Carrier 38aqs008 Problems

[anthonymd]

What's up guys? I have a carrier 8 ton heat pump unit that is located in a parking garage that is 49" from the drop ceiling. The customer does not want to relocate the unit but it recirculating the cold air back into the coil causing the unit to operate in extremely cold conditions. We removed the drop ceiling tiles but it caused the sprinkler heads to freeze and burst. The oil is being wiped out and the compressor is pumping liquid. It is hard to properly charge this unit in the winter because you don't have a preferred environment. I have installed a liquid line solenoid which is not helping much. The unit is screaming when it starts up because of the liquid. Yes the crank case is working properly. This is the second compressor installed. What suggestions do you all have for charging the system in this environment. There is no winter charging chart, only summer. Help me out guys! BTW, there are 3 units in this garage. same conditions with 2 of them.

[Coolmaniac]

I can't picture what the unit looks like, but it sounds like you have room to dove tail the end of a 90 big enough to drop over each of the condensor fans and direct the air wherever you want.

Not pretty, but in a parking garage who cares?

Despite what the airflow is doing you may have a TXV or check valve problem in heat. Cause its simulating a lower ambient, it may show a loss of capacity but still shouldn't be getting liquid at the compressor. And if not in there already I'd suggest accumalators. I remember at one point Carrier made units in this range with small check valves in the ends of the distributer where each tube hit the coil. Hope its not one of these. Makes checking the checks a bummer.

[anthonymd]

I found out what was wrong. The unit had over 100 feet of line set which is too much liquid for the semihermetic compressor. I had to shorten the run of pipe but in the mean time the compressor has failed. Now I have to replace it too. I have had to replace one of those check valves, what a pain in the butt. Thanks!

[Coolmaniac]

Sorry but I think you still have a problem, the length shouldn't contribute to slugging, but how its run will. You need to take a good look at its route, traps intentional or not, sizing, ect.

[anthonymd]

Sorry it's been a while since I've been here but yes I found a trap in the suction line preventing the oil from coming back so I cut it out but now I need a new compressor anyway.