So 2 years ago, you replaced your upstairs condenser (probably in the area of 8 - 10 SEER), but not your indoor coil. When the furnace (and the coil, I think) was replaced (last year), was it a matched set at that time.

A strong possibility is that your first new condenser was mis-matched with the old coil. This can result in poor cooling and other problems.

Since the new new system is about 1 years old, there should still be some kind of warranty from the manufacturer and possibly from the installer. Home warranty companies, not so good. You might do better going back to the installing company.

It would be helpful if you could give the full model number of the new equipment, and at whatever information you may have on the old equipment (at least tonnage).

V

Correct, 2 years ago the condenser feeding the upstairs was replaced, I donÂt have the old model number but believe it was the same as the downstairs unit which was a Lennox HS18-911-5P  I seem to remember there was a ½ ton difference between the two but similar model numbers. The replacement was/is Payne PA10JA030-G

Then last year they (the same company that replaced the condenser) ordered a replacement coil (they said it was matched to the condenser they installed). Given the age of the unit I opted to replace everything inside and so the Lennox Furnace G12Q3-82-6 was replaced with an Amana and the model number on the coil section is CAPF3030CGBA

Thanks for your reply and let me know if there is anything else I can tell you that will help. I will see if I can find the exact model number of the condenser they replaced.

It could also be the compressor is not starting due to blown capacitor or bad compressor. Its most likley that it is low on charge. If you do have a leak in the line set the home warranty usually only covers accessable areas and will not just run a new one. I would set up a call and see what it is first. For $60 at least you get it recharged.

Thanks, I put in a call earlier today and they are coming tomorrow so I will see what they say. Interestingly enough they are sending a different company from the one who did all the other callouts and who replaced the parts.

Another point, the unit might not be properly charged, a unit that is improprly charged also will not cool properly. Sad to say there are a lot of service people who still use the old methods of charging units, put refrigerant in until the suction line starts to sweat a bit and thats it. To properly charge a unit, the makers chart and the superheat method should be used.
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On the Lennox model number, you must either be referring to the HS18-311 (2.5 ton) or the HS18-411 (3 ton). HS18-911 is non-existent just for your reference. Good luck with the issues.

donniehvac: Thanks, that will teach me to try and read the engineers handwriting rather than going outside and looking :)

The downstairs unit is indeed a HS18-411 and I believe the upstairs was a HS18-311. Which makes sense because I believe the Payne PA10JA030-G which replaced the HS18-311 is also a 2.5 Ton also.

Update: Engineer called and after checking the system found the charge not to be low but said he thought the blower was too big for the condenser and coil. I think he said the condenser was 2.5 ton the Coil was 2.5 ton and the blower was for a 4 ton system (he feels it should be 2.5 ton Condenser / 3 ton Coil / 3 ton blower). The problem is he calls the warranty company to give his position and guess what the company that installed the furnace/coil and condenser no longer exists. They are now doing further research to explore the options!

He did clean the condenser but I got the feeling he wasn't expecting it to make any difference.

Update: ItÂs been a month since my last post and nothing has changed.

A week or so back I was instructed at 9:40am in the morning I set the thermostat to 68. At the time the upstairs was 72.5 and by 4pm it was 74.8 with the system running constantly between those times. I took a few readings during the day and the results were as follows:
Time Temp Hum Upstairs temp (set to 68)
9:40 70.0 38.0% 72.5
10:00 70.3 36.3% 72.0
11:00 75.0 31.4% 71.1
12:30 79.5 27.2% 71.5
13:00 82.0 23.3% 72.1
15:00 84.3 20.3% 73.5
16:00 82.7 20.9% 74.8
The response to this was that the technician wanted to take a few more reading before calling in to the home insurance company what was required. That never actually happened as they got backed up with work and never got to me. Supposedly they are coming today but we will see.

Any advice or clues as to what they might consider as a resolution?

To recap:
1)Outside condenser unit was replaced two years ago  Was Lennox model HS18-311 replaced with Payne PA10JA030-G
2)Complete Furnace and blower was replaced last year  Was Lennox Furnace G12Q3-82-6 was replaced with an Amana part number on the coil is CAPF3030CGBA and furnace/blower GMV80905CXBA

Interestingly one day last week we had a freak cold morning and I noticed the furnace didnÂt come on. I took the cover of the furnace and noticed the control wire from the thermostat was loose and tightening the screw fixed that problem. While I was there I noticed there were dip switches on the control board and referring to the diagram on the cover they appeared to be control the setting for various different furnace models and four choices for each model (A-D). Could the dip switches be set incorrectly?

The frustrating thing is without the home warranty last year (or probably the year before) I would have got three quotes and would have replaced the system properly.

Ditch the home warranty tech, he is clueless and will only do what is in the best interest of the home warranty company, not your best interest. I see it everyday. Bite the bullet and find a good hvac tech to diagnose your issue.

>Ditch the home warranty tech, he is clueless and will only do what is in the best interest of the home warranty company,
>not your best interest. I see it everyday. Bite the bullet and find a good hvac tech to diagnose your issue.

That is what IÂm going to do.

More Info on the dip switches

1 On 2 On = High Stage Cooling (D) 1800 - Options (A) 800 (B) 1100 (C) 1400 (D) 1800
7 On 8 Off = Low Stage Heating (B) 1150 - Options (A) 1050 (B) 1150 (C) 1250 (D) 1350
3 Off 4 Off = Airflow Adjustment Factor (A) 1 Â Options (A) 1 (B) +10% (C) -10%
5 Off 6 Off = Comfort Mode (A) Pre Run --- Short Run --- Off Delay 60 Sec/100%

So if I'm reading it correctly the High Stage Cooling is set to the highest setting.

I am sorry i was not with this thread way sooner!
Model: Payne PA10JA030-G. 10 SEER; about 5 or 6 years old??

There is a simple way to do some trouble shooting with just thermometers & a humidity gage.

The 4-Ton blower may have lower speeds that would work okay with your 2.5-ton condenser.

I doubt that the indoor coil has a TEV - Thermostatic Expansion Valve metering device, ask them.

Follow simple instructions in linked page below.

Log all the temps indoors & outdoors, & indoor %humidity; LOG IT HERE.
- udarrell

Here is a link that might be useful: Simple ways Check Your A/C

Is there alot more air (volume) coming from the upstairs unit compared to the downstairs system? I believe that you do have a four to five ton blower in the furnace.
Go back to the dip switch settings and read them very carefully. Turn the power off to the furnace and set switches 1 and 2 to the "B" setting. 2 1/2 ton requires 1100 to 1200 CFM This should help alot. you can check the supply air temp after the change. it should be high 50's low 60's if not the refrigerant charge may need to be adjusted but now the tech can get an accurate pressure reading

Thanks for the responses

>Model: Payne PA10JA030-G. 10 SEER; about 5 or 6 years old??

Yes I think it was a case of Warranty Company doing a like for like replace, it was replaced just under two years ago so IÂm assuming the AC Company had one lying around. I think the minimum seer rating was amended a few weeks after it was installed.

>There is a simple way to do some trouble shooting with just thermometers & a humidity gage.

I will get a humidity gauge and follow the instructions in the link.

>The 4-Ton blower may have lower speeds that would work okay with your 2.5-ton condenser.

Reading some other threads I came to the conclusion that I would try the (B) 1200 setting and the results were
11:46am outside 74 and inside was 78.6 (I set the inside temp to 65)
By 4:30pm in the afternoon the outside temp was 76.5 and inside was 77
I would say it did make a little difference but not much.

>I doubt that the indoor coil has a TEV - Thermostatic Expansion Valve metering device, ask them.

I will ask but based on what I heard them saying and reading I think it is a capillary tube

>Follow simple instructions in linked page below.
>Log all the temps indoors & outdoors, & indoor %humidity; LOG IT HERE.

Will do

thanks again

Update:
The AC company that originally put in the Furnace and Coil came out this morning. As others have already suggested they said the blower being capable of feeding a bigger system could not account for the poor cooling that I was seeing.

They tested pressure and I think it was 65 140 (although I couldnÂt really see that well) they said everything outside seemed ok and were going to focus on inside. They too seemed to be focusing on the orifice/capillary tube and by process of elimination said it couldnÂt really be anything else. They removed it and said it may be too big, they said it was a number 65 (not sure what that means). The looked on their truck to see if they had another one but didnÂt. On putting the system back together after clearing with vacuum pump the system appeared to be working correctly. They suggested that perhaps the orifice was originally not seated properly.

Looking at the gauge they had connected outside the readings were 70 and 225, IÂm assuming that is pressure in and out.

Of course they want paying for this work which IÂm going to dispute at least some of it because if was not installed correctly last year then IÂm not sure why I should be paying now. Their argument is that I should have called sooner after the install. My response is that I did call them soon after the system was installed and was told that the upstairs system has to work harder (heater rises, longer ductwork etc) and towards the end of the summer last year it was difficult to really tell how well it was performing.

After they left I started taking readings again. The first very positive sign was the air coming out the ducts was high 50s where as before it was high 60s to low 70s.

TodayÂs reading are:
Time TempOut HumOut TempIn
11:45 75.7 37.9% 71.3
12:50 77.8 36.0% 70.8
13:45 79.2 35.1% 70.7
14:45 81.3 32.8% 70.8
15:35 76.3 35.1% 71.2

I will do take the measurements suggested in the link as soon as I get a humidity sensor.

IÂve now obtained a thermometer with humidity sensor; I will do more readings when the temperatures are higher but thought I would just try.

Remembering these readings are since the last visit with the system appearing to work now but IÂm interested in knowing for next time even if everything is now ok.

These reading were taken at 6pm with the outside temperature 72 degrees and temperature of the condenser discharge air at 90. Looking at the examples there are no 10 Seer devices listed but the temp-Split looks similar to a 2.5 Ton Seer 12 unit (18-F vs 20-F). When the readings were taken the indoor Humidity was ~38-40%. I had the thermostat set at 73 degrees and the inside temp was 73 with air from the vents at 55-56.

SORRY, I should have told U, U can use a cotton piece of cloth soaked in room temp water.

Set a hi-spd fan near the return air intake & wait until U get the lowest temp.

That's the Wet bulb temp & it's what we used to take with a sling-psychrometer.

So, rig one up & just give me the wet bulb temp; can also convert it to %RH.

I need to put that on my page. - udarrell

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Way to Check A/C

Just to make sure I understand; are you saying I can put it near any return air intake with the the wrt cloth rapped around the temp probe? and with the fan pointing at the cloth rapped temperature probe?

Just to make sure I understand; are you saying I can put it near any return air intake with the the wet cloth rapped around the temp probe? and with the fan pointing at the cloth rapped temperature probe?

That is correct.
The reason for being somewhere near a Return Air inlet grille is to keep away from a Cold Supply Air outlet, because the colder air will produce a false wet bulb temp reading.

We do take both the SA&RA wet bulb temps when we want to chart the latent & sensible qualities & a more precise BTUH performance of the A/C unit. - udarrell

Here is a link that might be useful: Simple A/C Performance Checks Anyone Can Do