Hi there.
Just registered, so I want to say hi, and also mention how much I appreciate independent message boards such as these. I prefer to stay away from horrible forums that reside on the giant platforms. The most valuable advice I've ever received on the Internet has always been from well moderated boards like this one. They tend to have a core group of super knowledgable and talented regulars that have been around since the beginning. Again, I'm so glad I found this forum, and really appreciate its existence.
On to my problem:
I have a typical indoor/outdoor hvac system for a 1300 sq foot house.
I had my outdoor unit replaced two months ago. I live on the coast in central Florida, and this would be my 2nd unit in 12 years, which is not uncommon for this area. Anyway, a few days ago the cooling system started having trouble maintaining 78 degrees once the outdoor temp hit around 90 in the afternoon. I called the HVAC co and was able to get an appt for a few days later.
Around the same time the cooling issues started, I noticed that some of the floor tiles in the kitchen were around 10-15 degrees cooler than the others. At first I thought this was unrelated. I assumed that this might be underground water pipes, and there might be a leak. When I went out to investigate, I realized that these were likely the refrigerant lines. The outdoor unit is just outside the kitchen. I also noticed that one of the pipes on the outside of the outdoor unit had a block of ice around it where there was no insulation covering the pipe.
A "few days later" is today, and the HVAC guy came over, checked the system and said it had lost refrigerant and it was likely a leak. If I recall correctly he said that it was down to around 95psi from around 120psi (not positive about these numbers). He said that he topped it off and added a sealant that may or may not fix the leak, and added that it wasn't a lot of coolant lost, so it might not be too bad of a leak. He said that there'd be a small amount of coolant loss as the sealant did its job, and they'd have to top it off again, however, if it continues to lose coolant, the leak must be repaired.
My concern is that the leak is somewhere under (or in) my concrete foundation. The lines run from the outdoor unit on the East side of the house, to the indoor unit in the attic on the West side of the house. My house has vaulted ceilings and no real attic except for the small area where the air handler is. I'm scratching my head wondering why the original contractors thought it was a bad idea to put the outdoor unit right next to the indoor unit where there is easy access, and a short throw between the two, and instead cement it under the house!
My questions are:
* Should the hvac guy have attempted to locate the leak? I'm sure he checked the outdoor unit, but didn't look at the indoor unit.
* Is there a way to find and/or repair leaks under concrete foundation? The house was built in 1980. Did they make these pipes with easy access back then, or is this going to be a situation where I have to rip up my foundation?
* Would it be good option to relocate the outdoor unit to the West side of the house which has direct access to the attic space where the indoor unit lives?
* Any other ideas of how I should handle this (other than a 5th of wild turkey)?
Sorry for the epic post. Here's the TLDR:
* AC failing due to loss of refrigerant
* Some of the coolant pipes are under the house, probably IN the concrete slab (that side of the house, the East side, is all vaulted ceilings, so no access that way). The leak may be there.
* Air Handler up in the attic is on the West side with easy outside access, and wondering if moving the outside unit to the West side is a good option)
Thanks!
Drew
Just registered, so I want to say hi, and also mention how much I appreciate independent message boards such as these. I prefer to stay away from horrible forums that reside on the giant platforms. The most valuable advice I've ever received on the Internet has always been from well moderated boards like this one. They tend to have a core group of super knowledgable and talented regulars that have been around since the beginning. Again, I'm so glad I found this forum, and really appreciate its existence.
On to my problem:
I have a typical indoor/outdoor hvac system for a 1300 sq foot house.
I had my outdoor unit replaced two months ago. I live on the coast in central Florida, and this would be my 2nd unit in 12 years, which is not uncommon for this area. Anyway, a few days ago the cooling system started having trouble maintaining 78 degrees once the outdoor temp hit around 90 in the afternoon. I called the HVAC co and was able to get an appt for a few days later.
Around the same time the cooling issues started, I noticed that some of the floor tiles in the kitchen were around 10-15 degrees cooler than the others. At first I thought this was unrelated. I assumed that this might be underground water pipes, and there might be a leak. When I went out to investigate, I realized that these were likely the refrigerant lines. The outdoor unit is just outside the kitchen. I also noticed that one of the pipes on the outside of the outdoor unit had a block of ice around it where there was no insulation covering the pipe.
A "few days later" is today, and the HVAC guy came over, checked the system and said it had lost refrigerant and it was likely a leak. If I recall correctly he said that it was down to around 95psi from around 120psi (not positive about these numbers). He said that he topped it off and added a sealant that may or may not fix the leak, and added that it wasn't a lot of coolant lost, so it might not be too bad of a leak. He said that there'd be a small amount of coolant loss as the sealant did its job, and they'd have to top it off again, however, if it continues to lose coolant, the leak must be repaired.
My concern is that the leak is somewhere under (or in) my concrete foundation. The lines run from the outdoor unit on the East side of the house, to the indoor unit in the attic on the West side of the house. My house has vaulted ceilings and no real attic except for the small area where the air handler is. I'm scratching my head wondering why the original contractors thought it was a bad idea to put the outdoor unit right next to the indoor unit where there is easy access, and a short throw between the two, and instead cement it under the house!
My questions are:
* Should the hvac guy have attempted to locate the leak? I'm sure he checked the outdoor unit, but didn't look at the indoor unit.
* Is there a way to find and/or repair leaks under concrete foundation? The house was built in 1980. Did they make these pipes with easy access back then, or is this going to be a situation where I have to rip up my foundation?
* Would it be good option to relocate the outdoor unit to the West side of the house which has direct access to the attic space where the indoor unit lives?
* Any other ideas of how I should handle this (other than a 5th of wild turkey)?
Sorry for the epic post. Here's the TLDR:
* AC failing due to loss of refrigerant
* Some of the coolant pipes are under the house, probably IN the concrete slab (that side of the house, the East side, is all vaulted ceilings, so no access that way). The leak may be there.
* Air Handler up in the attic is on the West side with easy outside access, and wondering if moving the outside unit to the West side is a good option)
Thanks!
Drew
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/threads/2239180-Possible-leak-could-be-expensive-intrusive-Looking-for-options-advice?goto=newpost
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