Central AC repair

LagoonGator68

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This is a little different from plain oxidation. This is VOCs reaction with copper to form formic acid which eats tiny holes in the copper tubing.


I don't believe that happy horseshiit for a minute, it's an excuse. Any weak acid like Formic or any acid really would be diluted by the condensate on the coils and rinsed away every second the unit is running....
 

LagoonGator68

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You are welcome to believe what you want but consider that if what you are saying is true then coils would never need cleaning. The condensate would keep them washed clean and there would no build-up on the coils.


Cat hair and dust are hardly equatable to microscopic Formic acid molecules in rinseability.
 

bradgator2

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You can see on my picture above, that the actual coils looked brand new. (Although they are dented and banged up from the un-install.) This is definitely where the copper and aluminum meet. And I have black light proof that is where the leak was. My gut tells me this is a manufacturing problem, although I am certainly no materials scientist nor do I know anything about ACs. The interwebz is split 50:50 between Gren's VOC theory and manufacturing. Regardless, the new ones that went in were ALL aluminum.
 

bradgator2

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image.jpg
 

NVGator

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As far as routine maintenance... zero, besides regular filter changes. That's actually a good question. You hear AC maintenance ads on the radio all the time. Does anybody actually do these? What do they really do? Ideally, it's all a closed system. Unless your coils or duct work had mold on them or something.
I guess you can call me the gullible one here, but I've had PM done regularly in my current home, which I've owned for 6 years, and it started at my previous home which I had a whole new furnace w/ A/C put in. It's done twice a year, Spring and Fall, and they have a check list of stuff. I've had the motor capacitor and the ignitor replaced. They usually give you discounts on parts and you aren't charged for emergency service Overtime should it be outside or regular hours. I have found more good with them checking regularly for potential problems than I've seen with others who do nothing till it's too late.
 

78

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Having owned a pair of Carrier Puron systems, I wouldn't buy another, they suck, but that's apart from the discussion on EV coils. They can go relatively quick from pinhole leaks and moisture around them.
 

NVGator

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By the way, and I know you aren't buying a new A/C, but since Goodman was thrown out there I thought I'd provide my previous unit I purchased brand new. I bought an American Standard. Now, this was 10 years ago but I felt I did mi diligence in research. I was pleasantly surprised by it's performance.
 

bradgator2

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By the way, and I know you aren't buying a new A/C, but since Goodman was thrown out there I thought I'd provide my previous unit I purchased brand new. I bought an American Standard. Now, this was 10 years ago but I felt I did mi diligence in research. I was pleasantly surprised by it's performance.

Having just gone through this I have read as much as I can. The online "Central AC" world is an interesting place. Maybe even more fanatical than SEC football. I have not really researched new units yet but one thing is certain..... it all comes down to the installer. Goodman gets a bad rap because they are put into so many new homes and the installers for all these cookie cutter homes are terrible. Hopefully this a project that I do not have to visit in many years. But it would be interesting to hear all the AC stories from the fine people on here.
 

bradgator2

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Having owned a pair of Carrier Puron systems, I wouldn't buy another, they suck, but that's apart from the discussion on EV coils. They can go relatively quick from pinhole leaks and moisture around them.

I custom built my home and had complete control to pick every last detail. When it came to the AC, I had no clue. I just wanted a great system, that was way too big, and very efficient. They tell me Carrier, and that sounded good to me because you know..... it's Carrier. But the more I talk to people in the know and research..... these units are simply terrible. Owell. Hopefully I can get another 5 years out of them now.
 

bradgator2

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I was surprised to see Lenox was now the gold standard with a SEER of 25 and and outside noise level of 51 db (that talking level).

25? Wow, how much would that cost?!

For a Goodman 4 ton replacement for me:
14 seer: $5500
15 seer: $6100
16 seer: $8100
17 seer: $9500
 

78

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I custom built my home and had complete control to pick every last detail. When it came to the AC, I had no clue. I just wanted a great system, that was way too big, and very efficient. They tell me Carrier, and that sounded good to me because you know..... it's Carrier. But the more I talk to people in the know and research..... these units are simply terrible. Owell. Hopefully I can get another 5 years out of them now.

To be fair, Brad, the first C-Puron system I had was from 2001, one of the first Puron systems offered, and I learned later that the motherboard on that system was poorly built. Good Lord, I had problems left and right, including "dirty sock syndrome" in the coils, which led to us installing a UV light in the air handler. The other Carrier system provided better performance.

I had a choice of Carrier or Trane from the 2001 home build and I chose Carrier because of the new refrigerant system and the knowing that the old refrigerant was being phased out. Lesson learned.
 

crosscreekcooter

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Brad
In the future if you are in the market for a completely new system you might consider contacting these folks. They are local to you. A couple of years ago I was advising a multifamily owner for a rather large hvac changeout for two properties; I did not contract with them since I served as a consultant only however in our discussions they came with good resume and appeared honest and transparent. Never hurts to talk to another party just to get another perspective.

Fletcher Brothers
804 NW 16th St
Suite B
Gainesville, Fl
352-375-7030

With regard to the cost of increasing the seer rating of a system, be sure to consider how long it takes the energy savings to pay for the higher seer. Since the ductwork and line voltage are already there you might consider buying the equipment yourself and engaging a qualified party (licensed mechanic) to do the install for you.
 

bradgator2

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So since both of the air handlers are installed in the ceiling, they are sitting in a huge tray with an emergency drain. Sunday, water was coming out of the big unit emergency drain.

Funny side story was that I bought those leak detector sirens that Gren mentioned. On my Sunday checklist was to place one in each drain pan, just hadnt make it that far down my list yet.

Anyway, I make sure the drain line is clear. It was. I open the unit up and make sure the drain line is clear from inside the unit. It was. So where the hell is the water coming from. I snoop and snoop.... and the damn drain pan under the coil is cracked so the water isnt even making it to the drain line. They are coming out this afternoon to replace it.

So here is the real question, obviously the actual air handler has had sitting water in it. While the repair man is up there replacing this drain pan, should something be sprayed in there? Lysol? Bleach? Bathtub mildew cleaner?
 

G 2

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I didn't mean to kill the thread. White vinegar is what was recommend by my ac man in Jacksonville when they put in my new unit. They made a tee in the drain line and told me to pour a cup of vinegar in it once a month.
A cup??! I've heard of a cap full of bleach or 1/4 cup of vinegar.
 

G 2

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Oh well, I can afford to waste 3/4 cup of vinegar once a month. Don't use bleach unless the ac is running, the bleach can eat the pvc and glue. But a cap full would hardly be enough .
My concern wouldn't be wasting vinegar.
 

LagoonGator68

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I custom built my home and had complete control to pick every last detail. When it came to the AC, I had no clue. I just wanted a great system, that was way too big, and very efficient. They tell me Carrier, and that sounded good to me because you know..... it's Carrier. But the more I talk to people in the know and research..... these units are simply terrible. Owell. Hopefully I can get another 5 years out of them now.


  1. LagoonGator68: Had your original installer registered that unit with Carrier the blower motor would be under the 10 year warranty just like your coils were.

    In case you missed the box....also, 14 or 15 SEER seems to be the sweet spot for ROI....
 

LagoonGator68

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LagoonGator68: Carrier probably let him back date the registration last year to get the replacement coils for free
 

bradgator2

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  1. LagoonGator68: Had your original installer registered that unit with Carrier the blower motor would be under the 10 year warranty just like your coils were.

    In case you missed the box....also, 14 or 15 SEER seems to be the sweet spot for ROI....

Thanks Goon. It was definitely not registered. That would indeed cover it under the 5-10 year warranty.

I got lucky with the coils and that whole situation. I could probably call the builder again, but honestly dont want to push my luck.
 

LagoonGator68

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Thanks Goon. It was definitely not registered. That would indeed cover it under the 5-10 year warranty.

I got lucky with the coils and that whole situation. I could probably call the builder again, but honestly dont want to push my luck.

I'll bet they let him back date the registration to get the coils free last year if he is a good customer of Carrier....
 

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Got a new Goodman system a few months ago, replacing a Trane unit. The A/C company did NOT think Trane was worth the extra money, and in fact preferred Goodman systems. They also quoted the problem in getting Trane parts.
 

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