AC Repair...wish me luck

[Rodnok1]

Ideally nitrogen should be used in pipe welding and brazing but it's not used often I'd bet.
I wouldn't hesitate to braze without it.
Brazing isn't hard, however I would practice prior to the repair, use the old one even if replacing.
If it's a copper to copper joint it's easier than an aluminum aluminum joint as not as touchy about heat, aka melting shit. Worse its gonna do it leak and leaks can be fixed.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Ideally nitrogen should be used in pipe welding and brazing but it's not used often I'd bet.
I wouldn't hesitate to braze without it.
Brazing isn't hard, however I would practice prior to the repair, use the old one even if replacing.
If it's a copper to copper joint it's easier than an aluminum aluminum joint as not as touchy about heat, aka melting shit. Worse its gonna do it leak and leaks can be fixed.

This is encouraging. My concern was flakes of material circulating through the system. Brazing looks identical to soldering but with a LOT more heat.

Someone needs to develop an adhesive for copper !!

[Rodnok1]

Originally Posted by aerovette

This is encouraging. My concern was flakes of material circulating through the system. Brazing looks identical to soldering but with a LOT more heat.

Someone needs to develop an adhesive for copper !!

Proper cleaning and not blowing too much heat as to cause flaking... You're not doing a 6 ingh pipe I wouldn't worry too much about debris,
Hell there may ba copper adhesives around, never considered even looking. Probably more tondo with porosity of the adhesives and size of molecules if not available.
Hell cars are assembled using adhesives now.

[bill_daniels]

Can you see where the A coil is leaking? What about getting a big gob of JB Weld and smooshing it through the fins in the area of the leak? I don't see how you're going to make things any worse.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Can you see where the A coil is leaking? What about getting a big gob of JB Weld and smooshing it through the fins in the area of the leak? I don't see how you're going to make things any worse.

No. The person I asked to locate the leak didn't bother. They saw the film of oil on the coil and left it at that. No one wants to actually "repair" anything anymore. Replacing a part is not a repair in the truest sense. My only reservation in an actual repair of the leak, is that it just moves it to the next weakest area. When you consider that each tube in the coil represents two brazed connections and there are probably 40 tubes in the coil, there are 80 potential leaks to chase.

[snide]

Originally Posted by aerovette

This is encouraging. My concern was flakes of material circulating through the system. Brazing looks identical to soldering but with a LOT more heat.

Someone needs to develop an adhesive for copper !!

Gorilla Glue.

[bill_daniels]

Originally Posted by snide

Gorilla Glue.

I mean, it apparently works great for hair curls, why NOT air conditioning coils?

[benny42]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Ideally, they are brazed joints. The connection I need to make is on the low/liquid side. Higher silver content means a harder joint. I have never brazed before, but the recommendation that nitrogen be flowing through the joint as it is brazed, creates another hurdle. I'm starting to get scared off by the job.

I also considered hacking at it and if it doesn't work, I'll call a repair company and tell them the last guy that worked on it left it that way and walked off the job. (No need to know that I was the last guy that worked on it).

As they told us in the Union Pipefitter Apprenticeship school, if it were easy little girls would do it. There are a few reasons why it takes 10,000 on the job hours to be a journeyman. This isn't a union vs non-union argument as there are plenty of good non-union a/c servicemen, but they didn't learn it in a weekend either. Rant over.

Practice brazing with a 15% silver brazing alloy and your oxy-acetylene flame a tiny bit rich. Its not quite as hot and its less likely to oxidize the pipe. Replace the liquid line drier while you have it open or you WILL regret it.

[Egnalf]

Helpfull hint. Often the leak is at the flare connection for the expansion valve or orifice. Try tightening there and soap bubble testing.

[Raazor]

Originally Posted by Egnalf

Helpfull hint. Often the leak is at the flare connection for the expansion valve or orifice. Try tightening there and soap bubble testing.

got a 'guy' coming over this morning to give ours a look-see. It froze up but I thawed it and it's worked good since. Just need a check up.

Furnas filter was probably a year old and black

[Aerovette]

Temporarily, I charged it again and I'm hoping it will get me to the Fall. Last charge lasted only 3 months. That would mean this one will get me to mid October. Got my R22 coming. This is a band-aid to buy time and try to get my folks comfortable. The coils I am seeing on line are all 2-4 weeks to ship.

[dwjz06]

Originally Posted by Raazor

got a 'guy' coming over this morning to give ours a look-see. It froze up but I thawed it and it's worked good since. Just need a check up.

Furnas filter was probably a year old and black

Uh preventative maintenance not your thing huh?

[Stangkiller]

If you’ve never braised before, I have a ton of junk copper removed from the freeze damage, want some to practice on first?

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by Raazor

Furnas filter was probably a year old and black

Originally Posted by dwjz06

Uh preventative maintenance not your thing huh?

That's "woman's work," like landscaping.

[Vandelay Industries]

Originally Posted by Raazor

got a 'guy' coming over this morning to give ours a look-see. It froze up but I thawed it and it's worked good since. Just need a check up.

Furnas filter was probably a year old and black

Black Filters Matter.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

If you’ve never braised before, I have a ton of junk copper removed from the freeze damage, want some to practice on first?

Braise as much as you want. That copper ain't never getting tender.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

If you’ve never braised before, I have a ton of junk copper removed from the freeze damage, want some to practice on first?

I need to get the tanks etc and I may take you up on that. I've probably asked this many times, but just for good measure, where are you living now? Not the place I went to before, right?

[Stangkiller]

Originally Posted by aerovette

I need to get the tanks etc and I may take you up on that. I've probably asked this many times, but just for good measure, where are you living now? Not the place I went to before, right?

Right we moved across SH6 now in Sienna, same general area, better schools, better ‘hood.

[Raazor]

Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries

Black Filters Matter.

It was black yo!

[Raazor]

Originally Posted by dwjz06

Uh preventative maintenance not your thing huh?