Trane hvac question

[jamesgangnc]

I've had some problems with one of my trane heat pumps. I pulled the high side line off the coil to check and make sure the orifice was ok and not sticking when in heat mode. There was not any sort of gasket or o-ring. Seemed to be a metal to metal seal. I tightened it up real good when reassembling but wondered if this was right. My goodman ac unit has a teflon ring where the high side connects to the coil. Not so on the tranes? I'm worried it fell out and rolled away while I was taking it apart. I did look around real good but the air handler is in a crawl with a dirt floor.

[Joe]

You called Trane and asked, didn't you?

Joe

[jamesgangnc]

It's generally a waste of time to try to call any of the hvac manufacturers. They won't talk about servicing details to anyone except their techs.

[Stormin Mormon]

You did this while the fluid was cycling, and the unit was running, right?

Hard to tell, while the unit is turned off.

[Lp1331 1p1331]

Trane do not use an O-ring on their flowrator fittings. If you tightened it up good, you are ok. Most units do use an O-ring, but did you also notice the size of the piston in relation to the standard size that Goodman and most all other brands use. Actually, I think Tempstar and their related units use a similar setup as Trane also.

[jamesgangnc]

No. The unit had lost charge due to a crack in a piece of tubing in the condensor. A whole bunch of pipe and the tvx where all basically hanging on this 1 piece of 1/4" tubing coming off below the reversing valve. I added some wire ties to better support it all.

[jamesgangnc]

Thanks a million. Yes, I did notice the piston was different.

[Lp1331 1p1331]

Seen a few Tranes spring similar leaks as yours. That 1/4" line is the external equalizer for the TXV. I hope you replaced the drier and pulled a good vacuum on it, especially if it ran any time at all after the leak happened. I usually pull the drier out of the condensing unit and just put in a piece of copper in it's place and install a bi-flow in the LL outside the unit-- especially if the unit has service valves. That way it can be pumped down and the drier replaced easily if the need arises. On units with quick connects (pre 1992) it really doesn't matter since you can't pump them down anyway. Larry

[jamesgangnc]

Yes, I saw it ran over to the txv. It did run for a while without charge in heat mode I'm sorry to say. There is no dryer in it. I did not add a dryer but I did leave the pump on it overnight. Worked on it again the next afternoon so I say I pumped it down for about 18-20 hours. I'm hoping that got the most of the moisture out.

I have two of them, identical 1 1/2 tons, circa 2002, so I open the other up as well. That whole section of piping and the txv just hangs off that 1/4" line. You can move the whole mess around an inch or so in either direction. I don't understand why it is not better supported. I used some little pieces of dense foam and wire ties to tie it into some of the other stuff. Both are pretty solid now.

[The Daring Dufas]

In situations like that, I often take a suitable length of 1/4" copper tubing, flatten the ends, bend a hook in each end, then braze it on as support for the dangling device. It's really needed in situations where a dryer is added to the unsupported liquid line coming off the condenser coil.

TDD