20 Most Recent Carrier 38BRC036 Air Conditioner - Page 3 Questions & Answers

I had this fellow ask why he couldn't find any thing about id model number for buying a replacement out door ac unit. The answer I game him is part historical and all true. I give my customers a choice of 2 options

All we have in the USA is 13 + SEER efficiency. No 13 seer equipment will work properly (from what Ive been told) if matched with one of the older coils. And the manufacturer (some of them) will not give full warranty if you don't change out the indoor coil to match the out door unit.

1 Way around this for a short time could be this (especially if its hot where you are). Purchase both the indoor and out door pieces you will need for full warranty. Tell the contractor, that will do your jobl that you would not mind if he waited to change out the indoor section till fall or winter when he is less busy. Go ahead and have him price it all together but have him cut out his labor on the indoor coil until he comes back to install it later. This way all your bases are covered from the manufacturers point of view and I personally have no problem waiting to get paid to complete a job like this and I cant understand why anyone would have a problem with it. (Now this may not be a good idea if you have an older capillary or piston type expansion device on the indoor coil, if its a Therm o Expansion Valve it would be OK for a little while if its still working properly). Any models made after 2006 will all be different now. If you happen to find a new unit that doesnt require the indoor coil to be changed do somemore home work and check with the manufacturer to be sure the warranty is still from date of purchase /. installation not date of manufacturer.

Another option would be to purchase an AC Compressor and replace the Compressor. If you take this option I always install a new over sized Liquid line drier, a new suction line drier especially if the old compressor is burned out, some acid killer, possibly the run capacitor which may be out of range or incompatible with the new compressor, and maybe a contactor. After this the outdoor fan motor and its run capacitor and the out door coil are about all that's left of the old unit to give any trouble. I may suggest a high pressure switch with a manual reset if your fan motor has some age (4 years or more). Oh yes and if you opt to do this you may have the option of an extended limited warranty.

Here is the history behind the manufacturer deleting the 10 - 12 SEER Efficiency:
Our illustriousness government officials decided that because some of us cant turn out a LIGHT BULB, that we have to be more efficient on our AC and Heat pumps. Now almost no manufacturer has any 10 -12 seer equipment there hasn't been any made here in the states since 2006. This Washington mandated but if you go to a 3rd world country they may have them there. And yes it was AL GORE and his bunch that headed this up. But I bet you know Al Gore gives all his money made from the environmental movement he has to charity (of which he is the CEO) So don't blame it on the ex-president. Last time I looked Al GORE was in the "other party".

Now that the politics are out of the way you have 2 choices. Change the outdoor unit change the indoor coil to match it or rebuild what you have. Be sure to thank the ole boys in congress for this. They are sure handing bigger folks that you and me with a bailout (and no one can stop them).

Typically if you want a circuit completed when energized you use C (Common) and NO (normally open). This means that the contact will close when energized and thus complete your circuit. However in some cases a relay is used to stop current from flowing and when energized the contacts used are C and NC (Normally Closed) meaning that the circuit is closed when the relay is off and open when energized.

Other things to consider if "rigging a new circuit".

More precisely, what exactly are you going to accomplish:
Turn On a motor, or light
Turn Off a motor, or light
or complete a timing sequence,
Turn On A heater
Lock out a motor
Isolate a motor

A simple relay works but you had better make sure 2 things 1. your relay is not TOO HEAVY on the VA of the coil (this would cause a control transformer to burn out) is the correct voltage coil, AND 2. BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT HP OR AMP DRAW your relay will be expected to hold while energized (or de-energized which ever the case may be). This latter is the contact rating. Too small and it will burn out. Too heavy, well I see not much trouble with too heavy a contact rating except it usually has heaver VA draw form the coil the bigger the contacts are.

DOes this help you?

A low charge diagnosis for instance can be miss read if the evaporator is iced up or has any ice in or on it. A sticking thermostat, relay, or contactor could be causing the compressor to run on when it should be off, or air flow blocked or the fan motor on the evaporator cutting off when it should be on or a dirty filter or closed vent, or misplaced thermostat sensor could all lead to a freeze up of the inside coil as well as a few dozen other things other than low charge.

To answer with any clarity we need to know is this a window, mini split type unit or central and what kind of thermostat do you have electronic display or no display just t knob pointer? Need to know what is running and what is not running I.E. Fan only; Fan and compressor only; Fan out side and compressor unknown if it is running...

And here is a real stickler, you say it has a leak and had to have a charge of refrigerant. What kind of refrigerant is it R22, R134A, R410A... And for sure was the evaporator coil still iced up when you decided it was low on charge or was it defrosted and room temperature?

All these questions have to be answered to get you steered into the correct area.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} If your wondering how to check out your refrigeration compressor;
Modern Compressors have two operations that have to work together just to run. More items must be considered for them to work and work efficiently in systems. The 2 areas that must work together are electrical and mechanical. Either your compressor is broken inside or the motor and or start components are not working properly.

Electrical
Ohm the compressor terminals to ground and across to each other.
1. If any read anything to ground the compressor is bad. If not go on to the next step.
2.Your readings between the compressor terminals should all be different and you should have 1 low 1 medium and 1 high resistance reading.
Add the low and mid reading together and the sum should be close to the highest reading. If it reads say 20% more or less then retest it a couple of times to confirm your not slipping on the terminals. If you get only 2 readings don’t panic wait 24 hours for the motor to cool off for sure and recheck it. If still no reading then your compressor motor is open. A new compressor or replacement of the appliance is required. If you now get the 3 readings described make a diagram you feel comfortable with as to where the wires go to each component before removing anything, then continue:
3 Assuming the above checks out: Get a new *Start relay *start capacitor if so equipped relay *external overload and *run capacitor if it has one. In other words everything that is external and attached to the wires or terminals on the compressor or wiring per your diagram and replace them on to the compressor. Then if it starts problem solved if it still does same thing the compressor is bad (broken mechanically inside the compressor) and you have to decide to replace compressor or replace the refrigerating compressor be it AC or Refrigeration.

*May or May NOT have this component:
*Start Relay:
MOST 99.999…% of refrigerators of the household type have a start relay of some kind and they vary in size shape and color. It plugs directly onto the compressor. SOME AC units but not all have one and it is different. These Resemble a box about 2”X2” X 3” with at least 3 terminals on it and these 3 terminals are marked 1, 2, & 5. Each of these will have at least 1 wire on them and there may be other terminals (4 & 6) as well that can be used with several wires on each.
* Start Capacitor
100% of AC and Commercial compressors that use a start relay (and remember some do not have one but those that do…) and only some domestic refrigerators use a Start Capacitor. At least 2 wires going to a black (usually) cylinder which is the start capacitor. Start Capacitors ALWAYS HAVE 2 or more Wires and ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A START RELAY.
*External Overload
MOST 99.9% of Household refrigerators, 80%+ of smaller commercial refrigerators, and most 90% of window unit AC’s but almost no central AC compressors Have an external overload. Those that do not have an internal overload. These vary in size and color and description a basic one is round 2 wires and generally black about quarter size USA AND IF USED ALWAYS MOUNTED ON THE COMPRESSOR with the other wires and terminals there.
*Run Capacitor
Some domestic refrigerators (can be a small rectangular box) medium and larger refrigeration and (99.999%... of all) AC central and Window units have a compressor that requires a run capacitor. These type units also have a fan motor that can require a run capacitor. These Capacitors always have at least 2 wires and often 3 or more if the capacitor also is wired to the fan motor.
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If a compressor is tight due to linear expansion from heat a tip worth remembering is as something cools it contracts, except for water at freezing. A few times I have gotten a compressor to start after leaving it off for 6 to 12 hours then retrying it. See the compressor unless left off for 6 to 12 hours and sometimes as long as 24 hours may have expanded parts from heat. About 1/2 the time it is ok after new start components are installed with a start capacitor and relay. The other 1/2 the compressor will be ok for a day or 2 then stop again. A “hard spot” in the movement of the internal parts in the compressor, and stopping on this hard spot it can’t overcome the “tightness”.

If you follow most of these steps above you will arrive at a correct diagnosis well over 90% of the time ( allowing for what is unusual or for misunderstandings)

30 years of doing refrigeration and this has not changed..
Please rate me as high as you can and ask me to clarify anything you don’t understand.

Examine the air filter at the beginning of each cooling and heating season and at the beginning of each day light savings time change. Write the date on the sides of new filters so you know when you changed them last.

A filter you can read a stop sign through is not a filter just a bigger trash collector. It wont stop particles that cause hay fever and irritate asthma. A filter that will help these items is one that you cannot see through except for light.

Keep a new filter on hand so you can compare the differences in color of the media. Some particles are so light colored they can only be seen by contrast.

A filter grille can usually be installed in under an hour (if the hole is correct size). Not only does it make changing a snap but encourages more frequent check ups. And this eliminates the indoor unit door not being put back in place correctly.

While changing look over the old filter for signs of moisture or special or different colors of particles so as to tell you about how good or poor the filter is doing. Wipe down the grille or door while open.

A washable filter is okay but you keep some of the dirt every time you put it back in place. Throwaway filters and electronic air cleaners are an excellent combination.