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gapi

New Unit Precharged Amount Question

gapi
10 years ago

Just had a Goodman Split system GSZ13 2.5 Ton & ARUF matching air handler done with an optional TXV valve.

The Goodman book says it contains a charge for a 15 foot line set. I have a 35 foot line set. At .6# per foot I figured it needed around 9 additional ounces.
The tech released the charge and found all my numbers looked dead on as far as super heat and such and says no need to add any more.

This has me perplexed. With a factory charge of 20 foot less than the installed line set, what am I missing?
Would 9 ounces hurt? Is the system producing good numbers but at the cost of running harder?

Thanks

Comments (7)

  • brickeyee
    10 years ago

    What is the total charge in the unit?

    9 oz may be a small enough portion to not matter all that much.

  • tigerdunes
    10 years ago

    The tech should have his charts to look at. This appears to be a degree of laziness at best. And it is examples like this that give Goodman a bad rep.

    I suppose the cooling performance will be the judge but don't you want the system to be setup to the manufacturer specs? They don't issue these charts for the heck of it and to be disregarded.

    Keep in mind this is a heat pump.

    IMO

  • gapi
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks,

    He did read his gauges in two different ways with the thermal probe on one of the lines going into the outside unit each time.
    He showed me the target numbers and where we were one point better than the desired on each reading.

    But I could not help to wonder why he did not toss the .6# per foot over 15 feet into the unit as stated in the manual.
    But I am no HVAC tech either.

    I wanted to hit you guys up for your words on it thanks.

  • brickeyee
    10 years ago

    If he took pressure. temperature, and humidity readings it is likely more accurate than whatever the factory charge plus 'additions' for measured pipe would yield.

    It is notoriously hard to accurately set both heating and cooling on a heat pump during the season for the other (setting cooling during heating season/weather, or setting heating during cooling season/weather).

    When the season changes for the first time expect to need an adjustment on a new system.

  • tigerdunes
    10 years ago

    "It is notoriously hard to accurately set both heating and cooling on a heat pump during the season for the other (setting cooling during heating season/weather, or setting heating during cooling season/weather)."

    Difficult for a rookie, not a seasoned pro who knows what he is doing.

    My HP on my DF system was setup in June 8 yrs ago. Charge has been checked many times and never adjusted.

    IMO

  • brickeyee
    10 years ago

    "Difficult for a rookie, not a seasoned pro who knows what he is doing. "

    Riiight.

    You guessed lucky, or a TXV made up for the error.

    I do some very large and exacting system for metrology lab rooms.

    We actually use recorders in every installation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    We can tell when a living breathing human enters the lab on the monitoring gear.

    We can set pretty decent performance in winter for cooling, but invariably have to make adjustments (and ours are made at the TXV since the systems always have accumulators).