How to visually spot a leaking evaporator coil

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[SaenzFonsi]

You can ask me anything about how to troubleshoot an HVAC in a house, car or Refrigerators which most say can not be reused when they go bad. and I will be glad to help you. I can also explain, how and what Low and High pressure means and how that is applied to keeping you cool. This video was perfect, thank you Expert Express for taking the time to post this and is good to start this conversation for all my pals who would love to do your own repairs even if that means you test and fix it and the HVAC guy charges it.

[SaenzFonsi]

Inspect visually all you want, the real test even if it looks great is to pressurize to 200 psi when already installed in the HVAC system, let it hold it for 48 hours without dropping more than 2 PSIs and you are good to pull vacuum and give it some Juice, Look at the gas of your choice and don't mix oils if you do. You will end up with dark sand in the compressor and it will stop working on you but right before it wills start to draw more than 16 amps add that to the 2 fans running and you will exceed the biggest current breaker you can put in to run that compressor. yeap, it would be time for a new compressor. Remember the longer you test it under 200psi the more you are guaranteed, you will be nice and cold for the summer. If it drops 5 pounds or pressure per 48 hours, it tells you, you can still use it but don't waste your time getting it to super heat numbers cause soon after you won't be there anymore. I have seen evaporators that help 200 psi for longer than 48 hours and looked like there were on their last leg. We still got 2 or 3 more years out of them. Necessity is the mother of invention and poverty is the mother of re-use. Heat in Texas and poverty is the mother of sorry, can't afford the AC guy and must be cool tonight or else Mama will leave me for someone who offers a cool house.

[edzanjero]

Should the coils be sweating during normal operation?

[Mac-i]

Thanks! Learned allot from this one. Which test would be less expensive as far as equipment goes?

[kauaireed]

Please advise. My air handler has this problem, water dropping off the coil. Unit is only 3 years old. The dripping has been going on for the last 2 years out of the 3. My AC installer said Trane will write off the coil as a warranty write off, but the installer wants $2, 500 to do the switch out and advised against doing the swap because the water droplets are being dried by the fan. Thanks for any input!

[skimanfree]

I have a 12 year old system. A coil is leaking oil. Repair A coil or replace A coil or replace the whole AC system? AC was working fine all summer. Just noticed the leak as I started using the furnace.

[philm]

Does freon glow if I use a purple light

[vintagegirl]

Does refrigerant smell sweet? We had our unit replaced and the old evap was leaking r-22 and smelled sweet when the ac ran. The new one also emits a sweet smell only when the ac is on. We had it checked twice by 2 ac companies, the installer and another one. They used those electronic leak detectors but only did a test on the front of the coil not the back. How accurate are the detectors? The new unit runs on r-410a. The smell is nauseating and only when the ac is on. Thanks in advance.

[Val-eehd]

How is a UV test done? Is it a black light type thing? I have a small UV flashlight to find tomato horn worms at night when they feed, would that be the same thing?

[frankloiacono]

Great video.  Do you have to evacuate the system before you attempt to repair it?

[scottyword-km]

So you put it back together and then go over it with the sniffer. Why not pressure it up with nitrogen an put soapy water over it an look for bubbles

[fromanabe]

Well, sure....if you remove the evap coil it should be relatively easy to find a leak.
What if it's still inside the furnace plenum and you don't want to do a pump down?