HVAC system

[Art]

Just had a tech check out one of my 3 HVAC systems. When the house was built the contractor switched outside units between the upstairs and basement so upstairs was too hot. I had them switch out the obviously wrong sized outside units. I asked them if anything inside had to be switched out and they swore everything was ok inside.

Upstairs never cooled well but we were never used upstairs much until now.

So I had someone come out today and told him the story. He says the metering unit orifice (piston) is too small upstairs and needs to be replaced with bigger one at a cost of $193 for the part and $533. I just called another guy to come in for a second opinion but I was wondering if the estimate sounds reasonable if indeed this is the problem.

Thanks in advance for assistance.

[Stormin Mormon]

Not sure what market you're in, but in the Rochester NY area, that sounds a bit high. Some of the coils I've installed had two orifice, provided. So I've got a couple spares in my tool box. As to the install, an hour or two at the most, unless it's a dificult job to get to the indoor coil.

[ythread]

I see alt.hvac is all but dead. What a bunch of miserable a-holes. I was beginning to think it was indicative of the profession.

[Stormin Mormon]

My sense is that real techs don't post to alternating havoc. Me, well, I've done some AC but I'm still very much the beginner. I'm drawn to alt havoc like gawkers to a car wreck. I know full well it isn't doing me any good. But, I'm drawn like a moth to a candle.

[Art]

Using TWC/Earthlink in Cary, NC.... alt.hvac isn't even listed as a newsgroup any more.

[Moe Jones]

I have a few questions:

1. What is the size (Tonnage) of the upstairs and basement condensing units?
2. What is the size (Tonnage) of the upstairs and basement evaporator coils?
3. Was the bid to replace the piston only or to replace the total metering device?

[Art]

Pardon me, alt.hvac is back on TWC/Earthlink. Must have been a glitch

[ythread]

They were particularly harsh on you. I never could understand why they felt the need to be so abusive. Childhood trauma? A need to get even? The amount of virulence and testosterone in that group was too much for.

I admire you for hanging in there and trying to be helpful.

[Art]

I have another tech coming tomorrow. Unfortunately I don't have the expertise to interpret the labels on the Carrier outdoor units. The one thing I did notice is Piston ID 57 on the larger unit label and Piston ID 52 on the smaller unit's label. The part his receipt says I need is a #57 Piston. I asked him if the units are mismatched shouldn't we switch out both pistons but he said an extra large one in the smaller unit wasn't a problem.

When the next tech arrives tomorrow I will try to get the tonage of the condensing and evaporator units in both locations.

[Red Green]

"Art" wrote in news:Pt2dnRnRCPmoY8LVnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Well hello form Fayetteville!

SAS Institute still up there? Used to go there for classes some 20+ yrs ago.

[Moe Jones]

When you get the model numbers from the condensing unit and the evaporator coil or you have to do is contact your Carrier dealer and they should be able to tell you what Carrier recommends what size piston you would need for each system. To replace a piston all you have to do is pump down the system, if you can, then open up the connection at the inlet of the coil then drop the existing piston out and install the new one and then close up the system them put a small vacuum on the line set then open the line set then top off if needed.

[Art]

SAS is probably about 10 times bigger than it was 20 years ago. In fact I worked there for a short time about 20 years ago. They just built a luxury hotel on campus because Jim Goodnite wanted one.

[Red Green]

"Art" wrote in news:tNCdnfn4iopo1v3VnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

He's still running the show! I had totally forgotten the name until you popped a memory bubble.

When I was there I think it was a couple of buildings and a pond covered with yellow pollen.

[Art]

He is so rich he even bought his own airline and moved it to RTP. Unfortunately Midwest went belly up afew years ago. Even SAS software couldn't keep it afloat.

[Red Green]

"Art" wrote in news:waOdnQ6xgoezyv3VnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

10's of thousands of lines of SAS code I wrote long ago... Then went on the AIX bandwagon on RS6000's.

All long ago. The only PROC I do now is PROC Tologist :-)

[Rudy]

Definitely ! but, shhh

We don't want them showing up here

[Dick Adams]

Not reason to be so polite about it - it's more like a bunch of obnoxious, constipated, miserable a-holes.

Dick

[Art]

I got some answers. Both inside units are idenditcal 2 ton units. Basement outside unit is 1.5 tons. Upstairs outside unit is 2 tons. According to the tech that was here today, it was common when my house was built 10 years ago to use an oversized inside unit to squeeze more efficiency out of the system on the small tonage outside unit.

He washed outside coils and checked freon on all 3 systems. Basement was slightly low. Upstairs was way low, taking about 3 pounds of freon. None of these systems have been checked for8 years because the guy I had come in to check them when the house was 2 years old did nothing so I pretty much gave up on HVAC contractors. Plus we hadn't been using the upstairs much until this summer.

The technician today's philosophy is (and I am sure many will disagree) is the first time he adds freon to a system that hasn't been serviced for such a long time, he will not try chasing down the leak because he probably won't be able to find it unless it just started leaking. He says if it warms up again upstairs, he will chase down the leak but he suspects it is the inside coil and he says carrier charges so much for that inside coil that I might be better off replacing the outside unit too.

Right now things are plenty cool in the house.

[Moe Jones]

He's right.

[Red Green]

"Art" wrote in news:FMWdnYmARbs40fzVnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

There was an old Carrier on one house I had that had coil problems. HVAC guy said the cost of just the coil alone was about the installed cost, parts & labor, of another brand.