Air Conditioning - Trane - Small line freezing cold - not cooling

Hi everyone,

<p>Newb here. I have a Trane XR13 system that was installed last year (read - just out of warranty :). I had the entire system replaced - air handler, heat system, coil, condenser - the entire system.

<p>I have had great results till now. The system is not cooling properly. The air is not cold. The small line at the compresser and the place where it enters the coil is freezing cold. The big line is ambient temperature or pretty close.

<p>The system is not a heat pump system. The outside air is about 65. Inside the house is 75. I am trying to get it to cool to 73. Why is the small line cold? I thought that was supposed to be the high pressure side and it will always be slightly warm or at least warmer than the low pressure (big line).

<p>There is plenty of air flow through the coil. I don't think it is iced up. I let the fan run for two hours with all cooling off. Turned cooling back on, no difference. I can hear the compressor kick on outside as well as the fan. Everything sounds and looks normal - just no cooling and the lines are the wrong temperatures.

<p>Any ideas?

<p>Rob

What type of expansion device does your system have, TXV, orfice, etc? Sounds to me like liquid refrigerant is flooding back to the compressor.

I believe it's an orifice.

A dumb question first. if outside temperature is 65, inside is 75, and you want 73, why don't you just open the window. from what you said, sounds like the cold air was never compressed and it goes to the liquid line. well, that is not right either..from what you said it is hard to tell. if you have a gage and get the pressure reading from both lines, that will help. You said this is not a heatpump, but sure sounds like one..

Is this freezing right near the valve on the outdoor unit? Something may be blocked in there and having this issues.

This part of the system is not really DIY so, you may be best to call someone and have it checked out.

Sounds like a sealed system problem most likely a liquid line filter drier that has stopped up with debris from a poor/sloppy install. Better get a experienced tech out on this one.

can see the condenser with a dryer within itself....usually installed outside the unit remove the condenser cover or look down into the condenser(unit off) to see if there is a dryer just out of the bottom of the condenser where the liquid line starts coming out.if you restart the machine and grab the thinnest line out,and feel a cold real quick you have a restriction on the dryer,and it is acting like refrigeration device that the furnaces runs on.needs to be repalced

Suggest having an HVAC Mechanic check it out. Sounds like the built-in filter drier is clogged. Needs to be removed, replaced with tubing, and a new FD installed in the liquid line just outside of the condensing unit.Beer 4U2

First a 13 seer has a TXV and not an orfice.

If the small line aka the liquid line is colder than ambien temperture then filter drier is restricted. On an XR13 its probably in the unit just before the line exits.

Two possible causes would be compressor valves coming apart inside or bad install getting dirt or debris into the line set