Repairing a Refrigerant Leak on a Condenser Coil

[@gankstar2000]

Well done, Dave! Got to do what you got to do... God bless!!!

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Truth :)

[@stangaloski4208]

Lol, you did great dude. These guys talking about red hot don't know shit about how thin condenser tube is. If it gets red hot you just punched a hole. I thought your torch control was spot on. Keep up the good work.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Stan appreciate it!

[@ebaum1000]

Back in the day when I worked for some apartments they had all of these same Goodmans. Great units but this is the same leak I would run into. I would also fix them. Good times.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Glad to hear that! Crazy how they manufactured so many of these leakers

[@globalpilot76]

A fix like that on an otherwise good coil, should be good for many years

[@techfive7202]

You are good at what you do man

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks TechFive, I try :)

[@frediszamora3800]

I had one just like that but l replaced the whole condenser l usually don’t repair them but if there’s no budget you do what you have to do to make it work great video than you so much

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I would always prefer to swap out the coil or the condenser but I’ve now done so many of these it’s almost just as fast and much more cost effective for smaller unit that don’t require a lot of refrigerant

[@leonardosinche126]

I just had same thing it was leaking everywhere I n the condenser Told them needed to be replaced instead because it was leaking all over

[@LexVance]

Good idea with the wasp spray. 😆 I'm going to start carrying. Great video Dave! Go Noles.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Lex!! Hope the football team can be competitive this year!! 🤞

[@jamminwrenches860]

Good work. I have done many the same way, some I just braze the hole closed. If it can fill a pencil sized hole because I had the torch too hot and close then it can fill a crack.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks for watching 🛠🛠

[@HVACRServiceTech]

Good video. And good repair! That's how we do it

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks buddy 👍

[@internetpointsbank]

Everyone giving this guy crap dont realize 99% of a/c guys would say replace the unit, FU until then.

[@honestman276]

Thanks from Bangladesh.

[@lilmg4444]

How is this not a permanent fix? You found and fixed the leak?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Your right. This unit hasn’t been changed it’s still holding strong 💪

[@damnitdang]

You're just cold brazing. Heat it up more and then braze it. You're just melting the rod Onto a colder copper

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks for watching !

[@borshardsd]

​@@ApartmentMaintenancePro tech to tech: perfect response to a customer. Ty for the content.

[@JP-zz5rm]

Right on Dave!

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

:)

[@BridgeWater94]

Your they guy in my SkillCat exam stock photos lol

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I do a little modeling here and there :)

[@Josieman543]

When brazing copper aren't you supposed to make the copper red hot then apply the brazing? Not melt it with the flame?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Please time stamp the section your referring to so I can answer your question thoroughly.

[@damnitdang]

Yes,I notice that too. And had commented on it. Need to heat it until copper is at right temp and not just melt the rod onto a colder copper... improper braze that sadly I've seen 80% hvac guys do

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

@@damnitdang ah yes I see what you are talking about now. This is 1/4" to 3/8" something i very rarely ever braze. So easy to burn a hole through that's why Im using the solder prematurely. I know for a fact I'm not the best brazer or even close but alway open to feedback. If it's 3/8 or less I never get it 'red hot' I just dont' see the need with the risk of how easy it is to put a hole through the copper. Which I have done many times. I've been doing this on an off about 20 years now just for reference.

[@damnitdang]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro you did much better than the most I've seen. Think of the whole pipe as an heat sink. Don't be afraid to spread the head to an area even if it's not getting sober. It'll help disapate the heat a bit and give you time. Trust me residentail and commercial hvan you have way more room. I work on reefer units. And they are tight. Not open like home ac

[@damnitdang]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro once it's kinda red.. and if you stay in that particular area longer.. you can burn through. But even then. It still takes awhile. Or your flame tip is way too close. Once it's red you can back it off acouple inch.. or direct the flame away from the joint. But at the pipe still... disapate the heat while keeping it hot... then that rod will flow into the joint easily.. and Fuze together..

[@aquicktake]

Hey Dave, How much would a fix like this typical cost? I have a coil leaking (no longer manufactured) and need a similar type of fix. Just a ballpark figure?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

All depends on how much refrigerant you need and tools you have. Refrigerant is gonna be the main expense if the system is empty

[@mazenkano1811]

Real service technician

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Mazen !

[@dcmoor4662]

How does this repair effect the system, doesn't it reduce the surface area?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I doubt it makes much of a difference

[@jamminwrenches860]

Technically yes but it's less than 1% of the surface area. A dirty coil has a much larger effect than this kind of repair so I wouldn't worry about it.

[@robertficek7586]

Do Goodman condensers tend to leak? I am considering them since they are readily available but dont know their reliability

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Depends on year and model and location

[@luisestrada2077]

how much you can charge for that job..? $$$$

[@CCY-p8g]

a quick question. did it last days or 2 years?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

This is at an apartment complex I still work at a few days a week. This unit has had zero issues since this fix it’s a solid braze and still holding

[@Trash-mover]

Do you live in Las Vegas Dave?

[@kobie4238]

I installed literally the same exact unit and its leaking from same spot but on the right side of the electrical panel🤦🏽‍♂️

[@erpwnpsn5506]

I got a question. I have an Amanda unit similar to what you showed here. I was opening the side doors to clean out the fins. I noticed the top of the condenser fins are pretty banged up. Is that common or normal?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

They technically should be but I see that a lot on condensers and usually happens when shipped/installed.

[@juansilicom]

well done

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Juan ⚒️

[@zueszues3178]

Helll yeah great work

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

😀 Thanks for watching Zues

[@andersonwinston5361]

What is best way to find leak I can hear it

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

soap bubbles

[@cardelelizalde420]

what is that blue stuff you use to test for leaks?

[@Lorenzo69]

Love the video 😊

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks!

[@GRgaming786]

I am Ac mechanic. Please I need the job please sir

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

We are hiring apartment maintenance personnel in Denver Colorado let me know if interested

[@MrFunkadeIic]

My tech just told me that the accumulator and condenser coil are leaking on my MarvAir Mod Pac II. They are gonna order parts. Do you know how much that cost? And would you recommend just getting a new A/C unit instead? This MarvAir Mod Pac II is a wall mounted one and 5 years old.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

This question is very hard to answer as this is a commercial unit. I dont deal with these anymore but if the coil has a leak most professional companies wont repair them, as there's a liability. I repair leaks because Im in apartment maintenace (residential equipment mostly) and save them a crap ton of money when I do the same repair all the time. I know this answer isn't going to help much but depending on the urgency I would get a second opinion. Then weigh the options.

[@MrFunkadeIic]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro The unit is on a 1 bedroom 1 bath unit. It's around 680 sqft. Not really commercial. It's a 2016. But I am thinking the same thing. Why replace parts when there is a chance that during the repairs, something will be done incorrectly and I will have to fork out even more money. Ugh

[@johnnyb8629]

jesus, you butchered it! The way I repair coil leaks on the tube sheets like that is by using a small hole saw, 5/8' , turn the drill bit around in the hole saw backwards and use a drill. Unsweat the tube going in and then stick the drill and hole saw combo into the open tube and the hole saw will cut a nice round metal slug from around the tube. The crack will be exposed and you can simply expand the tube and reconnect and paint the hole tube with brazing rod and its fixed and doesn't look like you took a hatchet to it.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I can’t picture this in my head can you link to anything similar? Also checked this the other day as I work this property often, repair is still covered, still leak free

[@lonestarstate1981]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro omg you butchered it lol you got it done bro and it ain't leaking. Where abouts are located at as far as state or city

[@whodo4893]

Clean it up and put some JBWeld on it, let it dry for 24 hours and then turn it on.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Nah

[@whodo4893]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro Done a few of them and I never had a failure and they lasted till they died.

[@sterrname5824]

3:03

[@cooldude2245]

Techs can do this but I got the it’s not worth it, just buy a new one

[@buddyd.irishsr.5646]

Why didn't you clean up the area below the soldering before he went ahead and melted aluminum around the coils? At least clean it up and make it look better by cutting you back evenly and then putting a heatproof blanket in between aluminum and a piece being soldered! If you want to do a professional job something that you'll be proud of and other people can say you did a good job do it right the first time even though I can't be seen it looks like poop!

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Hi, thanks for watching. I am very proud of this job as it is still leak free to this day and saved my company about $2000 in vendor costs and $1000 in parts costs..for a couple hours of work. I don't know which video you watched, but there was absolutely no soldering done in this video, again, thanks for watching, if you watched?

[@buddyd.irishsr.5646]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro the video I watched it a torch on that piece of pipe that was replaced and heating up the cooling fans attached to the Copper. Soldering or brazing either way there was a torch involved melting the aluminum coils that dissipate the Heat in that video. Other than a Scavenging pards shows that you're very adaptive and very smart and concerned about the customer by saving your money. Other than the George Melton your cooling coils on the copper pipes that's all the rest of the video was perfect

[@mbrawn6505]

Why waste time video taping how to if you don’t show ever step!!

[@Alejandro-vb2fx]

Yikes man, need to do a little practicing on your brazing technique, you’re supposed to put heat into the pipe or fitting and the rod will flow into the gap you don’t melt the rod with the torch, I understand it’s a small diameter pipe but there’s a way to do it properly, it will probably leak again and Goodmans are cheaply made that’s all I used to work on when I was a maintenance tech. And yes I know kinda what I’m talking about, I’m currently a residential HVAC tech and have been for 3 years and am also former property maintenance supervisor for a large property management company that owns many large multi family housing properties (apartments). I’m not trying to belittle your work I would just hate for you to have to do that over again because of a failed braze joint.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I appreciate the critique it’s all good. It’s been two years since this repair was made and it’s still holding. It’s almost impossible to get a perfect braze on film out in the field with the wind blowing and trying to film at the same time. I can assure you the braze joint is good and will not leak. I’ve done it thousands of times - I’ve been doing AC repairs for almost 20 years now and worked as a professional for 5 of those years along side of some of the smartest techs I’ve ever worked with. It’s not the prettiest and sure there are flaws but that condenser coil isn’t leaking at that spot again (I would have preferred to replace the coil of course but you budget stuff from management)