Coil leak in the outside heat pump unit
by Rajesh P
(Long island, Ny)
Our heat ( Lennox, 5 ton ) went out a week ago. Tried everything by our heating guy- even changed the thermostat. Turns out that there is a leak in the outside coil.
One HVAC serviceman sent over by the landlord said there was a leak in the compressor. I don't even know if they opened the condenser unit. So I'm not sure how he isolated the leak to the compressor right away.
Said I had to replace the whole unit outside AND the unit inside air handler Benz of incompatibility issues that would arise. Also said that the compressor leaked because of a faulty motor that I had replaced 3 summers ago! I find that very very hard to believe.
Finally, I had my own independent diagnostics done. I was there when is new guy showed me the oil stains on the radiator aluminum mesh right where the coils were running. NOT THE COMPRESSOR.
So now the big question is- can the outside coils be replaced without replacing the compressor?
Could a lower RPM motor @ 825 rpm cause high pressure build up in the system to cause a leak?
I know this may be a bit confusing. But any help would be appreciated.
Thnx.
Rcp, NY
Dadan replies:
Hey, Rajesh
Some HVAC manufacturer still makes r22 replacement parts. (I’m presuming it is r22 central ac unit). The outside coil can always be replaced. The only problem is,
Does the HVAC manufacturer have your specific coils? If there is coil that match your model number, yes you can replace it. You need to know your HVAC branch and find that branch number and call them.
“lower RPM motor @ 825 rpm cause high pressure build up in the system to cause a leak” are you referring to condenser motor?
I don’t know the correct RPM for you condenser motor. A condenser motor that is not doing or rotating the correct RPM will cause heat buildup in the condenser unit. The compressor should shut off due to high pressure.
There was problem with the condenser coil leak due to higher prices of copper. Some HVAC manufacturer decided to stretch copper tube. This result saves them money; however, this also cause leak in their condenser coil.