Reply to Thread

Thread relocated to General

Lumbar cushion or rolled up towel should be included with every Chevy van ....


Cranes are for Removed Comment ,,,my fictional manager says as he walks away bent over on his way to get his back "shots"

Don't let anyone convince you to abuse your body . When your disabled they won't keep you on the payroll

Thanks for the tip about the towel. I service things as far as 6 hours away in a 2006 Ford with 200k on it. My lower back is just about shot from it. We run service vans to about 300k. They look like crap.

Originally Posted by rscamaro

I once dropped a 2 hp copeland semi-h off a roof of a mall. It hit the grass and just dissapeared, just a mud spot in the shape of the compressor was left. Its probably still there.

...Ron

LOL! Hilarious!

Originally Posted by freonrick

throwing the compressor off isn't a good idea either. I knew a guy that threw a 5 ton compressor off the back of a McDonalds and when it hit it sprayed oil all over the side of the building and bushes.

I once dropped a 2 hp copeland semi-h off a roof of a mall. It hit the grass and just dissapeared, just a mud spot in the shape of the compressor was left. Its probably still there.

...Ron

Originally Posted by Antarctic Fox

You can use a simple one-to-one pulley system to get a hermetic on/off the roof when you don't have a crane. If you're lucky enough to have an RTU close to the edge of the roof, you can attach a single-sheave pulley to it to use this method. After you've pulled out the old compressor, you place it on the edge of the roof, attach one end of the rope to it, run your rope through the pulley, attach the other end to the compressor on the ground. If you're swapping like-for-like, then both compressors will balance each other out to where you hardly have to exert yourself when you pull the compressor up. Even if you have a slightly different compressor, you only have to lift the difference in the weight between the two. As you pull the new compressor up, the old one gets lowered to the ground. And since they both weigh the same, you can just stop to take a break whenever you want and leave them hanging mid-lift. I've done this with hermetics up to 6 tons with no problems.

I'd like to know more about this pulley system. So if you're on the roof of a house, which typically the unit will not be near the edge...How do you set up the pulley? I know sometimes our guys end up having to get them up with out any help or crane. But if it is a heavier compressor, then usually one guy pushes it up the ladder while it's still in the box, there is a rope tied to it also with another guy on the roof pulling as well.

For years I carry a towel which I roll up and place between my lower back and the seat and it help greatly.

Originally Posted by freonrick

throwing the compressor off isn't a good idea either. I knew a guy that threw a 5 ton compressor off the back of a McDonalds and when it hit it sprayed oil all over the side of the building and bushes.

You're no fun. Just leave that oil in there, seal up the suction and discharge, and toss it over the side. But first make sure you heat it up with the torch for a good minute after you seal it up. It'll be just like tossing a big oil-and-shrapnel filled water balloon.

Fortunately I haven't had anything terrible happen YET.... but there's still tomorrow. Thanks for the warning.

throwing the compressor off isn't a good idea either. I knew a guy that threw a 5 ton compressor off the back of a McDonalds and when it hit it sprayed oil all over the side of the building and bushes.

Thanks for the tip. And I agree on your words of wisdom. I'm just sorry I didn't learn it before screwing my back up. Fortunately the surgery worked for me and my back is good. Just have to keep it that way.

Also, if you tell the service manager or the salesmen that you know this "trick", then they'll never, ever include a boom truck or crane in a hermetic changeout bid on anything under 7.5t for you again. It's just nice to know for those times when those guys low ball a bid and don't get you one. Always nice to let a machine do all that back-breaking work for you in the safest way possible. As I always say, "I'm not getting hurt so that someone else can be comfortable."

"How could you keep the compressors from sliding up against the wall of the building as you get them up and down?"

I've only ever done this on the back sides of buildings where it doesn't really matter if I bang up the wall (which I haven't). I only concern myself with not damaging the new compressor on the way up, and I've yet to damage one. I suppose if you have a helper with you that you could secure a tag line to the new compressor to keep it from rolling around and banging the suction or discharge ports against the wall. Seems like every one that I've lifted, though, tends to lean away from the wall since the lifting eye is located on the side of the top of the compressor shell. You don't get the thrill of giving the old compressor the "express elevator", though.
Speaking from experience, don't ever give an 06D the "express elevator" treatment into a flower bed unless you really intend to just bury it right there.

a ladder crane works fairly good if you dont exceed the weight. but watch out for osha working that close to the edge of the roof or be sure you are tied off like they want you to.

Genius idea. I've never heard or thought of that. As you mentioned its best to have the available roof top unit next to the edge but even if it were in 10 or 20 feet I imagine its still possible. Also I guess you would need the pulley facing the right way. Correct? Also a question. How could you keep the compressors from sliding up against the wall of the building as you get them up and down? Thanks for the idea.
Mark

You can use a simple one-to-one pulley system to get a hermetic on/off the roof when you don't have a crane. If you're lucky enough to have an RTU close to the edge of the roof, you can attach a single-sheave pulley to it to use this method. After you've pulled out the old compressor, you place it on the edge of the roof, attach one end of the rope to it, run your rope through the pulley, attach the other end to the compressor on the ground. If you're swapping like-for-like, then both compressors will balance each other out to where you hardly have to exert yourself when you pull the compressor up. Even if you have a slightly different compressor, you only have to lift the difference in the weight between the two. As you pull the new compressor up, the old one gets lowered to the ground. And since they both weigh the same, you can just stop to take a break whenever you want and leave them hanging mid-lift. I've done this with hermetics up to 6 tons with no problems.

Sorry about the "double" post. And as a follow up. Others have great suggestions about lumbar support. I agree with them. Just want to give a little advice to all... Don't do as I have done.... after 33 years in this field with two back surgeries behind me due to blowing out disc's from lifting. Just be careful out there and don't let sales guys take advantage of you. It hurts!

I went on a job once where the sales guy doing the bid asked me if I would "donate" the 5 hour travel time to and from the job. (NO! was my reply) After pulling the compressor on the roof through the roof hatch and installing it then getting the bad compressor off the roof (fortunately I could drop it off instead of taking down the ladder) I found myself the next day going to the chiropractor to try to get my ba k feeling any better. Only to find out a few weeks later that this sales man who did the bid had included a crane as part of the bill without letting me know about it. Ironically this same sales man had broken his back as a service tech and went into sales due to injuries. Why do I tell you this story? Because perhaps its more that than your drivers seat that is causing your pain. Just a thought.

I went on a job once where the sales guy doing the bid asked me if I would "donate" the 5 hour travel time to and from the job. (NO! was my reply) After pulling the compressor on the roof through the roof hatch and installing it then getting the bad compressor off the roof (fortunately I could drop it off instead of taking down the ladder) I found myself the next day going to the chiropractor to try to get my ba k feeling any better. Only to find out a few weeks later that this sales man who did the bid had included a crane as part of the bill without letting me know about it. Ironically this same sales man had broken his back as a service tech and went into sales due to injuries. Why do I tell you this story? Because perhaps its more that than your drivers seat that is causing your pain. Just a thought.

I concur with NDJ22. Your back pain is probably coming from poor (or no) lumbar support. I recently had to drive the shop beater while my truck was in for repairs after getting a love tap from an International 4300 tow truck. Long story short, this thing was 12 years old with a quarter million miles on it, and it was killing my back. If you don't want to drop any cash on a lumbar support pillow, then try out this trick that a physical therapist friend taught me: fold a bath towel long ways, roll it up like a cylinder, and then tie it with a shoestring (or electrical tape, just something to keep it from unrolling on you). Put this behind your low back when you're in the van. This'll help give your back some of the support that it needs, and force you to sit with better posture (the idea being to keep the curve in your spine when you sit). My regular truck has lumbar support, and I don't have to deal with back pain when driving it, but I've found this towel method helpful to keep me from slumping over whilst driving other vans.