Options for a plugged evap coil

[MadeinUSA]

1. Do not even waste your time with the company you used. Just by a few facts you mentioned, they are not following standard industry procedures when performing “major” work on equipment. Just accept it as a lesson learned and move on.
2. Call and get another company out there and let them know what all has happened so they know you are knowledgeable to proper procedures.
3. They should test your system for acid being you had a compressor replacement and no filter(s) have been installed, check your metering device for obstruction, check the static pressure across coil to determine if it is plugged.
4. After that, hopefully they will find your problem and they can go from there to resolve it.
5. There is a good chance they can save your system if they find it acidic. Just have them clean the inside with a good flushing with proper product, and filters installed, and then the large one removed the following day and keep changing until your system is clean. Make sure the little filter is changed each time they change the large filter.
6. Call a supply house of the brand of your equipment, and ask them for a reference for a qualified and trained company that knows what they are doing. Let them know you are knowledgeable and do not want someone who is clueless. Call the contractor and quiz them a little to see if they are open to these suggestions I mentioned, and go from there.

Good luck

[darctangent]

1. Do not even waste your time with the company you used. Just by a few facts you mentioned, they are not following standard industry procedures when performing “major” work on equipment. Just accept it as a lesson learned and move on.
2. Call and get another company out there and let them know what all has happened so they know you are knowledgeable to proper procedures.
3. They should test your system for acid being you had a compressor replacement and no filter(s) have been installed, check your metering device for obstruction, check the static pressure across coil to determine if it is plugged.
4. After that, hopefully they will find your problem and they can go from there to resolve it.
5. There is a good chance they can save your system if they find it acidic. Just have them clean the inside with a good flushing with proper product, and filters installed, and then the large one removed the following day and keep changing until your system is clean. Make sure the little filter is changed each time they change the large filter.
6. Call a supply house of the brand of your equipment, and ask them for a reference for a qualified and trained company that knows what they are doing. Let them know you are knowledgeable and do not want someone who is clueless. Call the contractor and quiz them a little to see if they are open to these suggestions I mentioned, and go from there.

Good luck

While others here have made correct staments, MadeinUSA has more or less given you the full deal in one post.

Print this out and run with it.

It sort of goes with out saying, but they also need to check for moisture in the system.

Did they use a vacuum pump to remove air&moisture from the system? even if you saw them using one it doesn't mean they did it right.

Don't complain about price; complain about quality.

[snack pack]

i don't know if i should ask, but who was the hack contractor?

[smilies]

what I found clogging these most of the time was the insulation from the compressor wires melting, then cooling sending small plastic peices plugging the filters, on the pack units, the screens look like small bullet driers.

What's up Mr. Bell, I remember asking you about that when I tried resi service. Little balls of red, white and black. It was a "duh" moment for me. Wrong Kickstart on a Scroll.

[bell3156]

What up brotha...How ya been?

[zbxb006]

Thanks for the advice. I have found a small local company that seems to have a good rep (few and far between if you know the Phoenix reputation for HVAC).

Several of my neighbors are HVAC techs and they wouldn't even recommend their own companies. What a sad state of affairs. Seems that the good techs aren't allowed to spend the time to do a proper job. With people like 'chainsaw charlie' setting the standards in Phoenix, they seem to think the only way to compete is to lower their own standards and take the same short cuts as charlie.

Anyway, unless they find something minor, I think I've convinced myself to replace the coil and do a complete flush of the system. I'll let you know.

[darctangent]

Thanks for the advice. I have found a small local company that seems to have a good rep (few and far between if you know the Phoenix reputation for HVAC).

Several of my neighbors are HVAC techs and they wouldn't even recommend their own companies. What a sad state of affairs. Seems that the good techs aren't allowed to spend the time to do a proper job. With people like 'chainsaw charlie' setting the standards in Phoenix, they seem to think the only way to compete is to lower their own standards and take the same short cuts as charlie.

Anyway, unless they find something minor, I think I've convinced myself to replace the coil and do a complete flush of the system. I'll let you know.

Get a competent contractor that will stand behind their work with guarantees, and do what THEY say.

[breeze101]

I'm not a carrier dealer but I'm in phoenix
Is this a rooftop unit? If so there are 2 screens located befor the metering devices on that unit, if you look in the compressor area while the unit is running, you should see freezing around these if it is partially blocked. This is a very common problem on carrier and some older ruud units that used the same screen, even if you install a filter drier it could be plugged, On the splits it has a screen before the metering device outside of the coil, what I found clogging these most of the time was the insulation from the compressor wires melting, then cooling sending small plastic peices plugging the filters, on the pack units, the screens look like small bullet driers.

Are those the carrier rooftop units with a header and no visible metering device? I ran into problems on one of those and thought it was a drier. Cut it out and the restriction was cleared out.