Air Conditioning Unit Just Broke!!!

Tim Cooper

Prominent Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2000
Messages
2,865
Reaction score
99
Points
604
Age
63
Location
Laindon Essex
Please help!!! my cinemas aircon system has pogged out :mad::( so i'm

unable to use the cinema until it's fixed.

It's a split system made by Trane & is 10 years old.

It's been happily chugging away until about a week ago, it seems to fire up

ok however you normally hear a click & a rush of refridgerant entering the

indoor unit, now nothing. The fans are working as is the compressor.

Looks as if could be a thermostat or lack of refrigerant... i don't

really know.

Which leads me on......Does anyone know of a decent Aircon engineer who

could give me an honest appraisal as to the viability of fixing it, I'm near

Basildon Essex.

Thanks.

Tim.
 
Last edited:
On 1 of the pipes there should be a valve like on a tyre it should be under a plastic cap push down as if you were letting air out if nothing comes out it might just need recharge,or see if you can find the instruction on a web sit by googling it.
 
You might lose any fluid you have left if you try that though :)

Dave
 
The liquid pipe frosts up nicely. the gas return pipe is warm so yes it could be

a lack of refridgerant, that tyre valve thingy is called a Schrader valve i'll

take a look tomorrow I think i have the service manual somewhere as well.

My cinema has no windows & relies on the aircon to cool the place down,

with all my kit including a Barco CRT PJ big power amp etc it can get upwards

of 30 deg by the end of a film so the aircon is must really.

Thanks.

Tim.
 
I've managed to borrow some gauges from work, when i connect to the gas line

i'm getting around 80ish PSI when i turn on the aircon compessor the reading

drops to ZERO!!!:mad: that's the extent of my HVAC knowledge.

Anyone else know what's going on??

Tim
 
From my very limited knowledge of car AC you only measure pressure when it's running, 0-25psi means it needs topping up, it should be at 25-45 psi when running. That you have 80psi when it's not running just means you have some fluid in there and that's where my knowledge runs out.

Dave
 
I've managed to borrow some gauges from work, when i connect to the gas line

i'm getting around 80ish PSI when i turn on the aircon compessor the reading

drops to ZERO!!!:mad: that's the extent of my HVAC knowledge.

Anyone else know what's going on??

Tim

Sounds like low gas, i'm no expert but our Trane did the same last year, compressor would start then stop, and the fix was re-gassing.
 
UPDATE: The system was re-gassed & is working well however the compressor is now noisier than before & you can now hear the refridgerant flowing through the evaporator, don't know if i can take the noise, looks as if i'm going to have to bite the bullet & renew it :(

Thanks for everyones input :)
 
I seem to remember ours was nosier after it was re-gassed too.

As the condenser is outside and the cooling coil is in the basement it wasn't a big problem, and it did settle down after a week or so of use. I'd call the contractor who re-gassed it, to see what he reckons.

Good luck!
 
You never did say what refigerant the system was on? I suspect R22?

Pressures on there own are meaningless it's more the temperatures that we are interested in.

Just for future reference.....
If the suction ( Gas pipe) is warm and is dropping down into a vacuum then it's either short of refrigerant or there is a blockage somewhere...possibly the expansion valve..
 
Hi marc, this thread was from June 2009 so I guess the OP got it sorted one way or the other.

DAve
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom