AC compressor lines frosted

Your system is low on refrigerant.

You can't fix it yourself, it's against the law.

If you could fix it yourself, you wouldn't ask here.

Don't bump this.

>>1198497
>You can't fix it yourself, it's against the law.
kek

>>1198498
Ok, you can't buy the refrigerant needed without a license which you don't have and can't get. Also, that's a pretty good law as laws go because you have no idea what to even ask here, so.....

>>1198497
How do you know that's the problem? That's not the only thing which could cause this issue, and doesn't explain the fan never shutting off.

My A/C did the same thing recently OP. Turned out to be a bad relay switch that was stuck on the on position. So even though the thermostat sent the off signal and the fan stopped, the A/C kept running and frosted the pipes.

>>1198503
Because that's 99.9% of problems with residential AC systems, and the fan is linked to systems affected by a low refrigerant charge.

By all means, go find the .01% of a problem affecting him that isn't caused by formaldehyde corrosion.

>>1198506
>not a refrigerant problem.
>obviously getting cold enough.
>fan does run.
Wow, looks like you need a whole new ac unit sir, i will cut you a deal and throw in new ducts for only $5k freedom bucks.

>>1198513
You're absolutely right.

Your compressor frosting at the intake, which means flash gas is forming at your compressor intake lines, means it's 'getting cold enough', which means that me telling you that your refrigerant charge is low, which means you have a leak in your system, is because America is bad, because of Nazis, or Antifa, or the Niggers, or something that is popular this year.

You have caught me and my nefarious tricks, and I will not attempt to overcharge you again. All phased out refrigerants and hard to find leaks will come to you, but only if you post

"Nice Dick, Mick" in this thread.

>>1198513
>>1198516
What is this supposed to mean? Is anyone going to seriously answer OP's question?

yo. actual ac tech here.

if your lines are frozen that far to the compressor your evap coil(inside) is a solid block of ice.

this could be multiple things.
stuck contactor in the outdoor unit.
dirty filter.
indoor blower running slowly.
low charge.


id advise turning the unit off then going outside to be sure the compressor shuts off.
if it does. its not the contactor.
run the indoor fan but leave cooling off. make need to thaw the system. this will take 6-8 hours. and will make lots of water. be sure your condensate drains are clear.

after that. check your filter.

if thats clean. then have a pro come check your charge/search for leaks.

the fan on the outdoor unit never shuts off?

you could have a stuck relay for the blower.
or a bad thermostat. or incorrect wiring. need more pictures/information

>>1198506
what the fuck are you talking about "the fan is linked to low refrigerant charge"? not at all.

>>1198529
Thanks man, will do.

>>1198530
I thought it didn't, but after about 20 minutes with system=off, fan=auto, the fan on the outdoor unit has finally shut off.

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>>1198497
>illegal to buy refrigerant

https://www.google.com/search?q=refrigerant&tbm=shop

>>1198506
Dropped... I've had to Crack open my ac once a year for past 3 years... every season a new part and it's never required refrigerant. Parts ranged from 80 fan motor to 10 relay.

Go troll elsewhere.

>>1198747
So two things. Assume this requires manifold gauges Ala those used on cars, and would not locate the leak for homeowner.

Clue me in, but have always felt low refrigerant charge is the point at which one calls the AC guy.

>>1198497
>>1198500
>>1198506
>>1198516

HVAC guy, is that you? I haven't seen you shit up a thread in like, 8 or 9 months! How've you been, man? Well, how've you been besides a dick...

>>1198496
Post what model your ac system is as well. I'm wondering if your compressor is always running even with inside blower fan off... something in your description is not adding up.

>>1198838
Not even the guy you linked, but I came in here to tell you you're a rotten fucking person. It absolutely could be low coolant because this God damn apartment I lived in, in Savannah GA, those MF would fill the AC to the absolute minimum to work properly. They would come every come other month or so and put some more coolant in during the extreme temp months.

TLDR: Shut the fuck up pops, your time has come and passed. Fucking diy warrior

>>1198497
>You can't fix it yourself, it's against the law.

Citation needed. Laws aren't the same everywhere and in my state the "license" shit is not a legal requirement but a vendor custom as they prefer to sell to businesses while boning customers up the arse for small cans.

I order refrigerant online with no hassles. I do vehicles (so far) since my home systems haven't malfunctioned. The last tech to check my truck didn't use a nitrogen pressure test with UV dye to make fucking sure everything was properly sealed. I did and fixed the leak by replacing the corroded,seeping condenser.

Nice Dick, Mick

>>1198853
99.9 put likely? Fuck off scrub. Once you scrape together enough to get a house you can waste York own money on hvac guys.

>>1198529
Thia is the correct response giving the proper procedure to identify the problem.

ignore most of the rest - especially those who already KNOW what's wrong
(they don't know)

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>>1198747
You're a special kind of stupid.

>>1198496
>I'm trying to diagnose the issue before resorting to calling

Just check the stuff you can check. Blocked filters or ducts, etc. Odds are it's not that. But do all the homeowner stuff (that can be checked/fixed cheap) just to keep the pro from charging you for a housecall to remove dead racoon from vent.

I thought the law was simply that you must recover your refrigerant and dispose of it properly, which is licensed work

>>1198871
He's not entirely wrong on the buying. Hfcs are legal to posses without a 608, at least that was the case when I got my epa.

Also lol at all this butthurt in this thread. I don't know what it is about air that makes everyone involved act like arrogant scum bags.

As for op if you can't instantly find or eliminate any electrical issues that could be the cause you need to call a tech. Outside of minor repairs HVAC isn't really the best area to fuck around without knowledge simply because it's so easy to fuck up your system or just harm yourself. I'd say maybe only 5% of resi techs have close to a clue as to how to actually fix anything so pick your contractor carefully.

>>1198956
My refrigerant was tragically lost in a boating accident.

>>1198956
No touching refrigerant system without 608, specifically type 2 here, for obvious reasons. That means no hooking up gauges. Not that gauges are worth a shot if you don't have a way to measure line temps anyways.

Everything else is fine though your work may not be up to code, not that it's a big deal though.

>>1198853
Thank your faggot land lord for only using maintenance man side job Bob. Landlords are notoriously cheap. A real tech would walk instantly if a customer just wanted them to throw gas in a system every month, illegal as fuck and no money.

So what ended up being the problem, OP?
>>1198856
>Citation needed
Here you go
https://www.epa.gov/section608/revised-section-608-refrigerant-management-regulations
>>1198861
(Yes I do)
It's not that there couldn't be other problems, it's a combination of the poor quality manufacturing of AC components to reduce costs combine with fucking formaldehyde in everything in a modern home causing corrosion that makes a small leak causing this almost certain. Furthermore, OP going through and learning everything he needs to know to do a good job of troubleshooting it while being hot as fuck and miserable would not be beneficial to him.

To all the asshurt people talking about 'hurr durr fuck your laws', just get your EPA 608 license, it just takes a bit of studying and like 80 bucks to test. If you can't be fucked to learn the material you won't be much help to yourself anyways. It's not hard, and there's lots of free study material online.
>>1198844
I'm not that guy.

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>>1198531
>>1198847
Pic related is the outside unit.

>>1198999
Still not sure what the issue is. The fan wouldn't shut off today so I turned the inside and outside unit breakers off. Both melted, and I cleaned up the water in the basement from the inside units ice.

Fortunately it's not very hot inside so I don't need the AC tonight. Looks like I will have to call some HVAC jackass to come out. I've only lived here 2 years so I'm not sure how to go about picking which jackass to call.

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>>1199024
This is the inside unit

>>1199024
You're a fucking a prick that I'd hate to deal with so calm your tits or a sales tech will Rob you blind. Get a guy that at least knows what sh/SC are, I'm too tired to explain but do your research. Tell dispatch you don't agree to pay a trip fee if the tech doesn't know those things. You don't have to pay unless you sign and even then you can be a scumbag and get away with it. Also demand he shows his epa so you can weed out a shitload of new sales techs.

Don't be an ignorant prick though or the few decent techs will walk real quick. On the bad end I've done a coil with full charge for 700 under warranty which is likely though expect up to 1400 depending on market. Be wary if you sign a deal and a tech besides the original shows up for a major repair. Also watch out for a gas and go if it is a refrigeration cycle issue. Your system is 410, if your issue is not electrical get your major warranty repair done.

If you get had don't try to take it out on the service guy or else your shit very well may be destroyed, yell at the sales tech and on that note also get the sales guys number and make sure it works. Fuck sales techs.

>>1199038
Fuck you, what's your problem? I don't care about having to call someone out here any pay him well, I'm not poor I just enjoy doing things myself when possible because I enjoy it.

The reason I want to research who to call to fix it isn't about money, it's just about getting someone who will do it right because 95% of guys who do any construction related work for a living are either minorities or white trash. Either way almost all of them are worthless subhuman degenerates who I wouldn't let on my property, let alone inside my house.

>>1199047
Do you have a multi meter?

>>1199052
Yes.

>>1199047
Everything you say makes you bait for sales techs.

I'm trying to help you but you just won't get it. You'll hire a side job hack or a sales tech. You're fucked. I was telling you how to vet but you're too far gone.

Most contractors are shit but it's your fault for falling for bullshit. You're arrogant and ignorant which is very easy to take advantage of.

Here's the thing about trades, we got retarded sales guys, retarded installers, and actual tradesmen you won't see till shits fucked beyond belief. I want you to find the few guys that know their shit but still do sales.

I wouldn't fuck with you but if you act like a non retarded in real life you might find someone decent who would.

The air handler contains an ECM motor according to the data provided. Check and make sure the fan is running after everything has defrosted. Overnight or until you visibly ensure the indoor coil is clear. Being an ECM fan it gets more complicated to troubleshoot.

>>1199058
He should be running Dan on to defrost anyways. Ecms are easy.

Does it seem like the fan is actually on?

Is it weak?

Is it stuttering.

The motor will likely be fine but if those issues exist replace module, wouldn't even ohm windings under warranty. Basic ecms are basic garbage in an overpriced bundle.

>>1199062
The fan works fine - not weak, not stuttering.

>>1199062
Easy for a tech to troubleshoot

>>1199063
Cu on when there's no call for cool at tstat?

If not then it's a refrigerant circuit issue, tech and major repair needed

>>1198496
>AC compressor lines frosted
>>1198497
>Your system is low on refrigerant.
TRUE
>You can't fix it yourself, it's against the law.
ITT: LIES LIES LIES

It is ABSOLUTELY not against the law for a home owner to repair the ac system on their own home. EVEN if that means putting refrigerant into their system.

ANYONE
N
Y
O
N
E
else who tells you different is a fucking liar

>>1199070
This nigga trying to fish for that epa tip money

Or is just a retard

>>1199067
>Cu on when there's no call for cool at tstat?

I'm not sure yet, because when I first discovered the issue I immediately turned off the cooling via the tstat, but left the fan running. Shortly after, the lines outside were defrosted. However, I left it that way and went to sleep and today I found the lines caked in ice once again even though the system was off (but fan was on).

>>1199075
Well lets see if the outdoor unit fan is running fine... Then whats stated before is correct. you must check refrigerant circuit. Failed TXV or low charge requires manifolds and other equipment.

>>1199075
This isn't an intermittent fuck you issue. Let system cool for 5 minutes. Set fan to auto, turn cool temp 10 degrees above ambient, make sure indoor fan is off then walk outside and see if cu is on.

>>1199075
This being a 410 unit do not let some jack leg just shoot refrigerant into the unit if low. 410 is a blend and should be fully recovered. The system should be charged with nitrogen and leak checked. Then re-charged to factory spec plus additional for line set length above data plate charge.

>>1199079
Agree with finding leak spot and getting major repair done but fuck weigh ins. Weigh in is even worse than approach. Weigh in base charge and adjust to SC then double check sh.

Also who cares that it's a blend? No chlorine so even with the higher gwp it's more eco friendly that r22 according to the epa overlords.

Most likely the leak will be the txv nut either over or under tightend, or the schrader valves are leaking.

>>1199082
You mean recovery or dump? 404 and 410 i pull out completely and use fresh product to ensure the refrigerant performs as intended. There is a degree of separation with blends that leak and performance data. Plus i sell refrigerants and parts. Im in it to make money not save customers money.

>>1199085
>>1199083
Why so namecunt namecunt?

>>1199086
cant keep track of myself
Get over it

>>1199085
You wouldn't need to recover here. I make money on labor. If it's clean it's clean.

I recover on cu side repairs or non condenisbles but it's not flat. Plus 410 is skyrocketing, not a time to waste as a company.

>>1199093
I pay 130.00 to 140.00 US for 410, I charge out 21.50 US per lb x 20 lb billable Im happy.

I also quote double charge for leaking units to hit my 90 warranty window especially in cooling season.

>>1199094
I pay 120 a jug on honeywell. Charging 80 a lb and I'm still cheap. You are on hack rates.

>>1199097
Then why do you worry about waste? Hack rate? Not sure where you are at so I do not know your areas pricing tier, but I know my competitors charges. On one hand we all compete but at the same time we all communicate with each other to identify non paying or shitty deal customers.

>>1199098
Wasting time recovering and pulling a 500 micron vacuum to add 1 lb of refrigerant to a slightly low system....

are you retarded?

>>1198964
Thank you. It's a sealed fucking system.. your not supposed to need to just fucking top it off.

>>1199082
Since it's a blend different components evaporate at slightly different pressures/temps than other parts. So if you leak some out then there's a good chance it's gonna throw the remaining refrigerant out of proportion which can affect its performance.. same reason you have to charge it as a liquid.

>>1199166
Pay for the leak to be found or pay much less for a gas and go. My time isn't free.

>>1199097
I do appliance repair and we charge 12$ per ounce of 414b ..

>>1199170
>using 414b
why? there are better and more available refrigerants out there

>>1199154
i dont know about these guys but i do commercial work, we top off if a system is low but still operating and add UV dye if we suspect a leak that isnt something stupid like the goddamn service port cores or already visible via oil staining.
but commercial we usually have to do a topoff before we can do an LCR since scheduling is usually a bitch

>>1199253
We do a lot of work on older sub zero built in fridges. Its actually worth the cost to rebuild the sealed systems in these and a lot of the older ones are r 12. Sub zero wants you to specifically use 414 as a replacement.

Fwiw it's around 2k for us to replace a compressor, evaporator, heat exchanger and filter dryer, takes 3~4 hours and we warranty the repair for 2 years

>>1198496
Airflow before refrigerant, go to you indoor coil, if it's an A cool take the front plate and clean the inside of the coil, make sure you indoor blower is working.

>>1199264
any reason why they want 414b over something like 401a? there are a few different r12 drop ins available still

>>1199283
No clue, but they include charging charts with all their evaporator to adjust for the minor weight/ performance difference between the two.

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>>1198871
You enormous fagot, I just bought this yesterday. Nobody gave two shits.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/

>>1199362
Different refrigerant, and I'd be willing to bet that you can't fit that hose onto your system without an adapter of some kind.

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>>1198497
>>1198500
>tfw i've done this like 15 times for friend's vehicles
>tfw i don't have any license
>tfw the local auto parts store sells this shit as a kit to do it

>>1199393
>moving goal posts

You shouldn't make blanket statements.

>oh yeah i bet you can't because of ____ reason in my fantasy

You are starting to get whiny.

>>1199362
R314a isn't regulated, it's for use on cars, not home units.

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>>1198871

There's an entire shelf of this at my local Wal-Mart, between the oil/gas additives and whatever's on the endcap at the time.

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=refrigerant&cat_id=0

>>1199047

Oh good a diy appliance fixer who thinks he's superior and a know-it-all because he knows how to use the internet. I make bank off dumb asses like you who fuck their unit up more trying to fix it and then can't find anyone who will go near it let alone give it a warranty. You are SOL unless you find an independent and reputable HVAC technician, or the company who initially installed it, (if you installed it, reread the "SOL" part again).

>>1199362
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Made my fucking day right there.

Usually what happens next with people like this guy is they fuck it up so badly or don't realize that they need an assortment of regulators and gauges so they get nowhere. Next he'll have to look for the lowest down on his luck HVAC technician who will probably not even want to touch it or will do the bare minimum. Next he'll buy a cheap ass chinese minisplit off ebay and try to install it himself and will most likely fuck up the drain, flares or electrical (my guess would be the electrical).

>>1199401
Different guy actually. And different goal posts. You can be internet right if it's that important to you, yes you can buy a can of 134a without a license, you can also buy several and put a few pounds of it into your home ac unit. However it really won't end well....

Your stuck dealing with... the hvac cabal!

>>1199435
>However it really won't end well....

It's been working for years now. I really don't see a problem.

>>1199420
They have a built in pressure gauge and regulator.

>>1199458
You can get away with that in a car ac system. That's what those cans are meant for. Home ac isn't the same thing. Try it and report back with your findings

>>1199420
Oh look, another high school dropout HVAC worker thinks he's actually worth something to society.

Enjoy your $45k a year with no benefits, retard.

>>1199508
>Enjoy your $45k a year with no benefits, retard.
I love how people think we make that little. Almost everyone I know makes 6 figures.

>>1199537
>Hvac cabal
Shhh actual salary for keeping people warm cool and comfy is classified!

>>1199471
>tfw the HVAC guys recharded my aunt's AC unit last year and they literally just used those cans, like several of them
>tfw when vented the old shit out into the air and it was a white cloud as big as the house
>tfw they said it is "good" for the environment

Really dude? Because I don't believe a single fucking thing anyone says about anything anymore. I have to do it myself or witness it first hand. Oh, and her AC has no problems the last I knew of which was a few days ago.

>>1199508
You sounds like an angry guy that lost his job to some India guy. How is waiting tables Going for you?

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>>1199537
>6 figures
>a lot

>>1199553
Do you remember the name of the company? They're probably late on their cabal fees...

>>1199553
Sounds like such a bad hack company that they can't even properly screw you right. Your supposed to recover all the refrigerant, charge for doing so, charge for the cost of having to turn it in for "recycling" then vent it out when no ones looking back at the shop... incompetents the lot of them, I swear they'll be the death of this proud industry.

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>>1199553
You are dumb, that unit is working like shut that is fact, Compressors work only with the designed refrigerant it was made for, if you put r134a into a unit that is for r22, the pressure will be off making the temp of the coils way off and work like shit.

Look at this chart, you want indoor coil around 40 degrees and outdoor coil 30 degrees over ambient temp.

>>1199547
No one believes us anyways. Kind of weird considering how people swear they're dying of their ac is down for an hour though, how can we not make money when the demand is so high?

>>1199555
Ddaaaayyyyyuuuummmm ch3ck um

>>1199560
>Not charging then a recovery and disposal free then immediately dumping it into a bucket of water and having the scrapper come by to buy anything you ripped out
Rookie.

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>>1199555
I'm a 6'4" chef at Wendy's with a 9 inch cock making over $130,000 per year (before bonuses and tips).

>>1199572
I'm sorry mrs johnson you're refrigerant is worn out and will need to be replaced, we can take care of that for you, also we will replace your furnace filter for free.

Seriously I hear a lot of rumors about companies screwing people, but they don't compare to how much damage you could really do if you were dishonest.. it's vaguely terrifying.

>>1199582
Is it a female penis?

>>1199603
Yeah, could you imagine people selling 1000 dollar uv lights to customers after showing them pictures of air handlers that aren't the home owners but claiming they are? Or selling a compressor for 3k when all that's wrong is a capacitor? Good thing those things never happen, would be really bad for our reputation if they did.

>>1199615
Thinking more long term like "you should have your refrigerant replaced yearly"... long term business...

>>1199624
If there was money in it it would have been done. It's not even hard to market if you add changing the compressor oil in there too but the price point would have to be pretty hefty.

>>1199565
>410 a is a refrigerant blend
>there is no dew or bubble point listed
Do you even hvac?

Actual tech here saw a lot of shitposting didn't know if someone actually answered your question
OP your suction line is frozen TXV is probably bad and needs to be replaced. Also check the indoor fan you can hear it without opening the furnace doors but honestly you'll need a tech to do the work anyways so just call some poor Mexican with a license to come out and fix it.

>>1199845
OP here. Thanks - yeah I'm just going to call someone. Probably won't be a mexican around here though, most hvac guys in this area are eastern european so I'll have to bemore careful about getting ripped off

>>1198529
>if your lines are frozen that far to the compressor your evap coil(inside) is a solid block of ice.


Truth.

evap coil is probably filthy as fuck, and you need to replace your filter more often, with a better quality filter.

The dual pole relay on the condensor unit is maybe stuck. could be a signal or a corroded solenoid. Use a multimeter to find out if the solenoid side of the relay is being energized when it shouldn't, or if it's getting stuck after voltage is removed. You can just pull one of the thin wires going to the relay to see if it shuts down, but you're playing around right under a 220V relay, so actually, just call a service to clean your A-coil (evap coil) and check the control voltage going from the thermostat to the furnace (air mover) to the condensor.

Do any of you other techs have experience adding in that leak seal stuff? I've had a couple systems where it held pressure at 450 psi, vaccumed down to 400 but still lost refrigerant over the year. I've added that leak seal stuff to probably about 5 units now with no callbacks. Just wondering

Also those new "no braze required" copper fittings, how are they? Nobody in my area buys them haha

Usually a compressor freezing up means an air restriction in the heat exchanger.

Change yer filters dumass!

>>1199878
If you mean the lokring fittings were looking at them.. I'm the appliance repair guy and 2019 is the last year for new fridges with 134A... most manufacturers are probably going to r 600 and are gonna require mechanical fittings instead of brazed connections... fwiw I've seen them on high sides in lg and Samsung stuff for a few years now and have yet to find one leaking from the fitting..

>>1199878
I hate leak seal, never seems to work but leads to gummed up txvs. Wasn't an issue when I was sales but as service I decline when they try to give me it for free.

Fuck those non braze fittings too. The few people I know who used then had too many leaks.

>>1199508

>triggered the post

I really hurt you with the mini-split spiel didn't I?

>thinks he's worth something
>nearly every home in America has refrigerants and air conditioners that break down every 5-10 years.
>Government bans refrigerants like it's DDT because of Al Gore, meaning every unit with that refrigerant will print money when a service call comes because they'll be enticed to buy new.
>Some states give thousands in rebates which is more incentive
>$45,000 in june-july alone because of stupid people like you who wait till the first 90 degree day to get/fix an A/C unit.
Thanks!

>>1199460
That's a really cool story bro, make sure you tell your compressor that when you load it full of a different type of refrigerant.

>>1199154
Who the fk.... I never said that. Its a blend. if undercharged. evacuate, then pull a vacuum.... 500 micron? Braze in a drier recharge with clean product.
What standard of warranty do you provide?

>>1200792
It bleeds evenly. You must be some kind of helper. There is no need to evacuate if you're just adding 410. You're wasting either your companies money or your customers. You're really only looking to replace with virgin reefer in the case of contamination or replacing oil.>>1200792

>>1198497
You forgot to sage

>>1199024
Wow, because you're a faggot and a dumbass, I'm going to call Carrier with the serial numbers you foolishly provided, and fuck your warranty up, pham.

Also, sounds like the ten phase adapter on your t-87 is the problem. Just cut the C wire and run it directly to R.

What everyone said here is right:

>check the filter your shit is probably dirty, change it more faggot

>if evap coils are filthy, open it and spray in some foaming coil cleaner; it foams up all over it and cleans itself off. You can also spray water on it all.

>make sure drain line isn't clogged, pour some bleach down it maybe

>If that still doesn't fix it and it was running fine before (so the return is likely big enough), call an HVAC guy to check the refrigerant compression level and fill it up

I had a new HVAC system installed in my ancient house to replace a 50 year old heater, found an old guy on Thumbtack who's cheap, chill, and experienced, a rare gem. He filled it up in winter and told me it's possible he underfilled the system so call him if shit freezes. Summer hits, shit starts freezing; called him and he came by to top off the system (at no cost of course), shit isn't freezing now. Of course, we just installed the HVAC and know all the variables involved, it's also a painfully simple system, no zones or anything. Bad airflow from shit filters/missized returns and low refrigerant levels are like 95% of hvac freezing issues.

I am going to install a freeze stat at some point, hanging off the out line and connecting to the Y wire that leads to the outdoor compressor. It's a simple as fuck clip-on sensor with two wires. They provide an always-closed circuit that breaks open when the line gets to freezing temperature, cutting off power to the compressor (at which point my smart thermostat should tell me "hey where did the cooling system go?". I don't expect it to freeze anymore but I'll be moving out one day and renting this place out, and if it leaks I'm sure some idiots will just keep trying to run it until the compressor burns on. On the plus side, my hvac guy tells me most modern compressors have controllers in them that prevent pumping when the pressure variance is dramatically off, preventing burnouts like in the past.