This is THE COMPRESSOR emergency.........

This was one of the most challenging troubleshoots I've had in awhile. Starting with one refrigerant circuit after another crashing as a cascade failure. Let me with having to save what I could. Seeing the discharge pressure drop when the compressor would run was the craziest thing I've ever seen. There are some good take aways for any HVAC technician.

00:00 Compressor tripping motor current overload
01:56 Evaporator pumpdown
03:00 Compressor startup after pumpdown
03:38 Day 2 checking discharge ball valve
04:04 IGBT swop
05:22 Breaking "vapor lock"
08:17 Attempted runs
16:21 System pumpdown
17:11 Why discharge pressure drops
18:42 Day 3 Make or Break
20:38 Final Results

[samuelaranda]

I just saw your video. Great effort on you. I’m sorry. I’m a retired Tech and a York startup and warranty for years at of San Francisco. I seen this before in New York. They sent guy’s like us all around the world to look at problems like this and see if it’s a design flaw. Unfortunately when JCI shut down York in Pennsylvania and we were retiring they lost that support . They wanted a York Technician fixing it then having tech-support. But they weren’t training the new guy’s coming in. From what I see here is this is what happened
You are a knowledgeable guy but I think because of the noise and people around you making suggestions and the urgency you got a little off and started reaching and trying to get the refrigeration seal but still didn’t find the “Root cause “.
Next time. Send everyone away shut it down and play out with Scenario in your head how it works and what caused it.
“Refrigeration migration does not happen like that unless something tells it to”.
That compressor was a goner. It would have locked up even if you corrected the sensors. As soon as it would run unloaded it’s going to kill it.
You just became even a better Technician because it isn’t about what you know it’s about what you experience and seen.
Relax next time my friend. We are HVAC mechanics not brain surgeons trying to save a stranger. Relax. Guy’s like us “Wild Bill”. We’re retired. I’m a lifer in HVAC but I don’t mess the days like yours that we call “ The trenches “. Soon you will too.

[SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

earplugs dude. get some custom fitted ones made. mom only gave you 2 ears. also big props into figuring out this diagnosis. amazing that the compressor has not gutted itself all over the roof. still, this should not happen simply because of 1 faulty sensorthat costs a few bucks. i expect more/better from york..

[jesseh]

You may have lost that battle I. The end, but the 2 1/2 days weren't wasted. The knowledge you walked away with from all that is priceless. You can't save everything no matter how much you want to. All you can do is learn as much as you can so this doesn't happen again.

[deavonsanchez]

My dog is staring at me profusely because I won't get off my phone and stop watching these videos. These videos are addicting

[michaelgonzalez]

thanks for sharing, great stuff as always, someone mentioned ear plugs here the comments, my Wife gets mad at me cause Im always saying HUH!, we need to wear them ear plugs, especially when we getting in there while the units running as rough as it was. Till the next one

[coldfingersub]

That was one hell of a learning educational experience noteworthy to be put down in writing as a motive operation and repair on this unit for the future.
You literally look like the surgeon at the end coming in to meet the parents of the child who just passed away under your knife during surgery having to break the news to them.

That was a epic battle

[dar]

Well that was interesting indeed... compressor was already damaged and done for, before the diagnostic, the constant resetting of the overcurrent alarm during the previous weekend seen to that.... lesson there .. Your correct Holden in saying you should have pulled the charge once the flood issue was known..the cold compressor discharge was a clear indication of liquid present, recovery machine is the only safe way to remove... very interesting call out and props to you honesty and hard work, that was a head scratcher for sure...👍👍

[dietyform]

Dam, you know by the sound of it I sorta knew she was gone, but the fact that you made a video of a breakdown of verifying everything was amazing. Thank u sir hope everything comes back smoothly. Now let’s figure out why it flooded in the first place💪

[whiskey]

That cost must be crazy with all you guys there but you need top guys there for this type of work.

[thetman]

We had sort of the same issue. Sensor went bad on oil. Ended up having to pull that entire oil separator and what a pain that was. Also needed to replace the seal on the compressor as they had blown out. I have a few pictures of the damage and what we were looking at if your interested.

[burningdust]

Nothing but admiration and respect from me. I work on big power in telecom and I’m always fascinated with the big cooling plants. Admittedly your subject matter seems more complicated than mine lol

[sterlingarcher]

Thanks a ton for sharing Holden .
I really don't know York units, I'm gonna try and get a refrigerant circuit schematic to try and better understand how a flood that severe could happen.
Cheers !

[thesilentonevictor]

Interesting troubleshooting and experience on this chiller

[thelol]

Hey thanks for making the video! This was a hell of a mystery!

[ref-technogenetiki]

The first thing that i was thinking about was the sensors and the valves and second i was thinking about the compressor it was better to think about to overhaul it to see if it have bearing issues. We was having screw compressor failure in flake ice system with the unloaders AND with the oil filter. The oil filter was plugged up.

[peterrogers]

I'd like to make sure these guys are making at least six figures a year! HVAC is one of the most underappreciated and underpaid trades worldwide

[nicholasmendoza]

Heat blanket the compressor and liquid filled vapor line to help it vapororize. Heat is your friend when you have liquid where you are supposed to have vapor. Liquid in the evap, heat it up.

[theoman]

The average person does not realize the complexity of these systems and the level of knowledge needed to service them

[ArtStoneUS]

The framitz was twisting the dohicky and overloading the disgronificator!

[naserkhattab]

This type of air cooled chillers (York) has proven to be a failure in the Middle East, which hurt York's sales and its variable speed compressors has too many problems as well as the gas pipes leak problems due the vibration caused by compessors