I own a restaurant. And I LOVE your videos. So filters. Belts. Pulleys. Contactors. I tackle them myself. And yes. My kitchen wouldn’t close the walkins….UNTIL I put a screaming door alarm on the doors. Fixed.
I have no idea why i'm watching videos for a profession I don't think i'll ever enter, but man are they enjoyable to watch. I like the way you explain things, and the music choice was cool. feels like i'm about to watch the intro to an 80's action movie. love it! keep it up man.
Same here. I'm in software development but these videos keep me interested! I think if I didn't go into software I would have either been an Electrician or possibly an HVAC tech. Both professions interest the heck out of me.
I'm relatively new to commercial service."about 2yrs" and I feel like I've learned so much from you're trouble shooting videos. Keep making awesome in depth videos for us new guys!
Re: the crack repair on the bracket, in aviation we would normally stop-drill, paint, and rivet on a doubler plate over the crack to stop flex. Probably overkill for a unit as beat as this one looks though: Your repair should outlast the remaining service life on this thing!
@@sydnerland9624 Not sure I'd definitively say "better" - a doubler repair will probably last longer (so "more durable" for sure), but if this unit only has another maybe 5 years of service life before it gets replaced the Chris can make the braised repair in half the time of the riveted doubler repair the customer might consider that "better" (fewer hours spent on keeping a beat machine they're going to eventually scrap running). If it was a new AC in its first year or two of service? Then yes - a doubler would definitely be "better" IMHO.
"Drill a hole at the end of the crack to stop the crack from spreading" that gave me a flashback to a mayday air crash investigations episode where mechanics did that like 3 times, until it ripped off and the plane crashed
That was Chalk's airplane, and the repairs were nasty on top of being inappropriate. They drilled holes then covered the cracks in glue so they expanded without being seen until too late.
I work for a manufacturer and I feel like we are the only ones selling chillers and RTU’S 40-120 tons… finally hitting a kink in the supply chain with fan motors. Good job on that call
As a service technician for the actual manufacture of that machine, almost all of our guys don’t use digital gauges and for the most part just go back to the old fashion three port gauges even me who owns a pair of those gauges. We found out sometimes too much information isn’t that useful and can be a hindrance sometimes
Very nicely put. Best not to over think situations. I’m licensed in Texas but retired. I still like analog. But the young whipper snappers like all digital. I do enjoy this guys videos.
I'm young and I prefer digital gauges, same with digital watches haha. Using them really helped me better understand superheat, subcooling, saturation temp etc
Happy to see someone putting effort into a service call. I work at a company where people would say a lot of things you do are unnecessary or needless. Thats because they say that to me and i work like you do. Good job.
When you switched from the high side to the suction with your hose you have about 6” of non condensables in that part of the hose. I know everyone can’t catch everything but before screwing the hose on the service port allow the liquid refrigerant to escape before seating the hose on the service port. Just a humble opinion.
I haven’t had good success brazing over cracks, they usually crack again. I probably would have cut that section out and used a 90 and a street 45 to make that bend. What do you think?
Drill a small hole at each end of the crack, it prevents the original damage from spreading. Then braze over all of it. But it’s critical to remedy the vibration that caused it in the first place, or all bets are off.
Thanks so much I try to do my best! I will discuss this on my Livestream this evening 5/23/22 @ 5:PM (pacific) on RU-vid come over and check it out ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gN63qbrnI9s.html
I would check the compressor windings, and make sure it is not going to high to ground. I have had systems with running compressors that have a ground in them. Especially if the oil is very dirty. I see your brazing, and are using more oxygen that I was taught to use. By having a '"Lazy Flame" it will solder easy. So light the torch like you normally do, then reduce the oxygen a little bit, and see how the blue parts is longer by about 1/4". That is considered a lazy flame.
“I can’t believe they approved this repair…” yep, I’ve had a few of those lately lol. About a month ago I fixed a leak on a similarly sized “rectangle” Carrier, on the discharge line. My current “overkill” vacuum setup is a run of the mill JB Platinum 7cfm pump, through single 1/2” or 3/4” (can’t remember the size) Appion vacuum hose, through a vacuum rated Appion core removal tool (with the core removed of course). I used this exact setup for the first time on this repair, and was in total awe that it got down to about 400 microns in about 15 minutes. Then after I charged it up and let it run for a bit, I shut the unit off and heard a faint hissing. I was about at the end of a 10 hour day, so I about flipped out thinking my leak repair didn’t work and the leak reopened. Turns out it was just the indoor blower running making that sound. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when you’re exhausted and surrounded by other noisy running equipment. 🤣🤣🤣 Some tips for the newer guys, as I learned from my own experience: 1. never ever, as much as possible, pull a vacuum through your manifold; they will leak and are not designed for it. Even though some of these SMAN’s have a vacuum port, still don’t. It will still leak and take you all day to pull a mediocre vacuum. 2. Change out the gaskets and O rings on your vacuum hoses and accessories regularly, as they deteriorate rapidly with use and will leak. Having trouble getting a new gasket in the hose? Just use a little bit of vacuum pump oil to lubricate; will make installation a thousand times easier. 3. Make sure your core removal tools are of good quality and are vacuum rated; Appion makes a really nice one (which is what Chris is using in this video). Avoid the ones made by Yellow Jacket, they are cheap trash and fall apart quickly. 4. When dealing with a system with those stupid annoying Coremax valves, you will not be able to remove the valve core with conventional tools. Get a couple of vacuum rated core depressors (they look very similar to core removal tools) to hold the valve open. Since these valves are designed for high flow anyways, keeping these valves open is similar to the same amount of flow you’d get with the valve core removed from a traditional schrader valve. 5. Change out your vacuum pump oil regularly; you’d be amazed how quickly oil gets dirty even when using the gas ballast. Dirty oil makes your vacuum pump far less affective.
Fieldpiece app: Add ability to use a temperature probe to pull in OAT just like they do for R/A and S/A. I was told this has been "in the works" for some time now.
Great video as always, this is reminding me of the great recession, dont waste your time thinking they will just replace it, its getting fixed! Im curious if there was a reason to add oil after it was running, instead of right before flipping the vacuum pump on? Love to see a deep dive on proper steel/steel, steel/copper, copper/brass brazing as my memory maybe getting dusty.
for the cracks in the housing; I would have cut out flashing plate to make covers/supports to rivet onto both sides for support and strength. Would probably hold/last longer. Just a good tip for you =)
another option, get a 110v gasless mig welder, drill the end like the vid then run a weld along the crack, assuming you know how to run a mig it should hold better then the sheet metal.
That was a Great Video and Awesome repair. Had a similar issue with a York Unit and the unfortunate problem was the cost of the components to rebuild the unit. We thought that would sway the decision for replacement. Offered and strongly insisted that the customer change the unit, but lead time was something that could not handle. So we rebuilt the unit and changed the evaporator, and compressors due to history of reported problems and failures.
Chris! Two purges was missing. 20:55 but there is a chance you purged after camera was off. But 26:20 was not purged. I think it doesn't matter, but not so good practice when showing. Love the videos! Your videos is the only sub that I can't wait for the next video.
Chris, I always carried a quart of muriatic acid not only to clean the surface but to also remove the galvanization on these blower cracks, wire brushing and drilling a hole to stop the crack was the right move, I rarely had it crack more after that, unless the vibration problem was not taken care of. That was a trick an old sheet metal duck shop taught me. But good job, like you say in some cases your are just polishing a turd at some point. lol
Interesting repair. Bottom line is you did the best you could for the times and as always it's up to the customer on the final say what they want to be done.
Awesome video , in this industry absolutely no one has all the answers and sometimes an outside perspective helps a lot. Excellent job going above and beyond finding the initial cause of the leak as well , impressive. To many people don't take the time or just don't have the thought process in place to think that way.
I struggle with where to place my joblink temperature clamps on systems. I know Jim has specified like 6" away from compressor or service valve, but I still feel like I'm guessing when I put my probes on a system. Anyway you could do a video to overview this topic? I think it would be very beneficial to new techs trying to utilize digital. Thanks! -Will
Great job Chris, Your always serious about your job, not everyone is as serious, and you would get stressed with customers, but the point is your getting better and not letting the negativity bother you, and you got your techs and helpers now.
If you get pipe expander tool you can save on using couplings. After I got mine I almost never use couplings. Plus only one joint to braze versus two on each connection.
On those sized copeland compressors im pretty sure those copper fittings are solid copper where you braze them in. Im basing that on ones ive cut apart to scrap and repairs ive made. I know smaller ones in the small refrigeration size are sometimes copper plated steel like you are talking about. But im wondering if your issue getting them brazed in after doing a oil change was oil contamination in the braze joint. Ive seen that cause issues before. For instance on a repair near a leak where everything is coated in oil. But i really dont know the best way to clean the oil out of the fitting after you dump the oil out. Its not like you can spray brake clean in there. But something to think about next time you run into that.
I had a blower section like that and the motor mounting plate and i noticed they sent me the updated motor adjustment plate than makes it sit lower where the inner section slides in the outer. Like it much more than those that bounce
Well according to my family Im older than dirt I liked using the old wood gauges that used a metal spring that would move by temp or pressure. Using those brand new analog gauges is just to advanced for me. Mostly I just eye everything or guesstimate. As long as it sorta works, its good enough!
Yep, there's several pieces of equipment that I have repaired that should have been replaced so far. I'm still waiting on a temperature controller for a hot case that I ordered in February.
Crazy this video came out. I just had a call with a cracked discharge. I wondered why. Well, we got approved to repair it. Charged the system and the metering devices are all clogged causing very low suction and big vibrations in the compressor. Now I get to do it all again...live and learn. Then again, the leak was so bad I couldn't run the system to tell that the metering devices were clogged so...
Oh you would like this: on a job doing a pm on the weather maker, coil freezing up. Merv 13, no load in the space, 65 amb. I state I need to return bc it might have a leak, just be low air flow, or both. They tell me to replace the evap and use fresh 22.
Love your channel but not sure if you know but York Sunline series is a direct replacement for most Carrier package units. Also ICP which Baker sells is essentially Carrier.
I must ask if adding any piece of metal would be a better option to repair that crack? I do as part time electrician and sometimes mini splits and im pretty sure i over overreact and add too much so truly want to know what would be the best practice, and awesome move on drilling the end of the crack, i really love watching your vids, true professional at work!
I have a carrier 6 ton from 1997. Last summer compressor went. I suggested replacement of unit. Nope they did compressor. Get comp and and find out metering devices are plugged and condenser fan motor are shot. suggest maybe its time to replace unit. Nope replaced metering device and condenser fan motor. Fast forward now to winter, service call, blower bearings gone, blower wheel wrecked, gas valve and board failed. And guess what , all being replaced lmao. Sometimes we can only make suggestions and do what the customer wants. Nice job once again!
A little late to the show, but what was that brazing rod you used to repair the crack on the plate where the blower assembly sits on? Was it a nickel/silver alloy?
Awesome work once again. 😁 I just managed to do a DIY recharge on the family car AC which was out of gas for months. Never messed with AC systems before but it all worked out and I got the entire Can of Refrigerant in there without any disasters. But there is nothing like watching a Professional work to remind me that I am just an amateur ~~
you make this all look so easy man, I hope to one day be as good as you. I started about 6 months ago as a parts runner, moved into doing PMs a few months after and now theyre sending me on breakdown calls, but there are some calls that absolutely kick my butt. I hope with experience it becomes easier but it feels like its gonna be a while lol
It takes a while. 7 years in and I still have some calls that give me a run for my money but just learn as much as you can and pay attention to small details
Question: If you are worried about sweatingthe compressor connections, why not just cut the copper tube 6-ish inches away from the comp and use couplings? It would allow you to change the oil and not have to worry about the bungs. (I know, it's adding points for a leak but you've already had to change and move things so adding connections isn't really a problem?)
The only question I got is how long will that braids repair last on the unit pan and drilling out the end of the crack was very smart I learned that years ago doing aircraft maintenance which I no longer do
With the replaced blower assembly the vibration that caused the crack won't be there anymore. The blower housing screws to that panel, so will help hold it together too.
I had to do a repair that required replacing the blower wheel,shaft, and bearings. When I asked carrier about a prebuilt blower assembly they told me they didn't do it. Pretty bummed and it made the repair way longer.
Like was mentioned below, do you figure in the oil capacity of the hose when you apply a shot of oil into the compressor? To me, it doesn't look like there is much more volume in the piston compared to the volume of the hose over to the compressor.
You're probably right. I did a quick calculation and if that is 1/4" ID hose and it's 4' long, it will only hold about 1.3oz of oil. Not sure the capacity of the pump per stroke but, I suspect it's large enough that the oil lost in the hose probably doesn't amount to enough to matter.
One piece of feedback for fieldpiece, I have have 3 air probes and there is no way to set the third to measure outdoor temp unlike that app that shall not be named.
Have had units that were 25 years old that owners wanted to patch. One unit I repaired about 12 leaks in evaporator coil and still couldn't get it to hold pressure. I finally gave up and said we needed to replace the unit since coil was no longer available. He was upset I couldn't fix it. But then when he got the electric bill after installing a new unit he said he couldn't believe how much his bill dropped. Said he should of replaced years ago. I just shook my head.
Also need to cinsider within the year the new standard of refrigerant and entirely redesigned systems will be required. It would suck to swap out with a new system that is immediately obsolete.
1:14 "Cattywhompus" From one Tech to Another, I hope you don't mind I use that. Friggen hilarious term for balance. I watch these so I have a better understanding of HVAC on HD trucks I'm learning to fix. And I'm just a gearhead
Assuming the Start-up, Test and Balance was done correctly. A little trick for adjusting the new motor pulley to the old motor pulley, is to your Hex Keys as a “Feeler Gauge.”
I have a question if you don't mind. Instead of un-sweating, would it have made sense to cut off the copper a little further away from the compressor. Remove the oil, weigh it back in and then patching the cut copper lines to close the system with a copper couplings? Love the vids
Another comment, blue rod 45% works great at welding metal as well. The nut that you tighten on my blade puller broke lose in the middle of a job and I welded it back on and it’s never broken since.
Your micron gauge should not rise after isolation . If it rises but some and levels out then there is still moisture in the system. If rises and keeps rising then you have a leak of course. The core tools can a spike in micron level when isolating. Especially when they wear out.
Went in suction line….so the oil was drawn in by normal compressor function. He waited a little after the pump to disconnect the hose. Good question though…if ya don’t wait, oil could just remain in the hose.
I'm wondering how many companies are trying to restart manufacturing in the US. If they are, it's going to take a lot, because the mines are closed, the refineries (metal) are gone, the mills are shut down, and OSHA believes that all heavy manufacturing can be 100% safe.
Manufacturing in the US? What manufacturing? Everything is made in china dude... they hold all the keys now and went full lockdown for the past 3 months now....
@@memadmax69 - Yet the military has finally managed to get the congresscritters to understand that too many parts are made outside of US control. I know there are semiconductor fabs being built right now in Texas. (Bad location. Austin is dry, and they need lots of water. They'd have been better served to be nearer the Louisiana border) That'w why I'm wondering if there's any other that are restarting. Plastics manufacturing, maybe? I have no idea why we buy plastic cups, plates, forks, etc from China, when Houston is a refinery town. We _make_ the plastic solids. With the cost of shipping, why aren't they being done locally?
@@tbelding Also, we are losing manufacturing cause we are in a negative feedback loop: people need to be paid higher here, but they need to be paid higher cause of perpetual inflation due to non-stop government spending causing more inflation, causing people to be need to be paid higher and the loop continues on... negative feedback loop.
@@memadmax69 - Excessively paid in a lot of circumstances, because of union abuses. The manufacturing I don't understand being 'outsourced' is that which has minimal labor costs, such as plastics extruding and molding. Also, smaller manufacturing businesses (truck bodies, etc) do manage to stay profitable, so there has to be some other reason for it - I point to OSHA as being a major player in the "get rid of industry, it's unsafe".
If you have Fieldpiece's ear, are you grilling them over their multistage/multicircuit configuration issues in the app that you seem to get tripped up on?
you have to have some cohones to pull a vacuum and wash it while in a vacuum.LOL.it took you a while to start saving your customers some money with the alternatives.the shieve needs another 1/2 turn.great video thanks for sharin.
Brazing or welding dissimilar metals is always a bastard to deal with, even during the best circumstances with good equipment and experience it can go wrong because one reason or another.
@@BenTh17 10 acetylene 10 oxygen is about minimal, works for me, sometimes you have to play around with it, I normally do around a 10/13 and it works fine for me
Great video. Only point of improvement I can see as a layman is that you personally were already aware the pulley was bad from the inspection at the beginning, so having to get it at a later point was a shortcoming on your end. (I have no clue if you just left it in your car or whether your colleague had to get it from your warehouse or whatever). But that is still pretty minor; we all forget something at times.
I'm new to your channel, I respect you for putting yourself out there & the quality of your workmanship, you're a good mechanic, well above average to my competition, so if you see any of my comments & they look negative, they're not meant that way, treat them as mechanic to mechanic, shop talk if you will. Having said that, I would have never of touch that cond coil with the fin comb, I feel you inadvertently made the situation worse rather than better, exponentially reducing the life of a tired coil. And a question, I'm sure it's been asked before, why do your rtu's out there have piped drains? That's very strange to me, I'm guessing some weird Cali code? For myself, an open ended trap is a quick visual 'tool' when I go up on a roof.
How common do y’all take a motor to get re spun inside of getting a new one? I work for a school district and sometimes I have to send motors to get re spun
@@HVACRVIDEOS you would be surprised how quickly you can replace bearings on those 1 to 5 hp and the bearings are only a couple of dollars,the numbers are on the bearings,and they will save a 3 hr trip.
I was once told never offer the inappropriate option in a tradeoff as management will immediately adopt it and hold you accountable for success of the overall project. They NEVER hear the qualifiers like...it will cost you more in the end!
That metal is probably fatigued overall. Why not continue by reinforcing opening by placing a frame of wood underneath it and support it with wooden legs which will have a dampening effect and the pressure it can apply from below from it's legs can provide support to help bear the compressor's weight, stopping some of the flexing and oscillation which you may also be experiencing, which will cause a kind of vibration itself? Wood is great for this purpose, as long as it is well anchored.
