am i missing something

[GREATONE]

have a 2.5 ton carrier condenser has cooled for 2 summers real good. the other day i noticed the air has lost its bite. put my gauges on it high side it is low 150 or so low side is high 80 the air off top of condenser is cool not warm or hot like it usally is.cap is dead on 45 mfd good connections everywhere. when unit is off they do eqalize. by the way unit is a piston not a txv.indoor coil is clean outdoor coil is clean. both fans run good. suction is cold at 80 but high side line is not warm . it is like the compressor has lost some of its balls to pump . when it starts the suction goes down real slows it use to be fast and if i add ref the low side goes up the high does not move. in my 10 short years of doing hvac i have not run into an inefficient compressor is this my first. they are usually dead or shorted . this is my home system this unit is 16 years old i got off a job 3 years ago i know it is time for a new one but this is got me stumped i do get some cooling out of it but not anywhere it was before it takes all day to go from 76 to 72 outdoor is only 80 or 85. it also is only drawing 10 amps should be 14. and yes my filter is good 85 percent of my service calls are dirty filters.when it was running good low side was 60 or 65 high was225 or 250

[bmathews]

85% of your calls are dirty filters. I wish I was that lucky, I get maybe 1 or 2 calls a month when that is the problem. I think you need to get somebody who knows what they are doing to look at it.

[wpg_hvac-r_redseal_]

what kind of furnace?
hi-or -mid?

[GREATONE]

no furnace just an attic air handler

[GREATONE]

i was joking about the 85 percent i have run into bad caps bad contactor coils bad compressors bad compressor fan motors . it was a joking lighten up i said that because i was wating for someonr to say have you checked your filter.

[GREATONE]

can somebody answer a q without talking down to sombody no wonder i dont post a lot there are a lot of jerks on this site. i am not asking how to install somthing just a troubleshooting q

[RDP]

have a 2.5 ton carrier condenser has cooled for 2 summers real good. the other day i noticed the air has lost its bite. put my gauges on it high side it is low 150 or so low side is high 80 the air off top of condenser is cool not warm or hot like it usally is.cap is dead on 45 mfd good connections everywhere. when unit is off they do eqalize. by the way unit is a piston not a txv.indoor coil is clean outdoor coil is clean. both fans run good. suction is cold at 80 but high side line is not warm . it is like the compressor has lost some of its balls to pump . when it starts the suction goes down real slows it use to be fast and if i add ref the low side goes up the high does not move. in my 10 short years of doing hvac i have not run into an inefficient compressor is this my first. they are usually dead or shorted . this is my home system this unit is 16 years old i got off a job 3 years ago i know it is time for a new one but this is got me stumped i do get some cooling out of it but not anywhere it was before it takes all day to go from 76 to 72 outdoor is only 80 or 85. it also is only drawing 10 amps should be 14. and yes my filter is good 85 percent of my service calls are dirty filters.when it was running good low side was 60 or 65 high was225 or 250

Yes............you are missing the problem

[udarrell]

have a 2.5 ton carrier condenser has cooled for 2 summers real good. the other day i noticed the air has lost its bite. put my gauges on it high side it is low 150 or so low side is high 80 the air off top of condenser is cool not warm or hot like it usually is, cap is dead on @ 45 mfd good connections everywhere. when unit is off they do eqalize. by the way unit is a piston not a txv.

Indoor coil is clean outdoor coil is clean. both fans run good. suction is cold at 80 but high side line is not warm . it is like the compressor has lost some of its balls to pump . when it starts the suction goes down real slows it use to be fast and if i add ref the low side goes up the high does not move. in my 10 short years of doing hvac i have not run into an inefficient compressor is this my first. they are usually dead or shorted.

this is my home system this unit is 16 years old i got off a job 3 years ago i know it is time for a new one but this is got me stumped i do get some cooling out of it but not anywhere it was before it takes all day to go from 76 to 72 outdoor is only 80 or 85. it also is only drawing 10 amps should be 14. and yes my filter is good 85 percent of my service calls are dirty filters.when it was running good low side was 60 or 65 high was225 or 250

It sounds like it could be that the piston metering device is NOT CLOSING or SEATING.

That will raise the suction & drop the head, & it will not cool worth a hoot.
The compressor will sound somewhat different, & since it's not doing any work the amp draw will be low.

That condition does mimic bad compressor valves, but doubt they went, unless the E-Coil froze over lately or blower motor acted up, etc.

Take a light weight hammer or something & strike the piston housing to see if it causes it to seat. If not pump system down & examine the piston for something holding it off its seat. Just an experienced guess, it could be something else, but I'd look at the piston first.

The compressor may or may not be okay.
- Darrell