Big time golf clubhouse...

[amickracing]

I think it's even a PGA rated course too... Red Rock just out side of Rapid City, SD.

This place is a constant job. We installed a RTU in there because the other 3 A/C's couldn't keep up when it was hot out. 1 is a newer A/S unit, the other 2 are old Lennox Pulse's.

Anyway, get a call, it's getting hot in the dining area. I get there, praying the whole way it's not one of these 2 units. Sure enough, it is. I head into the crawl space, check the filter (they are known for not changing them), and it's pretty clean, fan is running. Under the deck I go. It was warm outside, but down right hot under this deck. I figured it was the 1st unit since the other one was doing a good job of heating me.

Contactor pulled in but nothing is happening. Check the fan motor and it's shot. Give them a price to fix it, they say go ahead, and I also strongly encouraged them (again) to think about replacing them before they absolutely need to. So, I go get a motor and throw in the beast, it spins away, but the compressor is out on over load (still).

Meanwhile, as I was just starting to put the motor in I heard some bangs plonk down above me, I didn't think much of it. Well, when I heard the last crash I could tell it was aluminum cans, and that last bag must have been enough to poke a hole in the bottom of the bottom bag... douching me with warm stale beer (and lord knows what else). So, 30 minutes later I get the unit cooled off enough to run, check pressures and it was a bit low, but not enough to make me think big leak. So I dump some in, get it running (as good as can be expected anyway) and head away.

Next day we get a call, it's making a lot of noise and it sounds funny. I get out there only to hear the compressor. Now I don't know the technical side behind this, but it honestly sounded like it was grinding some coffee beans for it's morning dose of caffine. Then it occured to me, compressors don't drink coffee... Checked the pressures, they are high (mighty high), but considering it was 130 deg under the deck (and only 90 outside) I'd say it's doing all it can. Told them there's nothing I can do for it, it's just doing it's death rattle... it's going to die someday. Once again told them to work on replacing them sometime soon when we have the free time, not to wait until the last moment when it dies on a friday afternoon and they want one thrown in that day.

Haven't heard back yet... this was a month or so ago.

*edit... betchall would like a picture eh?

P.S. on that unit in the back there's less than 1" clearance between the top of it and the deck. Both units are about 4" deep in pine needles.

[Edited by amickracing on 07-08-2006 at 04:48 PM]

[thoglow]

Freaking golf courses.Every member is the owner.No one can make up their minds.One thing is for certain no one wants to see condensing units.

[Shophound]

It doesn't strike anybody at the 19th hole that those condensers need just a tad bit more air to breath? Obviously not. Appearances must be kept up...can't have a butt-ugly, buzzing box offending the tender senses of the members, can we? But when the thing dies, oh just replace it right where it sits...who cares if another unit gets murdered? Aesthetics rule!

[tinner73]

can you move them to the roof?

[amickracing]

Don't go there man! lol

Actually we "might" be able to sneak them through a corner of the kitchen, maybe. I'm only going to bring that idea up after these units die... for some reason I expect they'd think we could move them old POS units up there and they'd work fine lol.

[el kabong]

Typical of "rich" people or customers. Won't spend any money to fix it properly or replace it in a timely manner. They always think you're trying to rip them off or you're not as smart as they are.

[amickracing]

Just passing through this section and forgot I didn't update this thread.

About 2 weeks ago, or about 1-2 months after I worked on that unit last, it died. Of course, my idea of "lets replace it while we have time" idea... well that's a stupid idea!

So they call on a thursday night, it's gettin hot in there and they have a big tourniment going on that coming weekend and need cooling. Bossman sends me out there to swap the coil out, run a new lineset, remove old junk and put a new A/C in there... alone...

Actually it turned out mighty nice and went pretty smooth.. Threw a new A/S coil on the old Pulse furnace, set the new A/C out in front of the deck. Big guy there threw a fit, wanted it under the deck, even though it wouldn't fit... I told em it was either in front of the deck or no A/C. With the kind help of the sparkies I ran the linset. Thier 5 minutes of assistance took a couple hours off my time trying to fish a 45' lineset across a crawlspace and under a deck.

Overall it turned out pretty good and managed to be packing up at 4 (8 hours total, but probably only 5 hours on the job with parts running and building new metal).

Now just waiting for the other time bombs to die, and really not looking forward to them pulse furnaces having problems since I know jack about em.

[BaldLoonie]

Somebody bypass the pressure switch on that HS-18? Otherwise you'd think it would shut off about as fast as you reset it. I went out on one of them. Bushes had grown up over it and it didn't appreciate it. Guy says: can you fix it? Nope but you can, get your trimmer out. Boy did he! Cooling was more important than bushes

[amickracing]

Yup, there was no safety's on that system (well, the A/C part) when I looked at it the 1st time. I figured who am I to create more problems by putting them back in. The systems are old POS's anyway, and that wouldn't make em last longer... so I left em out lol.

[rrajecki]

Originally posted by thoglow
Freaking golf courses.Every member is the owner.No one can make up their minds.One thing is for certain no one wants to see condensing units.

Maybe I'm weird (well, there's really no maybe about that), or maybe I've just been involved in the HVAC industry too long, but I don't understand why people don't like to see the units. I actually think a/c units are kind of cool-looking. (NO PUN intended, seriously). I don't know, maybe it's just me.

[amickracing]

I hear ya!
Now I wouldn't want one sitting on my front deck... but I honestly wouldn't have any problems with it being visible from the road, I'd be kind of proud!

But I guess it's not much different than exposed duct. Especially in the right situation I think exposed duct looks awesome. I wish I could figure a way to have the duct exposed in my basement, look cool, and get the better half to agree with my idea lol

[rrajecki]

Check out the Quality Home Comfort Awards in the July issue (or online at http://www.contractingbusiness.com). One of this year's winners put exposed spiral duct in the upstairs of a multi-million $ home, and it looks great. Not to mention all the hip, cool restaurants and bars that are moving into rehabbed warehouse space here in Cleveland (and, I'm sure, elsewhere), have exposed duct.. We're just trend-setters!

[lennoxman]

No water cooled condensing units as an option?

[Random Guy]

No pic of the new unit or the guy's face when you told him that the unit could not fit under the deck?

[JBM1000]

I thought they only did that in Oklahoma

[exhussmann]

The company I currently work for actually had to send out a letter to dealers, that this type of install would cancel all warranty.

Not sure witch was worse.

[maximumtech]

Maybe you should stop installing units under the deck! That would probably help the cooling instead of just adding more units until it cools down in the building.

[ISOTHERMAL]

Maybe you should stop installing units under the deck! That would probably help the cooling instead of just adding more units until it cools down in the building.

I'm not for certian who you are directing this comment at but I am sure that amickracing did not install the units under the deck. But he had to service one, and in doing so was trying to come up with a solution as where to move them to when the time comes to replace them.

[amickracing]

Heh, if it was to me, I wasn't even born when those units were put in, so I'm probably safe

I never thought of it until now.... but I should have proposed to put A/C under the deck to cool the A/C units! Ha! I could make a killing!

[hvacman07]

hey they may have been put in like that for a cheap thrill let a woman stand over that in a dress