New Guest
Im in a new house and i went outside and the condenser was a 48 (4 ton) and the a-coil was a 60 (5 ton). but saturday i ran into a problem it was like 90 out and i was trying to get it to 68 , and it was freezing up so i let it melt and set it to about 74 and it made temp, sunday it was fine. then today it jumped up to like 94 and i had them set to to 74(upstairs and downstairs) the downstairs was fine, but the upstairs got all the way to 80, which was making it freeze up again . My brother has his S1 (CT Heating,Piping & Cooling contractor license) but he was going to pennslyvania, so he couldnt get to me, i have a good idead when it comes to hvac, but i just dont know refrigerant stuff, so i called a buddy and he came over he said i was running at 130 and i was low, so he put in some r-22, hasnt froze since but upstairs got hot so it took awhile to make temp.
Now i know alot of people think because they have a/c that when it is 98 degerees out the feel they need to set their house to 58 degrees, they never know about the 20 degree differential.
But im just wonder is it usally normal to have a 5 ton a-coil and a 4 ton condensor
Professional Member
You should never try and cool a house pass 71 to 72 because of the temperature differential called delta tee. If you set to low the coil will start to freeze and could contribute to low charge. How big is your house and why do you want it so cold. Not healthy, as for bigger coil not a problem as long as you don't over do it.
Do it right the first time.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Yea, its normal to have a larger rated indoor coil then teh outdoor unit is.
Have your brother fix the leak when he gets back.
New Guest
there was no leak, it just needed a charge. ya i dont set it past 72. i knew it shouldnt freeze up if it was set to the proper temp diff that or it needed a charge, and i realized that it was set to 68 because when it gets to be late may i flip the t-stats to cool and forgot that i had them set for 68 for heat. but when checked the t-stat when it was freezing up, thats when i saw the 68. but then when i had set it to 73 then next day i knew i needed a charge.
when i use work in my dad's hvac business office (bookeeper/dispacth/estimates) we would get these people that called up when it was 95+ out and they would say my a/c isnt getting down to ( and it ranged from 55-65 degrees) and i would tell the equipment is not going to make your house a refrigerator its gonna take out the hot air and repleace it with cooler air but the systems cant make up a 30-40 degree diff, i told them to set them in the low 70's and then walk outside and walk back in, and you will feel the difference
Last edited by djcarrick84; 06-10-2008 at 12:58 PM.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Is this a new installation, that the installer didn't start up the unit and charge it right.
Then you dhould have gotten that contractor out to finnish his work.
If its an existing installation, and worked ok last year for the previous owner, but needed gas this year. Then it has a leak.
New Guest
existing home. i dont think it is a leak, because i do know some installers wont charge it to begin with, because they want you to call them so they can bill you for the service call. and some wont charge it because they think if the air handler and condensor are close to each other they think there is enough freon in the condensor that they dont need to charge it when they put it in
and i think the previous owner only lived in it a few months and then moved back to california so who knows how they ran it or if they ran it, maybe it was freezing up on them ,maybe they didnt set it to temp that would make it freeze if it needed to be charged. i just dont know. but i know so far today there hasnt been any problems since it was charged yesterday and it is just as hot
Last edited by djcarrick84; 06-10-2008 at 04:01 PM.
Professional Member
[QUOTE=djcarrick84;1886655]
You might have a leak. did the service guy tell you how much refrigerant he put in. He should have done leak test. Usaully units are pre charged for 15 feet of line set and will work up 20' without any freezing occuring. If the shrader valves have plastic caps they should use lock tite on them due to contraction in winter time and sometimes refregerant leaks out of unit over winter.
Do it right the first time.
Professional Member*
umm .... if the shrader is leaking ... I suggest replacing it . Those caps are to keep trash out , not to keep gas in .Originally Posted by 21degrees
The only time you dont replace a leaky shrader is - when its late and time to head home , you're tired , hungry , and need a beer really bad
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Doesn't have to be a leak big enough to leave it leak out enough to be effected in 1 day.
It most likely has a leak, and living in denial won't change that. Your saving money by not paying for a leak check.
Would have thought your brother would check it for free.
Professional Member*
It does sound like you have a leak. The first step is admitting it!
Regular Guest
that refrigerant had to go somewhere. it is a little odd having miss matched condensor coil and evap coil but it happens. Check the service valves right where the suction line and liquid line are attatched to the outdoor unit, if that outdoor unit was replaced or originally installed when the installer brazed it in he could of fried the packing gaskets therfore slowly leakin gas out of the caps
Banned
what is your reasoning behind your comments, whats the evap temp when supply is 54* and return is 70*
1. i keep mine at 70* when i am home, 76* when i go to work
when its really hot outside after i cut the grass occasionally i will crank it to 68*
2. exactly what is not healthy about "SO COLD" (70 degrees)
.
Professional Member*
Dont you listen to the news ? ?
Your Pump is gonna work harder , using energy , causing all kinds of ozone depletion , causing more global warming , which will stop plant growth in 10 - 30 years , then we starve , turning us into cannibals , and we eat each other until nobody is left .
That wont be healthy whatsoever
Professional Member
[QUOTE=Snapperhead;1886869]
Your good!
In Canada our winters get real cold minus 30 celcius and things contract, small amounts of refrigerant leak out past shrader valve and plastic cap. BUT if you use lock tite (discuss with expert central and at the factory) you should have no escape during winter. Just so you know we do leak test every systems and leave unit until summer before charging. when we get back in summer we have found unit to be low on refrigerant 2 or 3 lbs low and on many units. Yes we do A/C all year round with complete packages.
Do it right the first time.
Professional Member
[QUOTE=Airmechanical;1887537]what is your reasoning behind your comments, whats the evap temp when supply is 54* and return is 70*
1. i keep mine at 70* when i am home, 76* when i go to work
The reason I used 71 and 72 is because people always think you can cheat a couple of degrees.
when its really hot outside after i cut the grass occasionally i will crank it to 68* Why would you crank it down to 68*, if it is 95* out and you have you thermostat at 72* that is a 23* difference. I am looking for comfort and not a cold house. I like to play safe and not gamble.
2. exactly what is not healthy about "SO COLD" (70 degrees)
HUM 23* differential can make you sick. Try proper humidity removal and then you won't need 70*. You can settle for 71
Do it right the first time.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Around here. It can be 98*F outside. You go to a grocery store, and its 68*F.
Are you saying that will make someone sick.
There are reported cases of elderly people getting nauseated from those temp changes.
But you don't get sick(flue,common cold) just because of the colder temp.
Ask the guys that work in warehouse freezers, where they keep the temp at -20*F and less. And then when they leave to go home they go outside to 98*F temps in the summer.
Professional Member
Summer time im in and out of customers house and when it is hot or cold it can take it toll on you. But anyways why do you need to have your house so cold. I thought comfort is the issue here and proper humidity removal. Man everyone got a different opinion and we can argue about alot of stuff. When talking to a customer you are better to error on safe side as oposed to push things. I don't know your temperatures but here I use 20* delta tee. So if a customer wants it 20* in there house I tell them they might freeze the coil. I don't like going back to customers house and not getting paid for it.
Do it right the first time.
Banned
just what we need, another treehugger
dont beleive everything you hear in the news
furthermore, dont even beleive half of what you hear in the news
.
Banned
ya, especially when they and the coil are frozen
.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
The air conditions that you are in, are not the same for everyone else. So when talking comfort. You are talking comfort for an individual.
You may be comfortable at 74*F RH 52%.
Myself, I like 72*F RH 48%
I have brought my place down to 68*F just to see if it could do it. It did, and could have brought the house down more yet. But at 68*F the coil didn't freeze. (I did though ).
If a units coil freezes because they set their stat to 68*F. Its an air flow issue.
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