House AC almost DOA

[djh3]

Well as my luck would go anyways, my home AC is about dead I think. It runs constantly, not much flow from vents. Also the duct by the air handeler is sweating so bad it had ruiened the drywall cieling and its fell down, big mess.

Anyways I am trying to research about AC units. Current ubit is like 20yr old or something Carrier I have read some decent things about Comfortaire I think it is. Suposedly its a rebadged Carrier.

Anybody got input or references whats good.

[KIC]

there is a part called a something like a A-cooler. It is above the fan portion. If this has never been cleaned it will fill with animal hair and dust and when it plugs up the air flow which then will freeze with the condensation from humidity. This will block the air flow as it freezes then melts and overflows into walls and the floor. I lived through that so it sounds like you might have the same problem.

 

If you can remove the front plate of the A-cooler and clean the inside of the A-cooler. When mine was taken apart the hair and stuff came out looking like a piece of carpet.Then the A/C worked great.

[Flyinfool]

Poor airflow is either a plugged up coil or a blower problem. Have you ever changed the filter? All easy to fix, and a LOT cheaper than replacing an AC that is really working fine.

[BlueSky]

If it is 20 yrs old, it's about had it. That's about the life of a central AC unit. Check the freon pressures and temperatures going in and out. should be about 18 degrees difference as i remember. You might need a new blower motor on the air handling unit. And it contains freon 22 which isn't allowed any more. I think they have a substitute for freon 22 for the old systems but you can't buy a system that uses freon 22 any more. I had both my heat pumps/ac units replaced in 2008 with Goodman units that uses the new refrigerant. They don't advertise and you may not have ever heard of them but when I was doing my research, I found out they were the 3rd most popular units behind Carrier and Trane. I found a business that installed them for 2/3s of what everybody else wanted for a Trane or other brands. Mine have worked without any issues since 2008 which is a big change from my original Rheem units. they were almost constant trouble. Just make sure the units you buy have scroll compressors. The cheaper compressors don't last as long. My information was valid in 2008. Systems may have changed since then.

You will notice a difference in your electric bill because the new systems are much more efficient. I think my old units had a SER of 10 and the new ones are 13. I noticed a difference in the elec bill.

[aharbi]

If a 20yr unit, they won't repair it. Probably freon. Get a unit the right size, not too small, not too big. An oversized unit will cool quick but won't dehumidify. The unit has to run, recirculate the air to dehumidify. Ask around who neighbors suggest. Even the Home Depot guys can give a good suggestion, they work with homeowners all day and hear the horror stories.

[videoarizona]

@KIC has a good idea. Check the A Frame to make sure it's clean. Reduced air flow is a blockage or the air handler fan is loose and it isn't turning fast enough to send air throughout the house. I would do this even if it is 20 years old. My Carrier in last house in Phoenix was installed in 1959. It had a cast iron compressor. Was still working when we took it out ten years ago. Sometimes those things go forever...

[M61A1MECH]

Mine lasted a litle over 20 years , that is the life span of hese systems , especially here in FL where they run in AC mode almost all year long.

I did have issues with mine where the blower motor quit and the heat exchanger in side froze up and when the ice melted itsoaked some dry wall. As stated previously check for debris in the hea exchanger coil fins and for ice build up. Also make sure the drain from the condesent tray is clear and letting the water out, that will make a mess when it over flows. A litttle bleach in the drain eac month will kep that clean.

 

Check for energy savings programs through your electric utility company, there were some very good deals in years past wher the electric companies helped with rebates and check for energy credits on your income tax, do buy the extended warrenty, I have had mine blow a capacitor once or twice and they came out on a Sunday and fixed it, no charge.

 

When I replaced mine I went with and Amana unit, a little more noisy than the ofter one, but works well.

[Donvito]

I replaced mine about 2 years ago. I went with a 3.5 ton Rheem for my 2100 sq ft house. Also, bought the 15 SEER unit because of the energy rebate and lower cost to operate. We're both in Florida so these units get a work out. After installing the new unit, my power costs dropped significantly. Here are the ratings from Consumer Reports. PM me if you have any questions.

 

http://static2.consumerreportscdn.org/content/dam/cro/news_articles/appliances/CRO_Home_AC_Chart_05-14.jpg

[uncledj]

Got mostly good advice there, but if a system's working well, I don't see the need to replace it just 'cause it's old. You should definitely check to see if the "A" (evaporator) coil is plugged up. Once you open up the duct where the copper lines go in, there's typically a triangular plate, matching the shape of the coil, with a few screws holding it on. Take it off and inspect the underside of that coil. Clean as necessary. While you're in there take a look at the drain pan, making sure there's no rust holes in it. I'd bet a dirty coil's the bulk of your problem.

As far as brands, I've never noticed that much difference. I've no problem with Goodman. I've had good luck with Payne, which is the economy model Carrier. I wouldn't pay big buck for a big name...they all have basically the same components.

As someone suggested, look for a scroll compressor, which most if not all units made today will have.

If you want to change only the outside unit, you CAN still get R22 units, they're just dry shipped, without refrigerant in them. You have to put the refrigerant in yourself.

If it was me, I'd try to keep the old one runnin'....but I guess that's easy for me to say since I work on or install them myself.

Feel to pm me if you have any specific questions.

Best of luck to ya.

27 yrs HVAC Tech. Started doing residential, then a mix, now exclusively commercial / industrial.

[Great White]

Not sure if its appropriate for your area, but we put in a heat pump this year and I'll never have another house again without one....

[djh3]

Mine is currently a heat pump. Dont really know if they are suposed to be better or not down here. I spent 2.5 hours in attic after dinner tonight. Removed side covers and condensor was just about one block of ice. I kind of figured that as there was not much flow out vents. Turned unit off, got a spray bottle and a little chlorine and mixed water with it. sprayed the fins and used shop vac to try to suck the black goo out of fins. Took a few times to kind of thin the goo out I guess and vacumed some out. Fired up compressor and blew fins out first from one side then the other, then vac again. Several times, like I said 2.5hr up there. It at least is cooling some now and have air flow, and it has shut off a couple times since I restarted it. So... its working beter but........... The air handeler is pretty rusty, the drain pan under it is shot. Originaly a couple years ago thats what started it, drain pan over flowed and craped out a bunch of drywall. When I heard it dripping off the roofI found it leaking. The drain pan didnt appear to have enough tilt to drain. So this year the pan was rusted out and it is so close to the now rusty air handeler that the air handeler would have to come out to replace pan. The coils in the air handeler look really bad even after I got what I could of goo off. My orginal estamate on age of unit was off. Its closer to 27 years old.

Im not really looking to change out because its old, more I know its bad or going to conk out or possible cause more damage to drywall and possible inside the house where wet drywall could become a mold issue. Effecincy wise this thing is probably so old they didnt even have seer ratings, and if they did its about a 2. I think the minimum they can sell is like 13. I would maybe look to 15 but not much more as I peronaly would never get the energy savings vs extra cost I think..

[Flyinfool]

Just getting those coils clean will up your current efficiency a bunch. The cleaner you get them the better they work.

Does that unit have an air filter?

Is it changed regularly?

 

Nothing will plug up the coils faster than running with no air filter.

 

Now that it is running again, go back up there and take a peek at the evaporator coils to see if they are still making ice, They should be wet but not frozen. If they are cold enough to make ice with good airflow then it may be indicating either a weak compressor or low refrigerant. Either one can indicate that your 27 YO unit is not healthy.

 

Here in Wisconsin weather I found it to be much less expensive for both electric and initial purchase to have window AC instead of central AC. In FL I'm guessing that you run your AC a LOT more than I do the economics will probably work out different.

[M61A1MECH]

Here in Wisconsin weather I found it to be much less expensive for both electric and initial purchase to have window AC instead of central AC. In FL I'm guessing that you run your AC a LOT more than I do the economics will probably work out different.

 

Yeah considering you have a month worth of summer each year , we have a month worth of winter, the economics of AC/Heat and comfort are very different.

[Condor]

I replaced my A/C last year. It was about time. It was installed in '59. No that's not a typo... I had it serviced about 20 years ago. The A frame was clogged with grunge, and had all the duct work cleaned. It was a Carrier and built like a tank according to the guy that came out and replaced the fan about 10 years ago. Like yours it finally got to the point it wasn't blowing much air....again... so figured it was time to replace. The new unit is a Trane, and it's amazing... it actually cycles when it's 100+ out side. Same thing on the heating side during the winter. Cost?? About $5 grand, but worth every penny....

[djh3]

It is miserable to try to sleep when your sweating and its like 85 or 90 in the house and not much air flow. Heat index here this summer have been in the 100 most all summer.

 

There is a filter on the intake. Its kind of a green mat thing looks like a large version of the scrubby side of those dish sponges, open more but sort of that material. So its cleanable.

[KIC]

This video shows the area that I was talking about.

 

https://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIQ3Y95VNy0ADessnIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByNDY3bGRuBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDNQ--?p=Air+Conditioning+a+Frame+Condenser&vid=0fa851544a977373212e4c0272866ec6&turl=http%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DWN.JDQiAw%252boYS36avSmccmMLw%26pid%3D15.1%26h%3D200%26w%3D300%26c%3D7%26rs%3D1&rurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPG1eNZYgMvg&tit=Cleaning+Air+Conditioning+Evaporator+Coil+-+Video+2+of+2&c=4&h=200&w=300&l=279&sigr=11b8u2914&sigt=11odrst42&sigi=12nqvtb8h&age=1389472861&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&tt=b

Edited August 27, 2015 by KIC

[djh3]

Yea the day the AC quit completely that evap was one big block of ice except about 2-3" at top. Cleaned it with some chlorine water mix, shop vac and compressed air. But the "can" the evap/air handler sits in is rusted pretty good. I mean heck its 26 yr old.

So this past week or so I have got 4 quotes for new air handler, and heat pump (outside unit) they are all for the comfortaire except the highest quote which was for a Rheem. Low was $3575 and high was 4850. No the high one is a contractor thru Home Depot and you can get 2yr interest free loan to put it in, but you also have to put some kind of 1200 buck air purifier thingy in. So actual AC is 4600 or what ever it figures out to. But have not read some good things on Rheem. The comfort aker seems like a good unit. But why would Carrier make a "chevy" unit if they already make the "caddy" ?

[Brake Pad]

If you decide to go with home depot for your unit. PM me, I'll let you use my Pro Card, for a discount

[ragtop69gs]

My last Carrier unit lasted 35 years, just replaced it with another carrier. AC and heating bills dropped plus it's a much more steady temp now. My other furnace /AC is also a carrier rooftop package unit that's going on 9 yrs. it's on a slab outside.

[uncledj]

Don't let yourself get too hung up on the Carrier name. It's no better than anything else out there, and don't shy away from the "Chevy", 'cause it has the same parts as the "Caddy". The extra $$$ is for the label, and maybe a couple of bells and whistles that'll likely cause more trouble down the road.

I have a Payne in my home, which is a economy Carrier system, and I'm satisfied with it. But having said that, the sizing, installation and maintenance will have a lot more to do with longevity than brand name.

 

[ragtop69gs]

No knock on the Payne units from me, the carrier I just replaced had a Payne ac evap. & condenser. Our new furnace still uses the Payne condenser.

[djh3]

Thanks Mike, but I think I can use my military discount for same amount. Would take care of tax. LOL AS of now I'm thinking the low quote has everthing 3 of the 4 have parts and pieces wise. So looking to see if any local reviews on the company around here before pulling the trigger.

UNCLEDJ:

The extra $$$ is for the label, and maybe a couple of bells and whistles that'll likely cause more trouble down the road.

I'm with ya on that brother. like cars you buy them with all them fancy heated and AC seats, electric whozits, that crap is gonna die sometime. And its usually tied in somehow so you cant just press on without it or by-pass it.