Is freon really expensive or did I just get ripped off? One of our A/Cs stopped working with an error code so I called an aircon guy we've used before (I think he was recommended on this forum by someone). The problem was the unit was low or out of freon. The guy came early in the morning and worked (part of the time with a helper) until early evening. He first soaped up all the joints in the copper tubing to see if he could find a leak when he put the system under pressure.... no luck, so then he dissembled the entire (outdoor) unit and submersed the coils in water to look for leaks... still no leak found. So he filled it with freon and so far (it ran about ten hours last night) it's working and cooling normally.
First, it's a larger than normal unit designed to cool more than one room and it has been running an average of 10 hours a day for six years as it's the one we use the most out of eight. Is is normal for the freon to get low or out after that much use without having a leak anywhere?
Second, the total cost was 2,500 baht, 600 of which was for labor which I thought was quite reasonable for the amount of work done and hours spent, but the charge for "parts" which was only the freon was 1,900 baht. That seems like a lot. Is freon really that expensive?
Cost of freon?
Cost of freon?
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Re: Cost of freon?
Yes, it is around Bht 1,000 a Kg. A system like you mention could well hold a couple of Kg`s.
No, it s not "normal" for a modern system to"lose" freon over time, it has a leak, albeit small, somewhere.
No, it s not "normal" for a modern system to"lose" freon over time, it has a leak, albeit small, somewhere.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Cost of freon?
Thanks Nereus, I feel better about the price now, but I don't feel so good about the fact that I may be paying it again in a while.
Any ideas on finding the leak. The guy we used was recommended by someone on here and seems very competent. We've used him a couple of times before to replace a compressor and some other parts. He really did spend hours looking for the leak and as I said, in the end he took the entire unit apart down to the ground and sunk the coil in water and there were no bubbles.
Any ideas on finding the leak. The guy we used was recommended by someone on here and seems very competent. We've used him a couple of times before to replace a compressor and some other parts. He really did spend hours looking for the leak and as I said, in the end he took the entire unit apart down to the ground and sunk the coil in water and there were no bubbles.
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Re: Cost of freon?
Although it`s more likely a leak will be in the outside condensing unit, there is no reason that a similar fault cannot be found in the indoor fan coil unit(s). Especially so in the case of multiple units running off the one condensing unit, where there is likely to be more connections and perhaps, control valves. Do you know if he tested it using a vacuum pump?
Probably so, and although usual practice, what I have seen of "service" people here, they tend to just look at the gauge for a couple of minutes, rather than letting it hold for 30 minutes or so.
A better test is to pressurise the system with an inert gas, usually nitrogen, and then look for leaks. Can be difficult to find, especially if part of the tubing run is concealed. In that case it would be necessary to split the system into sections and test each part separately.
If it has run for 6 years I would be inclined to just wait and see how it goes now, rather than tear it apart looking for something that may not be there.
Probably so, and although usual practice, what I have seen of "service" people here, they tend to just look at the gauge for a couple of minutes, rather than letting it hold for 30 minutes or so.
A better test is to pressurise the system with an inert gas, usually nitrogen, and then look for leaks. Can be difficult to find, especially if part of the tubing run is concealed. In that case it would be necessary to split the system into sections and test each part separately.
If it has run for 6 years I would be inclined to just wait and see how it goes now, rather than tear it apart looking for something that may not be there.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Cost of freon?
Maybe you need a UV leak tracer, similar to this
http://www.wilhelmsen.com/services/mari ... 11523.aspx
- but much cheaper of course!
http://www.wilhelmsen.com/services/mari ... 11523.aspx
- but much cheaper of course!
Re: Cost of freon?
Thanks Nereus and DSB. The outdoor unit only runs with a single indoor unit but it has duct work to enable it to cool three rooms (master suite), which are on the second floor so the piping runs inside the walls from the ground up to the ceiling of the second (or first in non American terms) floor. Sounds like it may be difficult to find and I think I'll take the advice of wait and see if it happens again soon... then the real trouble will start. 
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Re: Cost of freon?
Well, I waited, and one month later it's not cooling and the light is blinking (like last time) indicating the freon is out.
I can't afford 2500 baht a month to keep an A/C running properly. Does anyone know of a really good A/C repair person that would be able to use the tools and methods described above and find the leak? It's a large Daikin unit.
And why would a system that's been running fine for 6 years suddenly develop a hard to find leak. The coils and pipes that hold and carry the freon are metal (copper) aren't they?
I can't afford 2500 baht a month to keep an A/C running properly. Does anyone know of a really good A/C repair person that would be able to use the tools and methods described above and find the leak? It's a large Daikin unit.
And why would a system that's been running fine for 6 years suddenly develop a hard to find leak. The coils and pipes that hold and carry the freon are metal (copper) aren't they?
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Re: Cost of freon?
It may not be the tubing / piping, hhf. Service valves can and do leak, even expansion valves can sometimes fail. The system needs to be split into sections as I have written above to isolate where the problem is.
I do not know who you had before but this guy at least speaks good English, so at least you can explain what I have suggested. Good luck!
Nut Air Service Ltd
Air Conditioning, Electrical, Plumbing, Reticulation Systems
189 Moo 2 Wangpong Mob: 089 259 7692
I do not know who you had before but this guy at least speaks good English, so at least you can explain what I have suggested. Good luck!
Nut Air Service Ltd
Air Conditioning, Electrical, Plumbing, Reticulation Systems
189 Moo 2 Wangpong Mob: 089 259 7692
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!