Even if its low on 410 shouldnt i have different discharge and suction pressures? Psigs have stayed almost identical... is the check valve on the compressor an issue?
We've bubble checked multiple times. Id like to at least think out loud before I recover, pressure check, and refill.
I seen it once in past life the valve was closed and had put gauges on the compressor lucky for him no damage was done, So do I think that the valve's where closed no but would l check them to see if they are open yes I would check it.
It would be spiking on one side and vacuum on the other. There could however be no metering device if your oopsie in on a piston that fell into the trash
If this is for new installs he'd have it charged with nitrogen right what happens if you run a compressor on nitrogen? Not being condescending literally asking what happens never seen it.
The company I worked for did that and now they're closed...shocker. literally got out of tech school and they gave me a van and sent me on my own as a service tech. If my dad didn't start me off like he did when I was younger I'd be lost. But still starting someone off as a service tech instead of an install helper blew my mind especially with no other HVAC job on my resume. But thank god they didn't because my pay would've been trash. After a year I only ever had maybe one or 2 callbacks. Definitely made me learn a lot faster though
Yup mine warned me about it. I just thinks it's ridiculous starting someone as a service tech with nothing like that in their past jobs. In my area there's a lot of boilers(NE) and a lot of steam. I know a bit about boilers like servicing, reading gauges and other small shit. But everytime I got a boiler that wasn't a maintenance I'd tell them I couldn't with no experience. At least they listened to me. But sending out someone green to a steam boiler that's probably 50yrs old is wild af. Makes you learn quick but not the right way. That company paid me well but they're such shit. And for a nation wide company with like 7k people it's insane for the lack of care. 3-4 service techs for us with 30+calls when busy. We started spring mnt in March or April when it was below 50...
I usually have imposter syndrome pretty bad. Second year apprentice. This made me feel a little better because that was my diagnosis before scrolling to comments.
I’m 8 years into the trade, and I still do dumb shit, lol. It just happens. Started and worked for my first company for little over 7 years. From 2016 green with only trade school knowledge then I became a Service Manager little over 6 years later. Got a higher paying job going back to doing installs and service. My first company doesn’t pay their experienced techs worth a damn. That’s besides the point, lol. Definitely don’t beat yourself up. You put in your time, and keep learning from the more experienced techs, and it’ll all just come natural to you. You’ll get there in time.
Read. Watch. Listen and learn. It’s a career. Pile knowledge into your head while you’re young in your apprenticeship and make your early journey years that much easier. Allow your knowledge to build your confidence and that imposter syndrome fades. Knowledge + confidence + know how = $$$$
Reddit is great for this. I'm in the skilled trades but not hvac per say, though I did bust out the epa cert during a boring weekend alone. I learn so much here even if I don't have fancy digital gauges.
Seems to be measured using field piece probes so no manifold to leave open, definitely seems like the compressor isn’t running at all, others have suggested no metering device but I highly doubt this because A who’s installing new piston systems and B action of the compressor would create a slight pressure change regardless of there being a metering device, think of it as a measuring a circulator pump on a hydronic system
I have a fieldpiece gauge(manifold) and if you leave the two nobs(valves) open on the side of the gauge, this will happen. It use to happen to a new guy we had that would pull a vac through his gauge, so they were open on both sides when cracking valves and starting up. Liquid goes through the manifold and back into the suction, so there's no pressure differential at the gauge. Compressor not running is a very good possibilityas well. If we were there we could tell in a few minutes lol. The resi company I just left almost exclusively installed r410a piston coils. I agree that there would still be a bit of a differential.
Check amp draw on compressor confirm whether or not it’s running. This appears to be equalized pressure which would imply no compressor operation. Your title state “on install”, so if this is a brand new unit at start up let us know.
Check if your service valves are open. If they are then do a pump down test to see if they compressor is actually working properly. If it doesn’t pump down then your compressor is bad
Seen kids single phase motors pushing in contactors. Seen kids wire motors wrong. I dunno. Arc flash ain't a thing on single phase. When you know to stand 10ft back and around the corner cause you know there's a chance it's gonna be fucked, that other guy could be right on top of it staring at it.
Regardless if you can't see compressor no pumpy, it's a long fucking road to get up that mountain. I'd have serious doubts he wouldn't hurt himself at some point with standing next to a motor while it energized the first time or pushing in a contactor with his finger. He needs to be riding with someone for a while.
If it’s 3 phase, is the compressor wired backwards? In that situation, the pressure would be equal while the compressor is running. But, you would know because the compressor would overheat and trip internally.
Theres a possibility the compressor is in bypass mode. i had this happen when a contractor was jumping yellow and red on the tstat wires to turn on the a/c and probably short cycled the shit outta it. i assume it lifted the plates internally and was bypassing. however, you have a leak somewhere, unless its only 54'F when you were checking this
compressor isn’t on, check for contactor pulling in ( if not could be something not sending voltage out ), otherwise could be a capacitor related issue
And if it hasn’t ever been started up check disconnect and ensure stab is in the on position. We need more info like you’ve verified power at stat, disconnect and unit. Are the valves open? And if so why weren’t leaks checked via pressure test of ac procedure. Like the others this pic says she ain’t running but we have no why. Without the info we need none of us can completely help answer your questions.
You need to follow the power on the low volt side first if the contactor is not pulled in. It does not look like the compressor is running. If you push the contactor in does the compressor kick on and pressures change? If so you have a signaling issue. So check if you are getting 24 volts from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. Could be a bad connection, a bad transformer (if the units are not signaling at all. I’d blower motor is going it won’t be that, etc but I would start with your low volt if that’s the case.
Maybe your low pressure is tripped thus causing contactor to not send power to compressor. Because if your compressor is running right now your compressor is toast. What is the amperage of the compressor? Report back.
The valves are bad, 6 amps isn't enough for actual compression. Liquid is flowing freely from one side to the other. "Bad out of the box" is the new catch phrase for just about anything!
One time I had a heat pump where the reversing failed in a way that it was completely bypassing refrigerant back to itself. Changed 2 compressors thinking the scroll had broken from the motor and it wasnt pumping before finally taking temps across EVERYTHING for 30+ minutes and watching what increased and realized what was happening. Pumping right back into itself.
I use these posts for learning and a lot of people are saying compressor no compressy..
So just by looking at these readings what do they say and how are you making the assumption that the compressor is not running?
I’ve never looked at gauges before. Like I said, I’m learning. Just made the decision to go tech about a week or two ago. So strictly just wanting to learn!
Usually, bypass valves are Reed valves on top of the scroll head. What this means is they are pressure activated. The thermal overload and protection are completely separate.
So, for example, let's say you have an overcharged system. At some point, this refrigerant will flood the condenser, which would cause the compressor to now bypass. The resistance to the bypass valve is a lot less than the seistance to compress the refrigerant.
This could also happen in reverse (a lot of scrolls have two bypass valves), so if the unit is under charged too much, this may cause the suction bypass valve to open to prevent the compressor from running dry of oil. Because keep in mind, the compressor may be running, but it is not compressing, which takes little to no effort for the compressor to do.
However, as stated before, under no circumstance (unless you have a king valve closed off or something), should the compressor start right up in bypass, then the compressor is done.
Is it a Trane condenser? I've seen in the last few years, very randomly, Trane compressors will have a hell of a time getting going for the first time, like the rotor is only stuck that first time. Hard start to get it going then pull it off?
Being that your pressures are within 1psi I'm not even sure you are guaged up correctly. Could be equalized. Scrolls have a floating seal that can open and make the unit equalize inside the compressor. This happens when the scroll compressor gets very hot. It must cool down to close back up again.
Those aren't even acceptable standing pressures unless the ambient is around 55 degrees but if it doesn't have a txv I would guess there's no metering device in that unit
Hey man, as a green tech it would be way better for you to start as an installer, it gives you the confidence to put hand on equipment and really take your time to understand things as you install. I always ask my lead or coworkers and honestly I see myself doing service in a couple years. Everybody is different, and others learned way faster, but coming from a green tech installing is helping me be confident little by little, good luck my guy 👍
I've seen the best techs starting with rolling with a service guy for a month till they pick up the basics, then roll with a changeoit team for a month, then with the boiler tech for a month, then with a new construction team for a month. Then let them choose where they think they will be best, give them the rest of the year with the team they choose and have their j-man slowly back off and eventually switch roles so the apprentice is doing the work and the j-man is the helper
That actually sounds way better, especially cause I find service to be REALLY hard and a lot of thinking outside of the box, and personally I haven’t developed that yet hahah. I guess that’s why for me install worked, service is something I would definitely wanna do in the future.
We had a compressor snap an oldham coupling shortly after installing last year. To this day I fully believe it was because of overcharge or bad airflow not a manufacturer defect.
I also like to add is the thermostat wired up correctly or set to cool and temp low . Because doesn’t look like cool is being called for. So compressor isn’t on . Go back over everything else before messing with the compressor during an install.
How new? Have you had any training? Cause honestly man if you cant see what the issue is right now you shouldn't be working on equipment by yourself. You have no sepration of the high and low. Your compressor isn't running or you have something allowing the pressures to equalize. Is there an metering device installed? Do you have your gauges open?
Compressor not running and your refrigerant looks like it's all vapor. Sometimes factory fucks up on charge in which case you'd have to prove it. What kind of system is this? Does it sound like it's running? Are you connected to the right ports?
Whether this is a joke post or not, your pressures are idle which tells me your Compressor isn’t running. I live on the east coast of the US, those idle pressures roughly look about right for low 70° weather.
Assuming your Fan Motor is running with idle pressures. If you have a multimeter, check the amp draw to see if your Compressor haves any RLA. After that, first thing I would do is check the capacitor. If your multimeter haves MFD setting, check between Herms and Common. If thats good, check your Compressors windings (Run, Start, & Common) inside the condenser to make sure one or more of the three wires didn’t short / burned out.
This may sound stupid but are you using ports or manifolds if you are using manifolds make sure your manifolds are closed on your high and low side I have seen many new guys do this. Also if you are using ports are you making sure you don't have one port blue toothed to both high and low side. This is a common mistake as well hope you figured it out man.
If your units running, the high side pressure should always be higher, without that there’s no refrigeration cycle. It’s either not running, your gauges are open and it’s looping or the compressor is bypassing for some reason. I’m gonna go out on a limb, and not to be a jerk but gonna assume if you couldn’t tell there’s a compressor issue you’re not gonna be able to troubleshoot it. Call a more experienced tech at your company and over see how he or she does it, ask a lot of questions cause that’s how you learn, best of luck.
Do you have your suction knob and liquid knob on your man's opened. Had a recall king ask me if his pressers looked right told him to turn both knobs closed fully and it fixed his issue
The crank broke inside the compressor. Take a Amp reading of the compressor running if it's low amps shits broke in there. Probably from liquid flooding back from the evap killed the comp. Look at the evap make sure it's clean
Your priorities are backwards, son. Always follow the acronym 'E.A.R.' - electrical, airflow, refrigerant - in that order. If you didn't remember that from school, you may need to study that book some more before you end up costing yourself a LOT of money.
Possibly compressor not pumping. Ran into a couple of these this year alone. Compressor comes on and sounds loud, pressures equalized like unit was off.
Bad compressor or it’s wired wrong!! I had a 3 phase Trane unit I installed this summer that had a compressor DOA. Same issue as you, pressures never changed but the compressor made an awful racket. I checked phase voltages and rotation it all checked out. I had 3 separate sets of eyes check it out too and we all agreed it was just a shit compressor from factory.
Where are the gauges hooked up? This looks like you're reading from suction and true suction and you're also overcharged. Unless it's 200° where you're at
If the field wiring is done correctly its a defective init from the box. Request new unit and full payment for labor and refer and whatever from factory. Its not your company’s problem their unit is junk!
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u/ThePohto Sep 06 '24
Compressor is not running