Any one else seen this

[gremlor]

I went out to an apartment complex a this am and they are all rheem/ruud condensors with adp air handlers.

Not one of the condensors has an accumilator, the company that was doing the work all first year warranty, has changed about 75 outdoor TXVs this winter, there are about 700 apartments there. they have also changed about 30 reversing valves. im changing a reversing valve out there monday.

Not one model or serial number to be found on any unit, i called the local supply place he laughed his ass off and said i know just where you are, i can have the valve here monday. has anyone else come accross heat pumps with no accumilators, and if so did you have a lot of reversing valve/TXV issues.

[BaldLoonie]

Very common these days to have heat pumps without accumulators. Lennox has done it forever and most other brands are catching on. They say with a TXV it isn't needed though some brands still do with a TXV.

As for TXV reliability, that is horrid. While we haven't had the problems with Rheem that we have with other brands (A-S in particular) they are all made by the same companies. Sporlan has been the worst, the one A-S/Trane uses on R22 indoor coils.

Back to this job: are these the cube outdoor units? Those are lousy! 10 & 12 SEERs really bad, the 13s have been better but the only ones of them we've put in were replacing lemon 10/12s.

[docholiday]

so what happened that a reversing valve needed work done in the middle of summer?

As for the TXV's, More than likely the mismatch is being ignored as a cause for high pressure or charge balance and the first thought is to blame the OD TXV.

[gremlor]

the valve was stuck in heating mode, wouldnt switch or de energize to cooling......first time it was ran in cooling was this week as the apartment was being got ready for someone to move into.


this is my first trip out there it was another company doing all the work out there prior to that. so i never diagnosed any of the outdoor txv. All the uinits are older then the install date....they are the 10 seer rheems they have the start up date just over a years ago.....they are probably at least 3 years old or off the back of a lorry.

guess i get to look into things a little deeper on monday as there are 2 more service call out there.....

[gremlor]

well changed my reversing valve and all went well except when the maintenance guy who watched my like a hawk asked me why i didnt reuse the r-22 out of my recovery tank.....

the other 2 units one was a blocked piston......go figure the reversing valve and outdoor txv had been changed on that unit and when i said thats why we dont reuse r-22 and pull vacumes he said ahhhhh scratched his ass and looked like i had just solved world hunger....... the third unit the compressor was locked rotor...hard start kit ( know im going to be changing the compressor)

found out who installed the units....same company that did all the electrical work......so i get to work on a/c units installed by electricians......