Yea they are a life saver! Thanks for your support!

Love your videos! We have a 15yr old system with r34 with a leak. Should we just replace the whole system?

@@keepthinking2666 what is 410?

MOST IMPORTANT: You should always turn off the unit at the power disconnect before opening any panels or poking around inside. This video is carelessly done and you are going to get someone hurt or killed. You may think it is okay to work on a live unit but you are teaching novices how to work on their own units and they might not understand about how electricity works. Please be more responsible on future videos.

@@terrymoore9185 Never heard of R34 refrigerant. There is R134a Refrigerant but that's only for automobile applications. If your unit is 15 yrs. old, then it likely has R22. In 2010 in the U.S. A/C' with R-410a were available for install in resident's homes. The replacement for R-410a is likely going to be R32. If you have a leak in your A/C what is the cost of the repair? What is the cost of a new unit? There are many variables that it would be difficult for anyone to answer your question. I'm shocked by all the misinformation on KZfaq. I'm no expert and know nothing. If you would like to get the best information about A/C's I can recommend the WORD OF ADVICE channel on KZfaq.

Hey thanks for the comment. I need to do an update video but there are still good points in this one. This was one of my first videos and it doesn’t state as many safety things for DIYers but I guess i take for granted that it should be obvious. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it!

thanks dad, im sure if we are facing with this shit, we know to do all that, asshat

Please update this video. People can shock themselves! "A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy" and you didn't even mention turning off the power to the unit. People can be really clueless and blindly trust KZfaq videos. What may be common sense for you and I, another person will have no idea what can potentially happen. Next thing you know they are suing you and your video instructions because they hurt themselves. I love the tips you gave but just fix the safety issues. 👍

@@AnimeTriviaQuest how do you discharge the energy out of something that stores power turning the breaker of isn't enough?

@@AnimeTriviaQuest Uh, he doesn't owe you or anyone else anything. If people don't know the basics of what they're doing, then they shouldn't be doing it. He clearly mentions there is live current throughout that area.

Awesome, thanks so much for sharing :)

Kyle someone raised you right......that's how you treat people and customers.

Integrity - you have it

That ethic will keep you busy for the entire career n sure wish I could find others that really would copy ur method !!

You're one of the few honest ones. Many techs are forced by their company to upsell anything they can....it's so obvious and sad.

This is what I learned to do from an honest HVAC guy, he showed me how to do it. I never thought to unscrew a few little screws on top of the unit and take the top protective grill off to get good access to the interiour of the unit and blast AWAY from the inside to outside. I regularily blasted the outside once a year but was surprised at how much I'd missed on the inside!

I remove the grill also. We have cottonwood trees in the woods around our neighborhood and I clean a thin blanket out of it twice a season. I've also replaced the cap and fan on it.

@@Rktect yep. This guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Get the. Leaves out n stuff

Thanks for the tip. I've been using a hose spraying from the outside in all these years oops.😮

Minus the capacitor because of safety concerns and precautions *** Rather do that ourselves but as I said before, could save yourself more by listening to this technician and replacing yourself but please turn power off and discharge before replacing capacitor every time🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thank you Brian for your input. You speak like a professional. I like that you said good stuff brother! Many commenters are crucifying the man for not including safety steps. When you decide to reroof your house, you are aware of many risks. Especially if you're a D.I.Y. er. There are many D.I.Y. er's that shouldn't be doing a project alone. The ideal D.I.Y. er does her homework, talks to others who have done a repair or project, knows the risks and prepares to do the job safely. dyihvacguy has shared good information with us. Wish I could team up with him.

I was not told to check these things before hand. They came out and charged me $199 to replace that part, and my house still won't cool down

Thank you so much! Your comments mean a lot to me. Make sure and subscribe to our channel for more heating and air tips and tricks. Cheers, Dave.

@@diyhvacguy What travel guy said.

Im learning this trade. I know how to ducts now proper and they never on right. Crazy how AC ppl don't even do right. Literally. Ducts need to be curled in the outside curled in with the insulation so the inner layer is exposed. Metal tape . Mastic. Your spray glue, then right amount connected not just slid all the way in and bunch of tape. Have tape on all the way and squeegee, smoothed out. Inside liner first. Then the out. Done. The amount of effort ppl do doing it wrong is the same or more then just doing it right the first time

Also make a shroud if not 1 or throw something over the ducts to keep em out the sun too. Also lift blocks to elevate the ducts all along them. Should be off the ground. I never see them done usually the prep is just the duct falling apart already jus pull off by hand lol. Always rotting tape already coming off

I need to find someone like you!!! Any ideas on how to word things to try to find one in my area?

@ottawapop This has happened now, shortly after the AC unit was serviced, two years in a row >> The AC had always performed like a champ, and service technicians had never had to add a part after servicing, Then last year, the tech said they needed to return to add a part, they added it, and two weeks later, it suddenly began to stop the AC from working. The AC would turn on, or sometimes try to turn on, and would abruptly be stopped, not necessarily at the hottest part of the day, maybe at 3AM when it was only 83 outside . . so sometimes the limiting component would allow the AC to run (and it would run well), and a lot of the time it would not allow it to run at all. Then after 3 weeks of this bad behavior, it would run very well as it always had, never a problem. Then the same service technician comes to service it again this year, and he once again says that he'll have to return to replace a part (that he suggested needed to be replaced every year, when it had NEVER needed anything like that before he began servicing it last year), and he comes back and installs it in a few minutes time, all seemed well, but then 2-3 weeks later, the AC is acting up again exactly as it did last year, where the component was not allowing the AC to run, would shut it off when it would start, or shut it off prematurely, but sometimes it would allow it to run, and it would run great, but during this time, it's mostly not running at all. What did he install, and why was it "needed" *_when it was never needed before last year,_* and why after a few weeks of bad behavior, does the component allow the AC to once again run like a champ? Did he add an after-market component that limits the AC from running? The rest of the year, whether AC or furnace, the unit hasn't had a lick of trouble, no malperformance at all, only AFTER he installed this component, and then after a few weeks of bad non-performance, it works great once again, for the rest of the year. This has happened TWICE, for 3 weeks last year and now this year, ONLY AFTER he serviced the unit and came back to "replace" whatever the component is. What did he do? The unit seems to be great, but whatever the limiting component is, would convince most that the entire AC unit needs to be replaced, while I'm sure it doesn't, but that the component he installed last year and this year, should be removed, then the unit will work great as it otherwise does. What are your thoughts? I question his integrity and the integrity of the component. Thank you.

It’s so sad that way too many professionals always want to steal from people. Why do they have a need to cheat people when we are all just trying to survive. Thank you for having great integrity ❤

I figured this out also...I used the wet vac on suction and held a rag and my hand over the drain pipe and sucked out all that green algae and whatnot. I do this every year because the overflow has ruined the paint on my baseboards. I also insert a small amount of bleach/water mix at the top to kill that algae.

He saved you exactly $289

Thank you so much for the tips. I should have included that after it is cleared and flowing to go to the attic and clean out the pan from up top. That way you aren’t dealing with a bunch of water. When I said blow it it doesn’t need much so it’s not going to blow water everywhere.

Thanks for sharing!

Wtf are you talking about lmao

​@@marcusfitzgerald59 basically he said one of the wires that was on the contactor got in contact with the frame of the unit and it sparked off so he changed it out

This is very well explained. However, any idea how 😮to clean your Compressor when sitting on A Rooftop? The worst place to park a Condenser/Compressor!😮

Here's my 2 cents...I've been an HVAC contractor for about 8 years. Discharging the capacitor is only necessary to test it, it will give you a false reading if you don't do it. I've never been shocked by a charged capacitor that has been disconnected from the condenser. It's always wise to talk about safety, regardless of the task. Whenever you DIY anything, and you've never done that specific task before, letting people know could save lives. It's a good size shock, and you have a bad heart, or have something like a pacemaker, it IS enough to cause issues, maybe even death. Just be careful when attempting a DIY project, or call us, you can always find a good contractor, that won't charge you an arm or a leg for the simple stuff. Have a great day folks...!! Greg Harbrecht Harbrechthvac@gmail.com Serving central Indiana since 2016

So I got a question on this about the fan not spinning 🤔? If I hear that the fan is having trouble spinning do you think I should replace the Compasitor. Or will that fix the problem 🤔?

@@thelasvegassportstalk the part is so inexpensive so I figured it didn't hurt to change it. Doing it myself meant I didn't have to pay for labor. Doesn't hurt to try.

@@thelasvegassportstalk Could be a capacitor or fan motor but capacitors are cheap so try it and see if the fan spins better. To me it sounds like a bad fan motor but I'm not there looking at it.

It's obvious that you don't work with 3 phase .

@@Natureboy1607 see a lot of three phase homes do you?

If your fuses are blowing, there is a reason why. Fuses in the disconnect are absolutely not something that I would include on the "common" list. Easy? sure. Common? No. There's a good chance that that condenser fan motor that you replaced later is why your fuses were blowing.

That was my first thought too. Definitely need to remind everyone to disconnect the power for someone gets killed.

Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing. It feels good right!!? 👊🏼 cheers man

Thanks man, I sure hope so! I’m having fun sharing my journey anyways :)

Thanks,good to know.❤

Thank you for the capacitor info hopefully everyone reads your comment. Shocking information danger! Thanks Wes

He he...when I was an Air force Radar tech, the first day of schooling the instructors had spread out on the top floor landing a bunch of small capacitors and when the students picked them up they got a big kick out this little lesson!

how do you discharge a capacitor?

@@robertlester4569 Step-by-step Disconnect any power sources from the capacitor and its circuit. ... Identify the capacitor(s) on the circuit board. ... Turn the circuit board over to get access to the capacitor terminals. ... Connect the leads of your resistive load to the terminals of the capacitor. ... Give the capacitor time to discharge.

@@marrowsteven Thank you

Ha ha; that'll be the day! lol.

I had a guy run a wire from inside the house to the outside unit to clear it. No problems since. I have a 1984 GMC, I believe it was made by goodman.

you got it, 30 years HVAC!👍

Got it, 0 yrs here , knowing nothing but learning. How Great the vblogger and your sharing your professional knowledge as HVAC! 🌹💕 Hope we could find a local one like your guys, reliable, trustworthy, & not ripoffing consumers. R u aware of the local and nationwide' s consumers' most complaints r, in the services of coming home for repairs - electricity, a/c, heating, water pipe, natural gas pipe, repairs of anything、、、？ Outside of the home, would be car salesmen and lawyering 、、、?

I'm glad that someone else pointed this out especially forcing air in the drain line back through the system.

I put Pet Screening around the unit, this catches the cottonwood and large debris, I regularly hose it down during the bad times in spring/ early summer ✌🏻

it doesnt matter which way you spray it, it isnt an air filter. The debris will simply flow out the other side of the condensor, into the bottom pan and out the drain for the rain. - 0 years as an HVAC tech

I also save $250 but I was shocked by 240v in the process my family found me the next day fried onto the condenser

Amazing. Thanks for sharing. Everyone on here is saying DIYers should never do this. Did you die? You are clearly still living and a happy camper haha I’m glad you were able to do this yourself and save a bunch of dough! AND this isn’t the last time you’ll replace one. They go bad every 5 years or so. Most people spend like 300 dollars multiple times in their life, not to mention other repairs. So this knowledge is great to have. Cheers brotha

Hah! Yea right. 220v is less dangerous then 110

@@diyhvacguy I'm still at the hospital...I would recommend to hire a professional!

So what should a home owner do if there’s no hvac guys in the area that will work on old units? Mine is a 99 carrier…it works perfectly but the line leaks Freon after the home was moved and the guy who installed it was angry because he didn’t get away pulling a fast one and ripping me and my dad off on the agreement..,he did such a bad job on the brazing I had to try redoing it myself…luckily the unit was empty thank God cuz I learned after the fact that r22 is made out of methane! And if a DIYer is messing with electrical and doesn’t know u have to discharge a capacitor!? They shouldn’t be doing DIYer crap involving electrical! I have a good guardian angel that kept my dumba$$ from blowing up my home lol…I would have visited the discriminating parties who refused to work in it if it had blown up…this is why u can not discriminate against folks based on bs stereotypes! I don’t have a spouse and don’t want one! So I can not afford a fancy home that costs $2000+ a month for a payment…I own my place and my land without debt! Discriminate against that logic…not against a woman who doesn’t want to be the stereotype and has done it on her own….society makes me physically sick to my stomach with their bs too often anymore…but I learned to fix it myself..and did…that middle finger is what I have to offer for pricks who discriminate! If I have a wad of cash to pay and the credit for overage but don’t need it cuz cash is how I like to pay for things lol…and that’s still not good enough…then who needs us! Rich people are becoming fewer and fewer so enjoy being a slave to those filthy rich pos

Of course! I’ll keep the hvac for beginners videos coming out! I worked under a good friend who was an hvac contractor for a couple years and learned a lot of what I know from him through hands on training. My not so strong suit is ductwork and transitions but each system looks a little nicer :) thanks for the support bro!

Actually I’m vise versa, I’d love to know more about electrical!

Because soft starts are expensive. Just listen to the comments so far, everyone is whining about price, manufacturers HAVE to make these units inexpensive.

Great suggestion! Thanks you as well

I have a possibly stupid question, but bear with me: Does the capacitor have to be "discharged" even after the power is cutoff and the capacitor is taken out?

@@chiefhokie yes, discharge before you touch the capacitor. The only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask. Better to know for sure 1st. Good luck!

Took the words out of my mouth . Safety first .

​@Trey Brinson how do you discharge the capacitor 😮

Awesome! That’s a great tip that I’d love to use in a future video :) cheers!

A 1K 5W resistor is good for most anything 240 volt or below.

​@@NoSpam1891I don't understand the ratings on the resistor, hopefully you won't mind clarifying ... do you mean 1000 ohms and 5 watts? Are they rated for power ... volts/amps? I am thinking to get parts to bleed these down correctly,.

@@jimw6991 Yes. 1000 ohms and 5 watts. It avoids the splat and sparks of a short. It only takes a second to discharge that.

Thanks so much for these tips! When I do another video On this I’ll be sure to incorporate that. Thanks again! Cheers

@@diyhvacguy I also think spraying water from the inside out is better than spraying from the outside in, though it's a bit more difficult to do

@@davidlindgren2448 yea I should have clarified, once the pan has draining. Go up to wherever the furnace is and clean it out more thoroughly. Thanks for your comment 👍🏽

Always use shop vac. Only as a last resort would I use water or air to clear drain from discharge side

Unless the debris is dry then u can use a pick tool to get it started away from the fins and then just peel it off…the few I’ve cleaned out at the A frame were mostly layers of pet hair…but damn..it was filthy and no wonder the unit wasn’t working right lol…there was another whole pet on the A frame! The guys in my area never look at the coils…it’s always…”it’s shot” even if they just installed it 2 years prior lol…I miss the old timers and their honesty…this new crowd that are replacing the old timers in every profession lack the honesty and ethnics the old timers had…shame really..I’d rather spend all the money for the certification and the equipment to fix my own now…I have enough family that it would pay off in the end working I just my unit and my family members homes lol…I just don’t like dealing with fire for the brazing etc…

YEp. FWIW< $300 is not overpriced. You are paying for the truck, workman's comp, health insurance, travel time, gas & oil and insurance, But if you DIY, it's only a $12 part. Keep watching his videos. I do.

$300, really? That is grossly overpriced. $150 in my expensive area.

Some "cap bandits" charge a lot more.

​@@AnnM223 It's worth 300 dollars not to electrocute yourself. An experienced HVAC person makes it look easy. It's not so easy.

@@AnnM223 thats average, areas are different varying on the city/state. Cost of keeping a business goes up, and so do their prices, liability, van insurance, work comp, gas/truck use, etc. Parts cost go up as well, and some people will buy more expensive caps because they last longer. It's not easy to stay in business, the bigger the company the more you'll pay. Blame Washington, things used to be cheaper because parts and equipment used to be quite inexpensive

Yes I didn’t even think about that. The power was off to the unit for the whole video but I should include that. Thanks for the tip! Trying to improve my videos with each new one :) cheers

@@diyhvacguy and show how to discharge the capacitor

@@lawdog516 yes, moving forward I’ll make sure to do the discharging part

What for ? Lol it's more exiting with live power 😁

@@yurydolinsky capacitor tickle haha

No idea what you are talking about. Condenser clogged? Causing water to fun all over? I. Guess I don’t know much about ACs

Good pointers man! Thanks for sharing! Cheers

Yep. Been there had that problem.

+2

I totally agree. You need to RESPECT electricity and leave it to the pros.

Good old scare tactics. Safety is important, but for those that have common sense and a multimeter, there is nothing difficult about any of this. Just be aware that the contactor could engage if the main system is not powered off. Turn the thermostat off as well to be on the safe side. After turning everything off, use the meter to verify no voltage present and push the contactor in to also verify main system power is off.

I use a shop vacuum to suck out the debris from my condensation line. Good tips especially on cleaning the condenser coils with a water hose.

Yes! One of my connectors had corroded and broken off. I replaced the end and it was fixed.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Make sure and subscribe to the channel and comment on all of our videos as everyone can benefit from your experience! Cheers

I bought several start/run capacitors online a few years ago (once I knew what capacitor my unit used). They sat in my 'electrical' drawer in the garage. This year, the a/c went out and we called our contractor - he said we needed a new capacitor. I pulled one out, he said, yes, that's the right one, and he asked if I wanted him to go ahead and install it. Sure, I said. No charge for replacement. It was all covered with the annual retainer we paid to have these guys to do our A/C stuff. I think we pay $80/year for the privilege of 'retaining them'. Otherwise, it would have been a new part (at least $120+ with picking one up), labor, home visit fee, etc. Figure out what capacitor your unit uses. Get several. They go out every other year or so. Save yourself some grief. Great video DIY HVAC Guy. Thank you for putting this out. You are doing us all a nice service. It's a good thing to see, these days.

Nice! Thanks for sharing

Yes! The older units u want to keep! They’re made of quality material unlike this new junk they make now…the new ones are made with aluminum coils which doesn’t handle the drastic temperatures a central air unit has on the lines etc…I honestly think the gov is just trying to eliminate hvac in america altogether because the new Freon type r410a has also been banned and is being phased out as well…everyone who has a new unit will soon realize “it’s shot” when the phase out is done and no one will recharge the Freon because it’s not sold in America anymore…..however, it’s not illegal to buy r22 online without a license …they’re still selling and using it in every other country…it’s just america and the EU countries that signed up for the climate hoax that can’t sell it…god forbid natural elements of the atmosphere be used to cool and heat our homes…they want use living like cave men with no luxuries

@@w8what575 We threw a wrench in their gears for 4 years. Could have been more or permanently fixed but people don't make informed decisions at the Ol ballot box. I am hopeful this nonsense can be walked back. We have only one more chance for that in '24.

Yep my 25 y o unit looks like new n works great just with a lil lovineach season.

What brand an model do u have? I still have mine a YORK frm 1988.

Fuses intentionally have a weak spot, it is where it blows, and vibration over time will cause the fuse element to fatigue and fail. Worse is if you are near a train line, second a highway or airport. But just thunderstorms or high wind will cause vibration in the ground that is transferred to the house.

@@davidmoran4471 Thanks, good to know, I was worried the compressor is going bad and drawing too much current, or some thing else is wrong and it's going to fail again in the future.

Should be done several times a year. Condenser coils should be cleaned periodically too. On mine (packet unit) it's not accessible without disconnecting from ductwork. Major job, only did it once in 30 years after a rat chewed up a return letting the coils get so dirty the coils began freezing up.

@@stevekurzban9352 30 years? Time for a new system!

From the contractor perspective it isn’t the 10 dollar part you are paying more for, it’s the knowledge of what part to take of and knowing it will fix it. That’s really what you are paying for. But I’m glad you have the knowledge to do this yourself now! Cheers

Same here, I had to replace mine recently and I paid $200 for the part/labor. Now I know how cheap these parts really are, but at least I didn't run the risk of being electrocuted (or maybe I'm telling myself that so that I feel better, ha).

I had an A/C check done recently, guy said cap was OK but starting to be out-of-spec, wanted $370 to replace it if he did it today, and if he did it later, it would be that much + $120 service/trip charge! I told him to tell his boss they were overcharging and I'd do it myself. That's thievery!

Wish I'd thought to watch this video this last year...lol

Overhead; business expenses, advertising, taxes; licensing, etc. IT'S NOT ALL GRAVY !!!