A/C line set icing up

[BlueIndian]

I recently got a mini-split A/C unit. First time I turned it on after installing the refridgerant line iced up where it connects to the outdoor unit. Turned it off...let it sit....turned it on and it started working. Now....almost 1 month into use, it iced up again.

The user manual states it needs to be plugged into a dedicated circuit with a surge protector. All outlets are connected in series and the old window unit worked fine from the one I am plugged into now. Went and bought a decent surge protector today...plugged it in and seems to run fine now.

My thoughts are A) low on freon B) trash in the line set causing a blockage
C) outdoor unit not level enough

I was in a rush doing the install and didn`t level out the area where the outdoor unit sits. Not too crooked but not level.

Anyone have any ideas here? I don`t have gauges or a vacuum pump. Only alternative I have is to take it out and take it to a service company or back to where I bought it. Alot of time and hassle to do that though. Could the surge protector be the solution? Now is not a good time of the year for AC problems but it never is :worried

 

[CannabisJohn]

I recently got a mini-split A/C unit. First time I turned it on after installing the refridgerant line iced up where it connects to the outdoor unit. Turned it off...let it sit....turned it on and it started working. Now....almost 1 month into use, it iced up again.

The user manual states it needs to be plugged into a dedicated circuit with a surge protector. All outlets are connected in series and the old window unit worked fine from the one I am plugged into now. Went and bought a decent surge protector today...plugged it in and seems to run fine now.

My thoughts are A) low on freon B) trash in the line set causing a blockage
C) outdoor unit not level enough

I was in a rush doing the install and didn`t level out the area where the outdoor unit sits. Not too crooked but not level.

Anyone have any ideas here? I don`t have gauges or a vacuum pump. Only alternative I have is to take it out and take it to a service company or back to where I bought it. Alot of time and hassle to do that though. Could the surge protector be the solution? Now is not a good time of the year for AC problems but it never is :worried

Forget surge protector. Look for kinks in line set. If no kinks make a soap solution to check for leaks at ur joints. A kink sometimes can be found by listening for the sound of rushing water when unit is running. If unit shows a leak then it is low on refrigerant and you will need a tech to recharge. Being a little out of level should not do this problem. If you are in Socal I can help you with troubleshooting and repairs. Best of luck.

 

[BlueIndian]

Thanks for responding John...tried to pm you but don't enough posts.

The line is pre-charged so to speak....but this only happened on start up and yesterday. The line set is really flexible throughout other than the last 18" or so on either end which is solid copper. It comes from the indoor unit into another space and loops into a circle before going out the wall to the outdoor unit. I took time and care not to kink it and if there was a leak why would it run for 4 weeks then die out? Like I said.....put a surge protector in there today and she running fine......It's like this has only happened 2 x's in 4 weeks so if it was a leak the freon should be gone by now....and then no AC at all....the sporadic nature is what has me puzzled

If electrical amperage was not sufficient wouldn't the unit have a safety relay to kill the compressor? Could that be the issue? Supposedly this AC is 20 Seer which is way more efficient than the window unit before.....so what is the issue here?

 

[CannabisJohn]

Thanks for responding John...tried to pm you but don't enough posts.

The line is pre-charged so to speak....but this only happened on start up and yesterday. The line set is really flexible throughout other than the last 18" or so on either end which is solid copper. It comes from the indoor unit into another space and loops into a circle before going out the wall to the outdoor unit. I took time and care not to kink it and if there was a leak why would it run for 4 weeks then die out? Like I said.....put a surge protector in there today and she running fine......It's like this has only happened 2 x's in 4 weeks so if it was a leak the freon should be gone by now....and then no AC at all....the sporadic nature is what has me puzzled

If electrical amperage was not sufficient wouldn't the unit have a safety relay to kill the compressor? Could that be the issue? Supposedly this AC is 20 Seer which is way more efficient than the window unit before.....so what is the issue here?

Like Garden of Dreams said is you could be running it too cold (below 68-69F). But if you were doing that on a regular basis it would be iced up more than twice. Next time it happens check your room and see if it is close to setpoint you have on ur a/c. If it is it could be from compressor slowing down to do final cooling of room. In that case I would not worry about it. How thick does ice get? If it is only frostly then I would not worry about it either.

 

[hiboy]

Your problem is not your electrical source. If it was inadequit it would trip the breaker and ur unit would shut off. Johns ur best bet
hiboy

 

[thefabman]

Air in the line set from not vaccuming the lines before fireup......

 

[CannabisJohn]

Air could cause icing but would most likely happen more often than twice in 4 weeks.

 

[thefabman]

I was thinking that also Canabisjohn, but i have seen moisture in the line do similar..

 

[CannabisJohn]

Air in line set does do weird things. Did you vacuum ur lines prior to start up?

 

[BlueIndian]

This unit has plug and play fittings so to speak and already pre-charged. You use an allen wrench to open the ports after hooking up the lines to no air is suppose to enter and no loss of freon. Went and looked at this morning and sure enough it was iced up again. The line set is really flexible for the most part except the last couple of feet on either end which you aren`t supposed to bend too much. I think where line feeds into the indoor unit may have had some weight stress on it and possibly hindered the flow. I turned off the unit and let it sit.....worked out some slack in that one area and she's been working good so far today. Maybe I didn`t have the line set the way it needed to be and hopefully it didn't mess it up too bad....I think I would know by now if so.

Kinkage may have been the issue John. Going to give it some time and keep an eye on it. I adjusted the tension/weight pulling the line set down so if it happens again I'll take it out and take it to the store it came from. They have gauges and the freon. I didn't have to evacuate the line or charge it so it's not something I've done other than maybe compromise the line at the indoor unit. Working now so think I'll be ok....if not I'll take it and have them pull a vacuum and recharge it....

 

[CannabisJohn]

This unit has plug and play fittings so to speak and already pre-charged. You use an allen wrench to open the ports after hooking up the lines to no air is suppose to enter and no loss of freon. Went and looked at this morning and sure enough it was iced up again. The line set is really flexible for the most part except the last couple of feet on either end which you aren`t supposed to bend too much. I think where line feeds into the indoor unit may have had some weight stress on it and possibly hindered the flow. I turned off the unit and let it sit.....worked out some slack in that one area and she's been working good so far today. Maybe I didn`t have the line set the way it needed to be and hopefully it didn't mess it up too bad....I think I would know by now if so.

Kinkage may have been the issue John. Going to give it some time and keep an eye on it. I adjusted the tension/weight pulling the line set down so if it happens again I'll take it out and take it to the store it came from. They have gauges and the freon. I didn't have to evacuate the line or charge it so it's not something I've done other than maybe compromise the line at the indoor unit. Working now so think I'll be ok....if not I'll take it and have them pull a vacuum and recharge it....

Best of luck.

 

[Stoney419]

All the mini splits I've ever seen or heard about have to have a vac put on the lines I'm having issues with mine also:evilgrin0040:

 

[BlueIndian]

Well..the consensus between the mfgr and person I bought it from is that it may have lost some freon at some point. It is over $200 for a large tank of r410a plus you need gauges. After some looking around on E_bay, I found someone selling 410 cylinders in 28oz cans with a gauge and hose for about $60. Seeing that it is only a little low I`m going to try that....would cost $60 just in a service call. No one seems to think it`s from trash in the system so I don`t see the need in pulling a vacuum.

Stoney...just pointing that out in case it may help you with your split unit. Worth a try for that price. Also I found some brand new mini-splits on E_bay for under $500 not including the shipping which was close to $200. Still a lot cheaper than what my unit was new. The cheaper one is a 12,000 btu with a 13 seer rating where as mine is rated at 20 seer. I think in the long run mine will pay that difference in price with the higher efficiency.

I`ll post back again when I get the refill kit and see how it goes!

PS....for anyone looking at mini`s you do want so called plug-n-play fittings...other than that you`ll need soldering equipment, vacuum pump and gauges...plus the knowledge to use all of it.

 

[thefabman]

There is not a split AC system of any kind out there that does not need a vaccum pulled on it...... Your lines to and from will always have air in them that needs to be removed..... GOOD LUCK!!

 

[BlueIndian]

fabman....most all probably do need the lines sweated and a vacuum pulled however this particular type has a precharged line set. Only connections are at the outdoor unit that allows the unit to accept the precharged line and then the ports are opened to allow refrigerant to flow through. May be the only ppl making these this way but there is no vacuum needed as a general rule...

I will update when I receive the charging kit....

 

[convex]

What brand/model split do you have?

True 'plug and play' disappeared years ago with the move away from r22 ...

Keepright units with self piercing linesets were that last I saw ... that was probably 15 years ago.

Any sets with a back seating valve still required a vacuum before opening the line set.

 

[CannabisJohn]

Well..the consensus between the mfgr and person I bought it from is that it may have lost some freon at some point. It is over $200 for a large tank of r410a plus you need gauges. After some looking around on E_bay, I found someone selling 410 cylinders in 28oz cans with a gauge and hose for about $60. Seeing that it is only a little low I`m going to try that....would cost $60 just in a service call. No one seems to think it`s from trash in the system so I don`t see the need in pulling a vacuum.

Stoney...just pointing that out in case it may help you with your split unit. Worth a try for that price. Also I found some brand new mini-splits on E_bay for under $500 not including the shipping which was close to $200. Still a lot cheaper than what my unit was new. The cheaper one is a 12,000 btu with a 13 seer rating where as mine is rated at 20 seer. I think in the long run mine will pay that difference in price with the higher efficiency.

I`ll post back again when I get the refill kit and see how it goes!

PS....for anyone looking at mini`s you do want so called plug-n-play fittings...other than that you`ll need soldering equipment, vacuum pump and gauges...plus the knowledge to use all of it.

Did the lines have R410A in them when you bought them? If lines did not then R410A needs to be pulled, lines evacuated, and fresh R410A. Also most likely that can will not work w/o a special adaptor. Most units have 5/16 inch connection for pressure checking. That hose maybe 1/4 inch. Also be very careful with that R410A because pressures are very high w/o unit running. Like 200# or so at 72F.

 

[weedsmith]

several things can cause ice on a lineset , most frequently, low freon, poor air flow over evaporater coil, or obstruction in metering device. if the ice starts at evap side it most likely would be poor airflow over evap or metering device is obstructed. if it starts at the condenser side it will be low freon. good luck

 

[darlingmaster]

lol, I remember when someone called out the Shinco's. Some dude was hawking them hardcore on here and got banned.
Their are two brands that I know of that are the precharged type the OP is referring to, Excalair and Americaire. The lineset is precharged and already connected to the indoor unit. The other end "clicks" into the outdoor unit.
Folks gotta remeber that you get what you pay for with these things. Personally I use a Mr.Slim and it works flawlessly...

 

[thefabman]

Mr slim or Mr whisper with toshiba compressors!!!!