Air Conditioning - Reading pressure for AC

Hi,
My Trane X14-R410 central AC is 1 year old and it barely outputs cool air. The installer came 3 times to add pressure, and I have a feeling there's a leak somewhere. I want to monitor the system myself. I bought a manifold pressure gauge. I found the 3 Nuts on the outside compressor, but am not sure how to proceed. Could you please provide instructions/weblinks on how to make the measurement?

Thank you very much

If it's only a year old, insist to your installer that you want the leak fixed. If he were to find out that you tried to put gauges on it, you could void your warranty...not even taking into consideration of the freeze burn you could receive.

And it is against the law unless you have an EPA card.

Just so you know we do not offer or support diy refrigeration work as was said that you must be certified to do it.

Here (http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=315401) is a sticky that explains it.

I didn't know it's illegal. My AC installer specializes in 'slam-trunk' operation, as after the sale, he became very difficult to get. He would only come after many repeated calls. Usually when the weather is not hot any longer. I'll call a different AC person.

But as so often happens here, the original problem that prompted you action to buy gauges was set aside by the EPA thing. Except by tinmantu.

As state to protect us, you, and doityourself.com, we cannot and wil not offer any advice on the sealed system. Meaning attaching gauges and other things that a certified tech will do.

Here, as far as the homeowner we will ask you to feel and look at pipes.

To expound on what tinmantu said. Assuming "adding pressure means adding refrigerant.

Elisi, this what to do after returning those gauges for a refund.

Gather all the info you have for installing this unit. Place it all on the kitchen table. Make sure the costs are in clear view. Write on a plain piece of paper
"SEALED SYSTEM, REFRIGERANT SHOULD NOT LEAK OUT!". Place that to the left or right of the bills.

Sit at the table and Relax. Now, close your eyes and think of all the crap that has happened to you throughout your entire life that you had not control of. Let your anger start to boil. Once you get to a hard boil, ready for pasta type.

Then open your eyes and focus on the bills, look at all that money you paid! Get madder, look at the paper you wrote! SEALED SYSTEM, REFRIGERANT SHOULD NOT LEAK OUT!!

Now, pick up the phone and call the installing company, stay at a hard boil.

Talk to the owner, president, install manager, repair manager. Be ticked and get as high as you can go.

This is the important part! You have to impress in the first 30 seconds or so that you are not the average dumb homeowner. You know of that which you speak.

You could even open the outdoor unit to get ino -- no don't do that.

What you need to do is explain that the manufacturer chargeed the outdoor unit with enought refrigerant of it, 15 feet of linest (the pipes) and the matched indoor unit. The manufacturer also gave instructions for adding charge for alternate linset lenghts and evaporator coils.

Your company has been to my home 3 time in the past year since installing this unit to add refrigerant! It is obviously going somewhere other than through the components in the system.

I PAID YOU X$ TO INSTALL THIS SYSTEM! NOW YOU GET OVER HERE AND FIX WHAT WAS DONE WRONG AND MAKE IT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!

OR I WILL CALL ANOTHER COMPANY TO FINISH YOUR INSTALL AND SEND YOU THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!

Elisi, you paid good money for something and not getting what you paid for. Stick it to em.

Long post, wife just got home. Honey list is upon me. Get mad and stay mad, get your money's worth!

DIY or DIS (screwed)

HVAC and ZEN?