1st reversing valve changeout -- brutal

[emcoasthvacr]

Had a call on a 7 year old heat pump that was stuck in cooling mode. Coil had voltage & continuity, but the reversing valve wouldn't budge, so I change it.

2 questions:

This was my 1st valve changeout, and it took me 4.5 hours to recover, change out valve, vacuum, charge, and start system -- is this about right guys or too slow?

Since the unit is 7 years old, do you change out the reversing valve or consider changing out the outdoor unit? I didn't want to nickle & dime the customer, but I didn't want to sticker shock them either.

Thanks

[rsmith46]

4 hours not bad, on a HP thats only 7 years old its way cheaper to repair than to go with a new 13 SEER HP and new evaporator.

[partsonorder]

yeah, 4.5 hours doesn't sound bad. Did you sweat it off or cut it out?

[emcoasthvacr]

4 hours not bad, on a HP thats only 7 years old its way cheaper to repair than to go with a new 13 SEER HP and new evaporator.

Problem is the indoor coil was 10 SEER, so we would have matching problems -- I wonder under what conditions a smaller outdoor higher SEER unit would work with a larger 10 SEER indoor unit???

[steve3871m]

Why worry about your time. What matters is to do it correctly.

[emcoasthvacr]

yeah, 4.5 hours doesn't sound bad. Did you sweat it off or cut it out?

Cut that puppy -- i'd rather cut & use stubs -- the tubes were too close to sweat off and braze in -- some of you guys might call me a butcher, but cutting gives me a lot more room to work with. I would think sweating might take a lot longer unless you have a lot of experience.

[partsonorder]

Cut that puppy -- i'd rather cut & use stubs -- the tubes were too close to sweat off and braze in -- some of you guys might call me a butcher, but cutting gives me a lot more room to work with. I would think sweating might take a lot longer unless you have a lot of experience.

I am not bagging jsut curious which way you went, I've always found it easier to cut them out also, but have had several debates over this. that's why I asked. Glad your job worked out.

[icyflame]

4.5 hr not bad if you were hanging upside down. Those are the only ones I get. I cut them out, sweat stubs on the valve and swedge it back together.My boss says he can replace and start in two hours, I've never seen him nor do I beleive him.

[emcoasthvacr]

4.5 hr not bad if you were hanging upside down. Those are the only ones I get. I cut them out, sweat stubs on the valve and swedge it back together.My boss says he can replace and start in two hours, I've never seen him nor do I beleive him.

LOL on upside down. You gotta watch those old-timers -- some don't even bother recovering -- just vent :D

[steve3871m]

Sweating out does cut time down dramatically since you don't need to stub couplings on.

Use correct torch tip for even heat to sweat off easily. Use thermal paste on new RV so you don't fry the teflon valve inside.

Pratice on old unit that was a C/O.

[partsonorder]

It was his first one and he did it by himself. I think if I remember right when i did my first one I had a little debate over how I was going to get that sucker out and back in, the unit was only a 2.5 ton.

[dna]

I think it would be faster to change a RV on a 7 year old Rheem HP than a 7 year old..........well.............anything else out there.:rolleyes:

[partsonorder]

I usually cut the discharge side of the valve and sweat the rest off.

[superheat1]

ive done them in 2 hours, but that doesnt include drive time to get the new valve. i also use ox/acetalene for a more precise flame. cuts down on mistakes.at 7 yrs, i would have to evaluate the entire unit to make a call on wether its time to repair or replace.and yeah like someone said, the coil has to be done too. but those are just my thoughts.

[howardair]

Does not sound too bad for first time. I sweat em' off & on. Proper torch tip sure does help. Usualy takes 2.5 to 3 hrs. ummv:)

[mcair]

Wow, you guys actually have units that are in good enough shape when they're 7 years old to make it worth replacing an RV?
Ah, just kidding, when you work and live on the coast anything near the ocean 7 years old and it's crumbling.
4.5 hours on an RV with recovery, nitrogen pressure test, low micron evacuation, proper recharge and start up is pretty good.

[Milk man]

Why worry about your time. What matters is to do it correctly.

YES!

[Milk man]

Cut the valve off on the RV side, then unsweat the residue.

I've only had to do one.

[corny]

My first one was some 25 years ago or so.....bard 5 ton easy to get to...burned it up...lol

I was working for a slob who used "B" tanks....and I had only been brazing for a year...maybe...

Anyhow... I burn em out....burn em back in ...lol

I use wet rags...one torn into strips to get between the tubes...couple of small ones draped around the rest of the body and another wet sopping rag for back up....I also keep a plastic soda bottle full of water nearby with a small hole in the cap....

Oxy acetelyne...big tip...but thats what Im used too....one tube at a time starting with hardest to get to......usually the center....lol


my present company frowns upon cutting them out....if you do you better be able to bend tubing well because you will not put a coupling or swage joint in that circuit that was not there when it left the factory....

Myself....I have nothing against people wacking them out and coupling them back in....its certainly safer....and usually by the time a reversing valve is going bad...at least in residential....the rest aint too far behind.


Use good techniques....dont have any leaks...properly evacuate and recharge...no harm done....

In commercial / industrial you have competitors coming behind you with cameras and ****...trying to use anything you do against you in order to steal the account....

[emcoasthvacr]

This is my point -- Nowadays, 7 years is considered old, and on it's way out. If you replace the RV and the outdoor unit craps out within a year or so, you look bad.

I just told the customer that you're buyin time and told them that 10 yrs is considered an achievement for today's hastily built units. :rolleyes:


Wow, you guys actually have units that are in good enough shape when they're 7 years old to make it worth replacing an RV?
Ah, just kidding, when you work and live on the coast anything near the ocean 7 years old and it's crumbling.
4.5 hours on an RV with recovery, nitrogen pressure test, low micron evacuation, proper recharge and start up is pretty good.

[riderman]

This is my point -- Nowadays, 7 years is considered old, and on it's way out. If you replace the RV and the outdoor unit craps out within a year or so, you look bad.

I just told the customer that you're buyin time and told them that 10 yrs is considered an achievement for today's hastily built units. :rolleyes:

Is this true? A unit installed on 2000 is old? I aint questioning your opinion here. BUTTT you are expressing an opinion right?

Or is this industry standard? Your telling me to invest about 6-10 k in a system that is "old" in 7 years.

This is a car or truck, right? :)

[Airmechanical]

Cut that puppy -- i'd rather cut & use stubs.


yup! :)



.

[emcoasthvacr]

icy or anyone,

Is sweating on stubs strong enough for the RV compared to brazing? I heard that sweating isn't nearly as strong as brazing and has a much lower melting point.



4.5 hr not bad if you were hanging upside down. Those are the only ones I get. I cut them out, sweat stubs on the valve and swedge it back together.My boss says he can replace and start in two hours, I've never seen him nor do I beleive him.

[emcoasthvacr]

No opinion -- I'm seeking advise :)

Units near the coast don't seem to last as long.


Is this true? A unit installed on 2000 is old? I aint questioning your opinion here. BUTTT you are expressing an opinion right?

Or is this industry standard? Your telling me to invest about 6-10 k in a system that is "old" in 7 years.

This is a car or truck, right? :)

[steve3871m]

icy or anyone,

Is sweating on stubs strong enough for the RV compared to brazing? I heard that sweating isn't nearly as strong as brazing and has a much lower melting point.
In HVAC these two words sometimesare used as synonyms. And not to be confused with soldering solder.

Sweating actually refering to the removal process of a brazed component.

[howardair]

What ever you call it, sweat,braze, or solder, we use "HARD" stick, 5-15% silver solder. or "silfos" NOT soft solder like in water pipe. :confused:
Also flow low psi nitrogen thru valve while installing new valve.
pressure chk w/nitrogen, evacuate & recharge.:)