Author Topic: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!  (Read 3909 times)

FrugalSaver

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I've had a couple of people come by and they're trying very hard to get me to part with $10,000 or so.

I am the only occupant of this house since it was built 10 years ago.  The a/c is a Lennox.  Home is about 2400 sq ft

I've been told that
1) my coil has a leak
2) my electric control is pitted.

Have any of you fixed a leak yourself?  Is this a fool's errand? 

My compressor was replaced 3 years ago. 

I've been pitched the option of replacing the coil, condenser and furnace and told that at a MINIMUM i need to replace the coil and condenser. 

They also want to replace the R22 coil with 410 coil.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  While I can easily weather this expesne thanks to my Mustachian lifestyle, I'd rather not spend more than the bare minimum for this create comfort my a/c previously provided.

Model Info
Lennox 13acc-060-730-01

Thanks!
« Last Edit: April 29, 2015, 06:32:56 PM by FrugalSaver »

matchewed

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2015, 06:28:55 PM »
Learn to be a more badass individual who has a measure of resilience. Buy a small window unit, use it only in the bedroom to sleep when needed. Profit immensely. Or profit even more by ditching the AC entirely.

FrugalSaver

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2015, 06:34:37 PM »
Learn to be a more badass individual who has a measure of resilience. Buy a small window unit, use it only in the bedroom to sleep when needed. Profit immensely. Or profit even more by ditching the AC entirely.

I hear ya my friend, but unfortunately, the woman desires a little more as the bare minimum she will accept.  There are certain forces in the universe that must not be tempted and this is one that would cross the line.  The investment here would be worth saving the marriage.  I appreciate the encouragement though!

matchewed

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2015, 06:44:47 PM »
Sorry I must have misunderstood the whole "I'm the only occupant" thingy.

Got a month or so before it gets hot, time to flex the DIY muscle maybe? Also maybe close this thread and reopen in the DIY as you might get more people familiar with flexing that sort of muscle... :) best of luck.

Another Reader

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2015, 07:14:47 PM »
Messing with R22 is not a DIY project.  A new A/C unit should not be $10,000.  It should be closer to $4-$5,000 for the tonnage you need for 2,400 sf.  At the time I replaced my furnace a little over two years ago, the company offered to replace my A/C unit for a lot less than that and I have 2,500 sf in one story.  IIRC, it's a 5 ton unit.

Syonyk

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2015, 08:05:19 PM »
Yeah... AC systems are one of those things where "the right tools for the job" cost a whole lot of money. :/  Leaking coils are not easy to deal with on your own, and to properly purge a refrigerant system once air has leaked in, you need a pretty stout vacuum pump.  Air in the lines significantly reduces efficiency, and running low on refrigerant long enough can fry a compressor, as they're lubricated by the refrigerant (which air won't do).

You might want to look into your local power company incentives with regards to AC units or heat pumps.  In a lot of areas, the power companies will pay you a chunk of the cost if you install a new, more efficient unit.  If this unit is a decade old, it might qualify.

Of course, if your climate is somewhat mild, you might be able to replace the unit with a heat pump and save a good bit on power for heat going forward.  That's not quite as cheap, but the newer heat pumps are pretty well awesome.

FrugalSaver

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2015, 08:26:39 PM »
Sorry I must have misunderstood the whole "I'm the only occupant" thingy.

Got a month or so before it gets hot, time to flex the DIY muscle maybe? Also maybe close this thread and reopen in the DIY as you might get more people familiar with flexing that sort of muscle... :) best of luck.

by the only occupant, I meant the only person that's every lived in this house (as in didn't buy it from someone else) so I've been involved with this a/c from the get go.  I see what you mean though.

FrugalSaver

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2015, 08:30:03 PM »
Yeah... AC systems are one of those things where "the right tools for the job" cost a whole lot of money. :/  Leaking coils are not easy to deal with on your own, and to properly purge a refrigerant system once air has leaked in, you need a pretty stout vacuum pump.  Air in the lines significantly reduces efficiency, and running low on refrigerant long enough can fry a compressor, as they're lubricated by the refrigerant (which air won't do).

You might want to look into your local power company incentives with regards to AC units or heat pumps.  In a lot of areas, the power companies will pay you a chunk of the cost if you install a new, more efficient unit.  If this unit is a decade old, it might qualify.

Of course, if your climate is somewhat mild, you might be able to replace the unit with a heat pump and save a good bit on power for heat going forward.  That's not quite as cheap, but the newer heat pumps are pretty well awesome.

so i've concluded this isn't a do it yourselfer as I expected. 

The guys tonight pitched me a 4 ton to replace the coil, the outside unit (which includes compressor) and furnace for $6,000.  Efficiency was about a 14 he said.  I don't believe that was the SEER rating.

Gimesalot

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2015, 07:43:57 AM »
We had a coil leak last year.  It cost about $375 to have it fixed and to have a coolant added to the system.  I don't think repairing the leak is DIY, but you might be able to find it on your own.  Our repairman used special goggles to see the refrigerant.   

Although this link applies to car A/C, you would use a similar procedure to find a leak in a residential unit:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/archive/index.php/t-298412.html

Capsu78

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2015, 07:49:24 AM »
Frugal,
Reminds me of a billboard we have here in Chicago:

Your wife's Hot
Better call Acme HVAC company!

Cougar

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Re: Home a/c not putting out cold enough air. Summer is coming!!!!
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2015, 09:55:22 AM »

get multiple, multiple offers ! even if it takes 2 weeks to find the cheapest, you can most likely handle the heat for two weeks.

mine a/c also went out late spring two years ago and the first quote i got was i got was 7,000; but i waited and waited and eventually found someone for 3,500; works just fine two years later at half the cost.