This video is brought to you by Sportland Quality, integrity and tradition. All right. We got a service call on an AC not working. Um, it's a 15 ton split system I Had a hunch what was going on cuz they said their thermostat was blank I Don't know why this cover is missing, but that's a whole.

another problem for another day. When I got up here, we had no main power coming into the unit. so I actually have a technician downstairs I Had him confirm that we had a tripped breaker. so I turned the disconnect switch off before he tried to reset the breaker.

Then he reset it. Now we're going to test to see if we actually have power up here. All right. 1 to two, 2 to three Okay Cool! So we have three-phase power now.

now. What I need to do? I'm going to leave it off. we're going to open it up and we're going to try to figure out why the breaker potentially trips now. A couple years back I changed a compressor I think it was this one.

No yeah, it was this one 2020 I changed the compressor on this guy. Um, but let's check to see if we have anything shorted the ground. so again, we have power turned off I've got my meter on tone. Okay, so I've grounded it out right here and then I'm just going to go around with this guy checking the compressor.

Oh, we have a grounded compressor. Yep, and it's that one right there that stinks. Let's check the other one. What the heck? Wait a minute.

Both compressors grounded I Don't know about that. Let's take the wiring off and isolate them. Make sure that's insane if they're both grounded. So here's what we did: I pulled the wires off and I took pictures of them before.

Okay, so now we're going to get in here on the terminals and we're testing. Let's see so we know we still have a good good path to ground. Okay, so now we're just testing here. I'm testing on all three legs of the compressor.

Nothing. Nothing. Okay, Now let's go over to this one. Ah, there we go.

Yeah, this one's grounded. Okay, so what was happening? They only used two pole contactors on this guy. Okay, because they only Ed two pole contactors. One leg is always wired hot to each of the three-phase components, which in this case our compressors.

So this compressor was grounded and it was back feeding through the common leg of power that was wired hot all the time. So that's why we were getting a grounded compressor tone on this one and this one. But then when I pulled the wires off, it was just this one. Now, that can also be dangerous because if the customer's down there resetting Breakers and things like that, that's why you never want to reset Breakers because you're technically shorting a wire.

Um, now we don't know if there's any damage to this one, yet we still got to verify. But this one for sure is grounded. So if you come right here, this is our point at which each compressor share a leg of power right here. Okay and again I have no power in here I Verified.

but that's the leg right there. So since we have this compressor grounded, it was like it had a a backwards path to the other compressor which was giving the other compressor a false reading of a ground. Now, we still don't know if that compressor is okay because maybe the windings got damag by the short. Maybe the customer did reset the breaker I don't think they did.

but we're going to get in here and oh, out the windings and hope that everything's okay on this one. So that way we can at least get them one compressor going with this guy I wanted to test before I hooked it back up whether or not the resistance value that I was reading across the the windings was correct. So I'm reading approximately 67 and it's pretty even across it is even across all three legs. Okay, so I opened up the Copeland mobile app with that model number right there and you're able to look it up and it says that we should be running about 050 winding to winding plus orus 7% This guy's been down for a long time.

I'm pretty confident I can start it up and test everything at that. Um, so I think we're okay. Okay, um, but we're going to, uh, go ahead and finish wiring it up I Got to isolate this compressor, make sure it's completely out of the picture. so that way it doesn't try to start.

uh, it's protect the wiring so they don't short to anything and then we'll put gauges on it and try to start this guy up. Now these are not. um, uh, this is a a multi circuit system. Okay, so these are two individual circuits.

stage one, stage two. All right actually. I think it's reversed even though the labelings on there I think someone switched it down at the air handler if I remember right I've done work on this I put a stand here when we changed this compressor I made a video about it cuz it was a pain in the butt to get this thing on the roof I had to use a hoist assembly and everything. Um, so one of the things that stinks though is I know that this system is not piped correctly.

It does not have any liquid line shut off valves downstairs to prevent refrigerant migration. So this thing I don't know how long it's been down I Think the service call came in a day ago, so who knows how long it was down before that. but theoretically the refrigerant could be migrating somewhere else and and we could have a problem with all the refrigerant coming back at once so we have to watch that because that can wash the oil out of the compressor if it hasn't already happen. Who knows what killed this one.

This one I changed 3 years ago. This one is from 2014 and these compressors do see a hard life. This customer doesn't do maintenance, it's a mess, but we're going to go through this system and diagnose it. Um I'm going to wire it back up and we'll isolate everything I Went ahead just for now and closed the ball valves for this circuit.

There's a ball valve on the suction and there's a ball valve on the liquid. So I close this one right here and then back in here. Underneath this there's another ball valve I close that just to keep everything where it is right. No more migration than we need to have.

Um. Next, we need to go ahead and put gauges onto this one. We're going to check every other component, make sure there's no other shorts to ground, make sure everything else is good. Then we got to fire it up and hope that this compressor starts up and runs okay.

Okay, we're getting ready to start it up. We've got gauges on the good working compressor. We have 250 psi equalized out when I purged I Made sure it didn't smell burnt or anything. doesn't Um I've isolated the other compressor on both ends.

It's not going to plug in. All three wires are safe. Contactor is tight. That's the bad compressor we're hooked on for the good compressor in the Copela mobile app.

I Pulled it up so you can see what the Rla is. So we're looking for about 25 amps. Max and it's probably going to pull a little bit higher than that at first. Um, we're pretty much ready to turn it on.

I Got the unit jumped out right here and yeah, that's that. So I'm going to go and turn this on and back away and hope nothing blows up and step back. Condenser fan motors are all running. That's a good sign.

We're just waiting for the delay from the compressors. The conens F Motors must be off of like a uh pressure control. I Think let's just give it a bump, see what happens, Make sure nothing blows up. compressor runs.

That's a good sign. Okay, well. I'm going to let it go and go through it, cycle, and stage on so we know it's not going to blow up in our face at least. Um, but yeah, all condenser fan motors are running so that's a good sign.

We'll definitely test current on those. Um, all right. so doesn't it tell you if it's in a delay? I think it does. Maybe it doesn't I don't know.

We'll give it a second. let it start up. I Just remembered I needed to have the uh oh so look what do we got here clashing? oh I think that's the delay I think is what that is Yeah, it's a delay. um if I remember right I'm just doing this all of memory I ended up jumping out y1 and Y2 because this thing has a Vfd downstairs.

so before I leave I'm going to need to get Y1 and Y2 calling together. So that way the Vfd is always running at high speed. we're going to have a hard time depending on I told you that I thought one of these was SL uh switch downstairs. This has a a slab coil like at an angle and if there we go, we're running 17 amps, 18 amps that's not too bad and start up so we're going to let it run for a bit.

Pressures don't look too too crazy at the moment. this is 410 a change it over and sight glass is flashing at the moment which is typical. It's a little foamy, that's not the greatest but we'll uh, we'll let it run for a bit and hopefully it clears up and the system at least gets half the unit running. so that way they can get some Cooling in the kitchen cuz we're in the middle of a heat wave Southern summer it's 105 110 outside.

so all right, we're going to let this run for a bit and then uh, we'll check back in in a little while. Okay, we're getting a little bit closer to Rla which was like 25, but I'm good with that. Okay now, condenser fan motors are allowed to run 1.42 amps. so let's go.

Ah, and test these guys. 1.67 Now we also have this panel off so we're going to have to hold that up and make sure that's not in changing anything. That one's 1.3 This motor right here is making a whining sound This one. So I think they're losing a motor too 1.3 So this one right here is measuring 1.6 So they're losing a motor is what they're doing here.

All right. So we've got a big quote ahead of us here: Because that compressor is grounded. we're going to be putting a new compressor accumulator, reversing valve uh, suction dryer, liquid dryer. Uh, we're going to be changing a condenser fan motor.

This coil is dirty so it needs to be cleaned and it needs to be split too because this is a split coil. so this is a big boy job. Um, the uh compressor that I got running the sight glass cleared up. so that's a good sign.

Um, that doesn't mean it's the full charge, but that means that we've got a solid column of liquid at this moment going downstairs. which in the summertime, that's a pretty good sign. Uh, you do charge to sub cooling on these guys cuz they have Txvs downstairs. so just because you have a clear sight glass, doesn't mean that's going to be enough gas for all all ambient conditions.

Whether it drops really cold outside, whether it gets really hot, that's why you charge by subcooling on these instead of just a Clear Sight glass. Okay, so it's very important to understand that Refrigeration With a receiver, as long as you don't have low ambient controls, you charge by a Clear Sight glass assuming everything's working correctly. but on air conditioning, we don't have receivers on this particular system. It uses the condenser as a storage vessel.

You got to charge by subcooling. All right. Well, we don't have a condenser fan motor locally. we will have to get, but it's okay.

I've got it on. Will call at the local carrier. Well, not local, but at another carrier distributor somewhat in my area. I'll pick it up today and we'll probably come back tomorrow.

We got to get at least a condenser fan motor on this. I Talked to the customer because uh, we're already running higher than what we should be for head pressure and I don't want to damage the other compressor. It has high pressure controls, but still. Um, it's about what did I I Think it was like 85 in the shade.

80 in the shade right now. So yeah, saturation is a little bit high. so we're rinsing all the condensers. I'm going to shut it down.

put it back together. We're going to rinse the condenser off. We're rinsing all the other units. Um, yeah, and we're going to give them a big picture quote for this one.

This one's going to be an expensive one though, because I'm just looking. that's like inch and three. I think for that suction line. Maybe it's inch and an eigh? N that's inch and an eigh.

but still, it's going to be a big suction dryer. But what I can do if I go with a encapsulated suction dryer which I don't know if I will or not. We can also go with a core. uh, a removable core dryer.

but um, I can run another strut across this like I did on this. run another strut across under the suction lines to support it and then that'll be kind of cool too. So all right. well, I'm going to get lots of information, lots of pictures, but we got them up and running for now.

And I think they need to have a service their exhaust fans too. All right. Well, that's it for now. This place is just like it's such a pain in the butt to get up onto this roof.

you got this hatch and then it's all the way over there there. all the way over there in that far far Corner over there. So some other guys working on this box car unit here today. oh boy.

All right, we'll get this down and other things to do. I haven't done this work yet. This was from all the way back in the summertime. Um let me look at the clip right now.

This clip was from July of 2023 and uh, the customer didn't want to proceed. they didn't even want to quote at the time I know they haven't done anything yet. Um, a lot of customers were doing this towards the end of last year because we got it up and running. They were like uh yeah, let's just see if we can make it through the rest of the summer and then here we are coming in.

you know through the winter and we still haven't done this work yet and it's going to hit us like in May or June watch they'll be like we need it and we need it. Now that like realistically that job like I can change the compressor I can do that but the entire system needs to be replaced and it's beyond me. um I wish I could show you the inside of the building but I can't but they have 15 ton split system Air Handlers the air handlers themselves. uh I've changed one of them out in their dining room during Co but this one is in their kitchen above a drop ceiling and it's probably about 6 ft above the drop ceiling.

They literally built the building around this because underneath the drop ceiling you have fire sprinklers, you have electrical like everything needs to be taken out. The whole drop ceiling needs to be taken down to get this 750 lb air handler down of which they would not be able To operate like it's just the epic epic disaster. And this goes to show you people don't think when they engineer buildings when they design them, these never should have been split systems. The reason why they're split system is because this is the ground floor of a multi-level building and they have tenants above them and it would have been a pain in the butt to run duct work.

Uh, it is an extremely tall building. The the air ducts are just insane going down. Um, and it it's it's a problem either way, but they should have done something different. Um, and you know it's just going to be a disaster.

but again, it's not my job like I'm not. There's no way I'm doing this like as far as replacing the equipment. I'll change the compressors all day long. No big deal on that, but changing that equipment is going to take a ginormous multi-art Crane Or a helicopter can get it done really quick just getting the condenser on the roof.

That's no big deal, but it's got multiple leaks down in the evaporator coil. um, downstairs in the air handler. Just multiple leaks. Uh, it's insane.

I've even done a video fixing. like 30 something leaks 20s, something leaks on it before and and it's still just leaking refrigerant. It's just a disaster. Epic, epic disaster.

But yeah, they haven't done a single thing about it yet. so who knows what goes on. But I Thought this was really good because you know the initial both compressors being grounded. That was a problem and that wasn't the the case right? because it was just back feeding on that third path where they're tying the two hot legs together.

Very important to remember when you're oming out compressors. When you're testing compressors, you always remove the wiring because hidden stuff can be happening inside that electrical. So important. I Really appreciate you guys making it to the end of the video.

You guys got to see my process on this one. If the customer ever approves a compressor replacement of course. I'll film it and we'll get it going. okay again.

I Really appreciate you making it to the end of the video. Uh, leave me a comment down in the bottom. Let me know what you think. If you're interested in supporting the channel, you can.

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Thank you so very much Again, I Really do appreciate you and uh, we will catch you on the next one. Yeah.