{Sorry Bill and John, just corrected a few spelling errors, made the post hard to read, hope you don't mind, Mike. }

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-18-2005).]

Closer:

The controls on condensing units are usally NEMA 1, so is a "damp" location ok?


BTW, that Zinsco/Sylvania switchboard should have gone to salvage yard.

John,
The closer look helps a lot.
Is this your pet restaurant?.
However, there are a few things here that I aren't comfortable with.
The first being rigid steel conduit going into a refrigeration unit, the reason I say that John is because of vibration, here we would use a Non-metallic flexible conduit and run an extra ECC to the unit.
Secondly, that Evaporation unit should have a cover over it, a 3 sided one I mean, they run better that way.
And it keeps things from falling on the unit and jamming and burning out the fan motor.
Believe me, I've been through this rigmarole!, birds like the humming sound.
John did you do the pipe work there?.
Maybe it's the camera angle, but something looks out of square??.
Double padlocks?, I hope you've got keys mate!.
BTW, you left your steps on the roof.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-18-2005).]

The way I've heard (not official, mind you) is that generally anything in an area within a line taken at 45° from the edge of the eave to the building can be considered a damp location. Anything outside of that line is a wet location.

I agree with Scott, the UL test is for 45 degrees. I would consider this a wet location.

Yes, Mike, this is the place that caused me so much grief.

And, yes, I am guilty of the pipe-work. The lower box is actually a disconnect for the compressor- the handle assembly is what makes it look a little "off" from this angle.

There is one line coming from that box that looks pretty sloppy; that is a length of liquid-tite to the compressor (the vibration issue). The other pipe near it- the one with two 90's- actually goes to the back of a receptacle, which in turn enters the top of the cooler. This was my routing for the internal wires.

Good call on the switchgear...I had the devil's own time getting breakers for it- and had to actually make some parts myself. Remember the thread where someone made a piece using a 4-square cover? Same type of gear, same situation (though mine are exact reproductions of the factory pieces).

As for the double padlocks....they even fooled the PoCo. They actually don't lock a blessed thing; there is no way to actually lock the doors. Sure look intimidating, though!

I would have loved to replace the switchgear. This property, however, is rented under what we call |triple net" terms. In short, all the landlord is obligated to do is cash the rent check. As you might expect, this means the tenant is rather reluctant to spend the $10K needed to replace the gear, or the $15K to replace the broken heating unit (the reason for the ladder atop the cooler).

Since the cooler is essentially a "home-made" unit, there is no engineering data available for snow load. As a result, the city is requiring that an independent roof be built. That will solve the 'indoor/outdoor' issue at the same time.

The city is also requiring that an acces hatch, or other permanent means of roof access, be built.

Finally, thanks for correcting my (sometimes) awful typing!

Double padlocks, (1) for PoCo & (1) for customer entry.

Considering the horizontal driving rain I had here yesterday, I say everthing there is WET! (We even had a tornado warning...)

However,
John, I would never kick a man when he is down.
That cabinet is out of square, mate.
Other side of the coin John, I've looked at these pics, but something still looks "not right", I can't put my finger on it!. Arggh.

Other question springing to mind would be, what's in the enclosure with the padlocks?.
Any chance of a pic?.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-20-2005).]

The enclosure with the double padlocks is the main (400 amp) switchgear, with the meter inside.
As Sierra Electrician noted, the original plan was for the panel to be accessible if either lock was removed; the PoCo owned one, and the customer the other.
This old unit, however, is broken. The locks are now just for decoration; the handle turns without removing either one.

Now- if you really want something else to smile about.....that dark yellow smear on the wall, under the disconnect, is the result of the nozzle breaking off a can of spray foam, as I was filling a hole in the wall!

Is that condensing unit built as an outdoor unit? We have a product line similar to that with a cabinet over the top and three sides with a grill on the access side. Our indoor units do not have a cabinet like the one in your picture. All of our outdoor units are NEMA 3R minimum.

This link (cut & paste) shows what our outdoor units look like. Warning this is not a plug, just an example. I do not know if everyone requires this. http://www.rae-corp.com/lui_low.htm

Edit for link.

[This message has been edited by rad74ss (edited 12-20-2005).]

Quite right, Rad...this is definitely an indoor unit- placed outdoors!

Ahh yes,
Now the pennie's dropped!.
I thought I'd seen them units used indoors.
I wondered what that mark was when I first saw these pics.
Them cans of foam can be nasty little buggers if they get out of control.
I try and avoid them and anyone using them at all costs.