"DesignGuy" wrote in message
news:dlb1g.689978$084.579661@attbi_s22...
Over the last 2 or 3 summers I've had to have the HVAC tech come out once
the temp starts to climb, to re-charge the upstairs a/c with Freon (Trane
XE1000, 10 yr old unit). Obviously a leak, but cheaper to re-charge than
to
fix. Since last summer the Freon charge didn't last the season, I've bit
the
bullet and decided to repair the leak.

Tech came out and said the evaporator coil was corroded and was causing
the
leak. The slow degradation of cooling power (versus sudden loss) was
indicatory of a bad evaporator coil, plus he visually observed corrosion.

Cost (parts, labor, installation) was $825. This seems high but wanted to
check to see if in fact it is.

Also, was told two things can cause corrosion of coil:

1) Running a/c at low outside temperatures. I don't do this but am the
second owner of the home so don't know what the previous owner did.

2) Dirty filters. I change them pretty regularly, every 45 to 60 days.
Again, don't know what first owner of the home did.

Will running the fan constantly help in case any ice does form on the
evaporator coil? I usually run the fan 24/7 to help distribute the air
more
evenly.

Thanks everyone for your replies. To answer a common question put forth -
yes the tech did check for leaks when the system was running, using a spray
bottle with a blue fluid in it. I didn't see him use an electronic "sniffer"
but then again didn't follow him up into the attic. The repair sheet states
"leak found in evaporator coil" and I did check it myself after he left and
found corrosion and rust on several visible portions of the coil.

I guess I won't really know until next summer if it's fixed or not, as by
then if it's not fixed any Freon would have leaked out.