Rheem dillemma
Rheem RA1430AJ1NA (2.5T, 2016) -- no detectable leak, recharged R-410A, good for 10 days, back to low cooling. Ice at TXV. South Florida.
Looking for advice before my next service call. System is 9 years old, and replacement isn't financially on the table right now.
The setup:
- Outdoor unit: Rheem RA1430AJ1NA (2.5 ton, manufactured 01/2016, R-410A, factory charge 87 oz)
- Air handler: Rheem RHIT3617STANJA (manufactured 04/2016)
- TXV: Parker Hannifin 61-105087-04 (BA2000-013)
- Liquid line filter drier: Emerson AOK 08 3S -- original, never replaced, 9 years old
- Location: South Florida
What happened: Cooling efficiency was slowly declining for a few months before I called anyone. Tech came out, found low suction pressure, did a leak search around the condenser and air handler with a sniffer -- found nothing. Charged it up. Cooled great for about 10 days, then back to barely keeping up.
I can see ice forming near the TXV location inside the air handler. Evap coil itself looks clean. Tech mentioned the TXV as a possible cause and said he'd contact Rheem, but hasn't followed up. He also acknowledged his leak detector might not be sensitive enough and suggested getting someone in with better equipment.
My questions:
- The filter drier is original and 9 years old and was never replaced. Could a restricted drier be causing the pressure drop and icing at the TXV, rather than the valve itself being the problem? Should that be replaced first before condemning the TXV?
- Ice at the TXV with no detectable leak -- does this pattern point more toward TXV failure, restricted drier, or a slow leak that wasn't caught?
- Are there leak locations commonly missed by a standard sniffer on this system -- schrader cores, evap coil hairpins -- that a second tech with better equipment should specifically target?
- Is a TXV replacement on a 9-year-old R-410A system worth doing, or is this likely the beginning of broader decline?
Any guidance appreciated. Trying to go into the next service call informed.