Compressor Blanket available as add-on?

[fognozz]

Looking into quieting the compressor on our Trane 2 1/2 ton 12SEER unit -it works fine, but it would be better if a little quieter.

I will be using an HVAC pro to do the install, but I wanted to check on the availability of "after market" compressor blankets, since it does not seem to be a "standard" option from Trane for the 2 1/2 ton unit.

Thanks!

[BaldLoonie]

Your Trane dealer can order the exact cover from Trane. They are available on some models. That cover would be available for the XR12 too, just not standard on the 2.5 ton.

[tpa-fl]

Is there any downside to using a comp. blanket? I'm wondering if it'd trap moisture/heat & shorten the life of the comp?

[Black Adder]

All the American Standard units we are installing these days come with a blanket on the compressor, I would have thought that Trane branded units would have them as well. I am sure they are available as an option, if not talk to an American Standard dealer as they for sure have them. We used to use them on units that we were shipping to Japan (houses are only 6 feet apart, quite a bit of echoing without sound blanket)

[BaldLoonie]

The Allegiance 11/XR11 has a 1/2 blanket on the big old noisy recip. The 12s have full blanket on the 1.5 and 2 ton because of the recip, above that they use a scroll with no cover. The 14s use scroll with a cover, the dealer can order that cover and there is no reason it can't be used on the 12s.

[docholiday]

No downside to a blanket I can think of. The compressor is cooled by refrigerant and has no need for air cooling.

[Black Adder]

You are right BaldLoonie, we install mostly Allegiance 11 as we have no need for higher efficiency in our climate. In fact in running the numbers, the payback between 10 SEER and 14 SEER units in our climate is 157 years. Pretty hard to upsell the customer when we use AC so little. Cost of running AC in our area is less than 100 bucks for the whole year.

[fognozz]

Thanks for all the info!

Guess it's just my luck to have the 2 1/2 ton unit, one of the few that does not get a blanket installed...but I'm glad I got the scroll compressor.

So I'll have my HVAC guy order the one for the Trane 14SEER, as suggested.

Thanks again!

[fognozz]

I just took a look at the Trane 12SEER R-410 models (I have an R-22 system) and all of those units (including the 2 1/2 ton) have compressor blankets.....those bums....

Any thoughts as to why? Is an R-410 system noisier by nature? Or did they just include it in the newer systems as an upgrade?

I note that the dB rating is 78 for the unblanketed R-22 system, and only reduced to 74 for the blanketed R-410 system.

[tpa-fl]

Keep in mind that the decibel scale is logrithmic, so a 4dB change is a noticable difference. 74dB is still pretty loud in my book, but I'm sure there's far worse out there.

[BaldLoonie]

We put in an Allegiance 12 R410a unit couple weeks ago. It didn't have a cover. I didn't think any XR12/Allegiance 12 unit did except the 1.5 and 2 ton with recips.

Anyway, the parts list for the XR12 R410a unit doesn't say it comes with a cover. The part # from the XLi 2.5 ton is ATT0109 so should fit your unit.