AC Condenser Screen
Hilary
2 years ago
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best way to cover my outdoor AC condenser unit in the winter?
Comments (3)I use a piece of window screen, held down by a couple of rocks. I asked the AC installer about the full covers and he said no because of condensation. He explained that they're built to be outside, and snow vs. rain is the same moisture. He said the only issue is keeping leaves and such out, and a screen was best because if you forget to remove it in the spring the blower can still operate, which isn't true of a board or full cover. All made sense to me....See MoreAC condensate and washer drain hose in same drain hole?
Comments (10)Funny, in our old house the AC condensate ran to the sump. But here it seems to run to a drain in the floor, that leads to the pipe everything else drains to (I know, because it backed up once...)...See MoreUnusual A/C Condenser Fan, Louvres, Motor question
Comments (0)First the Background, then the Questions: Background: I have an old Carrier 38EN030300, manuf in '87. The compressor is still strong, but the blower fan motor has been replaced at least 3 times, including the most recent a few weeks back. This most recent time, due to a parts shortage, my local parts store had to provide a motor (Broad-Ocean Motor model Y7S623B548L) and blade (also new capacitor) that run counter-clockwise, which is the OPPOSITE of the clockwise direction of the replacement motor+blade that was already in it that was installed by a licensed tech a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I no longer possess the original manufacturer motor that came with the condenser, and this is the cause for a couple of my questions. According to the Carrier 38EN manual, the CFM for the 38EN-30 model is 2,800, and the recommended RPM is 1,100. The new motor is rated at 1,100 RPM, so that matches. The new 4-blade fan (LAU Univ Parts # 60760601) pitch is 33º, while the original fan was 40º. It does have with a blade depth of 3.75" and a diameter of 16", so I get a CFM calculation of 3,200 when using the calculator supplied at the bottom of the page https://bestindustrialfans.com/fan-c...cfm-calculator. While the replaced motor was rated at 1/4 HorsePower, this new one is rated lower at 1/10 HP. Distance from the top of new fan blade to the unit's top grill is 2", just as manual says it should be, so that's ok. An interesting fact about this unit is that it has a directionally louvered casing around it with slots (that look like fish scales) that are open on the left and closed on the right, such that surrounding air enters from the left -- effectively counter-clockwise. I will try to attach a photo for clarification. Air indoors is blowing nice and cool with a good temp differential of about 21degrees F on the 2nd floor of our home on an 83º sunny day in central KY..... but could it be better? QUESTIONS: 1) With this current new motor and fan, am I truly getting adequate CFM? I am concerned that if the HP of the motor is not adequate (1/10 as opposed to 1/4), it will not be able to actually spin at 1,100 rpm with a 33º 16" 4-blade fan. And especially not if I replace the blade with one that is 40º like the original. Is there a way to measure the actual rpm spins? 2) Does anyone know if the CFM calculator at https://bestindustrialfans.com/fan-c...cfm-calculator is accurate? I am concerned that, even if the motor is indeed spinning at 1,100 rpm, the current 33º blade pitch may not be adequate to give me the manual's recommended 2,800 CFM. 3) I'm currently getting decent cooling, but could it be better with a 40º blade and stronger motor going in the same direction as my casing louvres? 4) Does anything about this setup threatening to shorten the lifespan of this new fan motor? Am I overworking it? 5) Same question about the compressor. 6) These darn louvres...I can't find an answer to this unusual situation on any other forums..... I do not know whether it's *necessary* or *better* for the fan to run in the same, or opposite, direction as the louvre entries. I do not know which direction the original motor+fan setup went. Two coincidences have me concerned about this: a) the motor+fan we took out was a clockwise-running set, and b) the recommended replacement parts for a Carrier 38EN unit at repair clinic.com (such as https://www.repairclinic.com/PartDet...1EW017/2384152 and https://www.repairclinic.com/PartDet...9SL711/2378901 ) are *clockwise*. DOES REPAIR CLINIC have it right, and the previous tech had it wrong? Or is it the other way around? Both websites and humans are fallible. ....SO... If the parts and setup I have now are inadequate or incorrect, I'll happily replace them with the recommended ones from Repairclinic.com and see if I can get yet another 30 years out of this Carrier compressor. But if what we just installed is adequate, them I'll save $250 and stick with what I have. UPDATE: NEW INFO to anyone reading this. I just found this YouTube video of a tech called "The HVAC HACKER" working on an old mid-80's "Brown Round" Carrier with directional louvres similar to mine. https://youtu.be/kWP0UVKDkdI The interesting thing is, you'll see the blade turns CCW, same direction as the louvres, BUT the motor is a Clockwise motor **because the motor and blade are mounted upside down**. On my Carrier, the motor is mounted right side up, shaft upwards, sitting in a tripod-saddle kind of rig. Perhaps the RepairClinic.com suggested motor and blade are clockwise because the site's database thinks a 38EN mounts upside down? Perhaps the previous tech who put a clockwise motor+fan in my 38EN followed a similar erroneous set of recommendations? HMMMM.... the mystery deepens. And here's and '87 that runs clockwise: https://youtu.be/yACm4WIHaJM And this video is very informative about the old Carriers, and has a clockwise-oriented blade, but at the end of the video it turns COUNTER clockwise???? https://youtu.be/nHE5YSqB3BU...See MoreA/C Condenser Suction Line Size
Comments (2)Yes, you can use the existing lineset. You may lose a little efficiency, but it won't do any harm....See Moresktn77a
2 years agoCharles Ross Homes
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2 years agoCharles Ross Homes
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