dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
3875

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

[HVAC] Rotted A/C condenser ?

Click for full size
Click for full size
the fins are rotted away on the condenser

does it mean it's time to replace ?

big empty hole there

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

[HVAC] Re: Rotted A/C condenser ?

What caused that?

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

i don't know but it's poorly maintained never been cleaned
it's 25 years old

it says High efficiency but by todays standards it's a low efficiency

Tursiops_G
Technoid
MVM
join:2002-02-06
Brooksville, FL

Tursiops_G

MVM

Any Flooding issues around that unit?
If so, I'd Elevate the replacement unit off the pad by at least 1 course of concrete block...

-Tursiops_G.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell to Anonymous_

Premium Member

to Anonymous_
It's definitely time to replace it! A 25-year-old unit isn't very efficient anyway compared to today's standards and when you remove some of the fins a kids even less efficient. There's certainly no sense to repair a unit that old the replacement is your only viable option.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to Tursiops_G

Premium Member

to Tursiops_G
sprinklers are a issue

dosdoxies
Premium Member
join:2004-12-15
Wallingford, PA

dosdoxies to Anonymous_

Premium Member

to Anonymous_
Probably from all the debris accumulated in the bottom. I take the top off of mine every spring and vacuum out all the leaves and crap. I also cover the top every winter.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to Tursiops_G

Premium Member

to Tursiops_G
yes it's on a concrete block
tomupnorth
join:2005-01-14
UpperMidwest

tomupnorth to Anonymous_

Member

to Anonymous_
Well "rotting" is not the right term but I dunno how those aluminum fins might have gotten stripped-off from those tubes.

You didn't say you were having any problems, but even so if it were mine I would try to block-off those gaps somehow, with some material like sheet metal, just to cover the gaps, on the outside of the unit.

As you may know the fan intends to suck air into-and-up-and-out from the center thereby cooling the fins. Those gaps are large enough that they might let enough air thru the non-finned area of the coil and neglect the rest of the area, the finned area, affecting efficiency. Whether "greatly" or not I dunno.

But I'd at least try it, maybe with just cardboard to start.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_

Premium Member

yea there is problems it stops cooling after a short time I 'd assume the a/c is overheating since the fan slows down and it no longer cools the air

it uses r12 freon which is illegal to recharge if there is a leak. if it does have one

Cho Baka
MVM
join:2000-11-23
there

Cho Baka

MVM

R12? really?
HarryH3
Premium Member
join:2005-02-21

HarryH3 to Anonymous_

Premium Member

to Anonymous_
My sisters house had an a/c unit that looked like that, right where one of their dogs would drench it with a stream of urine pretty much every day.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to Cho Baka

Premium Member

to Cho Baka
said by Cho Baka:

R12? really?

R22

it's says 67oz.

shdesigns
Powered By Infinite Improbabilty Drive
Premium Member
join:2000-12-01
Stone Mountain, GA

shdesigns

Premium Member

It would be R22.
walta
join:2001-05-22
Saint Louis, MO

walta to Anonymous_

Member

to Anonymous_
I think that is the spot where the dog liked to pee.

Walta

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

said by HarryH3:

My sisters house had an a/c unit that looked like that, right where one of their dogs would drench it with a stream of urine pretty much every day.

said by walta:

I think that is the spot where the dog liked to pee.

Walta

You are correct. That is damage from a male dog. Quite common. Pictures:
»www.google.com/search?q= ··· &bih=747

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

1 edit

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Re: Rotted A/C condenser ?

it's the owners problem don't own the place it's rental
the owner is reasonable for the A/C system.
so if it burns out from overheating it's not my problem.

there is some major leaks in the air duct system that will also get fixed

i mean air is leaking in to the garage so it's wasting power it was only 85 in there while 103 outside.
mj3431
join:2003-04-21
STL, MO

mj3431

Member

...and you are the one paying for the electricity being wasted by not having the landlord address that.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

1 recommendation

TheMG to tomupnorth

Premium Member

to tomupnorth

Re: [HVAC] Re: Rotted A/C condenser ?

said by tomupnorth:

Well "rotting" is not the right term but I dunno how those aluminum fins might have gotten stripped-off from those tubes.

Galvanic corrosion.

The coils are made of copper while the fins are aluminum. In the presence of a suitable electrolyte, such as salt water or as someone else mentioned, dog urine, galvanic corrosion takes places. The aluminum gets slowly eaten away as it is converted to aluminum oxide (looks like white powder).

Grumpy4
Premium Member
join:2001-07-28
NW CT

1 edit

Grumpy4 to Anonymous_

Premium Member

to Anonymous_

Re: [HVAC] Rotted A/C condenser ?

After shutting off the circuit breaker that powers the unit, remove the top fan and a good cleaning with spray soap inside and out and a garden hose from the inside out just might help. Most hardware stores have anti mold spray solutions that should be OK for aluminum. Read the label on the spray and go easy with the hose until you see what the fins can take. Some fins will fold over under full water pressure. An annual or more frequent cleaning is best. I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if a cleaning will increase the performance radically.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to mj3431

Premium Member

to mj3431

Re: Rotted A/C condenser ?

it only 100 per month with daily usage
Anonymous_

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Compressor was just checked it was low on freon it only had 1 pound out of 4

no wonder the compressor overheated...the compress is fine and is putting out ice cold air now.

Majestik
World Traveler
Premium Member
join:2001-05-11
Tulsa, OK

1 edit

1 recommendation

Majestik to dosdoxies

Premium Member

to dosdoxies

Re: [HVAC] Re: Rotted A/C condenser ?

said by dosdoxies:

Probably from all the debris accumulated in the bottom. I take the top off of mine every spring and vacuum out all the leaves and crap. I also cover the top every winter.

Same here. Even applied synthetic car wax on the units. After I had the new units installed I found a place online that made custom covers. They just needed the make and serial number of the ACs.
I uncover it after the seeds and stuff fall from the trees and clean it out and cover it before the leaves drop in the fall.
They look like i just bought them yesterday and the cooling fins are perfect.

Another thing I did when I bought my ACs was put a wireless temperature probe in the main duct and made note of the cooling and heating temps so I would know any decline in output. Not much change after over 8 years.