PW in the News Rheem Air Conditioner Units Sold With Defective Coils, Leaking Reported Rheem Manufacturing, a leader in the air conditioning manufacturing and sales industry, is selling air conditioning units to consumers with the expectation that the air conditioners will operate appropriately and will last for years. Customers, instead, report being sold central air conditioner units that have been constructed with defective, leaking evaporator coils. What’s more, according to a number of reports, Rheem does not appear to be honoring its warranty. Our firm is investigating claims for a Class Action Lawsuit against Rheem Manufacturing for selling air conditioning units constructed with defective evaporator coils. AC Coils Leak, Warranty Not Honored Rheem evaporator coils are reportedly leaking just after the unit has been installed, in many cases. When these leaks occur within the warranty period, Rheem has the option of replacing the defective coils. Instead, according to reports, Rheem has only been offering replacement costs for parts, not labor.

Should the customer discover the leak following expiration of the relatively short warranty period, consumers are expected to pay for replacement coils and labor, which may total about $2,000, despite that Rheem appears to be aware of the issue with their coils. Science Backs Copper Coil Corrosion Theories Experts explain that the corrosion seen in some Rheem air conditioner models causes the coils to leak. A prevailing theory is that contaminants in the air cause the corrosion, which occurs on indoor coils during the cooling cycle. The contaminants apparently become acidic when exposed to moisture, which causes etching on the coils, a phenomenon known as “Ant-Nest Corrosion” because the etching appears similar to ant nest activity. This corrosion thins the coils, eventually making the coils porous and very prone to leaking. The coil’s copper surface “will be discolored adjacent to the corrosion pit(s). Surface films can vary from dull gray-black to red-brown or purple, depending upon the specific environment,” Peter Elliot of Corrosion Materials Consultancy Inc., and Richard A. Corbett of Corrosion Testing Laboratories wrote in a paper on the matter, according to an ABC News report.

“The corrosion initiates from the tube surface and progresses rapidly into the tube wall,” they explained. The damage progresses rapidly; “Perforation usually occurs in weeks or months, not years.” Researchers writing in Metal Madrid, report that the defect causes “the loss of refrigerant liquid and the consequent environment pollution. american hvac unitsIt is known that attack requires the simultaneous presence of moisture, oxygen, and a corrodent, usually an organic acid … or other volatile organic substances.” ac and heating classesIn fact, note the team, some 10 percent “of all premature failures of copper tubes used in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry are the result of ant-nest corrosion” and “usually occurs in thin-wall copper pipes, especially when copper is de-sulphurized.car air conditioning repair reading

The paper authored by Elliot and Corbett provided the same explanation that, “Any nest corrosion will only occur when oxygen, moisture, and a specific corrodent, usually an organic acid, are simultaneously present on a copper surface. The damage is worse when stagnant fluids are retained against the copper surface, or when crevices are part of the unit design.” Although the cause of the coil corrosion appears to be well understood and scientifically backed, Rheem continues to sell air conditioning units that suffer from this flaw and refuses to compensate consumers appropriately. Help for Owners of Rheem Air Conditioning Units We are available to help anyone who is in possession of a Rheem central air conditioning system. Whether your unit has failed or not, you may be entitled to compensation under product liability laws. To lean more about your legal rights, please complete our online form for a free evaluation of your case. You may also call our office at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) today to speak with one of our product liability lawyers.

In this article, we'll show you how to clean and maintain your central air conditioner to keep it running efficiently. We won't demonstrate the maintenance steps for a window-mounted model here. Most central air conditioners have two basic parts: an outdoor unit (compressor/condenser) that sits next to your home and an indoor unit (evaporator) that's located in a central duct near your furnace (Fig. A). If you have a heat pump instead of a furnace, the indoor unit will be in the air handler. Use the same maintenance steps we show here. If your furnace looks different from the one in Fig. A, or you have a heat pump, use the owner's manual to find your way around it. The basic parts will be the same. The most important maintenance steps are fairly simple, but if this is the first time you've cleaned the unit, allow about a half day to carefully work through the steps. If you're not up to the task, call a pro (look under “Air Conditioning Contractors” in your Yellow Pages). Cleaning and servicing a central air conditioner costs $100 to $250.

Fig. A shows a typical central air conditioning/furnace setup. Two copper tubes connect the outdoor compressor and its condenser coil (a “coil” is a combination of fins and tubes) to the indoor evaporator coil that's located in the plenum (Fig. A) above the furnace blower. One tube is covered with foam insulation. If you have a heat pump, both tubes will be insulated. Outside, your main job is to clean the condenser coil (Photos 2 - 4). The fan inside the condenser coil sucks air through the fins, and as a result, pulls dirt and debris with it. Dust, leaves, dead grass and anything else that collects on the fins will block airflow and reduce the unit's efficiency. Grass clippings thrown by the lawn mower and “cotton” from cottonwood trees and dandelions are particularly bad offenders. You might have to clear the fins weekly or even daily during the spring “cotton” season! Always begin by shutting off the electrical power (Photo 1). Then proceed with the cleaning (Photos 2 - 4).

If the fan motor (Photo 3) has lubrication ports, apply five drops of special oil for electric motors (not penetrating or all-purpose oil). You can find oil for electric motors at hardware stores. Many fan motors are maintenance-free—they don't have oil ports (ours doesn't) and can't be lubricated. Check your owner's manual if unsure. The compressor and its motor sit inside the coil (Fig. A). They're usually sealed and won't need maintenance. However, if you have an older compressor that's belt-driven by a separate motor, lubricate the motor through its oil ports. In every case, keep an eye out for dark drip marks on the bottom of the compressor case or pad (Photo 5). This indicates an oil leak; the compressor or tubes might be leaking coolant (refrigerant) as well. If you find a leak, call in a pro to check the problem. Don't tighten joints to try to stop leaks yourself! Over-tightening can make the problem worse. And only a pro with proper equipment can recharge the system to the proper level of coolant.