this guy filled it too full.

 
Fat Nick said:
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
So I don't know exactly what is going on for sure, but we had a similar issue - Had a supposed freon leak on a newly installed unit. Service guy came out and serviced it, said he found the leak at a loose connection, and refilled it. Unit then wouldn't blow cold air, but nothing froze up anymore. Second service guy came out, and found that the first guy way overfilled the refrigerant. The pressure was way too high and it wasn't cooling.

That might be something to check...maybe this guy filled it too full.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the thoughts. Do you think this would be possible after 4 months of working perfectly after he refilled the Freon though?

 
offdee said:
Fat Nick said:
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
So I don't know exactly what is going on for sure, but we had a similar issue - Had a supposed freon leak on a newly installed unit. Service guy came out and serviced it, said he found the leak at a loose connection, and refilled it. Unit then wouldn't blow cold air, but nothing froze up anymore. Second service guy came out, and found that the first guy way overfilled the refrigerant. The pressure was way too high and it wasn't cooling.

That might be something to check...maybe this guy filled it too full.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the thoughts. Do you think this would be possible after 4 months of working perfectly after he refilled the Freon though?
Click to expand...
I think it'd be doubtful, but we didn't notice major issues with ours until a few weeks later...I guess it's possible, but given how long it ran OK, probably not.

 
Is the relay aka contactor stuck "down"? When the 24v goes to 0v (from the t-stat), the relay should open. If it's open and the fan is running, then you goofed the wiring.

 
The Z Machine said:
Is the relay aka contactor stuck "down"? When the 24v goes to 0v (from the t-stat), the relay should open. If it's open and the fan is running, then you goofed the wiring.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what all that means, but it worked perfectly for 4 months. Haven't touched it at all through that time Can this wiring just out of nowhere get goofy on its own?

 
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
I know we have had a slow leak the last few years, to the point we think we're going to make it through the summer, and the last week of August or so need to get a recharge. So called this year, and this time instead of working for another year, it worked for about a week, and is blowing mildly cool air again. Pretty sure the leak got worse, my guess is from over-pressure. It's possible that instead of leaking over a year or so, yours just took 4 months to leak out this time.

No idea about the hot/cold pipes.

And if anyone has any thoughts on Stop Leak - from what I read it does nasty things to your compressor and will basically kill your AC. That said, if your AC already doesn't work and is likely in need of replacement, what's the harm?

 
Maelstrom said:
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
I know we have had a slow leak the last few years, to the point we think we're going to make it through the summer, and the last week of August or so need to get a recharge. So called this year, and this time instead of working for another year, it worked for about a week, and is blowing mildly cool air again. Pretty sure the leak got worse, my guess is from over-pressure. It's possible that instead of leaking over a year or so, yours just took 4 months to leak out this time.

No idea about the hot/cold pipes.

And if anyone has any thoughts on Stop Leak - from what I read it does nasty things to your compressor and will basically kill your AC. That said, if your AC already doesn't work and is likely in need of replacement, what's the harm?
Click to expand...
That was what I was figuring...freon leaked enough. But last time when that happened it froze up. This time doing the exact opppsite...boiling water through the copper tube. That's the mystery here.

 
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
Update for anybody that cares: Guy came out today, tested it and it worked perfectly fine for him. WTF? I turned it on 3 different days over the weekend and didn't work for me. There is a new hotel being constructed right next to my building...he went up to the roof to check my AC out and said there was all kinds of random construction debris up near there. His theory was maybe there was wood or some crap on or around mine that restricted airflow or something...then Monday morning when guys were back working it got moved? Who knows, hopefully that's truly what it was and all is fine with it.

 
offdee said:
offdee said:
Gonna piggyback on this thread for an issue I'm having with my central AC unit...

On June 1 my AC was freezing up (snow and ice accumulating in the coils)...had a guy come look and said that my system was slowly leaking freon as it was low. Said that eventually I'll need to get full unit replaced for around $2,500 because he can't pinpoint where the leak is coming from. (Note I'm in a condo building...my unit is 4th floor out of 6 total floors and piping for all furnaces run up to the roof)

His options were to get new unit right away for $2,500 or he could fill up with freon for $200+....that could last 2 days or 2 years....he had no idea how fast the leak is. I chose the cheaper freon refill option and hoped for the best.

Past 4 months of hot summer weather went by and all worked great. Now over this past weekend, the AC wasn't blowing out cold air again...went to go check unit and expected to see it all frozen up again. But wasn't the case...now the copper tubing running into the unit was scalding hot to the touch. When it was running right this copper pipe was lukewarm and the pipe right next to it going into the unit created minor condensation droplets (guy said that was the good sign to look for)

Now the copper pipe can't be touched without practically burning your fingers and the other pipe next to it is dry (and fan just blows out stale warm air). Anybody know what could be happening here?
Click to expand...
Update for anybody that cares: Guy came out today, tested it and it worked perfectly fine for him. WTF? I turned it on 3 different days over the weekend and didn't work for me. There is a new hotel being constructed right next to my building...he went up to the roof to check my AC out and said there was all kinds of random construction debris up near there. His theory was maybe there was wood or some crap on or around mine that restricted airflow or something...then Monday morning when guys were back working it got moved? Who knows, hopefully that's truly what it was and all is fine with it.
Click to expand...
i rate you story a 3 on the swcdee scale not the the most interesting story in the thread would not respond take that to the bank brohan

 
Weird timing. I've got an HVAC guy at my house right now after ours froze up this morning. He's adding refrigerant with the caveat that we don't know how long it will last. We only need a few more weeks here in the South, and then we'll just try our luck next season. The unit is 15 years old so he's going to give us quotes on a potential replacement too. Great.

 
regularguy said:
Weird timing. I've got an HVAC guy at my house right now after ours froze up this morning. He's adding refrigerant with the caveat that we don't know how long it will last. We only need a few more weeks here in the South, and then we'll just try our luck next season. The unit is 15 years old so he's going to give us quotes on a potential replacement too. Great.
Click to expand...
Exact same story as me, except mine was right at the beginning of the hot summer months. Hope your refrigerant refill is a long and prosperous one for you!

 
Last night I noticed my HVAC is blowing cool air. I check the unit and no cool blue flames. Three quick blinking lights indicate a bad filter (changed it), or some obstruction.

I visually checked the pvc flues in the roof and the rear (which I think is the intake?). Both looked fine but we did have/are having a massive blizzard so could the snow or wind caused this?

I turn it off for a few hours, replace the filter and it fires right up. 4 nice blue flames and I'm excited. I check back 5 minutes later and no more fire and I'm right back to square one...

Any ideas?

Where's the reset ?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Is it possible these heavy winds are blowing out my flames? I keep hearing wind fluctuations and it's windy as F outside right now.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Is it possible these heavy winds are blowing out my flames? I keep hearing wind fluctuations and it's windy as F outside right now.
Click to expand...
Highly unlikely that the winds are blowing out the flames.

Could be that snow has built up and blocked the intake. Mine is on the side of my house and I had an issue once where snow drifted up and caused an issue.

 
steadymobben honest i will mess with just about anything but the flame ignition system on a furnace is one thing i will not mess around with one you are dealing with stuff that you know explodes and stuff and two even if you think you got it you might not have and then pipes freeze and you got a real problem and property damage look i am about as cheap as it gets but somtimes you just got to break down and call in a pro take that to the bank bromigo

 
parasaurolophus said:
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Is it possible these heavy winds are blowing out my flames? I keep hearing wind fluctuations and it's windy as F outside right now.
Click to expand...
Highly unlikely that the winds are blowing out the flames.Could be that snow has built up and blocked the intake. Mine is on the side of my house and I had an issue once where snow drifted up and caused an issue.
Click to expand...
The intake is taking on water. I have to empty it every 25 minutes. I'm just happy it's working.

 
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
parasaurolophus said:
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Is it possible these heavy winds are blowing out my flames? I keep hearing wind fluctuations and it's windy as F outside right now.
Click to expand...
Highly unlikely that the winds are blowing out the flames.Could be that snow has built up and blocked the intake. Mine is on the side of my house and I had an issue once where snow drifted up and caused an issue.
Click to expand...
The intake is taking on water. I have to empty it every 25 minutes. I'm just happy it's working.
Click to expand...
That is nuts. Don't they usually curve downward so that cant happen? Would seem weird that that much water is getting in from swirling upward winds.

 
parasaurolophus said:
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
parasaurolophus said:
STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:
Is it possible these heavy winds are blowing out my flames? I keep hearing wind fluctuations and it's windy as F outside right now.
Click to expand...
Highly unlikely that the winds are blowing out the flames.Could be that snow has built up and blocked the intake. Mine is on the side of my house and I had an issue once where snow drifted up and caused an issue.
Click to expand...
The intake is taking on water. I have to empty it every 25 minutes. I'm just happy it's working.
Click to expand...
That is nuts. Don't they usually curve downward so that cant happen? Would seem weird that that much water is getting in from swirling upward winds.
Click to expand...
Mine isn't curved - it has some weird fitting/shape to it - sorta looks like an upside down pot.

 
I have a really dumb question about my electric heat pump. When it's cold (say low 30s and below) and I have it on the regular "heat" setting, it basically continually runs. It keeps up fine, but it rarely gets ahead and shuts off. If I choose the emergency heat setting, obviously the compressor doesn't run because it's just heating the coils in the air handler and it seems to heat better (in that it shuts off much more frequently than the regular heat setting).

My question is: which setting is actually more efficient and cost effective? I haven't run the emergency setting enough to know what relying on it would do to my electric bill.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I have a really dumb question about my electric heat pump. When it's cold (say low 30s and below) and I have it on the regular "heat" setting, it basically continually runs. It keeps up fine, but it rarely gets ahead and shuts off. If I choose the emergency heat setting, obviously the compressor doesn't run because it's just heating the coils in the air handler and it seems to heat better (in that it shuts off much more frequently than the regular heat setting).

My question is: which setting is actually more efficient and cost effective? I haven't run the emergency setting enough to know what relying on it would do to my electric bill.
Click to expand...
Heat Pumps tend to be efficient at producing heat down to about 35 - 40 degrees. Usually, if your heat pump is not hitting the set temp on your thermostat, the back up heat (in your case your air handler with heating coils) would kick in to supplement the heat pump until the thermostat is satisfied.

When you are running straight emergency heat, it is not efficient at all. Imagine a toaster. That is what your backup heating coils look like in your air handler. If your emergency heat isn't kicking on to help satisfy the stat, you may call you local guy and ask them if they can check it out.

When you switch your heat to emergency heat, you are getting 100% the air handler coils. Expensive, really expensive to run.

 
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