Now this is an old condensing unit

[backbeatkeeper]

Saw this on a roof covered by a wooden doghouse. I've been trying to get it from the owner, but for some reason they won't let go of it


http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8126/workphotos0675mv.jpg

[gbfromsd]

Sure is a beauty. Even comes with a wasp nest.

[thegoodhumorman]

oh man I LOVE those oversized flare nuts-
they get me laughing everytime-
Duh why wont the flare wrench fit...
duh..

[bigbaldito]

Thats a nice one. I had a 20 h.p. Carrier which looked like that. Ran like a champ kept freezer at -10 no problem, till seal leaked. replaced seal once then the unit the next time. Unit was from 1954, they dont make them like that anymore.

[Wild Leg]

Reminds me of a job I lost to to a low bid.

A dead K-body at a momandpop got replaced with something similar.

Way oversized, but slowed down with a pulley change.

It pumped away for many more years.
It was still working when they tore the building down.

Junk man made an air compressor out of it.

[Dowadudda]

I still got a few belt driven units I service. They last..

[icemeister]

The unit looks kinda like a 1/3-1/2 hp Brunner (pre-Dunham-Bush) but the compressor body might be a Frick.

I haven't seen a working belt drive like that for twenty years. I have a customer whose family owned the local dairy and they still have a couple of 10 hp Curtis belt drives from the late forties that were used for the main cooler. They haven't run for over fifteen years though. :(

I'll have to get some pics one day.

[condenseddave]

Originally posted by icemeister
The unit looks kinda like a 1/3-1/2 hp Brunner (pre-Dunham-Bush) but the compressor body might be a Frick.

I haven't seen a working belt drive like that for twenty years. I have a customer whose family owned the local dairy and they still have a couple of 10 hp Curtis belt drives from the late forties that were used for the main cooler. They haven't run for over fifteen years though. :(

I'll have to get some pics one day.

I've got an old store full of them, all running. Owned by a national chain, BTW.:eek:

Yep, they know about them, nope they don't wanna do nothin about 'em...

[gonefishing]

When I left the field last year, I had two systems simular
to that still in operation.
Old Dunham Busch 1 h.p. on R-12 @ -10 on CO fire
supression systems for Combustion Turbines at a PowerPlant.
They have six systems, four of which I had to retrofit to
Copeland skids on 404A. The retrofit was fun, but I hated to
see the old D/B's go.

[Dowadudda]

where did you the field to go?

[Dowadudda]

where did you leave the field to go?

[gonefishing]

Dow,

Can't afford to go too deep into that here, if you get
my drift, but sorta tech support kinda thing. Good ole'
lazy work. Still get to do some hands on, but inside a
lot too. I miss the field, but I got a good shot at
going inside, so I took it.


Regards.......

[belew]

Hey guys.

I have 5 dunham busch water cooled condensers. I need to find a replacement for the compressor and condensor coils or just replace the fouled out condenser coils if the cost is too much. The condenser coil is a tube n tube with a separate reciever tank.

Here are the model numbers:
WH6CL x2
WH15L x2
WH7L

Thanks,

S

[gunterconrad]

i have a few of these around town that i work on. you can't kill them. i know, i've tried.

[belew]

Do you know a direct replacement for the condensing coils? These are fouled out and we have to continuously run pcw through them for cooling.

[4x4freak]

I rescued this one from a friend's junk pile this summer. I dont remember what the brand was on the nameplate.

[mdharris68]

If you dump in enough liquid, you can realy make those belts squeel. :D

We have a few of those still running around here.

[belew]

Not as cool as the belt drives...but the compressor has a cooling loop!

What are some modern manufacturers of condensing units?

[icemeister]

Do you know a direct replacement for the condensing coils? These are fouled out and we have to continuously run pcw through them for cooling.

The ones in those pics appear to be Dunham-Bush CIC condensers which were discontinued back in the late 1970's and replaced by their CTTC product line. I believe they stopped making the the CTTC's when production moved overseas to Malaysia, so the closest substitute would likely be the ELT line from Standard Refrigeration:

http://www.stanref.com/pdfs/catalog.pdf

See page 14 in the catalog.

[pecmsg]

Not as cool as the belt drives...but the compressor has a cooling loop!

What are some modern manufacturers of condensing units?

Dam I have that same condenser in my barn. God I’m getting old.

[belew]

Well I am looking to replace the Dunham Busch Condenser coils with Doucette Industries Coaxial Coils. The coils do NOT have ports for cleaning. So they are less expensive then the REL models Doucette offers. The problem I am facing is that I want these coils to use 50ºF EWT chilled water instead of 85ºF EWT and I have R-12 instead of R-22 which they have performance specs on. So I am considering taking the horsepower of the compressor lets say a 1 hp and getting the next smaller size. Would this make sense since I have a lower EWT? or should I take a closer look.

Refrigeration newbie.

Thanks

-S

[icemeister]

The difference in the condenser's capacity between R22 and R12 is negligible....like within a few percent, so I'd recommend going with the R22 ratings as your guide for selection.

As for downsizing the condenser because of the lower inlet water temperature, I'd have to say to stick with the ratings as listed for 85ºF tower water. The smaller condenser would result in a higher refrigerant-side pressure drop which would affect your performance. The water-side would only see a lower flowrate as determined by the setting of your water regulating valve.

[cool_one747]

Hi Backbeat,

Why would you want old crap like that sitting around?? It's not really that old in the sceme of things as it was designed for R12.

A few months ago I decommissioned a system that was designed for sulpher dioxide. Now THAT's old.

Prior to WW11 my Dad built compressors for large refrigeration and freezer plants that were sent all over Australia. Dad lived in Melbourne, 2000 miles from me in Brisbane. We drove past the local brewery one day and one of the compressors he built is on display out the front. The flywheel is about 10 feet in diameter.

Regards,

Trevor Judd
Second generation air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic with over 35 years experience.

[surfref32]

Here's a little guy a friend has in front of his shop. I like old machines.

[Freezeking2000]

I still got a few belt driven units I service. They last..

I know of at least one still running a deli case here.

[MikeySq]

The ones in those pics appear to be Dunham-Bush CIC condensers which were discontinued back in the late 1970's .

late 70's? I've got one of those old tube in tube units still running away in a cooler here, older than I am so it's gotta be built good, this old unit is running on city water too which is really hard and is not very forgiving on the newer coaxial condensers

I just replaced an old belt drive condensing unit with a copeland scroll powerd Russell condensing unit Last May T'was an old beast!
-Mike

[belew]

Icemaster,

Could you explain why there would be a higher pressure drop from downsizing the condenser coil. I would expect a higher pressure drop in correlation to rejecting more heat with the bigger condenser coil. I hope you can clear this up for me.

Thanks,

-S

[luskys a/c]

I love to see units older than myself...makes me fell like need to sit down with the unit and listen to what it may say about the times of past....:rolleyes: