I have an outdoor AC unit that was just replaced about a month ago. It iced up real bad a few days ago and since then the system is just barely cooling - however what is weird is that the refrigerant is running backwards now - the little line is getting cold and the big line is warmish. Sometimes the Compressor won't come on at all and if that happens I have to let the whole system sit for an hour then start it up again. I have an indoor propane header so this is an AC only unit - not a heat pump - at least that's what they told me it was, so there is no reversing valve to get switched the wrong way. Any ideas what could be going on here?

I have an outdoor AC unit that was just replaced about a month ago. It iced up real bad a few days ago and since then the system is just barely cooling - however what is weird is that the refrigerant is running backwards now - the little line is getting cold and the big line is warmish. Sometimes the Compressor won't come on at all and if that happens I have to let the whole system sit for an hour then start it up again. I have an indoor propane header so this is an AC only unit - not a heat pump - at least that's what they told me it was, so there is no reversing valve to get switched the wrong way. Any ideas what could be going on here?

There is a laundry list of items that could cause this but you need skills in order to test the unit to find out which one is the culprit. I suggest you contact the company that did the work a month ago since it is a good possibility they could have caused the problem and they should fix it for you.

I did that and they just came out - it turns out the coolant level was low and that was causing the apparent reverse flow as well as the ice-up a week ago. Now they are telling me that the leak is "Definitely" inside house - even though they have no

Very interesting. Did you have a leak in your system before they replaced the outside unit? If not they might be jerking you around

No, it ran fine for 15 years. The only thing that has changed is the new compressor yet they want to blame my AC Core because it is the oldest component rather than their new compressor, even though the leak started immediately after they installed