Alco, made in Mexico ! And proud of it ?

[cctrol]

I opened an Alco EK 303 liquid line drier today. As I prepared to install it, I noticed that it had 1/2" flare connections. GREAT, I thought, as I blamed myself for pulling the wrong drier from inventory.
Nope, the drier is marked as an EK 303, it was packaged as an EK 303, but it ain't an EK 303.
I get back to the shop, and I begin wondering how many in stock may be mislabeled. I start pulling boxes and checking, this is the only one mislabeled, but I found 3 with slack caps and one with the cap completely off.
I am seriously thinking of switching to Sporlan if this becomes a problem. As it is, I have reservations about using the questionable driers.
Is anyone else having problems with ALCO sealing or packaging their product?

[condenseddave]

Just switch to Sporlan. They make a better product all around.

Emerson should just shut down Alco and concentrate on Copeland compressors and CPC controls, and the other gazillion companies they bought in the last decade.

Alco makes the worst components in the business. Always have, always will. I won't spend a penny with them.

[mark beiser]

Cut open an Alco drier, you will find mostly fiberglass. About 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume of the canister is loose descant retained by a couple of screens.

Cut open a Sporlan drier, you will find a solid block of descant that fills about 80% of the volume of the canister.

Alco filter driers are not even in the same clas as Sporlan, never have been.

[andserco]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by condenseddave
[B]Just switch to Sporlan. They make a better product all around.

Agree 100%

[westcoast refer man]

I unfortunately tried one of those free Alco EK driers they were giving away when you bought a Copeland compressor this summer. The counter guy pushed it on me. I figured why not? it's just a drier. I'll never take a free drier again! Should have stayed with the tried and true Sporlan. I suspected the system was dirtier than normal when I changed the compressor, but didn't realize just how bad it was. Got a call back about a week later. Warm box, but the liquid line sight glass was clear, suction line just barely cool. Took a look at the evap coil and could tell it wasn't doing much. Fortunately the Sporlan tev had a removable strainer on it so I pumped the system down and took a look. Guess what I found? Yep, those little white and grey beads from that piece of crap made in Mexico. Fortunately, I also put in a Sporlan suction line drier that I had on the truck when I changed the compressor.

Cut the EK out, put in a Sporlan, changed the suction line drier again (Sporlan of course) and let her rip. When I got back to the shop, I cut the EK in half to take a look at it. The fiberglass did have a lot of junk in it, but many of the "beads" had pushed their way into the fiberglass at the outlet and then gone into the system. What a piece of crap that EK is. I've heard of this happening before but had never seen it for myself. No more driers from mexico, no more Alco driers even if they are free!

[Green Mountain]

Sporlan still #1 in my book.

[baub]

Sporlan is being bought out by Parker-Hannifin.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/08/02/daily12.html

Better stock up now, they will be making Sporlan in Mexico before you know it!

[Swampfox]

The Alco driers are bad for leaking also, I've cut tons out of the older ICP equipment, some bright soul thought it to be a good idea to stick a sponge under them so they stay wet all the time :rolleyes:

[Roscoe]

Originally posted by baub
Sporlan is being bought out by Parker-Hannifin.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/08/02/daily12.html

Better stock up now, they will be making Sporlan in Mexico before you know it!

NAFTA whose idea was this anyway??

What's gonna happen when the mexicallies got all our manufacturing and they strike for higher wages, What then??

We are stuck with empty factories,no tooling and no trained blue collar workers.
The government will let those mexicallies run across the borders and take the jobs, health benefits and they won't pay any taxes for 5 yr's as a minority business then they'll sell it to their cousin Chico. And we the people will be standing in the well????? fair line.

We should a closed our borders years ago.

And the rich get richer Demo's or Repub's turn them upside down they are ALL politicians who will screw you in a heart beat.

jmho
pjs

[coolwhip]

Originally posted by pjs

Originally posted by baub
Sporlan is being bought out by Parker-Hannifin.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/08/02/daily12.html

Better stock up now, they will be making Sporlan in Mexico before you know it!

NAFTA whose idea was this anyway??

What's gonna happen when the mexicallies got all our manufacturing and they strike for higher wages, What then??

We are stuck with empty factories,no tooling and no trained blue collar workers.
The government will let those mexicallies run across the borders and take the jobs, health benefits and they won't pay any taxes for 5 yr's as a minority business then they'll sell it to their cousin Chico. And we the people will be standing in the well????? fair line.

We should a closed our borders years ago.

And the rich get richer Demo's or Repub's turn them upside down they are ALL politicians who will screw you in a heart beat.

jmho
pjs How right you are!!!!!

[mark beiser]

Ahhhhh, another Libertarian is born, it warms my heart. ;)

[Roscoe]

Originally posted by mark beiser
Ahhhhh, another Libertarian is born, it warms my heart. ;)

If Your discription of a liberatarion is ?? Websters then yes, but I wasn't just born I've always been an Independent mind. Mark

We need a viable third party
And Maybe a constitutional change 1-one- term 6 years, and break up the political system. Dem's & Rep's are all self serving a** holes


jmho

[Roscoe]

Any now back to NAFTA

both the political parties pushed for it.

And hence

The Screwing of the middle class,for their own gain.

[our ancestors]

[hard working tax paying, make life better for the next generation minded type]

built this country, damn it!!

we deserve the rewards.

we are getting screwed

[tinner73]

has ANYTHING that is made of quality ever come out of Mexico????? or even worse, China??? whenever i see that box that says made in China (you all know the one, with the red letters) i'm assured it's just another piece of low quality $hit. i beleive, if the Mexican standard of living was somehow raised to be close to ours, and they wouldn't work for nothing, the manufacturing companies would have no reason to produce down there. Canada's standard of living is like ours, you never hear of those damn Canucks taking the work.

[cctrol]

OK, let me see if I have gotten the message correct, 'cause you guys were so vague.....
It seems that the concensus is that you all prefer Sporlan over Alco, and I should just switch to Sporlan.

Is that what you are saying?????

Come on, I need clear, concise answers.

hahaha!

[cctrol]

Originally posted by tinner73
has ANYTHING that is made of quality ever come out of Mexico?????

Salma Hayek is the only thing that comes my mind!
woof! woof!

[Edmund Forsthe]

well the illegals will work their butts off for lower than minimum wage, sleep six to a room, and not complain abouth the food.

[Roscoe]

Originally posted by Edmund Forsthe
well the illegals will work their butts off for lower than minimum wage, sleep six to a room, and not complain abouth the food.

I agree they're hard working people, but wait to see what happens once they learn the ropes. They will get on the gravy train and we will be supporting them, just like the rest.

[Andy Schoen]

Originally posted by baub
Sporlan is being bought out by Parker-Hannifin.

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/08/02/daily12.html

Better stock up now, they will be making Sporlan in Mexico before you know it!

I suspect we'll be making Catch-Alls in Washington, Missouri for many more years... :)

[espock]

Big chance that the motherboard of your computer if not the whole box is made is China (or Taiwan).
The rule is if there is one part of the whole assembly done in the US, that qualifies to put "made in USA" on the box. Big guys like Dell, HP have their whole box made overseas, they just throw in the power cord and close the box and declare it "made-in-usa".

[Dowadudda]

Where else can one come on the net, where you find people that can talk about refrigeration, specifically filter driers in general and quality between the two biggest makers of the components in question, and somehow, and in some way, in the same breath, then debate about the effectiveness of the two major and one minor poltical parties.

Thats America..

[Dowadudda]

Originally posted by Dowadudda
Where else can one come on the net, where you find people that can talk about refrigeration, specifically filter driers in general and quality between the two biggest makers of the components in question, and somehow, and in some way, in the same breath, then debate about the effectiveness of the two major and one minor poltical parties.

Sporlan Filter Driers and The Republican Party.

Thats America..

[Andy Schoen]

Originally posted by Dowadudda
Sporlan Filter Driers and The Republican Party.

Thats America..


Dowadudda, you're suggesting we monode mark little elephants on our filter-driers? :D

[Dowadudda]

It's not a bad Idea.

[frozensolid]

I think the American Flag would be more appropriate.

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by Andy Schoen

Originally posted by Dowadudda
Sporlan Filter Driers and The Republican Party.

Thats America..


Dowadudda, you're suggesting we monode mark little elephants on our filter-driers? :D

I'd buy more.:p

[btu-mafia]

Andy - You left out a few items.

God, apple pie, Sporlan Filter Driers and the Republican Party

[dean martin]

Andy are all Sporlan products (including Standard Machine that makes solenoid valves for Sporlan) made in USA?

All major sub components like brass forgings, etc made in good 'ol Washington, MO?

[RoBoTeq]

How do you guys feel about Parker?

[condenseddave]

Not overly thrilled, but they make some decent larger valves.

[Andy Schoen]

Originally posted by dean martin
Andy are all Sporlan products (including Standard Machine that makes solenoid valves for Sporlan) made in USA?


We obtain a few ball valves, and temperature/defrost controllers and sensors overseas. Otherwise, Sporlan products are made in the U.S. Someone here figured that over 99.9 percent of our products are made in the U.S.


Originally posted by dean martin
All major sub components like brass forgings, etc made in good 'ol Washington, MO?

We're vertically integrated, but we haven't gotten around to making our own forgings yet. :) Our brass, steel, and forging suppliers are U.S. based.

[Green Mountain]

In 30 years every thing will be made in the USA again. It is just a big pendulum.

[Dowadudda]

I hope your right Benny. And I hope it's sooner than that.