I had an hvac guy come out and check out my system. I took a picture of the readings. He was saying I was under a lb low of refrigerant and that it would be 300 dollars to top it off. I didn’t have him top it off because it seemed like he was trying to sell me the top off. Was the guy being honest or just trying to make a few extra bucks?

Hi guys! Decided to post on here because I need some help. We have a Daikin FTXV12AVJU9 model in two rooms and it's throwing an U4 error code on both devices with an orange light on. The company that installed our system keeps insisting the error codes we have gotten is because we had one unit set to “heat” and one set to “cool”. Since they have been installed, we have had issues with an F3 code. They sent techs out three separate times, and the first two times they kept blaming it on us for having one on hot and one on cold and I’m assuming just resetting the system because they would work fine for a little then the problem would come back. Finally on the third visit the technician actually checked the system and said it was low on refrigerant which is what was causing it to overheat, so he had to add more. That fixed the issue and it ran perfect. Now that an U4 error code popped up, before coming out to inspect he’s again saying it’s probably because we had one running on hot and the other one on cold, or we messed with the control and caused that code to pop up. The thing is, one of the units in a bedroom has been off because the room is vacant. From what I understand U4 means the indoor and outdoor units lost communication over the wiring, not anything to do with remote settings? Can an HVAC tech please tell me is there any physical way that remote settings or a mode conflict could cause a U4 code or the F3 code, and if the refrigerant issue had anything to do with “mode conflict” either? Thanks!

My hvac guy says my heat exchanger is cracked, I don’t believe him. Is he trying to scam me

I’m working on a Payne 80 that’s not making any sense. The igniter lights, gas valve clicks and opens. The burners light then fizzle out. However, as you can see in the video, it’s not any sensor as it’s consistently sending 24+ volts to the gas valve as the pressure drops. I changed the gas valve thinking that was it but it’s still having issues. Inlet pressure is high (12.9) and outlet (3.27) is a bit low but both are within the tolerance. It seems like a gas pressure issue but it just doesn’t make any sense. Any advice is appreciated.

Had a HVAC inspection set up through a company that had a rep at Lowe’s. He came out and said this may be a crack in the heat exchanger. The entire scenario was very high pressure and the reviews on the company are mostly fake 5 star reviews or 1 star reviews that the company engages in scammy practices. As far as I know he didn’t do any other pressure tests to determine leakage. Quoted me 4K to replace the heat exchanger (which may be under warranty - XV80 Trane from 2012 - and a failing leaky capacitor (which seemed legit).

Curious whether this is the right test and trying to get a second opinion about whether this could be legit.

Thanks in advance!!

I'm a very skilled tradesman in industrial maintenance and am good with tools.

My biggest concern is dealing with the ac coils. I have the coils in the AC unit replaced 5 years ago. The furnace is 25 years old

Had my usual HVAC guys come out and look at our heater. Just tried turning it on for the first time and thermostat says it's on but no heat or even air is coming out. Keep in mind this unit is around 4 years old, purchased and installed by same company. Was told the board and heat sensor are out, and it's almost $2k for the labor to replace the parts, which are under warranty. How long does it take to replace these pieces? Does the quote seem excessive?

We missed having them come out to service/clean the unit 1 time since installation, and he indicated that was why it failed... though the unit is so new, I wonder if that's true.

It's in a scuttle attic, Lennox brand, and uses natural gas.

I have a relatively new house, only about 4 years old, with a 4-ton Rheem single stage unit currently installed. The house is insulated with spray foam and has an outside air return on the system, but there's no damper installed. I live in central Texas, where the humidity is quite high. About two months ago, while inspecting the attic, I removed the panel from my unit and was shocked to find standing water inside and mold growing in the supply plenum.

I suspect the unit installed by the home builder wasn't set up properly. For some reason, it doesn't drain correctly. Although the condensate line isn't clogged and water does drain out, it seems like the cooling coil is leaking into the unit, and not all the water makes it to the drain. It even looks like water is splashing inside, and the cooling coil is already corroding.

I've had several AC companies inspect the system, and at this point, I just want to replace it with either a 2-stage unit or a variable capacity unit. My main concern is reducing the humidity in the house. Do you think the extra cost for the variable capacity unit would be worth it control the humidity?

I received two quotes—one for a Lennox Elite Series variable-speed unit and another for a two-stage Lennox Merit system. The company also plans to replace the supply and return plenum and install a humidity sensor and damper for the outside air.

Do these quotes seem reasonable?

My mothers house often loses power in the winter, and I noticed that her propane furnace just plugs into a 120v socket, presumably to light the gas and run the fan.

I thought about getting one of those portable lithium ion batteries to plug her furnace into when her power goes out, but it occurs to me that if the thermostat is off, the furnace wouldn’t kick on would it?

So, do thermostats usually connect to the furnace and fan directly, or are they just wired on the circuit in the room they are in with a separate wire to communicate to the furnace?

It’s a 3-year-old unit with no issues, but I was thinking about pouring some vinegar down the line. First, is what I’m seeing normal? Second, where exactly should I pour the vinegar?

So, i do 3d printing and recently managed to find a sweet semi underground place for my workshop, the hvac guy installed a ventilator that is incredibly noicy. Could i rely on the little fans of every enclosure to move the air towards the whole system?

My philosophy on this is since the air is forced inside by the small fans, it will eventually make its way outside

Let me know of you need additional info or pics

Received this pic from the tech. Wanted to get another opinion. Thanks.

So, our maintenance is supposed to replace filters each year (?), but they’ve decided to never return again. I’m facing my fear of hvacs, because I know it needs to be changed (going on 1.5 years). We’ve already had people in our apartment building pass out from gas leaks due to the shabby installations during building renovation. They had to redo an entire 4 floors of duct work on one side of the building. I just need expert opinion and maybe some reassurance. Apparently, renovation was in 2021.

TLDR: It appears the filter is located on the bottom right side. It needs to be changed. I’m concerned about the quality of install and want to make sure I’m replacing/maintaining correctly.

Edit: I suppose I’m also asking how this install looks. Specifically the gas line and the space it is in.

Can someone explain what these readings mean?

It's time for our seasonal maintenance on our HVAC and the company we have been using recently got bought out. They sent out this kid who looks like he should be in home room right now but at first I'm not too concerned.

Then he opens the HVAC closet and yells "Ain't no frickin way dude!". We ask if everything's okay and he doesn't answer but a few minutes later it sounds like he's decided to deconstruct my home and says "what the heck is that?!". Uhh... You'd hopefully know better than I would... I am absolutely petrified and glad it's supposed to be cool tomorrow in case this child can't figure out how to put this thing back together. No questions, just amused/ terrified.

Hello

Wanted to know what is the best HVAC system (A/C Compressor and Furnance) and warranty out there. Also which is the best Thermostat with wifi is best as well. Planning getting quotes since system is 30 years old and the R22 Freon leaked out in the Townhouse. Thanks in advance!

I just installed a Panasonic ERV, but it cannot go into any modes other than the supply mode... The installer told me he also could not figure it out????

The model series is FV-15ESC1 and attached video shows the issue. I cannot also set the duct type to dc2, every time I set it it went back to dc1... What do I do, the installer is refusing to come out again to fix it and insists that he doesn't know how to fix it...

My husband is very concerned on getting our boiler checked out because of this foggy pressure gauge. Is this an easy fix to diy, should we worry about it, or get it hired out?

It wasn’t connected to anything it was a loose write. Should it be capped our connected to a Google nest or ecobee

I called out an hvac guy to the house to fix this heater in our back room. It was added from previous homeowners (I don’t know how old) when they turned the all season porch into a finished living room. There is no central air going here and it gets cold in the Midwest winter.

The unit stopped lighting, it had a gas line and small flame that kicks on blowing heat into the house. It tries to light but no flame kicks on.

What is this heater and is it fixable? It worked so well when it was working and don’t want to replace if I don’t have to.

I wanted to have a spare capacitor ready for a Trane air conditioner. The label shows 45+5 uF +10/-5%. I see a lot of capacitors online with +/-5% or +/-6%.

How important is the +10% and can can I get by with +5%?

If your business had the perfect year, what would be different from today? More jobs, better jobs, less stress, bigger team? Curious what owners are aiming for.

Put too many parts into this dinosaur. Last straw was checking the cartridge circulator because i have hot water and no heat. With aquastat going and severe rust with no pressure gauge. I need to find a compatible unit right away. Please help. I was thinking of going through home depot and purchasing my unit and they find a licensed company to install. This is the last big thing I need for my home.