Freezing thin pipe on new a/c unit.

[mousey1986]

Hey,
Firstly I have no idea with all the technical jargon in the Air Con world!
Basically we had a air con unit put in with the indoor and outdoor unit. The unit has been working fine for a while but now there is very minimal cold air. I have noticed that the thinner pipe from the outside unit to the inside unit is frosting over and the fatter pipe of the 2 isnt all that cold... Do you know what the cause of this may be? And how can I fix it?? Oh please... remember, dont confuse me with technical stuff hehe

[chemi-cool]

The problem is lack of refrigerant, you need to call back the person that installed it to find and fix the leak, put gas in and apologise for a bad job.

[GXMPLX]

The problem is lack of refrigerant, you need to call back the person that installed it to find and fix the leak, put gas in and apologise for a bad job.

Why would the liquid line frost with lack of refrigerant?

They probably have a restriction, I wouldn't dare to say in the filter dryer, probably a bent pipe.

[chemi-cool]

Because........... its not a liquid line, its the feeding pipe from the cap tube to the evaporator,

No filter drier on a split AC unit.

Pipes don't just bend, especially when they are vertical on the wall.

[mousey1986]

The a/c was just from ebay and a family member done it as it looked straight forward. I remember they did check for leaks using some stuff that was put over the joints on the pipes. The pipe work was manualy bent but there is no sharp bends or anything, its all gradual. Is regassing an easy job? And can you buy a dye also that would show the leak? Similiar to when doing car air con? Thanks )

[GXMPLX]

Because........... its not a liquid line, its the feeding pipe from the cap tube to the evaporator,

No filter drier on a split AC unit.

Pipes don't just bend, especially when they are vertical on the wall.

OK, I admit this time ... I didn't see the dusty roads!

Chances are on your side but pipe could still be flat, he needs to measure pressures before checking for leaks.

[GXMPLX]

... or check temperature at the upper circuit of the condenser coil!

If it is ambient temperature you are right.

[mousey1986]

Silly question, whats an upper circuit condenser coil and where may I find this? When you say if its ambient temp would that mean lack of gas? The bigger pipe is cold but not that cold where the other is ice both ends. Also tried in heat mode earlier and the bigger pipe was hot (actually burnt my finger!! hehe) and the smaller was luke warm.

[GXMPLX]

Silly question, whats an upper circuit condenser coil and where may I find this? When you say if its ambient temp would that mean lack of gas? The bigger pipe is cold but not that cold where the other is ice both ends. Also tried in heat mode earlier and the bigger pipe was hot (actually burnt my finger!! hehe) and the smaller was luke warm.

I posted this for chemie cool, but you have two coils one that heats and one that cools.

The one that heats should be ALL at ambient temperature if chemi is right (and he most probably is) or the upper part of it should be really hot if I'm right.

[mousey1986]

hehe Ok that last post has confused me lol! On cooling mode the thin pipe is proper iced over and big pipe is just cool not cold. On heat mode the thin pipe is warm/cool and the big pipe is very hot to touch....

[frank]

OK, I admit this time ... I didn't see the dusty roads!

Chances are on your side but pipe could still be flat, he needs to measure pressures before checking for leaks.

The thread starter said it was working fine for a time after installation but recently noticed a lack of cold air (cooling).

As Chemi said - its a slow leak and not a flattened pipe.

Well, that's my 2 pen'eth worth after looking in my crystal ball

[GXMPLX]

The thread starter said it was working fine for a time after installation but recently noticed a lack of cold air (cooling).

As Chemi said - its a slow leak and not a flattened pipe.

Well, that's my 2 pen'eth worth after looking in my crystal ball

My hands are up! I absolutely agree! ... but you could have gotten a flat pipe after it was working ok, remember owner's perception is something to be field checked always!

My opinion on this is worth two pesos not two penies so it would be like 1/350th your worth!

[The Viking]

Sorry,

I just hope that this is a windup following on from the Vaillant thread...

If it isn't:
Mousey, you passed the border for DIY some time ago.
What you need now is a professional, sorry.

The rest of you,
Any one of you might be right...50/50 chance in my mind.
Either they didn't manage to get the system tight and it's now empty, or they did manage to get it tight and in doing so trapped a lot of moist air in it and there is now a blockage.

Take your pick.

[chemi-cool]

OK guys, I think we've done with this one, this sentence say's it all a family member done it as it looked straight forward.

I give up.

[GXMPLX]

...

You may be right too so the only problem is that with this you can't give us 50/50.

If I had to give odds I'd say

Chemie cool 80%
The Viking 5%
GXMPLX 5%

and leave space for other possibilities...

[Brian_UK]

The a/c was just from ebay and a family member done it as it looked straight forward. I remember they did check for leaks using some stuff that was put over the joints on the pipes. The pipe work was manualy bent but there is no sharp bends or anything, its all gradual. Is regassing an easy job? And can you buy a dye also that would show the leak? Similiar to when doing car air con? Thanks )

There's the problem and that's on top of the "got it from Ebay" problem.

Was the installer a refrigeration installer or 'just a friend'

Unfortunately if you do it on the cheap then you end up with a cheap job.

[taz24]

Hey,
Firstly I have no idea with all the technical jargon in the Air Con world!

Mousey you have hit a raw nerve here on this site regarding DIY jobs. You see most of the guys who post on this site like to think of themselves as professionals and therfore tend to see red when people like yourself do what you have done.

If you want to sort your problem out you will have to pay someone who knows what they are doing. It will more than likely cost as much to repair it as it did for you to buy it in the first place.

Sorry to be so negative but would you buy a gas boiler and fit your own central heating system, There are laws prohibiting you from doing so. Your simple to install aircond system is not so simple now and as the old addage goes.

You get what you pay for.

taz.

[superswill]

maybe a little off topic but just how many people would touch a DIY job?,i have always turned these down as not knowing the kit but knowing its no mitsi always thought its just not worth the hassle

[yinmorrison]

Quite right taz, if you can register on a site as a complete novice not involved in the Trade then you are an accomplice in advancing the DIY installation!!!
I was asked once to install 4 systems 3 years ago by a friend I deal with in the Trade ( Plant Hire ) and the guy who bought the kit did so on e-bay however at least he had the sense to get someone to install.I did have a problem with one of the indoor units as it had a leaking evap coil and I contacted the supplier who actually was impressed that we could test the coil ourselves with ofn and prove that it leaked so he sent a new wall unit next day no questions asked!! Maybe he knew that I was actually saving him money.

[taz24]

Quite right taz, if you can register on a site as a complete novice not involved in the Trade then you are an accomplice in advancing the DIY installation!!!
I was asked once to install 4 systems 3 years ago by a friend I deal with in the Trade ( Plant Hire ) and the guy who bought the kit did so on e-bay however at least he had the sense to get someone to install.I did have a problem with one of the indoor units as it had a leaking evap coil and I contacted the supplier who actually was impressed that we could test the coil ourselves with ofn and prove that it leaked so he sent a new wall unit next day no questions asked!! Maybe he knew that I was actually saving him money.

In principle I am not apposed to cheap units and if there is money to be earned installing them or repairing then again I would do it, if the money was right.

I did a subcontract job for someone about 18 months ago where I refitted a self contained B&Q plug together air cond and repaired a second one.

The first was an hours work and the second had a damaged (fixed length flexible pipe).
I cut the system pipe work back to the unit and evap and fitted new service valves and replaced the pipework.

All done in one morning at an optician and I got paid for the full day because it was priced that way.

I was happy.

taz