I use a 4" Purolator Merv 14 filter. I'd kick that guy out the door. Call Trane.

Actually, my HVAC guy did mention that the better filters DO cause there to be a strain on the system because they are so thick.....they have to work harder to suck the air through the filter. That being said though, I have no problem with my system and I use the ridiculously expensive thicker filters.

Some of those allergen filters that have a high particle rating can be excessively restrictive if the return size is marginal for the capacity of the system. I use 3M Filtrete Allergen Defense 800, which is the lowest level for that product line (800, 1000, 1085, 1200). I have one system with two 20"x25" returns. No problem has yet been evidenced.

Refrigerant addition is not (should not) be needed if the system was properly charged at the start unless there's a leak. That being said, proper charge typically requires warm weather ... so it could have been initially undercharged if the installation was done during cold weather.

No. Need for Freon is due to leak somewhere in system. Call Trane. Get model and serial number off the compressor. It is their warranty. Get your warranty manual handy too when you call. Take photos in attic of any issues you can see. If this us newer unit, it might even have different cooling medium! Trane has gotten our units and thermostats working despite our horrible technician. Just had to go around original installer. Good luck.

Agree with Flo. Freon should not be low on new units. There is a leak somewhere, likely in the coils. Call Trane.

Agree. I use a MERV 11 filter in my Trane unit with no problems.

Any time you put something in the path of moving air it impedes the airflow to a certain extent. For filters, the more they filter out, the denser they are and the more they restrict air flow. And if you don't change them often enough, the airflow gets worse.

If the airflow gets restricted enough, the evaporator can freeze into a block of ice (this can also happen if your condenser is too big). That may be where the water was coming from--the block of ice melts in an area that is outside the condensate collector and drips on the floor.

My HVAC company also recommends the cheap spun glass filters. They say that unless you have dogs or cats shedding or bad allergies, that the cheap filters are fine. Better airflow is more efficient too.

In reality, the filters are there primarily to protect the HVAC unit--the fans and the heat exchanger--from getting clogged with dust.

I switched back to the spun glass type.

Agree, sounds like a leaky system. Either at the coil or in the line-set inside the house

TaTTS we have always used the allergen types of air filters as we have a dog and four asthmatics with severe allergies living in the home. We’ve never had an issue with this type of filter in any of our 3 previous homes which were significantly larger homes than this one too.

A thoughtful and knowledgeable technician would want to test to find the leaks before refilling it.

I am not disagreeing with what's been said here. Is this the first time your AC has been in use? How much freon was added to system? if system was not working at all, this indicates a serious leak. Leaks can rarely be repaired. Obviously the system should be under warranty. Doubtful labor is covered unless you had extended warranty. You can not find a leak without a profsssional leak test, a recharge of refrigerant with added dye. That comes with a cost. Discuss options and their cost with your dealer so you can make an informed decision. Sorry for your trouble.

IMO

Units can be designed for 4 inch filters near the unit or thin filters. People describing 4 inch filters do not have the same situation you do.

Whether a system can handle the allergen type filters (1 inch) has nothing to do with the brand of the unit. It has to do with the design of the install. Generally, there is not excess filter area so units are more efficient and have less strain with the cheap 30 day filters.

Do not take anecdotal advice on filters from the internet. I have had houses that did fine with the allergen type filters also but it is always less strain and more efficient with cheap filters. It just doesn't matter much in some installs.

It is a leaky system. Filter is a totally different issue.

Average system has 5# of refrigerant and comes pre charged. You do have to add some refrigerant to compensate for the extra length of the suction and liquid lines but this is done during the install. System should not be losing the refrigerant presumably 410a. When installed I demand from the Installer to pressurise the system and show that vacuum holds or pressurize it with Nitro. The company I worked for had a leak sensor, and we would quickly go and check for leaks after the install because callbacks cost money and time. With nearly everyone in HVAC C/R using digital manifold/gauges today the process should be idiot proof. It is not.

Many times losing even .1 oz/year makes a difference. It sounds like your system is leaking and leaking a lot. Leaking systems absorbs moisture, that quickly turns into acid - bad for your system and addition to H410a has 2088 Global Warming Potential.

=

Tell the installer to pull out leak sensor and get checking.

pink-peony,

This is the problem with new homes and HVAC (installation) contractors that service them. They are builders not true service providers.

They install a unit or two here, then move onto the next build somewhere else.

If I understand your original post you moved in and within 10 months of taking ownership of this home you found a unit to not be working. The HVAC installer came back and recharges it?

Why would he do that? His labor is 12 months long on this new build. Recharging it gets another 10 months and gets him over the labor warranty part of the arrangement in buying a new home.

By your post I am thinking it's now been 20 months since you took possession of this home. So the 1 year home warranty provided by the builder is now up, so you called a different company and they are telling you something else like a filter problem, but yet again recharged the system?

Am I right?

I service the Katy, Texas area.

Is this legitimate? Is it normal to have to have freon put in units that are new and less than a year old? What about the filter thing? I’m just not buying it!

If you closed on your house 10 months ago, then you have two months left on your labor warranty. This company is waiting for the labor warranty to expire so they can charge you for both labor and additional refrigerant. They know there is a leak but they don't want to fix it. They are using the band aid approach of adding more refrigerant.

To answer your question it is not normal to have to add refrigerant to any new system. You have a leak that needs to be repaired. If you don't repair it then you will be adding refrigerant for the life of the system.

What you could do is call the company back a week before the one year anniversary and tell them the upstairs unit is not cooling well. Hopefully they will measure the refrigerant and see it has dropped. This is where you demand the leak be found and fixed. It will be a fight, but I don't think you any other option other than hiring someone else to find and fix the leak.

As far as the filter goes, I suggest using a MERV 8 filter and changing it when it is dirty. I suspect you any have a one inch media filter installed at the return grille. It is not an ideal set up but it works. The return is probably too small and that is why they told you not to be in an allergen type filter which restricts the air flow.

Home builders hire the cheapest HVAC contractor they can find. You may have good equipment but if it was not properly installed then you are will have long term problems. Are you able to discuss this with the builder? Get this documented as on ongoing problem that has not been resolved.

Call Trane and get their rep on-site. Calculating the size of unit / size of ducts / placement & size of returns is a SKILL - not a guessing game. Sadly, most new builds are done as cheaply & as fast as possible.

Thank you everyone for your informative replies. Some of you know that this build and been long and arduous. I have to start by correcting myself. Our units are NOT TRANE. They are LENNOX. Initially way back when we first contracted to build we were told Trane so hence my assumption that is what we got. I want to answer a few questions

1. the home is 2700 square feet and is what they call a story and a half

2. We are in a hot humid climate , North Carolina

3. We have 3 intake vents and 2 units one up and one down.

4. Yesterday they replaced a 1/2# of freon into the upstairs unit. Previously they had replaced freon in the down stairs unit shortly after we moved in last summer

5. We closed in this home in July 2018. We moved in August 2018 so we have lived here roughly 10 months.

6. Our one year warranty expires July 12, 2018 all submissions must be made by June 12, 2019.

I have taken some photos to help answer questions as well. First here are the units as they sit outside our home

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and inside our home

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Here is the upstairs floorpan with the units marked by the red boxes and the intake vent marked with the X

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Here is a picture of the intake vent

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and here is a picture of the filter we were using in the intake vent with size appearing on bottom

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Here is the downstairs floor plan with intake vents marked by red X's and the outside units location shown by red boxes

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photos of downstairs intake vents

first master bedroom

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second great room

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and these are the filters we use in them

master

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great room

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last here is a picture of each individual unit in the attic space. I am not sure which is upstairs and which is downstairs.

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Thanks again for the informative responses.

what size are upstairs and downstairs AC condensers? What size are your return(s) upstairs and downstairs? 3M filters are generally frowned upon as being too restrictive. I am not certain you are going to get the help you need from your installer with the expiration of their full warranty pending. I fear they want to run out the clock. I assume up until now you have not been out of pocket for their visits/repairs. Yes/no? The leaks are more of a concern than the filter. I assume you have already replaced the 3M types. I would like to see another return downstairs. your problems may be install related. I would give thought to a second opinion but the clock is ticking.

IMO

Where would i find the size information on the units? The intake vent size is listed on the photos i have provided of the filters , no?

pink - look for the model numbers on the units. Those usually have a specific nomenclature that will indicate how many tons they are.

Yikes pink! Sounds like a leak unless they didn't fill them all the way up to begin with. Ours did not come precharged. And PITA to go in attic once a month or even every three months.

nameplates with model info will be on the back of the outside condensers. I would get rid of the 1" filters and add pleated filter media cabinets at the furnaces.

IMO

PINK- just noticed you listed: Our one year warranty expires July 12, 2018 all submissions must be made by June 12, 2019.

pretty sure you meant July 12, 2019>>>

Suzy it’s amazing how you sell your large custom home and downsize with a newly constructed home with the goal being lower Mainenance to free up more time and money and instead this home has taken up about 75% of our time and energy since conception. To say I’m over it is an understatement and yet i realize that right there and in itself is the builders goal. For me to be so over it that i give up. The thing is I’m an American mut Comprised of all the nationalities known for their stubbornness and persistence!

Yes Cheryl, thank you! Closed 2018

You are talking about the builder warranty. Stay on them pink. Lennox warranty is at least 5 years.

I would demand the builder fix this since the condition existed from the beginning. I'm guessing your "Team" messed it up somehow, and you need to get a new unit(s). I'd start there! Your builder warranty is for one year I'm sure, but they fall back on the manufacturer warranty. That's what they usually do. So, you definitely need the manufacturer's rep to come out and inspect in a professional way and then make them get with the builder.

This is the info off the outside units

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for OP

put your concerns in writing to your installer with date...

it appears you have low end Lennox AC condensers....downstairs 3 ton, upstairs 1 1/2 ton sizes...

IMO

" Yesterday they replaced a 1/2# of freon into the upstairs unit. Previously they had replaced freon in the down stairs unit shortly after we moved in last summer "

If it work when you moved in Your system lost 1/2# in 10 month, that is like 10oz a year!.

I hunt down 0.1 oz /year leaks. The 0.3oz/year - are medium leaks, 1 oz large leaks.

Tigerdunes.....can you please educate me. Where does it show the tonnage of each unit?

036 3 tons and 18 is 1.5

12 is a ton.

nidnay it is embedded in the model number. Put he model number into a search engine and it will give you the results.

Nidnay - Weirdly I look at these labels (and water heaters) a lot when I'm looking for investment properties and at inspections. See the model # before the dash. The top one ends 36. The bottom one ends 18. This is divided by 12 (12,000 BTUs) to get the tons. Tons is how fast it can remove 12,000 BTUs of heat. And I believe the 3-ton was manufactured in 2018 and 1.5 in 2017 from the serial #s. Those size units seem appropriate for pink's house sq ft but there are other factors to determine the appropriate size. In CA with sky high electric rates people also look at the SEER rating to compare how much it will cost to run the units. Its like MPG in a car, but the more "miles per gallon" you get, the more the unit costs to buy, but less to operate. Huh?

Pink - If you are losing freon you have a leak because those units were factory charged. You will have been paying more to run them too the lower it got. I'd contact the manufacturer directly to see what they say about them being defective.

Thanks guys.

I found this..

We had two 5 tons when we lived in Poway. Summer months were $1200.

I've successfully used 3M filters, but nothing as restrictive as a 2200 rating. I stick with the 1500/1550 units and have little issue, and in fact the 800 and 1200 value units are rated as more restrictive on airflow in testing.

What I don't see on your units is tigerdunes favorite bit of kit, a media cabinet. The 3 2200 1" filters are probably quite a bit more restictive than a pair of 2200 4" filters at the units would be, so they may not be entirely wrong about loading the system. I'd drop down to 1500/1550 or 1200 rated filters.

Dear Pink, after your initial issue is corrected please be sure to do a yearly "check for level" on the condenser unit. The plastic pad that the unit sits upon can shift due to vibration and weather issues. If the condenser is out of level the bearings will burn out much faster. A poured concrete pad is much preferred.