And every costumer acts like you should know what the issue is when there’s no issue to be found at that time. Would you like to me start guessing and costing you money? I can do that 😂
That's just the opposite of what I experienced a couple of years ago. I had a issue with my HVAC system on a home that I had just purchased. It wouldn't turn on at all so I called a local company called Royal Heating and Air. The gentleman went up into my attic and spent about 15 minutes in there and then came out and told me that there was a crack in my heat exchanger and I needed a whole new unit. I said thank you very much for letting me know so go ahead and work me up an estimate. Then I remembered there was a warranty that I had purchased when I bought the home just a few weeks before. I called them and explained the situation so they said they would send their guy out. He asked me a few questions like how long the gentleman was up in the attic inspecting it and I told him about 15 minutes. He said there was no way that he could decide that there was a heat exchanger issue in just 15 minutes. He went up and inspected and found a switch that had failed, replaced it and got the system operating. He brought out a piece of equipment to put in front of the vents and inspect for carbon monoxide and found nothing. Just a little story to remind people there are individuals out there that will take advantage of you.
That is for sure. If the only option they provide is get a whole new system usually they are lying. Their is usually always 2 options 1) fix it 2) get a whole new system.
Many people took their classes, took their tests, learned a few procedures; but they don't know how the things actually work. They never really can explain or construct a good idea in their head on what is happening in there, and thus they don't look for stuff that is not plainly wrong. I always like people who see a problem, can't explain it, and then decide that now they need to find the cause. It may be bad or starting to fail, but people who love their job enough to figure out why are really the folks I'd rather work with.
I can't tell you how many times I have gone to service calls and the customers say another company came out and said they needed a complete change out for a bad blower motor or failed board ,contactor or transformer
The guys telling you what to do, are the same guys who only know how to clean units, they can't troubleshoot or anything.. Screw the haters, I think you're one of the best techs out there... Period.. Well done man, as always
I love this trade, BUT there is one thing about this trade I can’t stand….. The Super Techs! Don’t listen to the nay sayers about cleaning the wheel. Your work ethic is fantastic, keep doing what you do!!!
Well sometimes you can’t clean it, Which is understandable. It’s always best practice to clean the wheel. 1/8 of dust on the wheel reduces airflow by 30% I believe
Very well said Danny. Curtis is a really good technician and a fantastic person. This is a hold your head high and be proud of what you do trade. We need all the quality, caring, honest people we can find to be service technicians. Curtis is definitely one of those
I agree 99% of companies charge extra for that as it’s time and labor, so to anyone who has time to criticize, why don’t you get your work on camera and let’s see what you can do. Losers!
The blower relay could be weak and not making good contact when the call for the blower, thermostat same issue g call could not be making when it should. Had same issue years ago no one could figure out why at time unit would freeze but it wouldn't freeze when the tech was there. They replaced the blower thinking it was getting hot and stopping, new motor and same issue. Turned out to be the 5 pin relay getting stuck and not making contact when energized. Just something else to look into if it continues to freeze.
So the neutral connector inside the furnace coming from the transformer that broke(fell) off was most likely the original problem. Makes the most sense especially with what the homeowner had stated about the blower sort of wimping out.
That's probably why that's 10UF capacitor had started leaking and gone down to 8U.F . If there was a almost broke connection It would try to Pull more current through that motor causing that capacitor to overheat and Faill like that.
Love this. Especially how it’s not cut to make you look good, this is just how she really goes. Forgetting to torque the set screw, busting a spade connection right at the end and figuring it out, wrestling the blower onto the tracks while their dog gives an earful, trying to condense the information to brief the homeowner, all the while hoping that you hit their intermittent issue. very real and we can all relate. Awesome man-keep them coming All we can do is our best!
Pro tip: you can use your service wrench, the one with multiple square holes and holds the adapter to open and close the service valves, on the square nut of blower wheels.
Yes and a great idea. My pick would be to get a square drive socket that fits those because they are inset so deep that it makes it difficult to "wrench" them on or off. A deep socket will reach in there and the ratchet will "wrench" upright vs. horizontal with a wrench. Just an observation.
Man you are one of the most honest tech I have ever had the pleasure of watching work. I have only been doing it for 11 years and have seen some pretty messed up techs and companies. Thanks for taking us along for the ride and sharing the knowledge you have.
Ignore them Curtis, nobody is perfect but your a damn good tech. 99% of companies charge extra for that as it’s time and labor, so to anyone who has time to criticize, why don’t you get your work on camera and let’s see what you can do. Losers!
My guess for the low superheat and high subcooling, airflow problems and overcharged. Home owner was talking about vents that had no airflow. One of the 5 times the other company was out they probably saw low suction pressure and assumed it was low and added. Airflow would explain the low superheat and overcharged and stacking in the condenser would explain the high subcool.
Keep in mind sometimes you have to adjust for airflow problem not all customers will want a duct work fix what I do I adjust fan speed and pressures, subcool
My favorite calls are the customers that tell ya all the accurate symptoms pertaining to the issue then leave ya alone with your thoughts and to concentrate. Then once it's diagnosed it's chatty time if ya must. Listening to a customer complain it's hot, or cold is annoying, this job is only ever called in when it's super hot or freezing cold!
I was impressed by his response to the criticism over not hosing out the housing. He didn't get defensive over it. You want a good tech? Start with a good man.
Blower capacitor outside of limits. Fan motor most likely heating up over time even though it shows to be running within amperage limits. The best fix is to replace the motor the motor and capacitor just as you did, even though just a new blower cap would have fixed it also. Doing both prevents a call back. Watching you change that motor was just like seeing myself do it almost move for move. Something that helps later is using your Sharpie to write the new motor amperage and cap size on the front of that blower housing for reference. You are a fantastic TECHNICIAN instead of a salesman. Keep it up.
I had American Home Shield and they are just as bad as Car Shield--both suck. Yet what can you expect from some useless bean counters and insurance types. My position is if a company is constantly advertising on TV, sending you voluminous mails, and calling you all the time, their money isn't spent fixing what you paid for but for the advertising folks and their bottom line. In addition, if a company, like the above two won't sent a copy of their contract in advance, you can bet they are useless and probably crooks. Too many promises usually means no results. We have become a country that insures garbage and then we get mad at the result. Buy quality in both product and people and you can save the money wasted on product insurance and later have funds to pay a quality service individual.
@@TheDigitaldoug - I had American Home Shield, for years, never used them once for any repair.. Then, I needed a new water heater, the old one had a leak at the top and was very old... Called those clowns; they said they could send a Plumber and I HAD to PAY $700.00! Wait!!! I have already paid you well over the price of the job... They said that was their only option... Talked to the plumber, and he said he would take $400,, so not very happy, I had the job done... They brought out a great water heater, installed it perfectly... I called those clowns and said I am through with you because you made me pay Extra for this work, and I don't like that....They got Mad at me!!! Idiots!!! They said per the contract, I had to pay an Administrative Fee - $21.00... I will never ever use any of these things again... They are all ripoffs...
Great video! I remember one video you did a while back where a diverter in the attic ductwork would sometimes blow closed. I overheard the person say that air quit flowing to the back rooms in that house. If half of the ducts closed off that might be a smoking gun... I sure enjoy watching, thanks 😊🇺🇸👍
I am a student in HVAC Residential at a local college. We are trained that super heat should be at least 10 degrees or more depending on the manufacturers wishes and the type of metering device. At 78.5 psig the saturation temperature of R22 is 46.56 degrees F. The temp at your vapor line service valve appears to be 45.4 degrees F. That is giving you a superheat of -1.1 degrees F. Your phone is hard for me to read in the video therefore I realize that I may not be correct to the readings. If I am wrong please let me know. The superheat is in the negative number of -1.1 degrees F. At that pressure on your suction line and the temperature at the service valve on the suction side that tells me as they are teaching me in school that your refrigerant is a liquid going back to your compressor instead of a vapor. That loud compressor I also believe is confirming that you are pumping liquid, therefore it seems that you still have severe issues with the unit that need to be addressed. I am a student so please let me know what I may be seeing wrong in this video. I am all ears for learning. Thank You. It does also appear that your subcooling is to high also.
You are dead on with everything you said , I have A Master in HVAC in MD, DC, VA AND NC- 89562, but anyway, you are absolutely right, and your school is doing a phenomenal job. That unit still has major issues, and the loud compressor was an immediate sign for me that the compressor had serious problems, notice we never got an amp reading of the compressor. So there was still major work left to be done, I bet this home owner ended up getting a new system.
I’ve been doing HVAC for 20 years. I did resi for about 8 and now I’m mostly commercial / industrial. You’re bang on for your thought process, especially when you get in to no accumulators. Also a tip is to hook up gauges and take some temp readings. Mark them down on a small notepad you keep with your tools. Try….its I know it’s not possible because we all get under pressure. But try and do this before you make any changes (filter change, coil cleaning). It’s also forces a good moment to mentally process your refrigeration cycle. Also don’t spin your wheels on not getting exact readings at an exact moment. Refrigeration takes patience, and sometimes you can start making adjustments and you haven’t let the system calm down. Good luck brotha, and soak up info from everyone. Even the guys that are shitty techs will have one tid bit of info that might help one day, it’s up to you, to filter out the good and bad
You are dead on. The other company overcharged the freon to get the saturation temp above freezing. Overcharged unit now. Remove freon and recheck pressure and Temps. The air handler has a orifice on it. I think the orifice should be checked for size and copper shaving. I have found copper in one before.
Enjoyed your video. Quick note-The older Payne, Carrier, Bryant air handlers are notorious fo freezing up due to dirt getting embedded in the coil. Looks like surface dirt was mostly removed but a quick check of temp difference across coil will tell if coil is truly clean. 20 degrees is the norm. Also- Superheat needs to be at least 10 degrees to prevent liquid from returning to compresser.
Also, learning opportunity for myself and the channel I just had: Do a recap where you review one of your service call videos and explain why you did things the way you do and how your findings led to your conclusions. Plus tips and tricks are always worth their weight in gold Know you’re a busy guy, but this would be sweet!
just discovered your channel. you seem like a great tech. i worked as an HVAC installer years ago. wish i would have stuck with it, i could have been a hot-shot service tech like you now :D. your videos are great,to the point, no nonsense and fun to watch. keep up the good work.
Like your work and is very informative for those of us that are home fixers. Although we can't buy many replacement parts it give us a good idea on how to get repairs.
Hey Curtis,I carry a toilet brush to clean blower wheels when I have no access to water.Doesn't get as good as a job but it will work in a pinch.Keep the vids coming,I enjoy the content!!!!
Nice job! You covered all the bases. It should not freeze up, unless they are doing something wrong, like leaving a door open. You do a nice job on your wire management.
Exactly. My brother's froze up on a hot and humid day. We were coming in and out the house moving materials back and forth. Oops. Turned it off put a fan on it for a few hours. Outside was frozen but un froze quickly in the heat. Then turned it on works great
Many moons ago,I drove into a yard,seeing,the suction line FROZEN,SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER,,then looked at the evap,,it had an elotronic filter,BUT,THE PRE FILTER LOOKED LIKE CARDBOARD,,took,it outside,after showing the customer, washed it,then,409 spray,then washed again,asked how,it got that bad? She said she was told it would get rid of the dirt like magic,she had 3 DOGS& 2 cats,+ dirt,,told her to clean1 a month,.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
my opinion of you is that so far yr the best tech Ive been watching...you explain things therouly and you go the exrtra mile to keep yr customer happy...Ive learned very much from watching yr videos...keep up the good job.
It's possible that the neutral that broke when you tried to attach to it was overheating and reaching a resistance to stop the motor as an open neutral. We don't know outside and inside temps but negative super heat is a sign of overcharge probably by the other techs. Also, the cap reading 7.5mf for a 10 mf could have been overheating and opening or causing the motor to do the same.
You are right on the money with the faulty connection and capacitor out of specs. If that connector came off that easy, I would suspect that. Either warming up and reaching too much resistance or unit likely to vibrate just right to break the connection and shut down the motor causing it to freeze. Improper airflow and undercharged are the 2 main reasons for freezing. That blower motor shutting down would definitely fall under improper airflow.
I've watched a bunch of your videos enough to where I figured it's time to subscribe! Keep up the good work. As a homeowner, I've had enough issues with my 9 year old carrier AC that I've been trying to learn some things on my own. Thanks for the vids.
I have to give you a big thanks for another of your videos. I scrolled but didn't see it. I had a Goodman air handler that's about 5 years old catch fire at the apartments I'm lead maintenance of in January. It's the kind that's a slant coil, slanted to the front that you can't pull the squirrel cage out without removing the coil. I googled the issue and your video on this issue popped up. I followed your video for getting the fan blade and motor separated in place exactly and it worked perfectly. Just wanted to say thank you because I honestly thought I was going to be pulling the coil just to change the blower motor. But I used your method and was kinda shocked how easily the fan blade pulled off the motor. Of course it wasn't ideal reaching over the coil then down to get my arms in there but it worked out great thanks to you. Thanks so much for that video and all the others.
like the video and did a good and they are happy now. I've watch a lot of old videos back when. just think smart and you will be smart. enjoy what you do in life. be bless and safe and love. SAVANNAH TN.
23:09 - I feel you, Curtis. Once I have gloves on, my dexterity goes right out the window. Besides that, I really hate not getting any sensory input from what I'm working on. I can't even keep vinyl gloves on long enough to get through an oil change on the car! 25:25 - I felt that one too. After going through the effort transferring the mating connector from the old motor's wiring... Your sigh of disappointment/frustration at 25:31 was palpable. 33:13 - Remember, the torque spec is "two clicks past the stripping of the lug's head." 😃 **mutters to self about dirt-cheap pot-metal being used for electrical** I can't say for sure if you solved their problem permanently - I don't know the refrigeration side of things that well - but your electrical work is certainly excellent, and no doubt that failing connector would be a problem in the future. The blower grinding to a halt could certainly be an intermittent internal failure of the motor, I've seen it happen with appliance motors plenty of times.
It's EZ to pick on what you do sitting at a key Board. 45+ years retired tech and I enjoy trouble shooting as you are going thru a system. Like your vids, it keeps me from loosing more of my skills.
I enjoy how much you actually put into finding out what the issue actually is. Whenever you’re on a job where a previous tech wasn’t able to figure out the issue do you find that it helps to know that information or does it hurt? I can see it working both ways but maybe someone might not want to go through all the trouble when 5 separate techs couldn’t figure it out. What was your initial thought after finding out so many people before you couldn’t figure it out? You figured it out pretty quickly so I’m just curious to know your thought process if you don’t mind sharing.
Curtis! The guy you call whenever anybody else has screwed up ! Lol Curtis it's easy to have somebody beat you with a stick when they're one not doing the job, You have a serious work ethic And you're extremely thorough! If i had an HVAC problem and I couldn't fix it I'd call you in a heartbeat!
My first DIY was a condenser fan motor. It was $140 from Grainger, and only failed on a 118 degree day, thank you. I could spin it through the grate and it would grind a bit and rotate a few times. The new one went in rotating backwards, so I even had to change the loops. First, I could not get 3 companies to even call me back. I am sure they were buried. I watched YT and did it myself. A new unit is about $4k. For some reason I think it was more like $2500 back then, 5 years ago for that one. The new motor went in, and my vents blew 40, but the house stayed at 113 until the sun went down, then it reached 80 at about 4 am, finally. It was hot. The AC never had another issue.
I'm in the trade myself I appreciate your videos because you're humble and real. I get so tired of seeing comments trashing people for something they did or didn't do. No one is perfect we've all made mistakes or missed something and we all have our own way of doing things. Anyways I appreciate your work and the videos KEEP KEEPING IT REAL BROTHER!!
Don't worry about the critics, I've found those that do the least, gripe and fuss the most. Enjoy your videos and have learned a lot, I've thinking of getting in to HVAC work myself
Have you ever rolled up to a furnace or air handler where the smoke was so bad the customer called the fire department? 10 out of 10 times the blower motor had been replaced and the tech didn't have the extra one minute it took to ground the motor. If the mounts have rubber in the mounting always ground
I did notice the amount of dust that was collecting around the door frame and was wondering if it has the right size return cut out on the door. That can cause a freeze up to that might contribute to what was going on. It wasn’t the main cause of problems here but I’ve seen it before. Good luck 👍
Brother, I don’t know anything at all about HVAC, but I ran across your videos, and I love them. I don’t know where you are, and what your area is, but if my AC ever goes out, I want you to come to Cartersville! Oh, yeah, GO DAWGS!!
i work at a apartment community and we do hvac inhouse. ( i am by no means a expert this is just my experience) i had multiple units that would freeze intermittently resulting in call backs. every time i got to the unit it would be working perfectly and only issue i ever found was the cap on blower motor was out side the rated range of 5% + - of 5mfd. now i just change any blower cap that is out side of range and call backs have almost stopped. could be blower on its way out but im not allowed to change one unless its blatantly failed or failing. screeching bearing locked up etc.
Residential i found lots lf times on all old installs that flex ducts collapse, kink etc.. & often causes freeze ups, thats ofcoarse after checking blower function & cleanliness of all coils, including hot watwr coils if are any
U did the right thing by listening and asking customer what was happening, they know what the problem is most times and its our job to decipher what it means to system, ive come across blower wheels that were so caked up thst it would take out motor from the weight, good job nonetheless.
Good morning Curtis ,I love your channel ,I don't work on HVAC but enjoy the learning aspect that I may help someone out .I have an electrical and mechanical back ground .I know your van is packed to rafters with stuff .I thought ,if you have an AC outlet on your van that might run a small compressor, then you could blow off the blower wheel . I watched many videos where you are sanding the shaft so you can get the blower wheel off. I surmise that all the motor shafts are 1/2 " .Do they make a wire cleaner like you use on a battery post cleaner to polish the motor shaft ?
I had a problem like that once and I had 3 or 4 people look at it. Finally it was discovered that the schrader valve had failed but nobody every picked up on it because the cap was or or it was plugged into gauges.
The dirt and moisture on those rotor fins gets really hard to remove. But it gave me an opportunity to put a few drops of oil in the small tubing to the motor bearings. I don't know if my new 410 system has lubrication ports. The motor controller has already been replaced on the X 13 under warranty. Thanks great videos.
Most motors today are sealed bearings, no method to service them without taking apart the motor itself. Lots of work to do only that vs. the same amount of labor to simply replace the motor for an extra $200. Servicing the bearings would likely best suit a DIY vs. asking a service tech to do it for $100 an hour.
Good video...got to see the parts information and in depth details. My guess after all of the hindsight? That blower capacitor...bet it was on the edge of turning that motor full time. In any case, best to solve the problem and go with a new cap and motor as it was fairly old. The key for me was the woman said the inside blower motor would grone and and the supply vents were not getting the usual force of air. It looked like the motor bearings were just fine so that capacitor being in the 7's likely was on the edge and since the motor worked fine initially, I'd bet that cap was the main issue.
I would almost venture the children are sticking something to the intake vent(oh looky, it sticks) and by the time mom notices no a/c, the "something" falls away after freeze up.
You make great videos! I noticed after you checked the capacitor at the blower motor you found it to be out of tolerance. You then put: "BUT, NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE MOTOR" on the video! That is incorrect! The capacitor may have been the sole problem for the coil to freeze up! The capacitance of 7.9mfd may have been enough to start the motor but eventually the motor would have stopped because of the failed capacitor. Also, Don't let your customers use those cheap monthly filters. That's the reason why that blower housing was so dirty! 90 day filters are the best! I saw a comment about subcooling and superheat. It may not have been the reason for the call but the system may have been overcharged based on the readings in the video. Looking at the video, seems as though the ambient temperature was high enough; however, if the ambient temperature is not high enough then you cannot rely on digital gauges. You will have to use analog gauges and do the math the old fashion way for sh and sc. At least Testo's are that way. It's important to take constructive criticism well. It will make you better. Despite the above comment, I still think you did a good job. You covered all of the basics to insure the system would continue working. A little over kill but that's ok. If you can fine tune the refrigerant pressures on this system, this customer will only see you back for routine maintenance.
Intermittent. One of the scariest words for an HVAC tech.
And computer techs, and software engineers, and ...🙂
And a cash cow for a doctor.
😂😂 yeppers. Everytime I see that on a work order I get the shivers
Three intermittent calls just today 😤😤 the worst
And every costumer acts like you should know what the issue is when there’s no issue to be found at that time. Would you like to me start guessing and costing you money? I can do that 😂
That's just the opposite of what I experienced a couple of years ago. I had a issue with my HVAC system on a home that I had just purchased. It wouldn't turn on at all so I called a local company called Royal Heating and Air. The gentleman went up into my attic and spent about 15 minutes in there and then came out and told me that there was a crack in my heat exchanger and I needed a whole new unit. I said thank you very much for letting me know so go ahead and work me up an estimate. Then I remembered there was a warranty that I had purchased when I bought the home just a few weeks before. I called them and explained the situation so they said they would send their guy out. He asked me a few questions like how long the gentleman was up in the attic inspecting it and I told him about 15 minutes. He said there was no way that he could decide that there was a heat exchanger issue in just 15 minutes. He went up and inspected and found a switch that had failed, replaced it and got the system operating. He brought out a piece of equipment to put in front of the vents and inspect for carbon monoxide and found nothing. Just a little story to remind people there are individuals out there that will take advantage of you.
That is for sure. If the only option they provide is get a whole new system usually they are lying. Their is usually always 2 options 1) fix it 2) get a whole new system.
I love professionals that make every attempt to repair rather than simply calling for replacement
Many people took their classes, took their tests, learned a few procedures; but they don't know how the things actually work. They never really can explain or construct a good idea in their head on what is happening in there, and thus they don't look for stuff that is not plainly wrong. I always like people who see a problem, can't explain it, and then decide that now they need to find the cause. It may be bad or starting to fail, but people who love their job enough to figure out why are really the folks I'd rather work with.
I can't tell you how many times I have gone to service calls and the customers say another company came out and said they needed a complete change out for a bad blower motor or failed board ,contactor or transformer
The guys telling you what to do, are the same guys who only know how to clean units, they can't troubleshoot or anything.. Screw the haters, I think you're one of the best techs out there... Period.. Well done man, as always
That's true. The loudest guys know the least.
HEY
I love this trade, BUT there is one thing about this trade I can’t stand….. The Super Techs! Don’t listen to the nay sayers about cleaning the wheel. Your work ethic is fantastic, keep doing what you do!!!
Well sometimes you can’t clean it, Which is understandable. It’s always best practice to clean the wheel. 1/8 of dust on the wheel reduces airflow by 30% I believe
Very well said Danny. Curtis is a really good technician and a fantastic person. This is a hold your head high and be proud of what you do trade. We need all the quality, caring, honest people we can find to be service technicians. Curtis is definitely one of those
I agree 99% of companies charge extra for that as it’s time and labor, so to anyone who has time to criticize, why don’t you get your work on camera and let’s see what you can do. Losers!
Believe me there is many times I find a dirty blower wheel. I inform the customer and they don’t want to pay for it. Nothing I can do
Sadly, the blower wheel usually only gets cleaned when the blower motor goes out. Lack of maintenance is usually the root cause of most problems.
It’s amazing how much info a homeowner can give us if we just ask questions and listen. Awesome job:)
The blower relay could be weak and not making good contact when the call for the blower, thermostat same issue g call could not be making when it should. Had same issue years ago no one could figure out why at time unit would freeze but it wouldn't freeze when the tech was there. They replaced the blower thinking it was getting hot and stopping, new motor and same issue. Turned out to be the 5 pin relay getting stuck and not making contact when energized.
Just something else to look into if it continues to freeze.
Where is the blower relay located ? So others know what to look for
So the neutral connector inside the furnace coming from the transformer that broke(fell) off was most likely the original problem. Makes the most sense especially with what the homeowner had stated about the blower sort of wimping out.
That's probably why that's 10UF capacitor had started leaking and gone down to 8U.F . If there was a almost broke connection It would try to Pull more current through that motor causing that capacitor to overheat and Faill like that.
Anyone expecting perfection has unrealistic expectations. You do the best you can and that's all that should be expected. Keep up the good work.
Yeah tell that to my boss
I expect perfection but not when a home warranty company is footing the bill 😂
@@junkman8742 Kamala?
Yeah a lot of company owners expect it.
In particularly difficult diagnoses, I have seen one flat out lie/condemn a furnace. Ex-boss.
Love this. Especially how it’s not cut to make you look good, this is just how she really goes. Forgetting to torque the set screw, busting a spade connection right at the end and figuring it out, wrestling the blower onto the tracks while their dog gives an earful, trying to condense the information to brief the homeowner, all the while hoping that you hit their intermittent issue. very real and we can all relate. Awesome man-keep them coming
All we can do is our best!
You’re as close to perfect as any tech can be. I’d call you for service any day. Keep up the good work.
Pro tip: you can use your service wrench, the one with multiple square holes and holds the adapter to open and close the service valves, on the square nut of blower wheels.
Yes and a great idea. My pick would be to get a square drive socket that fits those because they are inset so deep that it makes it difficult to "wrench" them on or off. A deep socket will reach in there and the ratchet will "wrench" upright vs. horizontal with a wrench. Just an observation.
Good tip; I'll try that.
Man you are one of the most honest tech I have ever had the pleasure of watching work. I have only been doing it for 11 years and have seen some pretty messed up techs and companies. Thanks for taking us along for the ride and sharing the knowledge you have.
Ignore them Curtis, nobody is perfect but your a damn good tech. 99% of companies charge extra for that as it’s time and labor, so to anyone who has time to criticize, why don’t you get your work on camera and let’s see what you can do. Losers!
My guess for the low superheat and high subcooling, airflow problems and overcharged. Home owner was talking about vents that had no airflow. One of the 5 times the other company was out they probably saw low suction pressure and assumed it was low and added. Airflow would explain the low superheat and overcharged and stacking in the condenser would explain the high subcool.
Looking for that magic back pressure...
@@myrtislockett7792 what do you mean?
Keep in mind sometimes you have to adjust for airflow problem not all customers will want a duct work fix what I do I adjust fan speed and pressures, subcool
@@brenninwatts1249 like
High subcooling is caused by the tx valve throttled back from lack of heat load. Holds the liquid in the cond
You always keep it real, which is why I love your videos and learn a bunch from them.
My favorite calls are the customers that tell ya all the accurate symptoms pertaining to the issue then leave ya alone with your thoughts and to concentrate. Then once it's diagnosed it's chatty time if ya must. Listening to a customer complain it's hot, or cold is annoying, this job is only ever called in when it's super hot or freezing cold!
I was impressed by his response to the criticism over not hosing out the housing. He didn't get defensive over it. You want a good tech? Start with a good man.
You have integrity, customers will always value that. Keep it up !
Blower capacitor outside of limits. Fan motor most likely heating up over time even though it shows to be running within amperage limits. The best fix is to replace the motor the motor and capacitor just as you did, even though just a new blower cap would have fixed it also. Doing both prevents a call back. Watching you change that motor was just like seeing myself do it almost move for move. Something that helps later is using your Sharpie to write the new motor amperage and cap size on the front of that blower housing for reference. You are a fantastic TECHNICIAN instead of a salesman. Keep it up.
Hope you get paid bud 🙏🏻 those home warranty companies are shady sometimes
They are worse than your worst customer sometimes.
Hate em. Won't work for or buy them
I had American Home Shield and they are just as bad as Car Shield--both suck. Yet what can you expect from some useless bean counters and insurance types.
My position is if a company is constantly advertising on TV, sending you voluminous mails, and calling you all the time, their money isn't spent fixing what you paid for but for the advertising folks and their bottom line. In addition, if a company, like the above two won't sent a copy of their contract in advance, you can bet they are useless and probably crooks.
Too many promises usually means no results. We have become a country that insures garbage and then we get mad at the result.
Buy quality in both product and people and you can save the money wasted on product insurance and later have funds to pay a quality service individual.
@@TheDigitaldoug - I had American Home Shield, for years, never used them once for any repair.. Then, I needed a new water heater, the old one had a leak at the top and was very old... Called those clowns; they said they could send a Plumber and I HAD to PAY $700.00! Wait!!! I have already paid you well over the price of the job... They said that was their only option... Talked to the plumber, and he said he would take $400,, so not very happy, I had the job done... They brought out a great water heater, installed it perfectly... I called those clowns and said I am through with you because you made me pay Extra for this work, and I don't like that....They got Mad at me!!! Idiots!!! They said per the contract, I had to pay an Administrative Fee - $21.00... I will never ever use any of these things again... They are all ripoffs...
I went the home warranty way for a few months when I first started my own company.
Dropped that idea really quick.
I love that you take ur time and check everything then after ur part replacement you then test again to ensure ur work !
Great video!
I remember one video you did a while back where a diverter in the attic ductwork would sometimes blow closed. I overheard the person say that air quit flowing to the back rooms in that house. If half of the ducts closed off that might be a smoking gun...
I sure enjoy watching, thanks 😊🇺🇸👍
You did a fantastic job Curtis! Don't let these people bring you down.
A fantastic job of not understanding that superheat cannot be negative
Really enjoy your honest and straight forward videos. No B.S. hype and stuff.
I am a student in HVAC Residential at a local college. We are trained that super heat should be at least 10 degrees or more depending on the manufacturers wishes and the type of metering device. At 78.5 psig the saturation temperature of R22 is 46.56 degrees F. The temp at your vapor line service valve appears to be 45.4 degrees F. That is giving you a superheat of -1.1 degrees F. Your phone is hard for me to read in the video therefore I realize that I may not be correct to the readings. If I am wrong please let me know. The superheat is in the negative number of -1.1 degrees F. At that pressure on your suction line and the temperature at the service valve on the suction side that tells me as they are teaching me in school that your refrigerant is a liquid going back to your compressor instead of a vapor. That loud compressor I also believe is confirming that you are pumping liquid, therefore it seems that you still have severe issues with the unit that need to be addressed. I am a student so please let me know what I may be seeing wrong in this video. I am all ears for learning. Thank You. It does also appear that your subcooling is to high also.
You are dead on with everything you said , I have A Master in HVAC in MD, DC, VA AND NC- 89562, but anyway, you are absolutely right, and your school is doing a phenomenal job. That unit still has major issues, and the loud compressor was an immediate sign for me that the compressor had serious problems, notice we never got an amp reading of the compressor. So there was still major work left to be done, I bet this home owner ended up getting a new system.
Thank you for your reply it was great help. @@consciousbeing8982
Just depends temp outside can deceive you. Obviously in summer u should have plenty of superheat to prevent liquid slugging
I’ve been doing HVAC for 20 years. I did resi for about 8 and now I’m mostly commercial / industrial. You’re bang on for your thought process, especially when you get in to no accumulators. Also a tip is to hook up gauges and take some temp readings. Mark them down on a small notepad you keep with your tools. Try….its I know it’s not possible because we all get under pressure. But try and do this before you make any changes (filter change, coil cleaning). It’s also forces a good moment to mentally process your refrigeration cycle. Also don’t spin your wheels on not getting exact readings at an exact moment. Refrigeration takes patience, and sometimes you can start making adjustments and you haven’t let the system calm down. Good luck brotha, and soak up info from everyone. Even the guys that are shitty techs will have one tid bit of info that might help one day, it’s up to you, to filter out the good and bad
You are dead on. The other company overcharged the freon to get the saturation temp above freezing. Overcharged unit now. Remove freon and recheck pressure and Temps. The air handler has a orifice on it. I think the orifice should be checked for size and copper shaving. I have found copper in one before.
Enjoyed your video. Quick note-The older Payne, Carrier, Bryant air handlers are notorious fo freezing up due to dirt getting embedded in the coil. Looks like surface dirt was mostly removed but a quick check of temp difference across coil will tell if coil is truly clean. 20 degrees is the norm.
Also- Superheat needs to be at least 10 degrees to prevent liquid from returning to compresser.
Hey static pressure test across the Coil would be more accurate
Also, learning opportunity for myself and the channel I just had:
Do a recap where you review one of your service call videos and explain why you did things the way you do and how your findings led to your conclusions. Plus tips and tricks are always worth their weight in gold
Know you’re a busy guy, but this would be sweet!
just discovered your channel. you seem like a great tech. i worked as an HVAC installer years ago. wish i would have stuck with it, i could have been a hot-shot service tech like you now :D. your videos are great,to the point, no nonsense and fun to watch. keep up the good work.
I've learned so much from your videos! Appreciate the content sir
I love listening to your videos more than watching. The way you and the customers talk takes me right back home.
Like your work and is very informative for those of us that are home fixers.
Although we can't buy many replacement parts it give us a good idea on how to get repairs.
And there’s no AC technician in this world is perfect
I can't wait to find out if that was the solution. Thanks for showing this.
Good job as usual,I would love to see all those super techs that's so perfect post videos since they got all the know how 🤔.
Hey Curtis,I carry a toilet brush to clean blower wheels when I have no access to water.Doesn't get as good as a job but it will work in a pinch.Keep the vids coming,I enjoy the content!!!!
Nice job! You covered all the bases. It should not freeze up, unless they are doing something wrong, like leaving a door open. You do a nice job on your wire management.
Did that solved the issue?
@@curtishouze1471 It should have, the pressures were right.
Exactly. My brother's froze up on a hot and humid day.
We were coming in and out the house moving materials back and forth. Oops. Turned it off put a fan on it for a few hours. Outside was frozen but un froze quickly in the heat. Then turned it on works great
The only other thing I would consider possible bad blower relay intermittently sticking open. Hope that solved the issue though.
Many moons ago,I drove into a yard,seeing,the suction line FROZEN,SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER,,then looked at the evap,,it had an elotronic filter,BUT,THE PRE FILTER LOOKED LIKE CARDBOARD,,took,it outside,after showing the customer, washed it,then,409 spray,then washed again,asked how,it got that bad? She said she was told it would get rid of the dirt like magic,she had 3 DOGS& 2 cats,+ dirt,,told her to clean1 a month,.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Good vid and good call ... I bet you fixed the problem ... Thx for your knowledge and time ...
“Adapt and overcome”. My late friend Randy Patton used to say that a lot. I haven’t heard it for a long time, it was good to hear you say that.
Love these calls.
my opinion of you is that so far yr the best tech Ive been watching...you explain things therouly and you go the exrtra mile to keep yr customer happy...Ive learned very much from watching yr videos...keep up the good job.
It's possible that the neutral that broke when you tried to attach to it was overheating and reaching a resistance to stop the motor as an open neutral. We don't know outside and inside temps but negative super heat is a sign of overcharge probably by the other techs. Also, the cap reading 7.5mf for a 10 mf could have been overheating and opening or causing the motor to do the same.
You are right on the money with the faulty connection and capacitor out of specs. If that connector came off that easy, I would suspect that. Either warming up and reaching too much resistance or unit likely to vibrate just right to break the connection and shut down the motor causing it to freeze. Improper airflow and undercharged are the 2 main reasons for freezing. That blower motor shutting down would definitely fall under improper airflow.
I've watched a bunch of your videos enough to where I figured it's time to subscribe! Keep up the good work. As a homeowner, I've had enough issues with my 9 year old carrier AC that I've been trying to learn some things on my own. Thanks for the vids.
thanks
Great channel, great work!
Very good and thorough tech. I enjoy watching the videos. I see the same things everyday
I have to give you a big thanks for another of your videos. I scrolled but didn't see it. I had a Goodman air handler that's about 5 years old catch fire at the apartments I'm lead maintenance of in January. It's the kind that's a slant coil, slanted to the front that you can't pull the squirrel cage out without removing the coil. I googled the issue and your video on this issue popped up. I followed your video for getting the fan blade and motor separated in place exactly and it worked perfectly. Just wanted to say thank you because I honestly thought I was going to be pulling the coil just to change the blower motor. But I used your method and was kinda shocked how easily the fan blade pulled off the motor. Of course it wasn't ideal reaching over the coil then down to get my arms in there but it worked out great thanks to you. Thanks so much for that video and all the others.
Pro to pro , keep doing what you doing, great job…👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
There is little wasted motion. I liked how you changed the contactor by hand. That little brush comes in handy for sure. Nice video.
I can’t stand intermittent problems! Good work I feel your pain
You did real good my friend.....thanks for taking me along!
Don’t worry about those idiots brother you do a great job all the time!
like the video and did a good and they are happy now. I've watch a lot of old videos back when. just think smart and you will be smart. enjoy what you do in life. be bless and safe and love. SAVANNAH TN.
Don’t worry about the nit pickers out there Curtis!! You do AWESOME WORK! If I lived near you I would want to work for your company!!
FROM CHICAGO IM YOUR #1 FOLOWING YOUR VIDEOS YOU ARE DOING A SUCH GREAT JOB THANK YOU SO MUCH
23:09 - I feel you, Curtis. Once I have gloves on, my dexterity goes right out the window. Besides that, I really hate not getting any sensory input from what I'm working on. I can't even keep vinyl gloves on long enough to get through an oil change on the car!
25:25 - I felt that one too. After going through the effort transferring the mating connector from the old motor's wiring... Your sigh of disappointment/frustration at 25:31 was palpable.
33:13 - Remember, the torque spec is "two clicks past the stripping of the lug's head." 😃 **mutters to self about dirt-cheap pot-metal being used for electrical**
I can't say for sure if you solved their problem permanently - I don't know the refrigeration side of things that well - but your electrical work is certainly excellent, and no doubt that failing connector would be a problem in the future. The blower grinding to a halt could certainly be an intermittent internal failure of the motor, I've seen it happen with appliance motors plenty of times.
I know nothing about HVAC, but I am thoroughly enjoying watching your videos! Thanks so much 🥵🥶
You made that family happy 👍👍👍
You're doing great,as long as you can do your best it's all that matters.
Curtis yu are an amazing technician 🎉 hats off to you don't let jealous know it all technicians put you down
Thanks for doing your best and don't paid attention to bad comments just keep doing your best like you have...
great job! I always left the old blower motor in place while cleaning seemed to go faster for me.
It's EZ to pick on what you do sitting at a key Board. 45+ years retired tech and I enjoy trouble shooting as you are going thru a system. Like your vids, it keeps me from loosing more of my skills.
I enjoy how much you actually put into finding out what the issue actually is. Whenever you’re on a job where a previous tech wasn’t able to figure out the issue do you find that it helps to know that information or does it hurt? I can see it working both ways but maybe someone might not want to go through all the trouble when 5 separate techs couldn’t figure it out. What was your initial thought after finding out so many people before you couldn’t figure it out? You figured it out pretty quickly so I’m just curious to know your thought process if you don’t mind sharing.
If only everyone was thorough like this but time is money and we all want lots of it and need lots of it shame but that’s the way it is
You do great work. Thanks for sharing.
Curtis! The guy you call whenever anybody else has screwed up ! Lol Curtis it's easy to have somebody beat you with a stick when they're one not doing the job, You have a serious work ethic And you're extremely thorough! If i had an HVAC problem and I couldn't fix it I'd call you in a heartbeat!
My first DIY was a condenser fan motor. It was $140 from Grainger, and only failed on a 118 degree day, thank you.
I could spin it through the grate and it would grind a bit and rotate a few times. The new one went in rotating backwards, so I even had to change the loops. First, I could not get 3 companies to even call me back. I am sure they were buried. I watched YT and did it myself. A new unit is about $4k. For some reason I think it was more like $2500 back then, 5 years ago for that one. The new motor went in, and my vents blew 40, but the house stayed at 113 until the sun went down, then it reached 80 at about 4 am, finally. It was hot. The AC never had another issue.
Nice to see ur van is clean, mines full of shit for working appliances too
I'm in the trade myself I appreciate your videos because you're humble and real. I get so tired of seeing comments trashing people for something they did or didn't do. No one is perfect we've all made mistakes or missed something and we all have our own way of doing things. Anyways I appreciate your work and the videos KEEP KEEPING IT REAL BROTHER!!
I feel the same, blower motor, good call
Don't worry about the critics, I've found those that do the least, gripe and fuss the most. Enjoy your videos and have learned a lot, I've thinking of getting in to HVAC work myself
If you are young go for it! I stuck with it for 20 years and it paid off handsomely!
"It's freezing up because it's just worn out" that's fantastic logic
Have you ever rolled up to a furnace or air handler where the smoke was so bad the customer called the fire department? 10 out of 10 times the blower motor had been replaced and the tech didn't have the extra one minute it took to ground the motor. If the mounts have rubber in the mounting always ground
good point
I hate to say this but many service technicians lose their lives for this lack of safety.
Truly skilled and competent master here/
yes sir been on few of those ,got to hate it especially when someone else has been there , double rat nest , keep up the good jobs stay safe
I did notice the amount of dust that was collecting around the door frame and was wondering if it has the right size return cut out on the door. That can cause a freeze up to that might contribute to what was going on. It wasn’t the main cause of problems here but I’ve seen it before. Good luck 👍
Brother, I don’t know anything at all about HVAC, but I ran across your videos, and I love them. I don’t know where you are, and what your area is, but if my AC ever goes out, I want you to come to Cartersville! Oh, yeah, GO DAWGS!!
i work at a apartment community and we do hvac inhouse. ( i am by no means a expert this is just my experience) i had multiple units that would freeze intermittently resulting in call backs. every time i got to the unit it would be working perfectly and only issue i ever found was the cap on blower motor was out side the rated range of 5% + - of 5mfd. now i just change any blower cap that is out side of range and call backs have almost stopped. could be blower on its way out but im not allowed to change one unless its blatantly failed or failing. screeching bearing locked up etc.
Keep up the good work
Very good information
Residential i found lots lf times on all old installs that flex ducts collapse, kink etc.. & often causes freeze ups, thats ofcoarse after checking blower function & cleanliness of all coils, including hot watwr coils if are any
A high level of troubleshooting skills.
U did the right thing by listening and asking customer what was happening, they know what the problem is most times and its our job to decipher what it means to system, ive come across blower wheels that were so caked up thst it would take out motor from the weight, good job nonetheless.
Good morning Curtis ,I love your channel ,I don't work on HVAC but enjoy the learning aspect that I may help someone out .I have an electrical and mechanical back ground .I know your van is packed to rafters with stuff .I thought ,if you have an AC outlet on your van that might run a small compressor, then you could blow off the blower wheel . I watched many videos where you are sanding the shaft so you can get the blower wheel off. I surmise that all the motor shafts are 1/2 " .Do they make a wire cleaner like you use on a battery post cleaner to polish the motor shaft ?
I have found insulation in the plenum lose and folding into the air stream.
I wish someone like you are in South Carolina
I had a problem like that once and I had 3 or 4 people look at it. Finally it was discovered that the schrader valve had failed but nobody every picked up on it because the cap was or or it was plugged into gauges.
Condenser Fan Motor had a bad bearing, you can hear it. It’s heating up and stopping at times.
Would a stopped condenser fan motor cause a freeze up?
No it will not. It will act opposite.
@@rc51price absolutely right.
Nice work
Keep up the great work...
The dirt and moisture on those rotor fins gets really hard to remove. But it gave me an opportunity to put a few drops of oil in the small tubing to the motor bearings. I don't know if my new 410 system has lubrication ports. The motor controller has already been replaced on the X 13 under warranty. Thanks great videos.
Most motors today are sealed bearings, no method to service them without taking apart the motor itself. Lots of work to do only that vs. the same amount of labor to simply replace the motor for an extra $200. Servicing the bearings would likely best suit a DIY vs. asking a service tech to do it for $100 an hour.
You cover all the problems that could be contact you sticking and bad evaporator motor good for you
Good video...got to see the parts information and in depth details. My guess after all of the hindsight? That blower capacitor...bet it was on the edge of turning that motor full time. In any case, best to solve the problem and go with a new cap and motor as it was fairly old. The key for me was the woman said the inside blower motor would grone and and the supply vents were not getting the usual force of air. It looked like the motor bearings were just fine so that capacitor being in the 7's likely was on the edge and since the motor worked fine initially, I'd bet that cap was the main issue.
I would almost venture the children are sticking something to the intake vent(oh looky, it sticks) and by the time mom notices no a/c, the "something" falls away after freeze up.
Great job.
You make great videos! I noticed after you checked the capacitor at the blower motor you found it to be out of tolerance. You then put: "BUT, NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE MOTOR" on the video! That is incorrect! The capacitor may have been the sole problem for the coil to freeze up! The capacitance of 7.9mfd may have been enough to start the motor but eventually the motor would have stopped because of the failed capacitor. Also, Don't let your customers use those cheap monthly filters. That's the reason why that blower housing was so dirty! 90 day filters are the best!
I saw a comment about subcooling and superheat. It may not have been the reason for the call but the system may have been overcharged based on the readings in the video. Looking at the video, seems as though the ambient temperature was high enough; however, if the ambient temperature is not high enough then you cannot rely on digital gauges. You will have to use analog gauges and do the math the old fashion way for sh and sc. At least Testo's are that way.
It's important to take constructive criticism well. It will make you better. Despite the above comment, I still think you did a good job. You covered all of the basics to insure the system would continue working. A little over kill but that's ok. If you can fine tune the refrigerant pressures on this system, this customer will only see you back for routine maintenance.
I have the very same Sid Harvey hat that you have hanging in your vehicle. Wear it every day lol
Its amazing how many people out there dont verify proper airflow. How can you check charge, if you dont know how much cfm you are moving?
My hero , and idol 🎉 did it freeeze up again ?
diggin' the Gunny Highway reference! Semper fi... 🖖😉