Sears Central A/C leak, pi$ing me off?

Question

Ok here's the deal. Got a central A/C from Sears (first mistake) It is 4 years old now and still under warranty, so I don't pay for repairs or parts yet. Anyway, had it installed in August so it wasn't used much that year. Next year, I noticed ice buildup on the exposed pipes and condenser motor. So I called service and they told me it was low on freon. So they came and filled it. Lasted the rest of the year. Following year, same thing. They came, filled, lasted 2 months before frosting/icing up again. This year, I had made 5 calls in a matter of 3 months. First one in April, they filled with freon again, and worked until July. Since then the 4 calls have been wastes of time. The 3rd of the 4 calls in a month he said a leak was most likely in the Evap. Unit as most are. Ok, he ordered a new one, and the 4th of 4 visits another guy replaced the evap, filled it with freon and it worked for a day. Now freezing/icing up yet again. He did a vacuum test on the lines before filling to see if it was leaking, and said it was fine. Apparently not. Should the copper pipe have any kind of discoloration or strange colors on it where a leak could be? I noticed shiny pipe, then an area where it is blackish/green. Is that a leak? They are coming yet again (5th time in a month) this week. Can I force him to run a dye leak test or any other test and repair it?

Answer 1

I know nothing about air conditioning systems, but I've had help fixing a fridge from the forums on the website below.  If you can't get your problem solved, maybe they can help.

You need to register (it's free) and then you can ask an expert your question.  Good luck!  

Answer 2

oil is the best sign of a leak just some tips first the leak is on your liquid side did you have the copper line set changed ? is it running underground?threw concrete wall? next time they charge it disconnect con fan run it for a few minutes the leak will be easy to find at the very least they need to put a pressure test on it isolate both line and evap and condenser put pressure on them wait a day that way you find the leak 4 sure

Answer 3

Sears repairmen s*** I had a Kenmore refrigerator that cost $400 new and they spent $1200 fixing it (warranty work) and it still wouldn't work I told them that it was a lemon and they told me that they had to continue to fix it as long as it could be fixed, I called their corporate offices in Chicago and spoke to several supervisors trying to explain my problem and they kept telling me the same thing as long as it can be fixed it must be fixed when I finally took enough time off work to meet these "repairmen" to buy 3 refrigerators I took it to the dump and bought a whirlpool and I've been very happy ever since  

Answer 4

There's definitly a leak somewhere. These guys should have found it when they put a vacuum test on it.The next time they come out, have them put 20psi on it and use soap bubbles on it. Have them soak it at all connections. Condenser, and evaporator included.If you want to take a look at it yourself, check for oily residue at ALL cnnections. Should be pretty easy to do.The unit itself contains a certain amount of oil in it to keep the compressor lubricated. These morons know that it is warranty work so they really don't care very much. If you recognize the next service tech., tell him you need the # to his supervisors office. if they use the psi method, make sure they pull another vacuum on the unit or it will not operate correctly. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Where ever you see oil residue or film,there is a refrigerant leak near.

Back to the vacuum thing.A vacuum is only to be used after repairing a refrigerant leak ,NOT TO CHECK FOR A LEAK.To check for a leak you pressurize with an inert gas such as nitrogen and use your gauges to check for a pressure drop and check with soap bubbles. Nitrogen is not effected with temperature.40 lbs is 40 lbs no matter if it's 20f or 100f outside.The other method would be with whatever gas is being used, r22 or r410 using an electronic leak detector.If they told you to find a leak they needed to use a vacuum test,they don't know what they are doing or are misinformed or are full of ****.

All leaks can be located and repaired.Some are harder to find than others and take extra time.

It's simple to just add refrigerant to a system and immediate cooling results are felt if that is what the problem is.

That's why so many just load it up and roll to the next call,blowing off a required,sometimes time consuming leak check.

Call and talk to the service manager and tell him exactly this,"I am sick and tired of my a/c going out and your techs giving me the run around when they come out here and loading my unit up with refrigerant and never make an effort to locate and repair the refrigerant leak"! " This is an ongoing problem that should have been resolved over a year ago"!Good luck.

Dye is NOT needed !All leaks can be located with the methods described above!Dye is rediculous!

A residential a/c doesn't have that many places a refrigerant leak can be located in the first place.

Sound like to me that you already know how to locate a leak yourself.You spotted the oil.That's a leak!

Oil and refrigerant are circulating together at all times.When there is a leak ,the refrigerant vaporizes and boils away but the oil remains.

Answer 6

Yes the copper pipe will turn colors just as you mentioned. You need to let them know just how pi$$ed off you are and that you want it fix and fixed right , You really have to watch so of these a/c companies ,they would do things like this to get you so pi$$ed off that you just want to buy another a/c unit, sojust remember that.