Home made tools

[aikenite]

While working on Trane roof top units i made a test box using resisters and a project box. I think Trane actually has a test box they offer their techs. Does anyone know? It is a handy thing to have. Being able to test each mode can make troubleshooting easier.

[wannafreeze]

While working on Trane roof top units i made a test box using resisters and a project box. I think Trane actually has a test box they offer their techs. Does anyone know? It is a handy thing to have. Being able to test each mode can make troubleshooting easier.

I think I have a potentiometer for that somewhere in my truck.

[willf650]

While working on Trane roof top units i made a test box using resisters and a project box. I think Trane actually has a test box they offer their techs. Does anyone know? It is a handy thing to have. Being able to test each mode can make troubleshooting easier.

I work for Trane and just made one myself. Radio shack project box, aligator clips, resistors and an ebay 10 position rotary switch.

Trane parts may sell one though I've never seen one. If they do it would certainly be available for anyone to purchase.



I've also made a rack for my turbo torch that holds the hose, a striker and has a tube to hold brazing rod. Kinda protects the regulator as well.

A tool to lift compressors via the lifting tab on them. (Copied one they sell comercially)

A cart with wheels for my small oxy accetlyne set. Sized for a B tank and a 60 cuft oxygen tank.

A box for testing package equipment(Thermosat simulator) Hook it to the thermostat terminals and flip switches monted in a box.

Gasket scraper

135ohm potentiometer in a box with leads.

[aikenite]

I had thought about using a rotary switch myself. I also made a box with leads and switches to run a unit remotely. What do you use the potentiometer for?I also made a box for a mapp gas torch and fittings.Sounds like you've made some neat stuff.

[madhat]

I sweat a cap tube on a body shop mini blow gun. I use it to blow out heating coils and blower wheels on VAV boxes that are almost impossible to get to. Made a plug in 24 vac transformer box with a 9 volt battery holder to test actuators. I've put spit on a single strand of hair and put it across lock boxes, unit access panels, breaker panels to see if someone has a key or is tampering with equipment. Found where someone was shutting off the dry cooler at the breaker panel, so they could go home early with pay. It was sweet when they got fired, since they were calling me incompetent for not being able to fix the HP tripping.

[madhat]

Hey madhat, would you care to share your info on that ladder stabilizer???

I got two boat railing "Ts" that were hinged, pulled my ladder rack apart and slid them over the tube on the drivers side. Took two pieces of 3/4 " Emt and bent two approx 45 on one end. Underneath the truck I attached two pieces of steel using existing frame holes in the frame centered about half way from driver door and rear of ladder rack. I spaced and bent them to the width of the ladder. I cut them off so they wouldn't project further than the curve of the side, but would still catch the ladder. I went to a job, position the ladder and cut the EMT so it would form a slightly raised "V" to the sides of the ladder. drilled the EMT so I could put a 3/8" AT rod thru a rung, thru the EMT and wing nut it to the EMT. I tighten the set screws on the boat rail "Ts" When I left I'd pull the Allthread, folded up the EMT, put the ladder back on the truck. Frame brace stayed on the Van. One of the other guys made one out of Square tube, hinged pin to the van roof cleat. (he didn't have a round tube on his rack) and the hook up to the ladder required two large hair pin clips. The important thing is to have the "V" from the VAN Ladder rack to the ladder be raised a rung or two from the rail height of the ladder rack, to deal with different terrian.

BTW the guy who did his with square tube was a lot stronger than mine, he also had a 42 + foot ladder.

[maintenanceguy]

long, long, box end wrench:

ever have a nut or bolt that you need to hold that's way, way down there and you just can't reach?

I welded a 3' piece of 1/8" steel rod to head of the adjustment screw on a regular pipe hose clamp. So now my adjustment screw is 3' long.

You put the nut or bolt head in the hose clamp, rotate the rod to tighten it to hold the nut or bolt, and then you can reach anywhere.

Once you have the bolt where you want it, rotate the rod to release the bolt head.

like this:

____________________________________O

"0" above is supposed to be the hose clamp

[willf650]

What do you use the potentiometer for?

Most firing rate controls on burners as well as just some honeywell actuators use 135 ohm controls to modulate them. If you are setting up linkages you can use the potentiometer to stroke them. You can also just jump out the terminals. Jump R,B and W together the actuator will go mid stroke. R to W it will go all the way one way and R to B will go all the way the other.




Also have a simple transformer mounted in a box with a cord for temp power to stuff I'm trying to check out before a site has permanent power.

[madhat]

You can also just jump out the terminals. Jump R,B and W together the actuator will go mid stroke.

That's good to know, I knew about R to B and R to W, but I never thought about jumping the three together. Maybe it will save a little time when I'm checking the dampers after resetting a freeze-stat.

If I'm trying to find if the freeze-stat is at fault or something else is going on, I take a brand new freeze-stat, open the box exposing the rolled capillary, and set it near the other freeze-stat.

[Servicepro]

Ever try to adjust the manifold pressure on Moble home furnace gas valve?
Well they have the little spring pin protruding up the middle of the sloted adjustment screw.

The only way I can turn them is to use 2 very tiny pins or srewdriver at the same time in the small area to try and "twist" turn the adjustment screw.
If you have experenced this you know its a real pain.

So I made this little tool I will call my Gas valve adjustment key.

I service a lot of MH furnaces so its used alot. Works like a champ.


Servicepro

[walterc]

Just two I still have.

The bracket that holds the standard universal condenser or blower motor to cut the shaft without the motor flopping all over the place;




And the "Statmaster" thermostat controller;






Oh- and the coil holder uppers;

[walterc]

I welded up a tool to lift compressors out of units. Works good.

What did you make?

I just made this Gantry to help lift a few units I got a job for to replace a bunch of slabs and a few compressors at some apts. Thought it would be easier than the genie on the ground they have.
I plan on the elect winch and/or the pull hoist.

Made the trolley with steel wheels.

You can set it up (From 3 pieces) in 3 minutes or less.

Named it after me.

[enb54]

Twilli made own furnace from Lennox Pulse and Amana Energy Command

So I know your answer is 4 years old, but have recently become verrrry interested in the Lennox Pulse technology and of course always have been interested in the Amana HTM heat exchanger. Care to share any info on what you did to marry these two advanced technologies?

I am still experimenting and must admit my latest prototype burner was just a tad less successful than hoped, but the custom heat exchanger works like (as my friend from Florida puts it) "a hot dam (sp)!"...

Or was that post just a joke... I'm still researching, you can respond here or PM me if you wish...

[enb54]

What did you make?

I just made this Gantry to help lift a few units I got a job for to replace a bunch of slabs and a few compressors at some apts. Thought it would be easier than the genie on the ground they have.
I plan on the elect winch and/or the pull hoist.

Made the trolley with steel wheels.

You can set it up (From 3 pieces) in 3 minutes or less.

Named it after me.

Sort of looks like something a friend built, he called it "The Drop of Doom"...

Good job!...

[JTCHVAC]

I built the boxes on the back of my doors for extra storage plus they will hang on an aerial lift. I here a lot of ppl call them wonder boxes.

The fittings a brazed together, there for my micron gauge.

The drill sockets for threaded rod.

[Fridge Repairer]

I made a valve core tool with a gripper function because I was tired of having valve cores fall of the tip of the tool inside the isolation valve.

I also made a key chain version which is commercially available but I can't tell you where you can go buy this valve core tool because the moderators would call it shameless advertising!

I am a service tech first and foremost and I am proud of what I created.

[syk35]

Homemade subcooler for speeding up recoverys. I connect it between discharge of recovery unit and recovery bottle, in a bucket of ice or water.

[syk35]

Test lead that i use to tong RAC's, ice machines etc. Active wire is seperated to tong. The plug tops are 10A male and 20A female to allow quick test runs of 20A appliances on 10A sockets.

[FrostyBeer]

I built the boxes on the back of my doors for extra storage plus they will hang on an aerial lift. I here a lot of ppl call them wonder boxes.

The fittings a brazed together, there for my micron gauge.

The drill sockets for threaded rod.

What are those fittings you brazed together?

[Mekanic]

Like the subcooler

Made a "Drain Pan Evacuator" out of a small bilge pump.