In article , The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 7/30/2010 9:17 AM, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Jul 30, 9:25 am, The Daring
wrote:
On 7/30/2010 7:00 AM, ransley wrote:

My central AC a 1996 Lennox 3 ton stopped blowing air yesterday, I
looked at the air handler coil and it was frozen, filter is new and a
4" so I let it thaw and ran it without the filter thinking added
airflow would help. In about 40 minutes it froze again. Airflow
unfrozen hasnt changed, its the same out the vents as always so I dont
think the blower is bad or any restrictions. When an old unit leaks
freon is that usualy the end of life of the compressor or air handler,
is it often possible or easy to find and fix a leak without spending
alot. I will call a tech today and I hope the leak is small enough
that it will last the year but a few days ago it was fine. Will I
damage anything running it low on freon for about 30 minute cycles
till it starts to freeze and let it thaw, a bit of cool air still
comes out.

It could be something as simple as leaking valve cores in the
Schrader service valves. I've seen leaks develop years later
because the valve cores were not tightened at the factory or
the installation tech didn't tighten the cores enough when
reinstalling them. Tiny leaks can be handled by a product I've
had good luck with manufactured by Cliplight called SUPER SEAL HVACR.
It's a stop leak for AC systems.

http://www.cliplight.com/hvacr/produ...27&upperCatID=

Professional opinions are mixed on "sealers". Many techs shy away
from them.

Many techs don't know how to properly use them and like most folks
are afraid of something different. I most definitely don't push
sealers as a cure all and prefer brazing up a hole in a system but
some tiny leaks respond very well to the sealer I've used. I'm also
fond of UV florescent dye for finding tiny leaks. I've used it to
find pinhole sized leaks in many refrigeration and AC systems.

The way I hear it:

Leaks big enough to find with "sniffers" and fluorescent/"UV" leak
detection are worth fixing in ways that target them - brazing or whatever
along those lines.

Leaks smaller than that appear to me to deserve Cliplight's "Super
Seal".

Keep in mind that Cliplight sells not only "Super Seal", but also
dyes, dye injectors, lights, and kits for fluorescent/"UV" leak detection.

As a result, it appears to me that Cliplight has a reasonable rate of
marketing their "Super Seal" for usage when that is appropriate. That is
heavily-in-my-mind because they also sell means to find leaks worth fixing
more directly than with application of their "Super Seal".
And I have yet to hear of Cliplight selling braze, torches, torch
hoses, torch fuel or oxygen or tanks thereof, although they do sell the
most convenient and durable torch ignitor that I ever saw ("SparkKey" IIRC,
and I have one.) But as much as they sell leak detection dyes, lights,
and dye injectors as well as torch ignitors, I seem to think that they
want their customers to target leaks worth finding and brazing or otherwise
repairing without their "Super Seal" when such leaks are big enough to
be worth repairing more directly than with usage of their "Super Seal".
And that they promote usage of their "Super Seal" mainly to plug smaller
leaks that are too small to be worth individually both detecting and
repairing by leak-site-specific means.

--
- Don Klipstein )