Having a hot time in Texas...

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:13 pm

Had the AC guys out today. The coils in my air conditioner are rusted through, so now I have no AC upstairs. And we're in for the first real heat wave (days of 100+) of the season for the next week or so, and I'll be out of town on business starting Monday. Argh.

Replacing coil = ~$1k
Replacing inside & outside upstairs system = $5.5k, comes w/10 yr warranty.

Double argh.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:31 pm

Sucks man, but gotta do what ya gotta do right ?

XMEN Iceman · Post by **XMEN Iceman** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 12:20 am

Ouch...rusted through already?????

That is crap. Sorry man.

Sharpster · Post by **Sharpster** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:29 am

Ya we just had to replace ours... but I dont think it was nearly that much..

p.s. Ice dont you read your pm's ?!

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 7:45 am

XMEN Iceman wrote:Ouch...rusted through already?????

That is crap. Sorry man.

Ya, it's crap. Brand is "Jantrol." Replacement is Trane.

ATF Ravok · Post by **ATF Ravok** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 1:40 pm

Yikes, man, that is some cheap gear if it rusts through like that. I was thinking maybe it was old stuff, but when a comment said, "already?" I was like, dang.....

Yeah, its hard to stop a Trane. =)

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:50 pm

Well, "rusted through" is not completely accurate. There is a set of six copper capillary tubes which all go into a brass fitting and join together into one line. What happened was that a large crack developed in one of the capillary tubes just outside of the fitting. It's not really repairable, but they've cut and capped the capillary and plugged the remaining hole, so now the AC is running at 5/6th efficiency or so. But the coil is very corroded and rusty. No telling how long that patch will hold. The new installation is scheduled for next weekend.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 7:27 pm

AC guys have come and gone. The system is now trying to cool down the upstairs from its earlier 91-degree peak.

The new coil unit outside is twice as tall and a little bit wider than the old one. It's much better protected, and much quieter too. Has a once-a-year filter in the blower unit in the attic and a new touch-screen thermostat. Much better work than was done by the builders, but then you'd expect that for the price.

XMEN Ashaman DTM · Post by **XMEN Ashaman DTM** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 9:09 pm

Gambit: you could pack some silica around it to keep moisture off the coils.

I'd think with Texas' humidity that multimetal assemblies like that wouldn't last long. You better be sure that it's all one metal (ie: aluminum).

Glad to hear that it's working again though.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:00 pm

Asha, if you pack silica, an insulator, around the coils, they won't transfer the heat properly.

This was in the air blower unit in my attic. The hot air from the house is drawn across the coils, which are cool, and then they rust from the moisture that condenses. Not much to do about it.

The old ones looked to be all copper, but there was a brass fitting. The point of failure was in the copper a short distance away from the fitting. Then there are radiator fins which were some other metal. Not sure what the new ones are, but they've got that nice warranty.

XMEN Ashaman DTM · Post by **XMEN Ashaman DTM** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:00 am

You just need to put some silica where the incoming air is. You could get a pretty good air flow with a coarse-grained silica. Kind of like the platinum bed in a catalytic converter.

The evaporators and condensers I've seen on the unit at my new place, and at the old place were both aluminum. I hope this new one works out better for you. There should be no reason to have to use the warranty.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 8:04 am

I see - sort of a "filter" for the humidity. At first you said "pack it around the coils."

Still wouldn't take long for the silica to become saturated, necessitating frequent changes.