Need some A/C assistance

[CanTex]

Hi Guys, hope someone can point me in the right direction. Came home Monday to a puddle on the floor outside of the a/c cabinet in the house. Did a check and noted that the drain hose outside did not show any wet marks on the ground so I assumed that there was a clog. Fished out the drain line from the cabinet to the outside and some gunk came out, followed by water. Assumed I had fixed the problem.

Came home last night, more water on the floor, water also outside on drain line. Removed the cover and found I had a block of Ice on one side ( left ) of the coils. Top to bottom. I shut down the system for a few hours and then turned it on again. Within 1/2 hour I had frost on the left side coils to the 1/2 mark. Shut the system down overnight and have just started it up.

Now, I have removed the filter, till the entire cabinet has had a chance to dry out and will be getting some coil cleaner today. Any other suggestions/ideas? or is this an indicator of beyond my duct tape/wd40 abilities?.

I woke this am and have turned the unit back on. Wife works nights and will need the system running even if it freezes up to get some restful sleep and I have to go to work. I suspect that the clogged drain started a freeze up and I did not check/clear it before starting up the system. I am hoping that the frost buildup is either normal or due to the system not being dry enough.....

Any ideas?

 

[TexasRedneck]

Possible...but more likely that you're a bit low on freon. It's normal to leak a little out over time.

 

[scap99]

If only one spot is frozen on the coil, you may have a clogged capillary tube, distributor tube, or orifice.
It'll frost up no matter if everything is dry or not. No different than a tumbler of iced tea sweating on the table.

Have an a/c guy look at it for you.

 

[CanTex]

Possible...but more likely that you're a bit low on freon. It's normal to leak a little out over time.

K, two new questions, is this something I can fix myself ( like is there a kit similar to the one I use on my car ) or do I need to get in a pro..

 

[CanTex]

Also, I am in Taylor, system is original to the house ( we just moved in a few months ago ). Any good A/C guys local? or anyone I should avoid? if it comes to needing outside help.

 

[TexasRedneck]

I've recharged car a/c's....wouldn't consider doin' one on the house - lots more expensive to screw up, IMO. No idea as to local guys to call.......

 

[tango5seven]

Definately sounds low on freon. Not hard to recharge - if you have the tools and r22. I'm betting you don't. The hard (expensive) part is finding the leak and fixing it. It is not normal to lose freon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk when i should have been doing something useful

 

[mantawolf]

R22 is also getting expensive. It is being phased out and stocks are starting to run low.

 

[TexasRedneck]

The hard (expensive) part is finding the leak and fixing it. It is not normal to lose freon.

With all due respect....that's not true. It's VERY normal to lose freon - slowly, and over a period of years. We have no idea as to the age of the unit, so it's hard to judge - but a/c units have seals, and there's not a seal out there in normal use that doesn't have a SMALL amount of leakage. By small, I'm talking a minimum of 5 or so years (in my experience) before having any concerns w/enough loss to be of concern. I've also seen units that go 10+ years without losing much - so there's a variance, to be sure.

 

[winchster]

Step 1- clean the coil thoroughly
Step 2- new filter
Step 3- clean the condenser coil thoroughly

If it still freezes up after that, call a licensed AC company. Personal preference is one with a TACLA # vs. TACLB #.

Wet coil doesn't mean anything, no need for it to dry before you start it up.

 

[CanTex]

Home from work. It has frozen up with a lot less ice than previous and was still operational on my arrival. I have a can of coil cleaner and am currently letting the ice melt ( where as before it was thick enough to be clear, now it is only a white covering.. I went outside and sprayed down the exterior fins. They were, on two sides clogged ( so system obviously running at less than 50 percent ). I Will spray down the interior coils when the ice melts ( about 15 min from now ). Should tomorrow bring more ice I will make that call. Thanks to all who answered.

Oh, and when in operation, do the coils normally frost over then it thaws during the time it has cycled off or is any white flaky stuff an indicator of issues?

 

[scap99]

You do not want the coil to get cold enough to frost. Once the airflow starts getting blocked off it will only ice over worse.


Sent without thinking via tapatalk.

 

[winchster]

You do not want the coil to get cold enough to frost. Once the airflow starts getting blocked off it will only ice over worse.


Sent without thinking via tapatalk.

Exactly.

 

[Davetex]

I'm in Pflugerville and my neighbor across the street is an A/C guy. I guaranty he is as honest as the day is long.

Nathan Jones
Freeze Technology
512-537-3883
freezetechnology@gmail.com

Nathan will not rip you off.

 

[CanTex]

Davetex, I have sent an email and will be calling him in the morning... AGAIN A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL.... your assistance is always appreciated.

 

[Glockster69]

Best of luck to you

 

[CanTex]

Nathan was out yesterday. Looks like gun show will be viewing only for me this weekend....... Near 2 grand to fix ( though I checked and found that his price is in line for the repairs ). Very happy with the response time, as well as the options/costs and his obvious concern to get it done right.

Now I am sitting at 3am sweat running freely and unable to sleep cause till the parts arrive today...... it is hot.

Again thanks to all for the assistance, and especially for the tip to call Nathan.

 

[Davetex]

Glad it's getting fixed. He's a good guy and I wouldn't think of letting anyone else work on my A/C.

 

[Davetex]

Hey Cantex, you got A/C now? Nathan get you fixed up?

 

[CanTex]

Yep, he fixed it Friday. Did an excellent job and I only could be happier if it had not taken out the gun fund...... Dang parts are expensive and going to a newer, more efficient system was not in the budget, nor were there any incentives.. I would recommend him if you need A/C work or maintenance.