A/C experts! My front "fins" are turning into blocks of ice, lots of pics, help!

[Gray Market]

I had the same problem with the air handler freezing up on a 4 ton ac. It froze up every day for a week after working for 2 years. The thermosat was set at 71, when I changed it to 76 it never happened again. Its worth a try, and good luck.

Yeah I can do the same thing. It won't freeze at 76. The compressor seems to be gettin louder and rattling noise. The sticker on back say 150psi. I hooked up gauges and it read 125, when I turned it on it drops to 80 psi.im guessing the 150 psi sticker is the non operating pressure?

 

[Gray Market]

I had the same problem with the air handler freezing up on a 4 ton ac. It froze up every day for a week after working for 2 years. The thermosat was set at 71, when I changed it to 76 it never happened again. Its worth a try, and good luck.

Yeah I can do the same thing. It won't freeze at 76. The compressor seems to be gettin louder and rattling noise. The sticker on back say 150psi. I hooked up gauges and it read 125, when I turned it on it drops to 80 psi.im guessing the 150 psi sticker is the non operating pressure?

 

[og79]

It might be that there is nothing wrong with the ac, but the room temp and the coil temp is causing a thin layer of ice to form, then the air flow stops and the whole thing freezes up. Im not an hvac tech, but it makes sense.
I remember when I ran a window ac that I shut off during the day(dark cycle) and turned it on when the lights came on. A layer of frost would form all over the coils, then it would melt when the room heated up. That ac was maxed out and would cool to 85, even though it was set at 75. If the ac was bigger, and the room colder, that frost maybe could have formed a layer of ice. What do the experts think about this?

 

[salamandra]

Yeah I can do the same thing. It won't freeze at 76. The compressor seems to be gettin louder and rattling noise. The sticker on back say 150psi. I hooked up gauges and it read 125, when I turned it on it drops to 80 psi.im guessing the 150 psi sticker is the non operating pressure?

You are supposed to recharge on the low side(return line) not the high side. What is the pressure on the low side? Did you buy the correct freon? There is a sticker somewhere stating what freon to use. Don't mix the wrong freon or you will wreck the ac!

 

[Avenger]

for starters that refrigerant (22a) is a Hydro Carbon, which means it is flammable.

second, it is not recomended by the manufacturer to mix it with any other refrigerant.

third, using a hydro carbon in a known leaking system qualifies you for the darwin award.


Stellar performance thus far.


80 psig operating suction pressure (47* SST) does not indicate it is low on charge.

 

[salamandra]

OK folks lets keep it calm. All ac's leak at some extent, its normal and there is no fire hazard from it.

I am just feeling that 85psi is way to high for the return line, so i'm assuming it is the high pressure line Gay.M is talking about. So unless he pop's in and give us some more feedback I'm afraid there is not much we can do to help the Bro!

For what its worth, i would like to say that this is the first time i have ever seen a compressor covered in ice! Usually they run so hot you can boil an egg on 'em. I'm betting a glass of Dr.Pepper that he has a leak somewhere... but then again i could be talking nonsense

 

[Avenger]

The refrigerant he bought on ebay, refrigerant22a is a hydro carbon. It is flammable. It is not r22. It is not intended to be used as a "top off" replacement for r22.

He should not use it as such.

In order for him to use it, he would need to reclaim the r22 remaining in the system, and chrage back with the r22a at the recomended % of the factory charge.


Anyway, I'll take your dr. pepper wager.


edit:

I'd like for Gray Market to use his guage to record the head pressure(access port that does not have ice form on it) after the unit operates for about 30 minutes.

I'll bet it's below optimum(<150psig), and probably drops as the ambient(room) temperature falls.

as the head pressure falls, so does the suction pressure.

eventually the saturated suction temperature of the evap will fall below freeszing and the ice formation begins on the coil surface.

 

[salamandra]

Good to know about the r22a, thanks!