Here is the first post I had made about my ongoing AC issue.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ai...ycles-off.html

If you read that you will see that I had already called 3 people over to my house. 3 different people had not been able to diagnose an issue. They refused to check the evaporator coil, refused to check the TXV, and only hooked up gauges to my system and said everything was fine. My delta T was 10 when they told me everything was fine. My house would not cool below 85 degrees on a 100 degree day, but according to them one can only expect 80 degrees inside when it's 100 outside.

3 techs did not see this TXV sensing bulb install (see post 22 below):

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ai...ml#post2450689

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? Who is certifying and training these people?

I read the manual for one week and researched online and was able to troubleshoot the issue. The techs refused to look at the evaporator coil, refused to go into the attic, and did nothing but hook up a gauge outside and tell me everything is fine...this is with a delta T of 10 and the house at 85 degrees.

Since I fixed the issue, the unit worked for two weeks then the outside condenser began to short cycle. I've called two more people over and they have done nothing. They say the system is fine. The delta T is once again back to 10 degrees. The last guy said the system was actually overcharged and he discharged some of the refrigerant. I'm actually afraid this guy bypassed the safety on the compressor to get it to stop short cycling, because it stopped short cycling before he ever discharged any refrigerant.

I looked at the TXV again and it looks like the equalization line was never hooked up to the suction line. Also, I have no idea if I'm installing the sensing bulb correctly other than reading manuals. Can I hook up the equalization line as is or does that require draining the system?

This is really frustrating. As far as I'm concerned these techs are all incompetent crooks who basically only know how to charge a system. I have no idea what to do. So far I have called 5 different people from different companies and none have done a single productive thing. I have paid each one "service fees" of between $70-125 for doing absolutely nothing.

I don't know what the purpose of this post is other than to rant, but if ANYONE here knows a competent, intelligent, and thorough senior technician in the Los Angeles area who is actually willing to troubleshoot an issue, please let me know.

 

That really sucks.

To troubleshoot your issue, more than pressure readings need to be taken - superheat, subcooling, pressures, wet bulb return temp, outdoor temp, measured airflow would tell you exactly what's happening.

Pressures alone mean nothing.

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Try here: Ask Our Pros Contractor Locator

For the moderators, this is not a link to another forum. It's a map with contractor info.

 

The connection has to have a schrader valve in it, otherwise you'll lose the entire charge removing the cap.

 

Is that something I can verify? I can post a photo of the cap on the suction line, but I don't know for sure. I don't want to remove it and have leakage.

 

Get a duct temp and a return air temp it will give the pro's something to start with.

 

Don't remove the cap on the suction line. What was it doing to make you think it was short cycling?
BTW, some TEV's don't use a equalizer tube.

 

forgot to mention, this is total non-sense - it all depends on how the system is designed/sized.

If it was, people living in phoenix where is hits 110 would only be able to cool down to 90f.

Take the split at the air handler to rule out duct losses, also measure return air wetbulb temperature.

 

LOL!
There's the problem right there... too lazy to make the climb into the attic.

 

Time for you to run an easy, totally safe, A/C Performance test of your own. No Kids; do not lay anything on top of the outdoor condenser, & hang onto the thermometer so it doesn't drop into the condenser fan!

All you need is a good air-temp probe thermometer (digital reading in tenths preferable) an HVAC Supply might sell you one; or use your mercury TH & estimate the tenths; if you don't have a humidity gauge, you need to get one ASAP; a low cost 'INDOOR Humidity Monitor' - ACU-RITE Digital only $8.94 at Wall-Mart or over the Internet; it shows you if %RH is OK; plus records high & low Humidity & Temps during a 24 hour period.
Check to see if it registers the temperature correctly; if not, take it back for a full refund.

If we find problems, you will need to contact & qualify a good HVAC Contractor to fix those performance problems.

1) Outdoor condenser’s discharge-air-temperature ___°F
Subtract Outdoor air temperature: __°F

Outdoor Condenser Air-Temp-Split ___°F
Condenser’s SEER Rating or Year Mfg'ered on Name Plate _____________

2) Need the ‘Indoor’ percent of relative humidity - in the middle of the rooms or, at Return-Air inlet grilles ___%RH

3) Indoor Return Air Temperature __°F Indoor Supply-Air Temperature __°F
Subtract Indoor Supply-Air Temp from Return Air Temp __°F
Indoor temperature-split = __°F

We ought to have superheat & sub-cooling temps by Tech _________________.
If you know; TXV or piston metering device? _______

“Reply with Quote” Or, Copy & paste in your Reply; Fill the #numbers in where the blanks are.”
Easy Safe testing of your A/C or heat pump cooling performance for all forum visitors to use.