-
Fins damaged on air conditioner condenser
Looking for a second opinion. Purchasing a home and just had home inspection which noted:
"Rust and deterioration noted on the compressor housing.
Deteriorated fins"
The home inspector was sure the damage was done by the owner's dog urinating on the condensor. I asked for the condensors to be repaired/replaced and the home owner responded that the damage was "purely cosmetic" and caused by a nearby sprinkler head, which was later capped off.
Should I be concerned or push for a credit since its seems the lifetime and/or efficiency of the A/C unit would be compromised by the damage to the fins etc? I believe the A/C unit is 13 years old and I tried to attach a picture below. Any help or comments is much appreciated!
-
-
Usually, dog urine eats away the aluminum fins also.
-
Not saying anything is written in stone, but a 13 year old unit that looks like that is probably going to be up for replacement sooner rather then later.
That coil will impact efficiency, but the unit should still operate
“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” - Vince Lombardi
"In this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics" - Homer Simpson
Local 486 Instructor & Service Technician
-
I wouldn't lose much sleep over that one, doesn't look bad.
Now Sis's, it has a huge hole in the fins from some neighborhood mutt. Still cools fine.
-
13 years is nearing the end of it's expected life anyways. If it breaks, I doubt it could be directly tied to those small areas of damage on the condenser. Go ahead and ask for a discount if you want, just keep this in mind.
It's like buying a 13 year old car that's rusty and has some dents. It might still run fine and last a few more years, or it might not. It's hard to tell just by looking at a small picture on the internet.
-
You could negotiate for replacement but is it worth losing the house?
-
Post Likes - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Looks like 1/2 of the one's I check.
Dog pee will be confined to the bottom 1/4 or so with the salt eating the aluminum. I've seen them look like a ribcage with just the tubing left.Washing one with cleaner only enhances the problem.
Trying to figure out the "hole's" as hail would flatten the fins and same with abuse.
You'll be changing it soon and need to negotiate this aspect if possible.
What's the rest of the system look like would be of concern as well.
Thing about inspections is as long as the equipment is in "working condition" the owner is not responsible for anything but you have the option to dicker with them on the repairs escrow and use that to help upgrade to what YOU want.
-
-
When it's time to replace , for the most part new units have louvered sheet metal side panels that protects the coil much better than these types.
-
I have never seen dog urine cause that much damage... but I don't know how big the dogs were!
the lower left of the image, shows typical dog urine damage, the holes appear to be hail or lawnmower debris... check the siding for similar dents...
yes, efficiency is going to be impacted by the damage.
see if you can get anything off for the obvious wear and tear of the equipment, but don't hold your breath. actually, plan to have a full load calculation performed and efficiency evaluation of the house. I think you will find the equipment wear is the least important. ductwork age, and leaky, undersized for the equipment is more likely.
negotiate for discount, or new equipment... take the discount. apply it towards a better matched system for your new house!
-
Originally Posted by
wahoowa
Looking for a second opinion. Purchasing a home and just had home inspection which noted:
"Rust and deterioration noted on the compressor housing.
Deteriorated fins"
The home inspector was sure the damage was done by the owner's dog urinating on the condensor. I asked for the condensors to be repaired/replaced and the home owner responded that the damage was "purely cosmetic" and caused by a nearby sprinkler head, which was later capped off.
Should I be concerned or push for a credit since its seems the lifetime and/or efficiency of the A/C unit would be compromised by the damage to the fins etc? I believe the A/C unit is 13 years old and I tried to attach a picture below. Any help or comments is much appreciated!
That coil looks like poop.
Not cosmetic.
FYI, I doubt you'll find a replacement coil for that unit, nor would it make sense to repair.
"Better tell the sandman to stay away, because we're gonna be workin on this one all night."
"Dude, you need more than 2 wires to a condenser to run a 2 stage heatpump."
"Just get it done son."
Dad adjusted