Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.

Non expert opinion:

Might be low. The only way to know would be to have someone hook on gauges
and read the high and low side pressures. Since that will cost money you
could also take temperature readings of the air both immediately before and
immediately after the evaporator coil (the cooling coil in the house)
without contacting anything to get just the air temps and report back here.
Someone who will not be me might then give you a better opinion based on
the temperature drop across the coil on whether a service call is required.

If it's low and presuming it was once correct there has to be a leak but it
could be very tiny and you could go on for years. However, efficiency will
drop all the while.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

sight glasses are only accurate above 70 degrees. under that, you'll see
vapor.

s


"Mikepier" wrote in message
...
One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 06:18:10 -0700 (PDT), Mikepier
wrote:

One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.

Sounds like the correct charge to me. Don't worry about it.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

On Mar 22, 11:33*am, "S. Barker" wrote:
sight glasses are only accurate above 70 degrees. *under that, you'll see
vapor.

I guess I'll have to wait another couple of months before I fire it up
and see.
I know last summer I did not see bubbles when the unit was running and
the house was ice cold. So hopefully those bubbles I saw don't mean
anything.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

Mikepier wrote:
One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.

An expert's opinion;

It may be normal for the conditions at the time. The only correct method to
check the refrigerant charge [providing the DX is a TXV] is for a
refrigeration service technician to check the sub-cooling on the condenser.

It's likely ok.

--
Zyp

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 06:18:10 -0700 (PDT), Mikepier
wrote:

One day I was cleaning my yard and I noticed when I went to check on
my outdoor A/C unit, I saw an occasional bubble float by in the A/C
sight glass, like once every 3 seconds. After checking every couple
of days, I did not notice it anymore. Does this mean I have a leak, or
is the freon just expanding and contracting with the weather? The day
I saw the bubble it was warmer ( about 50 degrees) than it had been.
The unit has been off since the end of summer.


There is no way I can give an answer to this question. There is a lot
more involved than you would think. what type of metering device do
you have on your system? just seeing a bubble doesn't really mean
anything. it could be normal depending on temperature, metering
device, etc... any system should have regular yearly maintenence.
this would detect any problems.

Seeing occasional bubble in A/C sight glass
 

On Mar 25, 10:14*am, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
Was the system running? Were you air conditioning the house at the time you
looked into the sight glass?

No the system has been off since late Sept. I just happened to be
cleaning my yard recently and I looked at the sight glass when I saw
the occasional bubble.