HELP.... got duped...need help.


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Old 04-02-10, 09:25 PM
T
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HELP.... got duped...need help.

Newbie here. Don't laugh...well laugh if you want I guess. Late last year I had to replace my A/C unit outside. A friend of mine recommended getting a used unit from this guy to save money, Sounded good to me. Problem is, he replaced a 5 ton unit with a 3.5 ton unit. I did not know this until my A/C service came by to do our annual inspection. Now that it is finally warming up here in South Florida I notice that the unit is running forever to cool the house down. Here's my question. Can a 3.5 ton unit be somehow changed to a 5 ton unit or am I going to have to replace the whole darn thing again? Remember......I said not to laugh. I'm not an electrician or an A/C guy. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Tom
 
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Old 04-03-10, 05:32 AM
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Not laughing, Yes you will need to replace outside and inside.
 
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Old 04-03-10, 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by tom-in-florida
Clipped... Late last year I had to replace my A/C unit outside. A friend of mine recommended getting a used unit from this guy to save money, Sounded good to me.

Problem is, he replaced a 5 ton unit with a 3.5 ton unit. I did not know this until my A/C service came by to do our annual inspection.

Now that it is finally warming up here in South Florida I notice that the unit is running forever to cool the house down. Here's my question.

Can a 3.5 ton unit be somehow changed to a 5 ton unit or am I going to have to replace the whole darn thing again? Remember......I said not to laugh. I'm not an electrician or an A/C guy. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Tom
Did he replace the indoor coil with a lower tonnage coil?

With a 3.5 to 5-ton Thermostatic Expansion Valve metering device & 1400-CFM of airflow, the 3.5-Ton might work. PROVIDING...

I'd have a manual J load heatload calc done to see if retro-work would reduce the heatload enough for the 3.5-Ton condenser to get the job done.

There is a possibility that this could turn out to be an energy saving situation.
:TDG: - HVAC Retired
 
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Old 04-03-10, 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by airman.1994
Not laughing, Yes you will need to replace outside and inside.

Yes and no. He can just replace the outside unit like he did originally. True he probably wont get a good efficiency rating but he can, and I have many times done it for people on a budget with good success. This assumes that he can still get a R22 unit, which there are plenty still available by me.
 
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Old 04-03-10, 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by theapprentice
Yes and no. He can just replace the outside unit like he did originally. True he probably wont get a good efficiency rating but he can, and I have many times done it for people on a budget with good success. This assumes that he can still get a R22 unit, which there are plenty still available by me.
But why? This weeks price for 22 was $139 for 30#. It's just going up from here. I'll agree he can but for cost and energy efficiency down the road it does not make sense. Remember he said he was in FL, so Id go with at least a 16 20 would be better.
 
 

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