I was wondering if any one out there could help me out. I bought a used house last year and this summer we had to have some body come out and look at our AC unit for it was not cooling down the house and it kept on running. I called my home warranty company and they sent out a company they replaced my thermostat. That did not work so I called back again and they sent the same company out. This guy got on my roof put what they said 1/2 pound of R-22 in the unit and then he was done. He gone with in 10 to 15 mintues. That did not work. I called them back and the same company but the head guy came out and said there was nothing wrong with my unit it was OK. I called my warranty company back and they were suppose to send a different company out and did not. Now I is winter time and I had no heat and the unit would not turn on at all. Then I called a different company out cause the one that came out said they were going to charge me when it was there mess up. This other company came out and removed 2 pounds of r-22 from my unit and cleaned it all up in the inside and got my heat working.

What I need to know is that my unit is 13 years old any ways and I was hoping to have it last me at least a couple of years but from what this new guy told me is that it will not last cause by this other company adding too much r-22 in it that it has shortened my life span on my unit and might have cuased more damage.


Is this true?

Please help!!

Thanks:mad:

The only real way to see if your AC unit needs changing is when the cooling season kicks in. I am not aware that having too much coolant can harm a unit. It should last you a few more seasons but it is getting to be an older model and you may consider changing it out to a more energy efficient model.

It sounds like you had a bad case of bad repairdudes come out and give you the run around. What baffles me is that they supposedly took freon out of the unit and got it working when freon has nothing to do with the heat part of the unit. Did they charge you for this and did they list any parts that they replaced to "get the heat" working again. I'm mystified about that trick, believe me. Never heard of that one before.

What I would recommend to you before it gets to be summer time and you have no a/c - have a completely different company come out and do what they call a pre-season check up and see what they have to say about the a/c. Don't let on about any prior problems to these people though as you'll be giving them a chance at your checkbook balance.

You did not say where you lived either. Is it up north or down south. Also what is the brand name of the unit and model number? The fact it is a roof model tends to have me believe you live out West somewhere.

It's possible some minor damage may have occurred, but not very likely-nor very damaging. Were it as bad as he made it sound, the unit would not be running at this point. The concerns with overcharging aren't pressures as much as fear of liquid getting back to the compressor in the vapor line-this takes out the valves in the compressor, for as we all know-you can't compress a liquid! It would also help to know that overcharging does not result in colder air, but conversely-it kills the dehumidification resulting in a "sticky" cool.

Given that the compressor is running now, you should be OK for at least a few more years. Don't call the old company back (there's a shocker, huh?), but also be leary of the new company as well. It sounds like they're planting the "seed" of thought for replacement of a system that may not need replacing.

Judging from your post, the thermostat was probably miswired and the refrigerant charge was out of kilter (definitely the mark of a "home warranty" technician) as you said they didn't do anything but remove refrigerant. Keep in mind that home warranty companies have signed on to get work and they offered it for the lowest price to the warranty company. You get what you don't pay for! From my experience-home warranties are a joke.

The best thing you can do at this point is:

Change filters *MONTHLY*
Clean outdoor coils annually
Clean evaporator (indoor) coils as needed-a good filter will prevent this!
Clear and clean condensate pan and line annually
Check contactor on outdoor unit annually-replace when points are burnt.
Check blower wheel and motor. Wipe motor, clean blower wheel if it's full of dirt-this will make the motor run cooler, provide more air flow, keep the wheel in balance, and make the entire unit run much longer and more efficiently.

A couple of simple facts to live by.

1. If the A/C mechanic rings your doorbell with a tank of R-22 in his hand-throw him out. A properly installed A/C or Heat Pump will *never* need refrigerant unless the line or coil is punctured/leaking. If you should have to add refrigerant (R410A or R22), the next question should be "where's the leak and how do I fix it?". Also note that refrigerant leaving the system takes the compressor oil with it as they are extremely miscible, and left alone a leak will eventually starve a compressor of lubrication. 85-95 percent of our calls are electrically related-not refrigerant.

Every manufacturer (without exception) recommends AT LEAST 10 to 15 minutes of compressor runtime before checking pressures/superheat/subcool and another 10-15 minutes wait time between additional charges, so charging a system *properly* should take a minimum of 30-45 minutes-not 15. That's called "gas 'n go" and typically occurs around quitting time. Especially on Friday. ; )

And finally... again-Home Warranties are a joke. Spend your money more wisely-say on a bouquet for your wife or girlfriend.

This is probably a heat pump-not an air conditioner-based on the "A/C" providing heat, many home owners don't discern the difference between the two.

This man know his stuff! Check the yellow pages, but avoid the full page ad companies (Pricey!). Try to get a good mechanic by reference. Ask around work or at church. Ask the pastor who *they* use to maintain the church equipment .

Also... be on the lookout for the sales push for "electrostatic" or "UV" filters. Research the product before buying. 90 percent of filter sales provide additional comfort only to the seller.

I'm a lady actually! But appreciate the compliment really. It's tough out here when repair dudes try and take you for a ride because you're a female and supposedly don't know better. I have attended many happy hours of expensive auto mechanic school via having my vehicles worked on by master mechanics who taught me the tricks of car repair. I've also had many happy hours of expensive air conditioning repair lessons having lived in South Florida and having central air conditioners worked on and/or replaced. I pay attention to things when it costs me my hard earned money. You sound pretty knowledgeable yourself about a/c's. I learned something from your answers as well.

OK well maybe I did not explain it all. The second company that came out had to replace a fuse to get the unit running. He said that having too much R-22 in caused it to make it freeze up.

Thank you all for your answers

Oh yes, my expensive a/c repair lessons come in handy now and then BUT what used to cause my a/c to freeze up in south Florida with all the humdidity there was and the fact I had filters that were dirty. I would have my system freeze up all the time if my filters were the least bit dirty and it was super humid out. It would usually happen in the early morning hours around 3 or 4AM. Try keeping your filters clean as a whistle as that really helps. I don't think having too much freon was the problem and no, it didn't shorten the lifespan of the unit.

Can anyone tell me how much Freon does a 2 ton AC unit which is about 18-20 years old holds. The Ac guys who came to my house my neighbor recommended him to me. He came and told me that I might have a leak and in order for him to check for a leak he has to put some freon in my unit (he did not say how many pound nor he told me that he is going to charge me for it). I agreed to it he did not say anything about charging an when he was done he told me where the leak was and its better to change the unit then filling it with freon. Since his price was to high I decided to go with somebody else.

Few days later he old my neighbor that he wants to get paid for the work that he has done. He told him that he put 10 ponds of freon in my AC and wants $300 for it. Now as far as I know a 2 ton unit should not get more than 6 pound of freon and I know for sure that he is cheating me. My neighbor said that he ended up paying him $300 on my behalf and wants to get the money from me. So can anyone please tell me if I am wrong and my AC should take 10 pounds or is he lying about it. And if he is lying what should I ask him? I ask my neighbor for the receipt and he said there is no receipt since he does this on the side he just paid him cash.

Thanks