TexasCHLforum.com

puma guy wrote: ↑Sat May 30, 2020 9:58 am

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 8:25 am

RPBrown wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 8:17 am

powerboatr wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 9:24 pm how does one BURN freon? did the compressor go into fry mode or just quit form loss of ground? thanks in advance

Burnt refrigerant generally comes from an internal short in the motor of the compressor. If you were ever to get a slight smell of burnt refrigerant you would never forget it, I promise.

I think it is the oil that travels through the system with the refrigerant that burns and becomes acidic as well. It is funny that you mentioned the smell of it. It is so true. I have had that stench linger in my nose for as much as two days after cleaning up a burnt system. I can almost detect the odor now without hooking up my gauges. It is awful. We use to talk about the smell of burning refrigerant as being comparable to mustard gas. LOL Burning refrigerant also creates phosgene gas, which could kill a person in high doses.

Phosgene, which smells like moldy hay, is also an irritant but six times more deadly than chlorine gas. ... Phosgene was responsible for 85% of chemical-weapons fatalities during World War I. Mustard gas, a potent blistering agent, was dubbed King of the Battle Gases. Like phosgene, its effects are not immediate.

I can tell you it does not take much of it to send you gasping and choking. One experience of inhaling that stuff while brazing copper lines together is usually enough to teach one to never again place their face to close while brazing. It typically occurs during ones first summer working in the field.

puma guy wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 11:54 am

RPBrown wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 8:17 am

powerboatr wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 9:24 pm how does one BURN freon? did the compressor go into fry mode or just quit form loss of ground? thanks in advance

Burnt refrigerant generally comes from an internal short in the motor of the compressor. If you were ever to get a slight smell of burnt refrigerant you would never forget it, I promise.

Doesn't freon create phosgene has when burned?

Yes

RPBrown wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 8:17 am

powerboatr wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 9:24 pm how does one BURN freon? did the compressor go into fry mode or just quit form loss of ground? thanks in advance

Burnt refrigerant generally comes from an internal short in the motor of the compressor. If you were ever to get a slight smell of burnt refrigerant you would never forget it, I promise.

I think it is the oil that travels through the system with the refrigerant that burns and becomes acidic as well. It is funny that you mentioned the smell of it. It is so true. I have had that stench linger in my nose for as much as two days after cleaning up a burnt system. I can almost detect the odor now without hooking up my gauges. It is awful. We use to talk about the smell of burning refrigerant as being comparable to mustard gas. LOL Burning refrigerant also creates phosgene gas, which could kill a person in high doses.

I have the same problem. Deductible so high it would take a whole lot of damage to even cover that.

puma guy, I was just looking through some older posts and realized you had previously made a post concerning an electrical issue created by a lightning strike. Later on you made a post concerning a compressor failure that was eating up your stimulus money. It hit me that the lighting strike probably caused the compressor failure. I don't know if you ever filed a claim for all your damages but if so you can add that compressor to the claim. It is not just possible but probable if they told you it had "burned/grounded" out.

SQLGeek wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 10:02 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 9:41 pm
Go with higher merv ratings for better filtration. Change them monthly during peak operating seasons.

What do you think about these?

https://www.amazon.com/Aerostar-12x12x1 ... B01CR9K0UQ

I like that they're less expensive than 3M or the other brands found in store since I have to replace so many in my house.

I've been using them for a couple of years and they seem to work well but that's only based on my uninformed opinion.

They are rated Merv 11 so that part is OK. The main difference in filter brands is in the construction. Sometimes the cheaper filter will tend to come apart around the edges. If the filter is not coming apart around the edges or getting stuck in your filter rack when you go to change them, it is fine. Five dollars a filter isn't too bad. Believe it or not that is about what I pay when I buy them from Lennox. I could probably get them cheaper if I bought them in large quantities but we just don't use enough of them these days to justify buying 200 at a time.

dlh wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 9:24 pm Another 100 degree day in my part of west Texas. Ugh. Glad my AC works.
My AC guy says most of the filters on the market will not prevent cat hair from clogging up condensers. Do I have to get rid of my cats?
Several AC guys have told me there is "old" freon which is much more efficient and "new" freon which is more environmentally friendly but less efficient at cooling. I have had car AC guys tell me the same thing.
Lastly, I hear most AC equipment is made in China anyway and the quality is not so good.
However, since I do not see any cooler summers approaching Texas I guess I better live with what I can get.

I think you mean evaporator coils but yes, there are filters that stop cat hair. They make 1" filters that will stop the hair as well as four and five inch filters that last longer than one month. The one inch filters are the pleated variety and made of a cloth looking material. https://www.google.com/search?q=one+inc ... e&ie=UTF-8

Go with higher merv ratings for better filtration. Change them monthly during peak operating seasons.

The four and five inch require a special filter rack be installed either below the furnace or air handler in an upflow or at the inlet side if you have a horizontal indoor unit. If you have one of the rare downflow systems, it is installed at the top of the furnace/air handler.

Calling R22 more efficient than 410A is not really proper terminology. 410A runs at higher pressures but the equipment is designed for it. When talking efficiency in AC one is typically talking about how much electricity it takes to cool the house. Modern day 410A units have far surpassed any R22 unit ever made in efficiency. Meaning they use far less electricity to do the same amount of cooling. Temperature drops across the coil are no different than with R22. An 18-20 degree temperature drop is the same no matter the refrigerant used to achieve it. So no, one does not "feel" any colder than the other.

AndyC wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 7:52 pm Jolly good - well done :)

Thank You. We do occasionally find ourselves in a position that requires charity over profit. Especially with elderly or long time customers. It usually comes back around. That lady will be financially OK again before we know it and when her 15 year old AC unit needs replaced in a year or so, she will remember we helped her out and allow us to do the work. Often folks like her have friends who they will tell to use our company. Honestly, 60 dollars is real cheap advertising.

ghostrider wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 5:54 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:16 pm
I had a lady friday almost crying over a 60 dollar repair. She hasn't worked in 6 weeks and is running out of money.

I'd like to pay for her repair - can you contact me?

you're a good guy, Andy.

That is darned nice of you but I hooked her up. I just went ahead and got her fixed up and n/c it. She has been a customer for at least 25 years. Heck, I remembered when her house was new and we did the start up on her original equipment. We have a lot of older customers like her. I was joking with my SIL the other day about finding some younger customers before our customer base all passed away.

puma guy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:20 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:16 pm

puma guy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:12 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:48 pm

RPBrown wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:45 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:32 pm

parabelum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:29 pm I tried “fixing” my own AC once. Didn’t go well
Couple of Glocks later it was working again.

Hahaha, we love do it your selfers.

Yes we do

I was wondering when we would hear from the other 30 plus year HVAC guy on this forum.

So are you gonna offer any of these guys a job?

China Virus economy is literally killing us. I had a lady friday almost crying over a 60 dollar repair. She hasn't worked in 6 weeks and is running out of money. Last year at this time people didn't care what a repair cost, just fix it. This whole thing has to stop. And soon!

Wish you were here in my area, I'd give you my business. I'll mention you to my son-in-law in Mansfield. He has several rent houses and three business locations.

That is very nice of you to offer but we work mostly Plano, Frisco and North Dallas area. Mansfield is a pretty good distance for us.

I Googled Brain cancer one night about three years ago. I am still not convinced I don't have it.

puma guy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:12 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:48 pm

RPBrown wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:45 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:32 pm

parabelum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:29 pm I tried “fixing” my own AC once. Didn’t go well
Couple of Glocks later it was working again.

Hahaha, we love do it your selfers.

Yes we do

I was wondering when we would hear from the other 30 plus year HVAC guy on this forum.

So are you gonna offer any of these guys a job?

China Virus economy is literally killing us. I had a lady friday almost crying over a 60 dollar repair. She hasn't worked in 6 weeks and is running out of money. Last year at this time people didn't care what a repair cost, just fix it. This whole thing has to stop. And soon!

RPBrown wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:45 pm

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:32 pm

parabelum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:29 pm I tried “fixing” my own AC once. Didn’t go well
Couple of Glocks later it was working again.

Hahaha, we love do it your selfers.

Yes we do

I was wondering when we would hear from the other 30 plus year HVAC guy on this forum.

parabelum wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:29 pm I tried “fixing” my own AC once. Didn’t go well
Couple of Glocks later it was working again.

Hahaha, we love do it your selfers.

howdy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:56 pm To change out the compressor, you must recover the old Freon and ANYTIME you open up the system, you replace the dryer. He has to put in either the old or the new Freon so there should be no labor charge there. He has to install a new dryer so I would think that would be part of the compressor warranty. He can do this job in about an hour or less so $850 is a complete ripoff. He has to pull the system down to a vacuum so I would discuss the "flush" with him. Charge for the new Freon should come with the warranty if the old compressor was the cause of the bad old Freon. I had an AC license many years ago and my information is also many years old. Just some info to help you have a discussion with your AC tech.

The manufacturer warranty on a compressor does not include refrigerant or driers ( a burn out will need 2, suction and liquid line drier). Only the compressor is supplied under warranty. Pulling the system into a vacuum will not remove the burnt oil that is in the system That sludge and oil will contaminate the new refrigerant and lead to another burned out compressor if not flushed out. The sludge and burned oil can also restrict the metering device at the evaporator coil and can also clog up the new liquid line drier. Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. Usually when one of my darned installers does not flush out the system properly. 1200 dollars for what is described is actually right in line with the going rate for legitimate HVAC companies. As long as they do what they say they are doing. Which I have no reason to believe they won't. But I don't know about every company in Texas. If you only knew the expenses involved in operating an HVAC company. I am paying 26K per year in liability insurance alone. Then we have all the other insurance costs on top of that. Vehicle insurance runs around 30K. Service technicians are in VERY short supply and will command at least 30-35 dollars per hour. I could go on but I think you can see my point. That 1200 dollars has to help cover much more than just the simple costs of labor and excluded materials.