Replywas the serial number scratched off? i went to a brand new job that had carrier r-410a infinity a/c units. all of the controls were ripped out, LPS and HPS bypasses, some compressors replaced, and r-22 txvs.
the a/c company was long gone
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Went to a new customers house today. They moved into the house a week ago. Called about the EAC making a zapping noise and fan not cycling off. EAC very dirty of course. That was the least of their problems. Went out side to check the heat pump. This is what I found. Reversing valve completely removed along with the accumulator. Compressor windings shorted and 10psi on the gauges.Did a leak check. Evap coil leaking and the TXV sensing bulb just dangling there. This is a 02 Carrier Puron system.
Have any of you techs come across this mess before. I have no clue why someone would do this.
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was the serial number scratched off? i went to a brand new job that had carrier r-410a infinity a/c units. all of the controls were ripped out, LPS and HPS bypasses, some compressors replaced, and r-22 txvs.
the a/c company was long gone
Regular Guest
Model and serial numbers still readable.
Professional Member*
that was a nice system what an idiot,, RRRRRUUUUUNNNNNN like hell
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We won the contract on a government job almost two years ago. The building is 6 years old now and the first contractor just about destroyed it. The building uses ClimateMaster heat pumps with water cooled condenser coils. Full contract job so any repairs are on the HVAC companies bill.
Found 63 out of 155 units inop.
Still adding up how many but currently I have found 89 safety devices removed.
Found the biggest unit had the reversing valves removed, the circuit boards rewired. 3 relays added. They burnt up the wall sensor, the circuit board, and the controller board, removed ALL of the safety devices 2 HP 2 LP 4 freeze protection, and a condensate drain float.
Found 12 replaced BACnet ALC controllers replaced with either just a Thermostat or a Distech LON controller. Of course none worked with the front end.
Found a condenser water pump and boiler control system half replaced with 2 VFD's attached to a Distech controller while the other half being the water tower controls, water sensors, and ambient temp. sensors that the Allerton system needed, removed from the Allerton controller even though the controller was still in place and operable.
13 busted Spoorlan power head TXV's
Found 8 compressor burn outs and 2 units with a factor charge of 3lbs of R-22 charged with 22lbs of r-22. Guess what condition the compressors where in.
4 freshair dehumidifier coils busted due to freeze.
Finally, the HVAC company told the customer(A Veterans Home) that Climate Master was out of business so any repairs had to be done against OEM spec.
All because the installation company forgot to flip one switch(one each unit) to delay the compressor startup 1 minute because the water actuator had a 45 sec delay on open which caused the condensing coil to freeze up when the system was in heat mode. And because they had no idea how to program the ALC controllers provided by Climate Master.
It took them 5 years to destroy it and it has taken me 1 1/2 years to get 94%ish of it working again.
Still gotta replace the safety devices dehumidifier coils, and redo all the pump and water tower controls.
But the customer is extremely happy with us
If you're too "open" minded, your brains will fall out.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
Professional Member
Xcel I guess it is nice the previous company set the bar so low, so now all you have to do is.....your job and you are a hero
Professional Member*
awesome stuff. Why in the world would somebody remove a reversing vlv?
Professional Member*
Originally Posted by XcelTech
We won the contract on a government job almost two years ago. The building is 6 years old now and the first contractor just about destroyed it. The building uses ClimateMaster heat pumps with water cooled condenser coils. Full contract job so any repairs are on the HVAC companies bill.
Found 63 out of 155 units inop.
Still adding up how many but currently I have found 89 safety devices removed.
Found the biggest unit had the reversing valves removed, the circuit boards rewired. 3 relays added. They burnt up the wall sensor, the circuit board, and the controller board, removed ALL of the safety devices 2 HP 2 LP 4 freeze protection, and a condensate drain float.
Found 12 replaced BACnet ALC controllers replaced with either just a Thermostat or a Distech LON controller. Of course none worked with the front end.
Found a condenser water pump and boiler control system half replaced with 2 VFD's attached to a Distech controller while the other half being the water tower controls, water sensors, and ambient temp. sensors that the Allerton system needed, removed from the Allerton controller even though the controller was still in place and operable.
13 busted Spoorlan power head TXV's
Found 8 compressor burn outs and 2 units with a factor charge of 3lbs of R-22 charged with 22lbs of r-22. Guess what condition the compressors where in.
4 freshair dehumidifier coils busted due to freeze.
Finally, the HVAC company told the customer(A Veterans Home) that Climate Master was out of business so any repairs had to be done against OEM spec.
All because the installation company forgot to flip one switch(one each unit) to delay the compressor startup 1 minute because the water actuator had a 45 sec delay on open which caused the condensing coil to freeze up when the system was in heat mode. And because they had no idea how to program the ALC controllers provided by Climate Master.
It took them 5 years to destroy it and it has taken me 1 1/2 years to get 94%ish of it working again.
Still gotta replace the safety devices dehumidifier coils, and redo all the pump and water tower controls.
But the customer is extremely happy with us
Hats off to you, sounds like you got a mess, you will not only be a better tech but richer from it. We have done jobs to where we fix so many things wrong the last co. did we made more than we would if we did the job to begin with..lol How they get away with it puzzles me
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Good luck with it......lol
Never give up; Never surrender!
Professional Member*
i would definately worry about the origin of that one jwadel......looks like it could be a conglomeration of parts that didn't originally live together.
Professional Member*
I've seen similar garbage but not all at once. I've also seen it as a temporary measure to get cooling until parts arrived.. Someone may have dropped the ball or didn't care. I've heard the phrase "It looks good from my house".Went to a new customers house today. They moved into the house a week ago. Called about the EAC making a zapping noise and fan not cycling off. EAC very dirty of course. That was the least of their problems. Went out side to check the heat pump. This is what I found. Reversing valve completely removed along with the accumulator. Compressor windings shorted and 10psi on the gauges.
Have any of you techs come across this mess before. I have no clue why someone would do this.
1. They changed the system from Heat pump to AC only. I've seen a company do that until the reversing valve came in. (the tech originally burned up the replacement and had to backorder another) The customer expects you to get him cooling when they call you in 100 degree weather.
2. I've seen them sticking out into the attic air, apparently since the original install many many years ago. A senior tech once explained to me "When the pressure bulb on the TXV has a partial charge, moving it into the airstream or attic may cause it to partially open and then you charge it like a fixed orifice. Just as a temporary fix until you can get the back ordered txv installed."
Leaving a system like this as a final repair is inexcusable.
“I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Professional Member
Sounds like someone tried to make an A/C out of it....
New Guest
I'd say this probably began with a realtor..
What we find is that a realtor believes their job is to get everything for as close to free as possible in order to make the deal and get the commission. This results in them finding the cheapest contractor they can that will get them "past the inspection" which we all know is goofball running around taking temp splits and calling it and hvac assessment as part of the home inspection. (He also verifies hot on left cold on right @ each lav.... valuable stuff..) This one "could" have produced good splits if it was set up as a conventional a/c w/ electric heat & timed just right before the charge was gone. The contractor that will do this is he guy Chris Hansen warns our customers about and makes all of us look bad. Realtors will continue to search for a contractor til they get the answer - price - they are looking for. They look at our business as a comodity and fail to realize that cheap does not equal good. The rest of us get the pleasure of delivering the bad news, the home buyer getsand the industry image takes another hit. I'm sure you already did this but I can't stress it enough -document, document, document. Don't leave anything out of your repair estimate. This buyer, IMHO, was defrauded and your estimate is likely to end up as plaintiff's exhibit__ and it will need to help justify the reasons the seller/realtor/previous contractor should be held responsible for the system replacement cost. Good Luck.
Professional Member*
diy: we don't need no stinkin heat pump!!Went to a new customers house today. They moved into the house a week ago. Called about the EAC making a zapping noise and fan not cycling off. EAC very dirty of course. That was the least of their problems. Went out side to check the heat pump. This is what I found. Reversing valve completely removed along with the accumulator. Compressor windings shorted and 10psi on the gauges.
Have any of you techs come across this mess before. I have no clue why someone would do this.
Regular Guest
Over 40 yrs doing this, YOU CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT I HAVE SEEN!! GONNA CARRY MY CAMERA!
Regular Guest
Unbelievable!!!! That is a disgrace to our trade. Must be the work of the un-licensed people who under-bid "us" licensed contractors who are just trying to stay alive as a business.
Professional Member*
That's an easy one to answer, probabiy didn't need it any more!
You need a few more years in the business, after near 30 years that mess is almost every day stuff.
Just when i think I have seen it all I find something I never dreamed of.
Regular Guest
Im a Bryant dealer and i thought Carrier was supposed to be the experts!
Professional Member*
One of the two posts quoted is probably the origin of the non-HP.I'd say this probably began with a realtor..
What we find is that a realtor believes their job is to get everything for as close to free as possible in order to make the deal and get the commission. This results in them finding the cheapest contractor they can that will get them "past the inspection" which we all know is goofball running around taking temp splits and calling it and hvac assessment as part of the home inspection. (He also verifies hot on left cold on right @ each lav.... valuable stuff..) This one "could" have produced good splits if it was set up as a conventional a/c w/ electric heat & timed just right before the charge was gone. The contractor that will do this is he guy Chris Hansen warns our customers about and makes all of us look bad. Realtors will continue to search for a contractor til they get the answer - price - they are looking for. They look at our business as a comodity and fail to realize that cheap does not equal good. The rest of us get the pleasure of delivering the bad news, the home buyer gets
Not common, but I have seen this a few times... amazing what a hack will do.
Regardless... as noted in the second quote above: Do a THOROUGH inspection, write a few paragraphs as to what is wrong (yeah, slice the previous guys work to shreds), and give a detailed quote to replace the entire system.
GA-HVAC-Tech
Your comfort, Your way, Everyday!
GA's basic rules of home heating and AC upgrades:
*Installation is more important than the brand of equipment
*The duct system keeps the house comfortable; the equipment only heats and cools (and dehumidifies)
*The value of comfort, over the long term; leave economic choices behind!
Choose your contractor wisely!
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I love finding stuff like that. Looks like a perfect candidate for a new system. I wouldn't even consider trying to make that thing "work." That's not even a possibility.
I found one last fall, about a 3 year old Arcoaire system. Furnace was installed with a R22 coil w/txv. They must have set the OD later and realized it was a 410a unit. They had just dumped the r410a and put in r22. Friggin idiot hacks.
All they would have had to do is swap the indoor txv and it would have been good to go. I offered to do that for them, but explained it's probably too late to save it anyway. We replaced the whole system.
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