ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum What's wrong with this A/C install?

John,
The cover over the refrigerant lines/ cable inlet on the nearer unit looks rather strange.
Maybe yours are different in the US?.

{Message edited to add missing word}

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 03-15-2006).]

The onlything i see is the Line / Load is backwords in the disconect.

Ok, I suppose it's time for me to explain my purpose in posting these pics.

First, I'll answer some of the questions you asked.
The insulation over the "line set" (refrigerant lines) is simple closed-cell foam rubber. Sometimes, especially in industrial settings, this is then covered by a herder plastic shell. There is a company making a wiremold-like raceway for a really neat look, but I've never seen it used.

Every air conditioner (except for the smallest window units) has two basic assemblies. One is the "condenser;" that's what you see here. Inside the house, inside an air duct, is the other part- the "evaporator." In operation, the condenser gets hot, while the evaporator gets cold. This cold results in condensation on it- hence the litle drains you see poking out of the wall. They come from the evaporators.

Several of you noted that you could not see any thermostat wire. Good point; many times pics like mine will be shown, and it will be asserted that the low voltage t-stat wire must be in with the power wires, and thus a possible code violation.
My pic of the open disco shoots that theory down.
There are two other explanations for the "missing" t-stat wire. The first is that the HVAC guy ran it along with his line set, and it is buried under that foam rubber.
There is also another type of system that operates on the principle of pressure drop; when the inside needs cooling, the pressure in the refrigerant lines will drop- and that, in turn, will start the thing up.

The "moral" here is: You need to learn at least the basics of the other trades, to work with them effectively.

Oh, the violation? On this $1.5 million house, with over 100 receptcles....there is no receptacle fir servicing the equipment.

[This message has been edited by renosteinke (edited 03-15-2006).]

So now I have to go to HVAC school?
Who is the genius that put the condensors right under a bunch of windows. They should at least be closer together so they would be easier to screen with a fence or shrubs.

Maybe I'm just being picky, but for a $1,500,000 house, the inside of that disconnect looks pretty darn slap-dash. They almost needed a wire-stretcher for that load-side conductor.

-John

The company I work for does about 250 of these A/C split-systems each year. I have become somewhat of an expert on wiring them. They are expected to be complete within' a 3.5 hour time frame, and they are for the most part always in older homes.

My personal opinion is this.

The disconnect is much too high. It needs only to be readily accessible. I like to keep them as close as possible to the condensor so I can get by using the bare minimum of 36" of LNFC without having to use a strap. This method also cuts down on the cost of THHN, and when you're doing 250 of them per year, well....

A GFCI receptacle that is required within' 25' of HVAC equipment is also missing. I usually look to change an existing receptacle (as long as it's on the same level as the equipment) and bring it up to date with a GFI and an in-use cover. That's not always a good idea when dealing with older homes because you never want to open a can of worms.

The A/C guys run the 18-2 from the condensor, to the air handler, 95% of the time. We install the 18-3 and the t-stat.

p.s. most attics are filthy dirty too

[This message has been edited by ShockMe77 (edited 03-16-2006).]

The two condensers are separated becaust they connect to two entirely different systems, located in different part of the house. One in the garagr (the near one), and one in the finished basement. This way, the referigerant lines are as short as possible.

Go to A/C school? That might be overkill..but an intro course or two at the community college wouldn't be a bad idea. If you think about it, there are a few more trades we all need to know something about.

[This message has been edited by renosteinke (edited 03-17-2006).]

When I look at the disco picture, the cable coming in thru the back of the box looks like it is secured with an arlington 3/4" snap in connector, which is rated for up to 10-2. Now them line and load conductors appear to be #8 or #6. If I am not mistaken, the clearance for the disco extends clear to the ground, and the drain lines for the unit are entering that space and extend beyond the front of the disco. And drain lines are not associated electrical equipment to the disco, so therefore are not allowed out past the front of the box. Third, is there appears to be a little bit of snow on the ground, which means that the whole building was built in the wrong geographical location in the first place.

Mac, those are some really good catches; I hadn't looked that close. Heck, I'm pleased they used any bushing at all!

I don't understand your comment about the snow, though. I assure you taht it sometimes gets warm in Nevada!