Why does a muffler make noise? Isn't a muffler supposed to muffle noise?

Yes, a muffler is supposed to muffle noise, but for an inexpensive generator, the muffler is not very well designed.

dcarch

The other problem with a storm, as it turned out to be worse than the wind is water. Many people are still suffering and will suffer for a long time.

If your house is flooded. As soon as power is back, you must dehumidify, or the problem can get incredibly expensive to correct with structural damage and toxic mold.

1. Wet/dry vacuum is very effective to suck up water from carpeting.

2. Turn on all your air conditioners. An air conditioner works identically as a dehumidifier.

3. If you don't have a dehumidifier or an air conditioner, go buy a small air conditioner. I would think dehumidifiers will be difficult to find, but A/C should be on sale now. You don't have to install the A/C thru a window. Operate the A/C inside the house works much better. Make sure you tilt the A/C room side slightly lower so that water can drain better. Many A/Cs are designed so that water can be drained out to be splashed on the condensing coil. Actually, an A/C can work better than a dehumidifier and cheaper.

Good luck.

dcarch

If your A/C unit is flooded, DON'T turn it on. Turn it off! Mine got "condenmned" in our flood last year because there is something corrupted inside it, two things could've gone wrong. It's all a fog now, but it seems like they were bad things and I may not remember it correctly, but something like the house could've filled with carbon monoxide or the unit itself could've exploded. It has some special coil that nothing can touch. Yes, the unit is outside and in a housing, but the coil can't get flooded. Somthing like that. The water went over the top of my unit. If your unit gets flooded your only option is to replace it. That was the city talking to me, not the repair people. So it's not like he'd make a buck. Checking wouldn't be enough and isn't worth the risk. He said. And I believe him. Why tell me since he wouldn't possibly financially profit?

My $0.02

I have a generator - please everyone - use them in accordance to the manufacturers directions!!! Do not retrofit to power your house - you risk electrocuting the workers repairing & restoring your power. Also deal with the noise - don't vent into your structure - you risk killing yourself.

Use UL listed extension cords - Operate it outdoors away from open windows, doors, don't overload it. Read and follow the directions.

People die from not following the manufacturer's directions.

The risks are real - and retrofitting portable generators to avoid using extension cords or to reduce the noise is a stupid risk to take.

I agree the safest thing to do is to demolish everything, throw all the things away, and get new everything. Ask the Building inspector, that's the answer you will most like get.

But it is your money. (May be the insurance company's money) Do what you feel comfortable with.

I am not saying that Building inspectors do not know anything. Most building officials are not technically trained. Our building inspector is a carpet salesman in his previous job.

A split A/C system has the compressor and condensing coil outside, everything is 100 percent sealed for outdoor environment. There is also a cooling fan, which is typically a weather proof induction motor-driven blower. The entire installation is weather (not water proof) proof. However, typically the coils are copper and the radiating fins on the coil are aluminum, if the unit is submerged for a long time (a very long time), there will be bi-metal electrolysis corrosion occurring. However, I believe it will be the aluminum fins which will be sacrificed and the copper coil will not be damaged and the refrigerant will not leak. If the refrigerant should leak, it is not a major issue small holes on coils can be solder repaired. Neither refrigerant R-410A nor the now illegal R-22 is considered dangerous in an outdoor environment. Indoors, however, rapid discharge of refrigerant may cause suffocation.

Also to consider, Old R-22 compressors are low pressure machines, if a stupid A/C repairman tries to fill it with new R-410a refrigerant which is higher pressure, who knows what would happen.

I cannot see anything related to an air conditioner that can possibly lead to an explosion from being submerged in water.

Regarding generator. What I am talking about requires no modification to the generator, and if done by someone who has a good working knowledge of electricity, it will not kill anyone. That's why I am not going to mention it here.

BTW, I understand the issue about killing the worker who is trying to restore power. It is not a simple issue. But I don't want to go into a long discuss here.

I think it is obvious that you don't operate any internal combustion engine indoors.

dcarch

Why would he make up that it was dangerous? Not, that I probably shouldn't run it until it was checked, but that it would be incredibly harmful if it ran. What did he have to gain?

I am not remembering it 100% correctly, but then, I've already said that. The important part is, if is submerged, it cannot and should not be used again. Not everyone will have a submerged unit. What I took away from our conversation was, there can be water up to almost the top and it's ok. But over the top, and it's a goner :(

Several things could happen. As I said, the unit is weather-proof, but not waterproof.

1. The electrical connections in the splice box can be leaking to the ground circuit because of the water.
2. The connections can be corroded and increasing electrical resistance and a small fire can occur in that box.
3. The hermetically sealed fan motor can be stalled by bearing corrosion or dirt collected, causing the compressor motor to overheat, and the motor to burn out if that is not a thermally protected motor.
4. Dirt on the condensing coil can prevent heat dissipation and causing damage to the system.
5. Some systems have an external electrolyte capacitor to assist the compressor motor to start up, if that is damaged that system cannot work.

I cannot think of other reasons why the unit must be replaced outright. Just to be clear, DO NOT operate the system until it is checked out by an A/C specialist.

Ask whoever is doing the checking, to also check the buried conduit (if that is how the unit is powered). Possible that the conduit is completely filled with water.

dcarch

It was filled with leaves and dirt that had been deposited down into the unit. so maybe that was it? Even though I'd cleaned it out. He took one look at the waterline and gave it the red ticket of death. Dunno. The house got a brand new unit and I got to move.

Is your electric panel in the house labeled?
Do you know which breaker controls the A/C unit? The A/C unit should have it's own breaker.

Or,

Is there a breaker box near the outside A/C cooling tower (the compressor)?

Go to one of the above and shut off the unit completely.

Then you can use a garden hose (never a pressure washer) to completely wash down and clean out the unit. Make sure the fan blades are 100% clean or the cooling blower will be unbalanced and mess up the bearings. Don't use too much water pressure, the aluminum fins are not very strong.

I don't know your area, watch out for snakes inside the unit.

Then blow dry the unit with a leaf blower.

Then call the service guy to check out the unit. there is a better than even chance that the unit is 100% OK.

dcarch