I think my system may be damaged..need opinion please

[timdrag]

Hello Ladies and gentlemen. I just had a new trane system installed. I went with the builder grade xb13 mated with a variable speed air handler since I had the comfortaire house filter installed. There is no heat pump. I have hot water baseboard. I was provided with a 5 year parts and labor warranty as part of the deal(from Trane). Ive been running the air handler since the january installation to filter.

So here's my problem. Last week the temperature was such that they could complete the installation. They physically connected the outside unit to the air handler and charged the system. They said everything was A-OK and left.

We had an early spring heat wave here in NJ where the temps were in the
90's for 3 days and 80's for the rest of the week. We ran the system for the entire week. I noticed that the system was not cooling the house below 76 and it was always running. My pos 18 year Comfortmaker could make the house 60 if I wanted it to any time of year. I called the installer(Authorized Trane guy) and he told me that i maybe needed to let it run and that it was too warm. I called BS and told him to get here and check it out.

Lo and behold he showed up last weekend and with his head down told me the system was blowing the hi and lo pressure codes (whatever they are) that there was an obstruction in the line and very little freon was being circulated.

The outside unit is a scroll compressor. When I asked the tech if there was any damage to the system, he paused....then said no...Which I take to mean yes. He also stated that he shut the entire system down so as to not do any damage to the system....ummm...ive been running it non-stop for a week.

So what do I do? Is he right? is there no damage? Do i let it ride during the 5 year parts and labor? Do I demand a new system? HELP!

Thanks

[motoguy128]

I thought the XB13 was a recipricating compressor? I think you have ot get up to the XR14 to get a scroll.

nonthless, I doubt there was any damage if it was shutting down when the safeties tripped. That's why the interlocks are there... to protect the compresor.

I'd guess that the air hander kept running non-stop, but the compressor itself was cycling off of the limit switches.

It's not good for the compressor, but I doubt did anything to shorten it's life or cause damage. If it was an old unit with a lot of wear and weak seals, it might have finished it off.

Then again, I'm not a compressor expert.... but you're arent going to convince them to repalce the ocmpressor. Just hope that if it does fail, it fails in the next 5 years while you have warranty coverage.

[udarrell]

Lo and behold he showed up last weekend and with his head down told me the system was blowing the hi and lo pressure codes (whatever they are) that there was an obstruction in the line and very little freon was being circulated.

Does it have a TEV/TXV R-22 metering device?

Some Trane & American Standard evaporators with Sporlan TEV's had a problem with the sensors & would shut the flow way down.

Discuss that problem with them. They either replace the TEV or the evaporator. They've probably quit using the source of those TEVs.
- Darrell

[smittyii]

i wouldn't worry too much about it, scrolls are pretty tuff. in the future maybe you should shut down any thing that doesn't appear to be working.

[RyanHughes]

XB13 will have a scroll if its a 3-5 ton. As said, the safeties are there for a reason, to protect the compressor--I wouldn't worry about the compressor, just get the problem fixed.

[BaldLoonie]

Complete model # will tell if scroll. More likely if 410. Hard to say if damage was done. If R22, probably has no pressure switches. R410 unit might though Trane isn't known for using them. Odds are if there was damage, it would show up during your warranty.

We had an A coil with one of those fine TXVs. Pressures were OK to keep using but we got back rather quickly and changed it out. New one was fine.

[RyanHughes]

Complete model # will tell if scroll. More likely if 410. Hard to say if damage was done. If R22, probably has no pressure switches. R410 unit might though Trane isn't known for using them. Odds are if there was damage, it would show up during your warranty.

We had an A coil with one of those fine TXVs. Pressures were OK to keep using but we got back rather quickly and changed it out. New one was fine.

I too was wondering about the pressure switches in the back of my mind, since the only mention of pressure switches for the R-22 or R-410A XB13 is "High and low pressure controls are inherent to the compressor"--whatever that means (taken from product data from Trane).

[Edwin73]

The compressor wether its a recip or scroll will have internal overloads to protect it when it overheats. Dont worry about it.

[timdrag]

I just spoke to the installer and he did confirm that it was a bad TXV. What is it and what does it do? Does that change anything in regards to damage?

It's an r22 system

[21degrees]

I just spoke to the installer and he did confirm that it was a bad TXV. What is it and what does it do? Does that change anything in regards to damage?

It's an r22 system

I wouldn't worry. What happened too It's hard to stop a trane. They should change it to, It's hard to start a Trane. Just joking. He probably did not use purge and some debri could have gotten into TXV or it could have been positioned wrong or faulty. The damage would be minimal but still upsetting since you need it working. Tell him to get it fixed right or replace it. Good luck.