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Mobile ViewAIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS A/C - HEAT PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES AIR CONDITIONER BTU CHART AIR CONDITIONER COMPONENT PARTS AIR CONDITIONER TYPES, ENERGY SOURCES AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS BACKUP HEAT for HEAT PUMPS BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BOOKSTORE - Air Conditioning "How To" Books CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS CAPILLARY TUBES CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CIRCUIT BREAKER SIZE for A/C or HEAT PUMP CLEANING & Legionella BACTERIA CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS COMPRESSOR & CONDENSING COIL, A/C CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COOL OFF HEAT Thermostat Switch COOLING CAPACITY, RATED COOLING COIL or EVAPORATOR COIL DAMAGED COOLING COIL DIRTY COOLING COIL DIRTY COIL CLEANING PROCEDURES FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS DATA TAGS on AIR CONDITIONERS DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUCTS - Asbestos DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper DUCT INSULATION for SOUNDPROOFING DUCT SYSTEM NOISES DUCTS, Asbestos Transite Pipe DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? EDUCATION, HVAC SCHOOLS ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS EVAPORATOR COIL or COOLING COIL EXPANSION VALVES, REFRIGERANT FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS FAN LIMIT SWITCH FAN NOISES FURNACES WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEMS GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING Carbon Dioxide - CO2 Carbon Monoxide - CO METHANE GAS SOURCES GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST HEAT LOSS (or GAIN) in buildings HEAT PUMPS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSPECTION CHECKLIST - OUTDOOR UNIT INSPECTION LIMITATIONS LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOST COOLING CAPACITY MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH NOISY AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE Air Leak Noises AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP NOISES OPERATING COST OPERATING DEFECTS OPERATING TEMPERATURES PORTABLE ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS PRESSURE READINGS, REFRIGERANT REPAIR GUIDE, AIR CONDITIONERS / HEAT PUMPS REPAIR & DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for A/C REFRIGERANTS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST REFRIGERANT CHARGING PROCEDURE REFRIGERANT DRIERS & FILTERS REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION REFRIGERANT LEAK REPAIR REFRIGERANT METERING DEVICES TEVs REFRIGERANT METERING CAPILLARY TUBES REFRIGERANT PIPING & DISTANCES REFRIGERANT PRESSURE READINGS RETROFIT SIZING for A/C or HEAT PUMPS SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS SWAMP COOLERS SYSTEM OPERATION THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVES WATER COOLED AIR CONDITIONERS More Information |
This article discusses how to repair refrigerant leaks in air conditioning and cooling systems, using as an example, repairing a leaky or damaged air conditioning the cooling coil (evaporator coil) in the air conditioning air handler unit. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.Our photo at page top shows the cooling coil in the attic air handler component of a central air conditioning system. If your air conditioning or heat pump system has lost its cooling capacity or won't start see REPAIR GUIDE for AIR CONDITIONERS. see How to determine the cooling capacity of air conditioning equipment if the system seems to be working but is inadequate to cool your building. Also see REFRIGERANTS, see PRESSURE READINGS, COMPRESSOR, and A/C REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION for more details.and see REFRIGERANT PIPING & DISTANCES. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. How To Repair HVAC Air Conditioner Refrigerant LeaksAs we explain in our articles on lost cooling capacity or air conditioning systems or heat pumps that are not working (see AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS), a refrigerant leak in your air conditioner or heat pump means that eventually it will just not produce cool air (during air conditioning) nor warm air (during heating if it's also a heat pump).
Should We Just Add Refrigerant Rather Than Finding and Fixing the Leak in our Air Conditioner or Heat Pump?
Air conditioners and heat pumps are designed as a closed, hermetically sealed system - they are not supposed to leak refrigerant, and refrigerant leaks are an abnormal condition. The refrigerant leak can be found and repaired. If the technician was in a hurry, perhaps given many service call assignments, or if s/he didn't want to be hassled by a customer complaining over an "attempt convert a simple recharge to a costly service call", or if the company just likes to deliver refrigerant (lots of repeat business), or finally, if the system with the refrigerant leak is large, commercial, complex, and old - at end of life, s/he may not have mentioned that refrigerant leak repair is even possible. If you are faced with a costly service call or repair on an old air conditioning system (such as the need to replace a corroded, leaky evaporator coil) on a system that is at or near end of life, it is understandable that you might just prefer to wait and replace the whole system. But it is not air conditioner or heat pump system age that makes a refrigerant leak able to be found or not, it is system complexity. Sometimes, especially with large complex commercial systems, because tracing all of the piping and tubing and looking for leaks is time consuming, some people opt to just add refrigerant. Just adding refrigerant is not the best practice. And with old freon-based cooling or heat pump systems such leaks might be illegal as you are damaging the environment and making a prohibited release of Freon gases to the air. The refrigerant gauge set photo above is discussed in detail at GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST. Guide to Repairs of an Air Conditioning or Heat Pump Evaporator Coil or Condensing Coil
Guide to Evaluating Evaporator Coil or Condensing Coil Refrigerant Leaks and Deciding to Repair or Replace a Coil
Replacement of the cooling coil (or condensing coil) is more often going to be recommended by your HVAC technician because of these difficulties. Bubbles seen or heard in the liquid refrigerant line?Clean Dust & Dirt Off of the Condensing Coil - Air conditioning and refrigeration performance &maintenance tipAs we also introduce at CONDENSING COIL REPAIR REPLACE, there is a big payoff in cleaning dust, debris, grass clippings off of a dirty refrigeration condensing coil (this includes outdoor condenser/compressor units for air conditioners and heat pumps and also the condensing coil on a home refrigerator or freezer). Because a refrigeration system works by transferring heat from hot refrigeration gas/liquid to ambient air around the condensing coil, if the condenser coil is blocked by dirt and debris, this can prevent complete cooling of the high temperature refrigerant gas back to a liquid state. The result is you'll get refrigerant gas bubbles passing through the refrigerant metering valve. On refrigeration systems that include a sight glass you can actually see these gas bubbles passing through the system. Recharging the HVAC System after Refrigerant Leak RepairIn case you didn't realize it, in order to solder a repair in an air conditioner or heat pump piping, tubing, evaporator coil/cooling coil, or condensing coil, it will first be necessary to remove all of the refrigerant from the system. The HVAC technician will connect a pump to pull a vacuum on the system to remove as much air, gas, debris, and moisture as possible. An evacuator pump is needed for this step. [We made our own vacuum pump using a particularly good performing Frigidaire rotary compressor retrieved from an abandoned antique refrigerator.] The HVAC technician will probably want to install a refrigerant filter/drier (see our photo below) to remove any moisture that leaked into the system while it was open to the atmosphere, and perhaps she will install other filtration equipment on the system at this time. It's a good idea. See GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST for details about the refrigerant charging procedure using a gauge set and charging cylinder or scale. Installing a Refrigerant Dryer / Filter Unit on the Air Conditioning or Heat Pump Refrigerant Line
Why is a filter-dryer critical on an air conditioner or refrigeration system that has been worked-on?Water anywhere inside the refrigerant handling system (tubing, compressor, condenser, or refrigerant metering cap tube or thermostatic expansion valve) freezes, making the system inoperative. The inside of any refrigeration system must be pure refrigerant: no air, no dirt, no water, and no mix of various refrigerant gases other than a single gas for which the system is designed. Watch out: above we mentioned that on a badly contaminated refrigeration system the technician may install a new or a second drier a few months after the original repair/service. If a drier has become saturated in the course of doing its job (of removing moisture from the refrigerant system), it begins to restrict the flow of refrigerant through the system. This refrigerant flow restriction will cause pressure changes indicated by a temperature difference on either side of the drier - that's one way you could quickly test for a clogged refrigerant drier. Watch out: if you change the size of the drier that you have installed on a refrigeration system that does not use a refrigerant receiver (as is the case with most residential appliances and air conditioners/heat pumps, you will have to compensate in the charge used in the system (if it is a "critically-charged" or precise charge system as we've discussed here). For example if you install a larger drier than was previously in place you'd need more refrigerant charge in order to assure that the frost line will still extend to the end of the evaporator. Special Filters Used after a Compressor Motor ReplacementA "burnout drier" is a special drier installed on refrigeration systems when a compressor motor has burned out and the compressor is changed out. In this case we have to clean the acid and lacquer out of the refrigation system. (Using Karene-R11). The system is washed out and then the burnout drier is put in temporarily in the low side or return refrigerant line, replaced one or more times as needed, until the system is cleaned. Therefore you might not normally see a drier in this position on a system except during that repair process. More details about what moisture and contaminants do to a refrigeration system are discussed at REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION What is the Life Expectancy of a Refrigerant Drier Installed on an Air Conditioner or Heat Pump or Refrigerator/Freezer?Ordinarily a drier should last the life of the equipment, given no leaks or problems with the system that require that the refrigerant piping be cut. (The piping will be cut and the system opened, for example, if a cooiling coil or condensing coil has to be replaced.)
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AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
A/C - HEAT PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
A/C DATA TAGS
A/C - HEAT PUMP CRITICAL DEFECTS
A/C DIAGNOSTIC FAQs
A/C REFRIGERANTS
A/C TYPES, ENERGY SOURCE
AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS
AIR CONDITIONER BTU CHART
AIR CONDITIONER COMPONENT PARTS
AIR CONDITIONER TYPES, ENERGY SOURCES
AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING
AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS
AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS
APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS
BACKUP HEAT for HEAT PUMPS
BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION
BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION
BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING
BOOKSTORE - Air Conditioning "How To" Books
CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS
CAPILLARY TUBES
CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS
CIRCUIT BREAKER SIZE for A/C or HEAT PUMP
CLEANING & Legionella BACTERIA
CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS
COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS
COMPRESSOR & CONDENSING COIL, A/C
CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C
CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
COOL OFF HEAT Thermostat Switch
COOLING CAPACITY, RATED
COOLING COIL or EVAPORATOR COIL
COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS
COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS
CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C
CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS
DATA TAGS on AIR CONDITIONERS
DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms
DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS
DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS
DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE
DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP
DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS
DUCTS - Asbestos
DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper
DUCT INSULATION for SOUNDPROOFING
DUCT SYSTEM NOISES
DUCTS, Asbestos Transite Pipe
DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC?
EDUCATION, HVAC SCHOOLS
ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE
ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT
ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings
EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS
EVAPORATOR COIL or COOLING COIL
EXPANSION VALVES, REFRIGERANT
FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT
FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch
FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT
FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS
FAN LIMIT SWITCH
FAN NOISES
FURNACES WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEMS
GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING
Carbon Dioxide - CO2
Carbon Monoxide - CO
METHANE GAS SOURCES
GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS
GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST
HEAT LOSS (or GAIN) in buildings
HEAT PUMPS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
INSPECTION CHECKLIST - OUTDOOR UNIT
INSPECTION LIMITATIONS
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
LOST COOLING CAPACITY
What to Check First
A/C Flow Too Weak
A/C Filter Problems
A/C Compressor Problems
A/C Off - Condensate Pan Switch
A/C Cooling Coil Icing
A/C Not Dehumidifying
A/C Air Duct Problems
Air Conditioner Won't Start
Air Conditioner Refrigerant Problems
Blower Fan No Start / No Stop
Compressor Diagnosis: Diagnose & Repair
Cooling Capacity of the Duct System
Repair Guide Master List
MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC
MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH
NOISY AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP
NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE
Air Leak Noises
AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP NOISES
OPERATING COST
OPERATING DEFECTS
OPERATING TEMPERATURES
PORTABLE ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS
PRESSURE READINGS, REFRIGERANT
REPAIR GUIDE, AIR CONDITIONERS / HEAT PUMPS
REPAIR & DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for A/C
REFRIGERANTS
GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST
REFRIGERANT CHARGING PROCEDURE
REFRIGERANT DRIERS & FILTERS
REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION
REFRIGERANT LEAK REPAIR
REFRIGERANT PIPING & DISTANCES
REFRIGERANT PRESSURE READINGS
SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS
SWAMP COOLERS
SYSTEM OPERATION
THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING
THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVES
WATER COOLED AIR CONDITIONERS
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