A few years ago we installed a new Goodman furnace with a 4 ton coil on it. We couldn't afford to complete the split AC system right then, so we left it for later. A year later, maybe two years ago, we remodeled our kitchen and I ran a gas line to the stove, removing the electric stove and freeing up a 50 amp breaker in the panel for the future AC condenser. Just recently, I got all the electrical conduit and wires pulled through the attic and installed the 110 and 220 volt disconnect for the new condenser.
With outside temps fast approaching triple digits, we decided to bite the bullet and do this. Everything seemed to be coming together when my daughter-in-law's dad, a decades long HVAC guy, offered to connect the line set and complete the system setup. His company had a new Goodman 4 ton condenser in the yard and sold it to me for a fair price. Finally, it's happening! I picked up the line set, condensate pump, pipe, etc, etc, and yesterday morning we got to work.
It wasn't long before I realized this guy didn't know beans about his trade, to put it nicely. We argued about how to flare out the ends of the pipe, how and where to bend it, on and on. Being family, I was really trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and even though I've been in residential construction for decades, I've had no experience with refrigeration plumbing so all I could do is trust his years of experience. I figured we just had a tense day, but overall, the system would be ok. We ate lunch and he left saying he'd return in a few days to pressure test and get the refrigerant lines charged with R410 A. After having some time to think about what we struggled with, reading and researching how this was supposed to be done, I'm sickened by this guy's ignorance and can't stand the thought of completing the system setup.
I am deeply concerned about his braising joints. This isn't the end of the world, though. If after preassurizing the system with nitrogen and soaping the joints there are no leaks, which would surprise the heck out of me, I'll proceed.
He didn't have the right flairing tool so he pounded a hammer type tool into the 3/8" liquid line on the coil. This rattled the TXV and may have damaged the internal components. Also, he didn't shield the TXV bulb from the heat while braising, potentially destroying the internals there as well.
There was no nitrogen flowing while braising. I've done plenty of soldering on copper for water lines, but had never heard of using inert gas to purge oxygen from pipes. Now I'm sure there are flakes of crap inside the lines. I'm not sure how to clean that or even if I should.
There were schrader valves on the liquid line that he just cut off and braised the pipe directly to the units. I'm not sure if that makes future servicing more difficult, or if it's ok to have them like that.
There are two kinks in the liquid line. One where he bent it and another inside the coul itself where he tried to keep it from moving while hitting it with a hammer.
The thermostat wire from the coil to the condenser outside is too short. I'll have to crawl through and pull another one. No big deal, just frustrating
I will install the condensate pump. This will be a first for me, but it doesn't seem too hard. Just need to run 3/4" Schedule 40 in to the pump and 3/8" clear tubing out, up into the attic and outside. If I'm understanding this correctly, I'll need to run the tubing high enough into the attic to have positive slope from there to the other end, winding up on the ground outside.
The coil is pre-charged with refrigerant. Hopefully it has the 10.8 lbs in it still as 410 is getting expensive.
So, if you've read all this and know a bit more than the guy that "helped" me, just how F'd am I? I can't start oveer and invest another $5k into equipment.
With outside temps fast approaching triple digits, we decided to bite the bullet and do this. Everything seemed to be coming together when my daughter-in-law's dad, a decades long HVAC guy, offered to connect the line set and complete the system setup. His company had a new Goodman 4 ton condenser in the yard and sold it to me for a fair price. Finally, it's happening! I picked up the line set, condensate pump, pipe, etc, etc, and yesterday morning we got to work.
It wasn't long before I realized this guy didn't know beans about his trade, to put it nicely. We argued about how to flare out the ends of the pipe, how and where to bend it, on and on. Being family, I was really trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and even though I've been in residential construction for decades, I've had no experience with refrigeration plumbing so all I could do is trust his years of experience. I figured we just had a tense day, but overall, the system would be ok. We ate lunch and he left saying he'd return in a few days to pressure test and get the refrigerant lines charged with R410 A. After having some time to think about what we struggled with, reading and researching how this was supposed to be done, I'm sickened by this guy's ignorance and can't stand the thought of completing the system setup.
I am deeply concerned about his braising joints. This isn't the end of the world, though. If after preassurizing the system with nitrogen and soaping the joints there are no leaks, which would surprise the heck out of me, I'll proceed.
He didn't have the right flairing tool so he pounded a hammer type tool into the 3/8" liquid line on the coil. This rattled the TXV and may have damaged the internal components. Also, he didn't shield the TXV bulb from the heat while braising, potentially destroying the internals there as well.
There was no nitrogen flowing while braising. I've done plenty of soldering on copper for water lines, but had never heard of using inert gas to purge oxygen from pipes. Now I'm sure there are flakes of crap inside the lines. I'm not sure how to clean that or even if I should.
There were schrader valves on the liquid line that he just cut off and braised the pipe directly to the units. I'm not sure if that makes future servicing more difficult, or if it's ok to have them like that.
There are two kinks in the liquid line. One where he bent it and another inside the coul itself where he tried to keep it from moving while hitting it with a hammer.
The thermostat wire from the coil to the condenser outside is too short. I'll have to crawl through and pull another one. No big deal, just frustrating
I will install the condensate pump. This will be a first for me, but it doesn't seem too hard. Just need to run 3/4" Schedule 40 in to the pump and 3/8" clear tubing out, up into the attic and outside. If I'm understanding this correctly, I'll need to run the tubing high enough into the attic to have positive slope from there to the other end, winding up on the ground outside.
The coil is pre-charged with refrigerant. Hopefully it has the 10.8 lbs in it still as 410 is getting expensive.
So, if you've read all this and know a bit more than the guy that "helped" me, just how F'd am I? I can't start oveer and invest another $5k into equipment.
