Air Conditioning Repair

[SQLit]

Call a pro and have it silver soldered, replace the dryer if there is one. put a vaccum pump on it to see if it will hold then refill it.

[Greg O]

Sure it can be repaired, but with the labor rates as they are the AC is probably junk. Either spend $200 for a new one or pay someone $200 to repair it.Your choice! Greg

[Old Salty Frog]

While mounting and seting up my window framing around the air conditioning unit (window mount type unit) I slipped with the elec. drill and put 1/16" hole in the copper tubing. Of course, the refrigerant leaked all out. Is my air conditioner ruined? Since this portion of the copper tube where I accidently put the hole into is easily accesable, can I solder it? Can the unit be refilled with refrigerant? This unit is a FEEDERS model A2Q10F2BG, type Q, SKU#401-183

Thanks

Gill

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

You will have to look at the cost to repair verses the cost of the Window unit. Boosty Cottongin here fixes them for $95.00 to $135.00 total cost on 6K btu to the 24K btu. and if you only paid this to buy it. Weight of the cost and see. If the repairs was made by a respectiable hvac repair service. This would not violate the warrenty.

Fixing it your self would be a ideal but you need the proper tools to do it right.

TURTLE

[jeff]

Hope you where not trying to add some drain holes to the unit!

Not healthy ;)

The hole would be covered up with something stronger than regular solder since the operating and static pressures in the window a/c are super high. Take the unit to local repair shop for an est. Hope the unit was not ran with a hole in the tubing as this could damage the compressor. This type of work would probably start out around $100-150.00 The repair would be to weld up the hole, flush out the tubing inside, add access valves, evacuate the system and recharge if you other leaks are found.

jeff. Appliance Repair Aid

[Old Salty Frog]

Thanks for responding Jeff

No the unit was not running and therefore the compressor is saved. I did not know that you have to ad access valves. Well maybe I'll forget the repair all together..........Now, does any one know how to make a small air compressing unit out of this mistake so that I can recoupe from my clumsy mistake.

Gill

[Old Salty Frog]

Thanks for responding Jeff

No the unit was not running and therefore the compressor is saved. I did not know that you have to ad access valves. Well maybe I'll forget the repair all together..........Now, does any one know how to make a small air compressing unit out of this mistake so that I can recoupe from my clumsy mistake.

Gill

[*CBHVAC*]

Toss it.

By the time you have the hole silver filled, the units coil flushed out to remove any copper shavings that will clog the metering device, a service port added, a vac placed on teh unit, and a recharge, you can go buy a new one...easy.

[Richard J Kinch]

I am just an armature, but I have done many such repairs successfully. Applying a vacuum and weighing in the charge require the costly tools. But both of these can be improvised cheaply with R-134a if you're motivated and assuming you can handle the soldering or brazing.

If it's a small hole in the copper tube you might even get by clamping on a piece of rubber. Back in the 1970s we'd repair leaky rubber A/C hoses on cars with tire patches clamped with hose clamps; lasted longer than an expensive new hose. In your case you'd still need to solder on an access fitting, though.

If you're motivated, and the unit is just junk otherwise, might be worth a try.

[*CBHVAC*]

Lets see... You cant buy SilPhos by the stick, so thats a pound at $45. OxyAcyt torch, another 350. manifold that is accurate, another 150. scale thats accurate: another 350 to 600 vac pump, on sale 275 micron gauge, on sale, 150 flush, 75 ports, 5.00 each nitrogen tank, with regulator, 250 R22, at least 90

No, it cant.

134a and R22 use different oils....and all you are doing by hacking a unit with 134a is creating a situation that will be most costly when the compressor locks up tight. The metering device in a window unit is not set up for 134a and will not cool near as well, or as efficient as 22...

In other words, you might think you have it fixed, but you do NOT.

Sigh...R12 units and R22 units here...pressures are a bit different... That advice is not EPA approved either.

Not really..its called illegal...sure...no ones gonna catch him...no ones gonna report him...but illegal it is.

[Richard J Kinch]

That's the right kit for the job. But you can improvise certain repairs without most of it.

My suggestion was conditional on this being an R-134a unit, not R-22, which would allow repeated filling and venting instead of vacuuming, obviating the need for all that equipment.

You're correct that it would be illegal these days with R-22 and less likely to succeed with R-22 pressures. Although my tire patches back in the 1970s worked fine on 300 psi R-12 high-side lines.

[*CBHVAC*]

And that was my point..there is getting it to work, and getting it to work right.

134a falls under the same guidelines as any other refrigerant, other than currently an EPA card is not required (well..it IS, but thats if you read the law and take it letter for letter, and no one does.) to buy 134a. BTW..havent seen but a few 134a units...most under 9000BTUs.

300PSI....on R12? Hummm....cant remember ever seeing a pressure that high on a R12 system...unless of course, the ambient was over 115F, the underhood was over 300, AND the metering device was clogged with an engine rpm over 2500...with the cooling fan blocked..:) But hey...its possible...unlikely...but possible. Gonna have to go look on the Cuda about midday tomorrow, and see what shes running..

[RB]

"Obviating the need for.." ???

RB

[Richard J Kinch]

Right, high 100s to low 200s seemed typical gauge pressures. I was thinking of the ratings printed on the hoses.

[Richard J Kinch]

How does the airsoft hobby get away with selling it as propellant? And disposable dusters?

[*CBHVAC*]

Same way AutoZone and Advance and such get away with it....I have to go back and check, its been a while for the MVAC stuff..but 134a has a loophole in the regs.

Also, you mentioned that you could vent 134a..that you cant..I missed that before. Not a big deal, but that much I remember..:)

[Richard J Kinch]

The EPA sayeth:

My interp:

Section 608 originially prohibited CFC venting, not 134a. The EPA added a 134a non-venting rule in 1998 based on junk science of alleged "global warming potential". For some reason, the EPA did not choose to apply the same thought process to ammonia, CO2, methane, or nitrogen, against which 134a is ridiculously inconsequential, even if you believe the junk science. The EPA still mercifully permits flatulence, for now. No doubt they are working on licensing, to be followed by phase-out.

Observation: 134a is widely sold to be vented, such as toy propellants ("airsoft") and dusters.

How is this?

The rule sez, "Releases of HFCs and PFCs that are not used as refrigerants" are exempt!?

So spew all the billions of pounds you like. Just don't let it change phase more than once.

It is obvious the chief purpose of this regulation is to benefit the HVAC trade, by creating still more barriers to entry (costly tooling and certification) that increase prices and profits for those in the biz.

I happily note that they promise that with my ancient 608 license I will be grandfathered to buy 134a when they get around to further "helping" the HVAC biz by banning consumer sales, at least in my free state of Florida; I think you mentioned North Carolina as jackbooting do-it- yourselfers from buying anything related to HVAC, including cleaning chemicals (although you never did cite an actual chemical substance that was untouchable except for you high priests of HVAC).

[Stormin Mormon]

Should be repairable. But most AC guys won't want to work on window or wall AC. Sad to say, it may be a lot cheaper to go to the big box stores, and buy a new AC.

[Stormin Mormon]

When you take the cover off, it oughta be clear where the compressor is. There is a capacitor near the front, the big one is for the compressor. Note the wiring, so you can get it back together. The wires are usually through a hole, so you need to unclip the wires off the cap and slip them through the hole.

Couple nuts to hold the compressor down, and saw off the two copper lines that hold the compressor.

The air compressor I use personally came out of a window AC.

[Stormin Mormon]

Mighta worked on rubber AC hoses, but I doubt it will do much good on copper.