Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - central air recharge
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06-11-01, 04:57 PM
I have a 10 year old central cooling unit that has never been charged.......when will it need a recharge and what are the signs that it is getting low?
MrRonFL
06-11-01, 05:25 PM
If it was properly installed, and well maintained, it should never need more refrigerant (in theory). In practice, entropy being unrelenting, you should have the system charge checked at least every couple of years. The biggest leak points are the valve cores in the service valves. The constant vibration eventually does them in, but they are cheap and easy for someone with the right tool to replace without losing the system charge.
The main early warning: If the filter is clean, the coils are clean and all fans are working well but the system cannot seem to keep up with the demand in very hot weather, it wouldn't hurt to have it checked. If you feel the larger of the two copper lines and it's not fairly cool to the touch, it may be low.
The main early warning: If the filter is clean, the coils are clean and all fans are working well but the system cannot seem to keep up with the demand in very hot weather, it wouldn't hurt to have it checked. If you feel the larger of the two copper lines and it's not fairly cool to the touch, it may be low.
06-11-01, 06:40 PM
Originally posted by MrRonFL
If it was properly installed, and well maintained, it should never need more refrigerant (in theory). In practice, entropy being unrelenting, you should have the system charge checked at least every couple of years. The biggest leak points are the valve cores in the service valves. The constant vibration eventually does them in, but they are cheap and easy for someone with the right tool to replace without losing the system charge.
The main early warning: If the filter is clean, the coils are clean and all fans are working well but the system cannot seem to keep up with the demand in very hot weather, it wouldn't hurt to have it checked. If you feel the larger of the two copper lines and it's not fairly cool to the touch, it may be low.
Hey, Thanks for your input, the larger copper tube is cold to the touch but also where the tubes connect to the a-coil
it turns to ice..........I might mention that it is really hot and very humid here in iowa at times.
If it was properly installed, and well maintained, it should never need more refrigerant (in theory). In practice, entropy being unrelenting, you should have the system charge checked at least every couple of years. The biggest leak points are the valve cores in the service valves. The constant vibration eventually does them in, but they are cheap and easy for someone with the right tool to replace without losing the system charge.
The main early warning: If the filter is clean, the coils are clean and all fans are working well but the system cannot seem to keep up with the demand in very hot weather, it wouldn't hurt to have it checked. If you feel the larger of the two copper lines and it's not fairly cool to the touch, it may be low.
Hey, Thanks for your input, the larger copper tube is cold to the touch but also where the tubes connect to the a-coil
it turns to ice..........I might mention that it is really hot and very humid here in iowa at times.
MrRonFL
06-12-01, 06:37 PM
If you are getting ice formation on the suction line (the big one) and your air flow is good, then you probably have marginally low charge. If so, time for a touch-up and a hunt for the leak.