Friend Who Knows HVAC Just Replaced The TXV & Now All The Freon Is Gone! Oh, & He Works on Big Units

Then why did he install an R22 TXV when the system is R410A? Yes, our new client has a friend who knows HVAC replaced the TXV on the air handler and 2 days later all the “Freon” was gone! But he normally works on Carrier and York units. OMG! He is dangerous! Want to support this channel and Mikey Pipes? Keep Reading....
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[@heatingcoolingstuff]

I had a bad o ring in my core tool a couple of weeks ago. Same problem. Changed the core tool and it was like night and day. Thanks Mike for another great video.

[@thomaschatham9971]

Excellent service, what a professional! The only way to do things is the right way. Keep those videos coming!

[@Jzzonem]

Great job Mikey!!! Gotta love it when the electrical whip is 6ft long, installed without shortening, big loop in the slack and not one strap installed to secure it lol.

[@benjamindyer7348]

Damn that was like perfect working conditions, nice flat patio to work on outside, nice clean well lit attic to work in! You can't beat that

[@brendandrury2177]

That was an impressive attic !

[@tkgotwings_6401]

I thought the same. I feel like every attic I go in is a dark fireball of insulation and barely any wood to stand on and every condenser I work on is buried in the jungle beneath.

[@scottgoode9874]

Great content and amazing awesome insight to your job in the USA. Thank you for taking the time and your a great calm teacher.

[@serlalonde8420]

Ive been installing ruud units for 15 of my 21 yrs. The micron issue may not have anything to do with your pump at all. I always make sure my guys put caps on service valves before starting evacuation. They do leak on those newer ruud cubes.

[@chrispelloni1283]

Great example of what happens when people "have a buddy". Good job Mikey!

[@mosoworks619]

That tip confirms you're a professional at what you just did and they appreciate your skill.

[@stanleykania7184]

Keep it coming. I'm enjoying your channel..

[@michaelmcewan5074]

Great work and video Saint Mike! I love the information and details of the work being done and the tools and equipment you are using! So smart referring to the manual for the bulb placement I wish more guys would refer to the manual. On a different note R-410A is a blend when you come across a system and are having difficulty dialing in the charge not only could it be a bad TXV or non-condensibles but it could be an improper balance of the blend for R410A refrigerant due leaks, recharge, or improper recovery or partial pump down/recovery. I speak with a lot of factory support technicians and they consistently want a full recovery, evacuation to minimum of 500 microns then the charge weighed in. It sucks and I really miss R22 but I have had multiple situations where an unbalanced blend was the cause of the problem. Thank you for your channel and videos.

[@Matts_Crafty]

I love friends of friends of the family that keep my pockets lined!!!

[@milotorres6894]

Awfully generous of them,🤣💪👍✌️🙏

[@joehomanick]

The excuse is the homeowner doesn’t want to pay so he try’s the cheap way out ... look what that got ya 🤣😂🤣

[@foreverendeavors6210]

No holds bard on this channel, love it!

[@YukonHawk1]

Great video .....learned a lot. I'm in Brewster NY. Great tohave a really nice guy and honest HVAC technician working for us😃. You made me hungry with that awesome looking pizza bro👍👍👍👍👍

[@jims9597]

Mike nice change out on the TXV you are right they don't fail that often i think over the 35yrs I worked in the trade i replaced 5 TVX valves. Nice change to be working in a clean attic where you could access the unit easy too

[@jefferygrady3181]

Good job Mikey pipes! Sometimes the biggest part of the job is straightening out the previous persons screw ups! That's why you make the big bucks Mikey pipes you have the knowledge to get the job done ! Always make sure that you have a good vaccum on your recovery tank and make sure any flare nuts in the system are good and tight! When ever I would work on a system or do an annual service I would check the tightness of the flare nuts with a flare nuts wrench because over time they become loose and will leak refrigerant! Cha Ching ! don't you just love 💓 the summertime Mikey pipes!

[@rocketrider1405]

I’ll bet the ‘friend’ was actually the homeowner.

[@johnlee270]

Replaced the TXV is not an easy job. it required a lot more to get it done right.

[@christopherscott8853]

@@johnlee270 sweat in TXv's are no picnic but those aeroquip fittings are cake. I mean I've had trouble on one in horizontal, but for the most part ....cake.

[@tommystone7327]

I like the way the customer has the pavers aaa around. Clean looking.

[@jeffwalsh9434]

keep up the great videos i really enjoyed it , this was the first i have seen of you but i am subscribed now thanks

[@rustygragg6317]

my question is why would you not pump the system down and save the refrigerant in the unit instead of recovering it, it could be pumped down in tw minutes or less.

[@dlm9477]

One reason why I wouldn't do it. Knowing there is a leak you don't want to pull impurities that can make its way to the condenser. But knowing a hack put in an R22 txv tells me they may have never nitro test or place under a vac, so I would have recovered everything.

[@hvac01453]

@@dlm9477 I agree, If he screwed that up, what makes you think he didnt just skip the vacuum pump. Some do this thinking they can sweeep out the lines with gas. You have no idea what your up against unless you were the mechanic, or know him.

[@rustygragg6317]

The thing is he didn't use new refrigerant, watch it again, he saved part of the refrigerant in the condenser, then recovered part of it. Then put the old charge back in it. If you're going to use the same gas then why not pump it back

[@dlm9477]

@@rustygragg6317 I'm aware of what he did, I was just letting you know what I would have done, which was recover everything, do nitrogen test, place under vac and add new refrigerant.

[@1022hard]

I thought the air handler installation looked very professional as well as the condensing unit. I always recommend a safety drain pan under the air handler to protect the ceiling below. Mikey does meticulous work and I like that!

[@hvac01453]

would you NOT install a secondary condensate pan over a finished ceiling? I don't know anyone that wouldn't do that. SOP.

[@cruzfernandez4554]

Definitely something to learn from the best, I like the tools used for the job.

[@karlschoen7297]

Most txv's are marked on the body, Rheem txv bulbs at 10--2 up stream . Love those pumps as usual nice clean job

[@khw71471]

You're a Great Technician 💪🏾

[@julienroussos3600]

Everyone is acting like they never NOT changed a filter drier after opening a system. Cam’on! When u have 6 or 7 calls left, it’s 110 outside and ur wife keeps asking when ur coming home. Throw in the fact that ur confident the filter drier isnt contaminated enough to cause a restriction. Mikeys on point!! End of story!!! RESPECT!!

[@knighttrain2579]

Tips are frequent here. I agree. Nice work. The proof is in the pudding.

[@kennylavay8492]

It is really amazing how easy some things are to repair when you know what you are doing. pretty sure that customer will not call back his so called handy man HVAC guy again.

[@Keegeth]

I got the Testo 550s and I absolutely love it. All the numbers are on one screen! AND it can display microns!

[@hvac01453]

oh, you mean just like the Fieldpiece gauges have been doing for years?

[@Keegeth]

@@hvac01453 Yah, but with the Testo you don't have to push a button repeatedly to get to your psi, temp, sc/sh etc... Don't even try little peasant. 😂

[@hvac01453]

@@Keegeth like I said, The Fieldpiece shows all 4 of the screens at once, not like I have on my Testo 557, which requires you to press a button to advance to the next 3 screens.

[@brianmcdermott1718]

Good work Mike.

[@bososz]

Definitely agree on the tips and not just cause I've gotten a few in the last couple weeks. I mainly do commercial but do resi once and a while.

[@nolanharris640]

Added a tip is icing on that money cake ! Nice job mike !!!!

[@potatolew4495]

Where you placed the txv is where I always install my replacements as that is where they came from. The off kilter placement on the line is so it senses the tempature of both the liquid and vapor, if put on top or bottom it would only sense one or the other.

[@aday1637]

The short tube on the bulb is used to charge the bulb when manufactured so it matter not what direction it faces. I've installed zillions of TXV's over the years and cannot appreciate an iota of difference where they are located as long as they can sense the temp of the evaporator coil. What matters is that you insulate it well so it doesn't sense ambient air temp. By the way the copper plated thing they gave you is a grand waste of time. 4 metal cable ties (yes they make metal cable ties) will suffice and take a fraction of the time in a hot friggin attic. The TXV bulb is filled with the same refrigerant that is used in that particular system, thus the reason why using one for your particular refrigerant is important. These are stupid simple devices with a diaphram connected to a valve stem. As temp increases on that bulb it pushes the diaphram and opens the valve. And of course the converse is true on temp drop. They are a bit more efficient than the cap tube or accurator piston as they operate on temp rather than pressure. Generally they fail due to diaphram leakage with subsequent loss of charge inside the bulb. Somewhat less often is a leak in the tubing. Back in the day these were only used on commercial or high end residential equipment. When I started most residential used cap tube for metering, even on some commercial units. Heat pumps forced the introduction of the accurator piston. Actually, placement of the indoor section and outdoor section will do as much to increase efficiency as the move to TXV's. If you undersize duct work for instance it don't matter what you got for metering. And if the o.d. unit is too close to adjacent walls the decreased air flow will negate the benefits of the TXV.

[@PlowenYourMommy]

Someone Iikes to hear themselves talk. Lol

[@derekpych9114]

Just bought the same vacuum pump I like the quick oil change

[@christopherscott8853]

The sensing bulb charging cap tube position only matters when you mount it vertically. It should be pointing up so the diaphragm reacts to vapor pressure and not liquid.

[@DaveTibbetts]

More of these types of video, with a bit more of your life in them, awesome

[@steveparrott5008]

This New York Tech is the bomb !

[@davidriccitiello6421]

Cool attic, very neat

[@alexthehandyman3494]

Great video. Thx It is engraved on the TXV valve R22 (8:07)

[@plitterpete3976]

Thanks for another entertaining video.

[@fixitchuck4808]

Pro tip, protect the hardscape with cardboard or Masonite when performing refrigerant procedures and pulling vac. One small mistake can leave a really stubborn oil stain.

[@arielhernandez2911]

Mike pipes funny as dude man love when hacks are out there

[@jericosha2842]

Great video. Subbed.

[@Willcox1984]

I agree with the tip theory! You're right my friend. Also I have seen some Grey R-410A jugs.

[@shayaschubert406]

Great video, I always change filter dryer when I change txv probably would have helped your vacuum...

[@milotorres6894]

Claim to commercial standards further clarifies a true blue hack , 🤣💪✌️👍🤔😎🖖🤙 your work speaks for itself , clean and mechanically on point ...

[@toofast01ws6]

I Purge about the same amount of time as you did. Just because of the coils in the recovery machine👍 FYI I don't remember this exact time frame Rheem did have a service bulletin out about problems with their txv's.

[@stephenbierlein2517]

I don't believe in criticizing companies or individuals to the CUSTOMER. Did the same kind of work for 40 years. Didn't do I thought it was unprofessional . Do enjoy your videos.

[@Itsjustbriz]

Gotta love a no solder TXV change out!

[@davidriccitiello6421]

Spray nine is bad azz, I use it on everything, but it will remove printed numbers on dials and other car interior dash parts

[@kevinheath4629]

"I have a friend who knows about (fill in the blank)" Run, dude, run.

[@kevinheath4629]

Good point!

[@brendandrury2177]

@@PipeDoctor Great info. dirty systems, ancient systems, systems not maintained, all of that is a smile on your faces because it means revenue.

[@gyrgrls]

That is an overgeneralization fallacy, and I think you know it. Of course, you shouldn't hack anything in HVAC or electronics unless you are an expert, willing to take responsibility when something goes wrong. Back in the 70's, I had a friend who repaired TVs in his garage. He always insisted on original equipment (OEM) parts, whenever possible. But deep down, behind his perfectionist facade, was a hack. These days, the term "hack" has a negative connotation, but it wasn't always that way. Sometimes, the only alternative to improvising is replacing the equipment. But a R22 TXV put into a 410a system - that's just ignorant; almost stupid.

[@josiahpierson3636]

I purge at the recovery bottle only going through the liquid line first till I see liquid at the fitting when recovering. Hard to know if it's refrigerant or air as a gas

[@coastalcravingsfishingadve6987]

Dude that call out was on point! Let em know they ant the only voice out in the market haha

[@whoops1515]

Small tip for those that use pipe dope (sealant) on black iron applications and the like, you can use Big Blue to get the pipe dope off your hands (works better than cleaner lol).

[@NY411Info]

Well Mike, your known for the guy that always gets the Hackery calls. However at least you know how to fix it correctly ! Catch ya on the next vid.

[@scottstoner1576]

Hey Mike. I enjoy your videos .

[@UltraHydrophobiccoat]

If you have r22 txv in a r410a system it will run just like pump down. I used to replace a r22 condenser unit with r410a unit and thought the evaporator had a piston with it , but actually with a R22 txv (the evaporator unit at every difficult reachable location (commercial)). When it run the suction line pressure can goes down to 18psi.

[@orderofthegreyjedi]

I use my trusty JB Industries vacuum pump, as well as manifold and micron meter. also on the topic of refrigerant cans, my new can of 410A looks like my can for 404A which is a brownish tan color.

[@jimmyp5487]

Try the appion core removal tool. You probably already have em seeing all the goodies you got in that service truck. Best ones I’ve tried so far. Can stick a valve core in and squeeze the tip to tighten her up. 🤘🤘🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@IBenZik]

Great video. Like it says in the book "1984" the guy that screwed it up, "Ignorance is Bliss".

[@danobrien3109]

You work like I used to. I’ve had a couple of heart attacks and triple by pass and now deal with COPD. I used to clean tools while evacuating systems, spray nine was my go to for cleaning. I’ve got hand tools from when I was an apprentice ( not many but some) and still use them. Take care of your stuff and it will go a long way to taking care of you. As for clients with friends in the business that helped them out. When I hear that I look at everything cause you know if the friend was any good you wouldn’t be there. Point and case your txv. Then again maybe the guy is illiterate and color blind.👍🇨🇦

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

good job mike,a tip maybe you should have ran your new leak detector on those i hate leaky evaporator, since you had it open.i thought those evaporators had a cover to drip the condensate inside the pan.

[@jman0870]

It's almost like the pressure in the bulb wasn't enough overcome the suction pressure and open the valve hahaha

[@altyndom7039]

It’s like walking into a house without knocking and asking them if it okay that you didn’t knock.

[@PlowenYourMommy]

I like to walk around the outside of their house and knock on the bathroom window when they're using the bathroom and ask "is it OK if I start working on the outdoor unit?".

[@tomlee1896]

The inlet of evaporator coil on the liquid line has filter screen which can cause some restriction. This is why I always blowout with nitrogen to clear any debris.

[@edileo2112]

I have the Fieldpiece vac pump and have found ., through experimentation , that it is heavily dependent on clean vac oil. I’d recommend that you change it twice every evac and see if that helps you. Put your vac meter directly on the pump, no hoses etc. it should draw down to 50 mics pretty quickly. If it doesn’t, keep changing the oil until it does.

[@williammarik6159]

I have a CPC pump and have found that it needs an oil change every two uses.

[@levigreen9562]

That’s not bad advice, but putting the vac meter on the pump is unreliable. In a perfect world, it should be as far from the pump as possible. I’ve heard a lot of conversations about this, and common sense might tell you that vacuum on one end should be the same as vacuum on the other end, but in reality it isn’t. Plus, if there’s any sort of blockages for whatever reason, your pump might show a vacuum while the rest of the system isn’t in a vacuum.

[@rpsmith]

That pump looks like it doesn't hold much oil. That might be why it needs to be changed more often.

[@edileo2112]

@@rpsmith that’s correct

[@RockoRocko-rz7kx]

I used to bash the previous hack but i do try not to now cause no ones perfect every one has a bad day.

[@Jeepjones85]

I'm jealous of those new testo's just bought myself a new set after years of use from my last ones and they come out with a newer model lol

[@pineychristian]

Good repair.. The only problem I see is why would you not pull out the entire refrigerant charge and recharge with new R410A especially when seeing someone else worked on unit before that had no clue what they were doing? Plus R410A is blend. Fractionation is possible with recovering it. Best to charge system with all new R410A so you don't leave any doubts

[@looniebinn]

Sometimes cheap comes out expensive.. If you hire a back alley guy to do the work, don't be surprised when it costs you twice as much in the end to get the work done correctly. :D

[@rickc9873]

Looked like the TXV bulb was at 2:15 LOL

[@Sulaco2089]

I hope you've cleaned that bottle, where I work If it goes in a recovery bottle it's considered contaminated.

[@Chris2745100]

Is there anything that can be done to prevent rust build up on evaporator coils? I know that rust is what causes leaks over time.

[@sethsturtevant9082]

You had an uncapped port on a core remover tool. It can pull the shcraeder core in and stall the vacuum. Gray furnace man has a video about that.

[@throttlebottle5906]

yep, they're far better at holding positive pressure in, as it seats them shut harder. under negative pressure, it tries to pulls the seat open and only the spring is holding it, so they end up leaking. best to put a gauge on any open ports or a hose between two ports(less ideal) vs. a cap. caps are not really meant to hold in gas or keep atmosphere out, they're main function is to keep contaminates out of the service ports and wandering hands from depressing the cores lol

[@levigreen9562]

I like to use nylog on a lot of those fittings. I’ve had people give me shit about using it on caps and shrader cores, but For every person that gave me shit about it I’ve had twice as many leaking shrader cores and caps.

[@jimmymasseau5956]

Mike you should have said Big blue that finds Navien burner gasket leak 😂🤣

[@nicholaswarman7553]

Everybody has a friend. LOL

[@adrianfelix1592]

Hey Mike, instead of you using there clamp, you can use pipe clamp n rap it with foam tape.

[@williambell00]

What is good to clean outdoor heat pump condensor fins, will dawn dish detergent work? Thanks

[@NatsuDragneel1982]

It can work, but it leaves a film that loves collecting more dust, dirt, and grease. It's better to get an actual condenser coil clean, Viper has some really great stuffs bit pricey, but worth it. Or you can go to one of your local supply shops and grab whatever they have

[@myfastcars]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! You are the dude, the PATROT, and the PROFFESSIONAL! FJB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are ever in the El PASO area, I owe you dinner!!!!!!!!!! You are a BROTHER from ANOTHER MOTHER! True friend! for ALL of us HVAC NUBES! You ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!! BC

[@Sulaco2089]

filling the bottle from the bottom up.😯

[@scottstoner1576]

One question, on what type of repairs do you replace the filter dryer

[@kennylavay8492]

That question will cost you a service call fee.

[@totalrandomness7282]

Stupid question. But how did you recharge the system with refrigerant in the condenser unit? How did you weigh it in? Or did you weigh some in and then go by subcooling?

[@Spillmansgarage]

I miss living up north sometime. Miss the Pizza, definitely don’t miss the shit weather in the winter.

[@jasoncurtis4404]

On that exact model ruud/rheem hear pumps, over the last 6 months ive ran into probably 8 units locked out either on high or low pressure, but when i reset 24v, after delay it runs perfect pressures. Wth?

[@thermalmechanical]

Good work . Very thorough but you should have replaced the drier in my opinion .

[@zachosborne6577]

I usually purge until I see liquid refrigerant start to come out

[@dimaslespier2688]

Mikey although it’s a great practice to change the oils in the vacuum pump often. The pump manufacturer recommend to replace oil after 20 hours of running time. Or if the pump sits for more than a month with our use.

[@lngtrvl8447]

Well it all depends, if there a lot of oil in the lines from old refrigerant, and you run a flush kit , you will need to change oil . 20 hrs is based on perfect conditions, like if your only vacuuming all new equipment, I change oil based on what I’ve recently been vacuuming, sometimes it’s as much as once a week.

[@dimaslespier2688]

@@lngtrvl8447 that’s all very. But when using the tez 8 or the field piece. They both have quick change cartridges b with an oil dip tube that separates the oil coming back from the system so it will no mix with vac oils. But your point is correct for a standard vac pump. Just not the one he uses.

[@bobowman85]

It is also a good practice to replace the filter drier every time you open the system up to the atmosphere but I digress.

[@lngtrvl8447]

Ya I typically put a new drier. I put mine indoors at the coil. They say put it at the A/c but those driers rust out when there outside. They don’t do well in the elements.

[@The-LongRoad-Home]

Also Mike I run the indoor fan as I'm recovering helps boil refrigerant out of the evaporator coil and line set...When it's hot I use an innercooler and a bucket of water , Allows me to stuff the bottle in short order

[@mauichaui641]

Thanks for the information :)

[@chuckquinn8026]

Ted Cook just posted a video of a TXV replacement and I was wondering why the blower was running the entire time…

[@Z555JR]

Couple of days ago at Johnstone up north Jersey think saddle brook has a Honeywell 410a tank that was white

[@JohnR9965]

I thought Kev was helping with that txv for a moment. 🤣🤣

[@mph5896]

Wonder how many times Kev was lost and found by a new owner.

[@MrBrioke]

How you like the Hilmor vacuum pump?

[@gyrgrls]

29:00 New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts... all have good pizza joints. Here in northern California, most of the pizza joints blow goats. But hey, we DO have Celestinos (Chico - Paradise - Oroville - Rocklin), which is excellent compared to many of the others. Celestinos really needs to expand.

[@bryanb4854]

love no braze txv

[@tomlee1896]

Everytime I replace fixed orifice or TXV I blow out refrigerant lines just in case for any debris because you have to replace liquid filter drier anyways.

[@nilolee2426]

Have you try their “elmont pie” and Rosa sauce linguini ? They are my favorite

[@anneriordon4131]

To Insure Proper Service

[@derekmc9580]

That looks like a refrigeration valve with the adjustable stem for superheat.

[@throttlebottle5906]

even so, it would still be wrong due to the wrong gas in the powerhead/sense bulb. even cranked to the moon it would/should starve the coil of gas. if they used a 22 body with 410a powerhead, it would squeeze by.

[@greekmaster1001]

The owner is loyal to his friend lol defenfed him to the end....the friend must be a union worker

[@jeannellehernandez9575]

My dad loves your videos and watches your channel everyday. He used to work for Slomins and he swears that he recognizes you from when he worked on Long Island. How can I get him one of your stickers? Thank you! 🙏🏽