Weak AC
 

My TRANE AC is getting weaker after 18 years of faithful service. I am sure it's just a tiny leak of freon over 18 years because it is still working but weak. How much cost should I expect when JC's tech comes out and refill my freon. Mine is small 2 bedroom courtyard villa. I don't know the tonage of the AC.

Cheers!

$75 "service call", testing $50, fill-r up $50..............my guess, knocking on the door of $200. :popcorn:

It probably uses R22 which can no longer be manufactured. I just had my system checked today. The tech says the going rate of R22 to fill a customer is $200 a pound. My system was down 2.5 pounds because of a leak.

No one can directly answer your inquiry. Be prepared, the expected life for an AC unit in Florida is about 14 years. At 18 years old it may not make sense to put serious money into it. Working but weak, it could be an issue with the ducts. Some systems have more than one filter and people only change the one that they know about. If, it is on the old type of freon, it has gone way up in price-if you can get it.

The tonnage may be marked on the air handler, likely in your garage. If, not the serial number will tell the tech or you may be able to call Trane or find it on the internet.

GOOD LUCK

So, it could be $500 to fill R22. How much is the new unit for 2 BD Villa? $5-6K or more?

Yes but your unit is running on borrowed time now. Also I don’t understand what you mean by weak. Is it not cooling or not blowing air at the rate it used to? You can spend the $500 if that is the cost for Freon and then two months later end up replacing the unit

Mine did the same and I finally got a new system. Don't fool around. They don't last forever, and my new carrier system is great.

My A/C quit blowing cold air just recently. Just bought the house and had been in it about a month before it quit cooling. I thought possibly it may be the same issue I had at my previous house -- a small hole had burned through one of the copper tubings in the outside condenser -- and, that's what it turned out to be. I used Munn's and he did a lot of checking on the inside unit first and then we went outside and he removed the condenser surround. It was pretty obvious where the leak was as it's a very tiny hole in the copper that's now a dark color. He brazed (I call it soldering) the hole, refilled my system which had nothing left and then had to get the air out of the system and installed some blue colored filter thing at the A/C unit in the garage (that air out and blue filter thing was the most expensive at $300+). My total bill came to $850 or so and my A/C is now working fine. It's a Trane and was apparently installed by Munn's in 2008. A side note regarding my previous house, the repaired copper tubing held fine for the remaining 3 years I was still at that house and no issues with it cooling. Those copper tubing on the outside condensers aren't covered with anything and if they touch another part they will get hot in that spot and burn a hole (my previous A/C guy at the other house told me that's the reason they burn the holes and it makes sense when you took at it -- my previous guy put some rubber pieces he had around the tubes so they wouldn't touch anything -- here we just kindof bent them away from each other as didn't have any insulation materials). Hope this info helps.

The house gets cooled but never below 78 or so in a hot day. It will be on whole day. But it's been that way for a long time so I am not sure there is a big leak anywhere.

I read a rule of thumb is the cost of repair multiplied by the age of the unit. If the total is less than replacing, you should replace it.

It's time to buy a new system.

There are EPA requirements for the techs to repair leaks depending on how much refrigerant has been lost. Assuming you have actually lost refrigerant and how much has been lost, the techs may be required to find and repair the leak before recharging the system (assuming they comply with the EPA requirements). If they find a leaking evaporator coil that needs to be replaced, you should think about replacing the entire system.

The EPA rules for leak repair only apply to large commercial systems, not residential HVAC systems. But, HVAC companies do need to keep records of the refrigerants they add or remove.

Wrong. They EPA requirements do apply to residential system. The trigger rate is a 10% leak in 12 months.

Comfort cooling- These are air-conditioning appliances used to provide cooling in order to control heat and/or humidity in occupied facilities including but not limited to residential, office, and commercial buildings. Comfort cooling appliances include but are not limited to chillers, commercial split systems, and packaged roof-top units.

It would apply to large residential systems with 50 or more pounds of refrigerant, but I don't think it applies to individual house HVAC systems. This is from the EPA website regarding Section 608 of the EPA Refrigerant Management regulations. Do have another link that would have different requirements?

I have seen the 50 lb limit and apparently that does apply - I did find language indicating that less than 50 lb systems are exempt. Residential systems are generally 5 tons or less - perhaps 20 lbs of refrigerant.

Sometimes life can be good..

JC's came out next day and fixed all my problems with minimum expense.

1. There is a replacement for R22 which is called 407(?) - Great news for R22 clients
2. Mine despite being old was not R22
3. Recharge was for 2.5 lb ($50)
4. Main culprit was floor guys running the AC whole day so it caused icing of the coils
5. There was a tiny leak which JC's say can be fixed with $85 additive to Freon

Never in my life I was so happy to pay $300 for any house repairs.
5 thumbs up fpr JC's owner John Carmichael.

Good deal, glad it worked out for you.

There are lots of large residential systems, like apartment buildings and dormitories. The EPA website has separate regulations that apply to systems that have between 5 and 50 pounds. It also has a detailed Q&A section for technicians to ensure that they are in compliance. A typical house in The Villages has less than 10 pounds of refrigerant. Technicians who work on individual house systems need to be certified and they need to maintain records on the refrigerants that they add or remove. But, that is about the extent of the EPA requirements for those systems.

The additive is worth a try, but definitely not a guaranteed fix. I would be looking at options for a new HVAC system.

For $85 with 95% success rate, I am game. He could have sold me on $3600 solution or $5-6K new HVAC..

Glad to hear you lucked out. Otherwise it was like reading a mystery and losing the book before you read who don it. However, reread my post #4 and your #5. Some of the others seem to be from people who work or have worked on commercial AC.
Sort of like a race car mechanic telling you how to repair a bicycle.

In any case might be interesting to know who has the oldest still working air conditioning system in the villages? You may not be the winner but at 18 years you are in the running. POINT it is time to check your wallet or start rapidly saving for a replacement. Mine, where it is reminds me of some cars. They put stuff like the spark plugs in before the engine is installed in the car. To replace the spark plug you need to take the engine out of the car so no one does it. I have no idea how they would take my compressor out and put a new one in when it is needed. I'm sure it was put in before the house or surely before the landscaping which is now 9 years bigger.

hope the $300 is well spent. I paid $200 for a fix 2 and a half years ago and then another part went. was worth it to replace unit for peace of mind. I've lived in Florida for 40 years and it's been my experience that the ac will break down during the hottest days and always after business hours on Friday before a long weekend.