best procedure to turn a large air cooled remote condenser

[coldseeker2012]

Good morning to everyone.
Last week I had to go to a remote rural area in order to inspect some new equipment which is to be installed in a refrigerated wharehouse. One of the equipments is a large air cooled vertical discharge remote condenser which is about eight feet wide by 23 feet long. It has 10 fans and weights nearly 5000 pounds. I was surprised to discover that this condenser was shipped on a wooden platform standing on one of its sides. The supporting legs were not installed but inside another box. We were able to pull the platform out of the container with a tractor, and laid it down on a flat surface. My question is: is there any standard procedure for turning this size of a condenser 90 degrees in order to have the fans pointing upwards? To complicate things, there is no way to rent a forklift or a mobile crane in this area, so the job has to be done manually. Any advice welcomed.

[2sac]

So its a verticle discharge and you want to make it a horizontal discharge? Call the mfg and see if that's even possible.

[jackintheboxtec]

So its a verticle discharge and you want to make it a horizontal discharge? Call the mfg and see if that's even possible.

I think he wants to know how to set it up right with out using a crane.

Good luck with that!!

[t527ed]

so you need to roll it 90 deg, and lift it to install the legs?

with the size and weight of that beast i don't see how you would do it without a crane, where are you located?

[Poodle Head Mikey]

What I would do it to haul it up and over past 45º with nylon chokers (or chain) both pulling and hold-back. Where it is going to be set upright I would stack something - like old tires - so that it could fall past / over-center - but not crash down suddenly. Once it was sitting on the tires I would jack up the side on the tires and install wood blocking. Then gradually jack and remove the blocking until it was setting on it's feet.

In fact; maybe I would just pull it over directly onto the blocking - I'd have to be there to say which.

Use two large trucks or tractors or dozers for the pull / hold-backs.

Two guys, two drivers, two hours or less.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

Then you will need some long levers to bolt/chain/attach to the bottom of the unit - picture that these would be vertical initially. Four or five levers - each maybe triple the width of the unit. Then with lines to the top ends of the levers - both pull and hold-back - use four or five guys on each line to pull it over onto something just past over-center. Old tires or the actual blocking.

The levers could be full lengths of 3" sch. 40 iron pipe I would think.

Where is the job located? Does "rural" mean: a farming area? Because . . . what else would they be storing in a refrigerated warehouse? A tractor or three would make it a cakewalk to turn the unit - but I could get it done with a full platoon on site.

[Tommy knocker]

For safeties sake, your not gonna like this, load it back up. Take to a crane, set uprite and attach legs. Set it back on trailer take it back to site. Get 2 gantries and set the unit in place. 5000lbs, 23ft long? Trying to man handle that could get someone killed or crippled. Be smart not brave here.

[Phase Loss]

tie 100,000 helium balloons to it

[GT Jets]

Rural recovery tow truck....Been there and done that. Should be a fairly routine job for them...

[Tommy knocker]

Rural recovery tow truck....Been there and done that. Should be a fairly routine job for them...

That's an awsome idea!! I never thought of that. Some of those are pretty stocky and can definitely get in where a crane can't. Thanks for putting that out.

[jpsmith1cm]

If machinery is out of the question, you may need to resort to a purpose built structure to hoist it.

IMO, the risk of personal injury or damaging expensive equipment it too high trying to fool with this thing without heavy machinery.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

Come on boys! Where's your can-do American Spirit? Can't turn over a lousy little 5000 pound unit without specialized equipment?

Please! <g>

[viceman]

chainfalls,come alongs, chokers etc....