HVAC work = dusty film on everything?

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  • Hoosierkav

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    We have this weird dusty film on everything and I wonder if it's from our HVAC system.

    In March, we had a new compressor installed on our heat pump and put a new inline drier that wasn't there before (house is 14 years old, made during the housing boon). The company over-filled/charged the system, using twice as much freon as they should have. Another company figured out the problem and fixed it. But, since the work was done, we've noticed this fine dusty film on everything in the house--we wipe it away, and a few days later, it's back.

    Today, we had two separate times that the smoke detectors were tripped, one in the basement and one in an upstairs bedroom; when I took out one of the device's battery, I noticed it had a film on it, so now I'm thinking all of them will be tripped due to the film on the sensors... Strangely, the upstairs doesn't have much of an issue with the film, but the smoke detector I looked at was from one of the bedrooms, so the film is actually everywhere (even this laptop has the white film between the keys and on the screen).

    Meanwhile, we are breathing this in...

    Thoughts on the source?
     

    churchmouse

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    This is not directly from that repair.
    Near impossible to say over the internet.
    But that is a curious issue.

    Is the A/C running. Pretty nice outside.
    Is it running when the detectors go off.
     

    Hoosierkav

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    Fan is on continuously.

    First alert was at 0800 in the basement and woke up the house. Next one was just a bit ago, in a bedroom with closed door and window. But,we've been dealing with the film for more than a month (can't say immediately since the repair, since we dust weekly, and it finally took us to realize the windows were getting nasty quickly).

    When you say, "not directly", does that suggest it could have an indirect cause from the repair?
     

    churchmouse

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    Fan is on continuously.

    First alert was at 0800 in the basement and woke up the house. Next one was just a bit ago, in a bedroom with closed door and window. But,we've been dealing with the film for more than a month (can't say immediately since the repair, since we dust weekly, and it finally took us to realize the windows were getting nasty quickly).

    When you say, "not directly", does that suggest it could have an indirect cause from the repair?

    No. No way does replacing a compressor have this effect. Something has changed but I can not see this being the cause.
     

    GREEN607

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    Sounds to me like a possible freon/refrigerant leak at the A-coil or at the high-side or low-side copper refrigerant lines inside your air handler (the unit with the AC coil and fan enclosed). Only the air that comes from the rooms thru the intake vent and duct are 'filtered'. Anything above/beyond that in the inside unit could escape thru your individual room vents/diffusers. Refrigerant definitely creates a film, if escaping from a pressurized system.

    I would call the repair company back out to check for that refrigerant leak at the inside unit, ASAP.
     

    GREEN607

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    Also, you mentioned that the fan is on continuously. Check at the wall thermostat, and make sure the fan switch is set to 'AUTO' and not 'ON'.
     

    churchmouse

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    Sounds to me like a possible freon/refrigerant leak at the A-coil or at the high-side or low-side copper refrigerant lines inside your air handler (the unit with the AC coil and fan enclosed). Only the air that comes from the rooms thru the intake vent and duct are 'filtered'. Anything above/beyond that in the inside unit could escape thru your individual room vents/diffusers. Refrigerant definitely creates a film, if escaping from a pressurized system.

    I would call the repair company back out to check for that refrigerant leak at the inside unit, ASAP.

    There is not enough refrigerant in the system to cause this for the length of time mentioned. A leak that bad is done in a day or so. I have seen dozens and dozens of leaking evaps and never seen this. There is an oily film for sure. Just never seen it spread through the entire house for any extended time period.
    Agreed, he needs to get it looked at.
     

    GREEN607

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    There is not enough refrigerant in the system to cause this for the length of time mentioned. A leak that bad is done in a day or so. I have seen dozens and dozens of leaking evaps and never seen this. There is an oily film for sure. Just never seen it spread through the entire house for any extended time period.
    Agreed, he needs to get it looked at.

    Well buddy, he did say the first Co. over-charged it by DOUBLE..... and if the fan switch was set to 'ON' and not to 'AUTO' as it should be..... ????? I've seen stranger things happen when contractors have more faith than knowledge in their work.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Stupid question. Is the filter in the unit? Could it have been left out and the gunk on the intake side is now working its way into the house instead of not sticking to the filter?
     

    churchmouse

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    Well buddy, he did say the first Co. over-charged it by DOUBLE..... and if the fan switch was set to 'ON' and not to 'AUTO' as it should be..... ????? I've seen stranger things happen when contractors have more faith than knowledge in their work.

    Did you just call me buddy..........:):

    This has been near a month. A residential system does not hold that much refrigerant. A leak that would cause this would take a lot or refrigerant. A lot. You can blow one down in a matter of minutes even double charged.

    Yes it was double charged or at least that's what the second tech stated. I have seen them with so much gas that the compressor locked up and would not pump. Reclaimed. Recharged and off to the races.

    I have several customers that I have them run the fan full time to get the air circulated more efficiently. Really helps in 2 story's with poor duct design.

    Buddy........:laugh6:

    I like it. Not knocking your opinion. I just have mine formed from doing this since the mid 60's.

    OP, let us know what you have going on. Please.
     

    GREEN607

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    Did you just call me buddy..........:):

    This has been near a month. A residential system does not hold that much refrigerant. A leak that would cause this would take a lot or refrigerant. A lot. You can blow one down in a matter of minutes even double charged.

    Yes it was double charged or at least that's what the second tech stated. I have seen them with so much gas that the compressor locked up and would not pump. Reclaimed. Recharged and off to the races.

    I have several customers that I have them run the fan full time to get the air circulated more efficiently. Really helps in 2 story's with poor duct design.

    Buddy........:laugh6:

    I like it. Not knocking your opinion. I just have mine formed from doing this since the mid 60's.

    OP, let us know what you have going on. Please.

    But the 'film' from the refrigerant..... could be spread all thru out the duct work, and be slowly blown, a little at a time, into the rooms. YES!?
     

    churchmouse

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    But the 'film' from the refrigerant..... could be spread all thru out the duct work, and be slowly blown, a little at a time, into the rooms. YES!?

    The film is oil. It will settle once it stops spraying. The air will not carry it far as the mist is heavier than air. If you had a steady heavy spray for hours and hours yes it would do exactly this once the air was laden with the oil mist. But there is not enough volume in the system to achieve this for a month.
    This has been steady going on for a good while now. It is an interesting issue.
     

    GREEN607

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    The film is oil. It will settle once it stops spraying. The air will not carry it far as the mist is heavier than air. If you had a steady heavy spray for hours and hours yes it would do exactly this once the air was laden with the oil mist. But there is not enough volume in the system to achieve this for a month.
    This has been steady going on for a good while now. It is an interesting issue.

    Well. I have only been doing this work since 1983, not since the '60s. But I will disagree with you, because..... it's also possible that the refrigerant leak was blown all around and into the squirrel-cage fan.... and will blow it out w/ the airflow for a month.
     

    churchmouse

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    Well. I have only been doing this work since 1983, not since the '60s. But I will disagree with you, because..... it's also possible that the refrigerant leak was blown all around and into the squirrel-cage fan.... and will blow it out w/ the airflow for a month.

    Nope. The oil will not stay airborn. It will settle. The oil would have to make a complete circuit through the house and down the return to get to the fan. Unless it is a suck through. 95% are blow through's.
    But we could argue this all night.
    Tell you what.....if this is the case the burgers are on me. Your choice of place.

    OP, we need you report back...:):
     

    Hoosierkav

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    Thank you all.

    Filter, yes, and I've changed it since the film has been noticed; the first vendor said he didn't reinstall the filter after the compressor change for some reason which I can't recall; either they left it in, or the second vendor put it in when they came--it's all a blur because it was a mess (and we were still going on e-heat more than I think we should have been, but that's another story).

    We've kept the fan ON because it's a lousily designed system and the airflow is noisy--constant white noise is better than on/off noise at 0200, but that's another story for another day, too :)

    I'll call the company that did the rework and let them know and see if they'll come out to check the charge, etc. The new compressor was locking up/making a horrific noise, which was what prompted the call to the second company, who found 12# in a 6# system. It's weird, though, that the majority of the film is on the first floor, that the bedrooms aren't that impacted (either that or my kids are super picky about cleaning their rooms... riiight)
     

    churchmouse

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    Thank you all.

    Filter, yes, and I've changed it since the film has been noticed; the first vendor said he didn't reinstall the filter after the compressor change for some reason which I can't recall; either they left it in, or the second vendor put it in when they came--it's all a blur because it was a mess (and we were still going on e-heat more than I think we should have been, but that's another story).

    We've kept the fan ON because it's a lousily designed system and the airflow is noisy--constant white noise is better than on/off noise at 0200, but that's another story for another day, too :)

    I'll call the company that did the rework and let them know and see if they'll come out to check the charge, etc. The new compressor was locking up/making a horrific noise, which was what prompted the call to the second company, who found 12# in a 6# system. It's weird, though, that the majority of the film is on the first floor, that the bedrooms aren't that impacted (either that or my kids are super picky about cleaning their rooms... riiight)

    I have a burger riding on this OP.........:):

    If it is still cooling its not the charge leaking. Just saying.

    Heat pumps......UGH
     

    DocIndy

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    OP.... Any attic work done recently? I have had way too many calls after the cable/phone company clown was in the attic and pulled/knocked return flex ducts off letting the system suck loose insulation into the system. Just asking for the poor sucker that usually has to fix the damage the other guys cause.
     

    ChristianPatriot

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    I don't see you offering any real answers.... just a big 'NO'.

    1) A leak big enough to “mist” or “fog” the duct would last minutes, not weeks.

    2) Op said dust or film. There are no particulates in a refrigeration system, just oil and chemically altered gases. The gases evaporate immediately after reaching the atmosphere. You could take a full jug of refrigerant, sheer the tap off, and point it straight at the ground. Know what would be left when the fog clears? Absolutely nothing.

    3) NO residential system has enough air velocity to carry oil throughout the ductwork.

    Better?
     
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