My AC croaked

[Paul B]

Yesterday as i was sitting in my living room with the AC on I noticed that it was getting warmer. It was about 92 degrees out but the AC usually works fine. I installed this unit through the brick wall about 15 years ago because there was one there when I bought the house so I replaced it when it croaked.
As I was looking at the unit I noticed that there was smoke coming out of it. It wasn't fire smoke, just cold smoke. So I went over to it and took off the front panel. The entire coil was a sheet of ice and all of a sudden, ice cubes started to shoot out of the unit all over the glass dining room table. PING, PING, BAM, DING, OMG. It was hard to get near the thing because of all the ice cubes shooting out all over the place. I was getting flashbacks. So I pick up the filter which is just a silly screen and hold it in front of me like a shield as I work my way closer, all the while trying to hide behind the wire sculpture of the Brooklyn Bridge we have on the table. The Bridge looked realistic now because of all the ice cubes and water around it. So I finally get near the thing and there was this big flash of light with an accompanying explosion. BA BOOM-WOOSHBOOM- crunch, CRACKLE. Being an electrician, I know what it sounds like when a 220 volt motor goes underwater. So it tripped the breaker and died. The house gradually heated up to about 90 degrees so today I had to run out and try to buy a new unit. I will throw that one out and install a split unit AC as soon as I get it. Today I will run the electric and build the concrete pad that will be suspended about 3' up on the side of the house.
I took apart the old unit and got it running temporarily because my wife has MS and can't take the heat. It isn't even shooting to much ice into my dining room so it should last until I finish the installation of the new unit.

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Hi Paul hope that you got your AC fixed :)

--Yuyu

 

[Paul B]

Yes I did. I installed a split unit the day after it croaked. I am now wearing my parka because it is so cold. Now I have to remove the through the wall one and brick up the wall.
It's all good, thanks

 

[erk]

What split unit did you get? I've been thinking of getting a Mitsubishi unit for my garage/shop so I can do some woodworking even in the middle of this Texas heat. The AC unit on the house I just bought can't hack this heat and has cut out a couple times now. Poor compressor just can't move that refridgerant fast enough. Thank god for home warranties.

 

[Cleo642]

At least your in New York at 92 degrees, and not in Southeast Louisiana at 110 heat index. Can't not have air conditioning during the summer here. I hope you it fixed soon, the heat can be unbearable.

 

[ilovereefing <3]

Holy cow! :eek: That must have been quite the "electrifying" experience! :rolleyes: Glad you were able to get a better AC, and glad no one got hurt in the process. That's some scary stuff!

 

[Paul B]

I installed a Fujaima, or Fugitsu, or Fu something, I forgot the name and am to lazy to go outside to read the thing. They don't make an American one or I would have gotten it. They are very easy to install and pretty cheap. I think they give them away after you buy 10 ice cream cones. Here in NY we have some of the largest variations in temperature anywhere in the world. It commonly goes from 100 in the summer to zero in the winter. Most places don't vary by 100 degrees with different seasons.
The split units are heat pumps so they also provide heat. I don't need heat but the condensing boiler I installed looks like A TV inside so if the thing breaks when it is 3 degrees outside I would have to order a part and wait a week to get it. During that time I would spend my time chopping ice out of my fish tank (or at the least add a bunch of firefish) so at least this thing can also provide heat in that scenario.
There is a huge cost difference in the SEER ratings of those ACs. The SEER rating is the efficiency and the difference between the most efficient unit and the least efficient unit is about $900.00. I chose the highest SEER rating because you re coup it in power costs. But the more efficient unit is larger and sticks off the wall about 4" more.
My house is extremely efficient and my utility bills are a joke. I have solar panels on the roof and the most efficient boiler made. After I installed that boiler my heat bills went from $5,000.00 a year to $960.00 and my solar panels provide me with a third of my electricity. This new AC costs almost nothing to run compared to my ancient "Anchor" I will remove from my wall soon.

Quote:
That's some scary stuff!

No, thats not scary. Scary is if a Supermodel comes to your house to ask if you will drive her across country, and you are in the shower cleaning your ears so you don't hear the door bell.

Cleo, we have our share of weather. This is my back yard last year.

 

[twilliard]

At least your in New York at 92 degrees, and not in Southeast Louisiana at 110 heat index. Can't not have air conditioning during the summer here. I hope you it fixed soon, the heat can be unbearable.

Can't have ac in the summer there? What's up with that !

 

[erk]

Yeah, I'm very interested in one of those high SEER mini-splits. They are very nice. Carrier makes one, not sure if they still manufacture in America, but doesn't matter. Almost all electronic components come from China anyway. I would definitely use both the heating and cooling here in Texas because we also get the 100-120 degree F shifts throughout the year. Currently, the AC systems in the area are running non-stop. Not enough temperature difference between the coils and the ambient air temp. Wish I could move back to Florida.

 

[twilliard]

I installed a Fujaima, or Fugitsu, or Fu something, I forgot the name and am to lazy to go outside to read the thing. They don't make an American one or I would have gotten it. They are very easy to install and pretty cheap. I think they give them away after you buy 10 ice cream cones. Here in NY we have some of the largest variations in temperature anywhere in the world. It commonly goes from 100 in the summer to zero in the winter. Most places don't vary by 100 degrees with different seasons.
The split units are heat pumps so they also provide heat. I don't need heat but the condensing boiler I installed looks like A TV inside so if the thing breaks when it is 3 degrees outside I would have to order a part and wait a week to get it. During that time I would spend my time chopping ice out of my fish tank (or at the least add a bunch of firefish) so at least this thing can also provide heat in that scenario.
There is a huge cost difference in the SEER ratings of those ACs. The SEER rating is the efficiency and the difference between the most efficient unit and the least efficient unit is about $900.00. I chose the highest SEER rating because you re coup it in power costs. But the more efficient unit is larger and sticks off the wall about 4" more.
My house is extremely efficient and my utility bills are a joke. I have solar panels on the roof and the most efficient boiler made. After I installed that boiler my heat bills went from $5,000.00 a year to $960.00 and my solar panels provide me with a third of my electricity. This new AC costs almost nothing to run compared to my ancient "Anchor" I will remove from my wall soon.

Quote:
That's some scary stuff!

No, thats not scary. Scary is if a Supermodel comes to your house to ask if you will drive her across country, and you are in the shower cleaning your ears so you don't hear the door bell.

Cleo, we have our share of weather. This is my back yard last year.

Hey Paul you say your an electrician. Well I am too (retired at 40) but does NY require testing for the general journeyman ?

 

[Cleo642]

Can't have ac in the summer there? What's up with that !

Lol, I said can't NOT have AC down here.

 

[twilliard]

Ohh got you! You know its me dementia right lol

 

[Cleo642]

Ohh got you! You know its me dementia right lol

You don't have dementia. Lol

 

[Paul B]

Hey Paul you say your an electrician. Well I am too (retired at 40) but does NY require testing for the general journeyman ?

No testing of the General Foreman. But you won't be a General Foreman if you don't know what you are doing and have quite a bit if experience. We only did large commercial jobs and sometimes I ran 120 men. I re wired the Plaza Hotel, re built all the electric closets in the Chrysler building and installed the fire alarm system in the Empire State Building. We also built from a hole in the ground many of the 60 and 70 story buildings in NY including the World Trade Center. You just start running 2 man jobs and work your way up. But there is no formal schooling for a General foreman. Now you need a college degree just to be an electrician and 5 years apprenticeship, along with apprentice school for 5 years. But you didn't need a degree when I started in 1974.
The top picture is me hanging off the top of the Plaza Hotel. That is snow covered Central Park below me. I used two of those lights in my reef for many years. The bottom picture I am Cad welding a ground cable in a NYC garbage incinerator.

 

[twilliard]

Ohh man memories!
I am retired at 40 after 20 years of heavy industrial. Gold mines, power generation plants to paper mills here in the NW.
Great to see another electricians work !

 

[Paul B]

I am retired 8 years after 40 years as a construction electrician in Manhattan. That was the happiest day of my life, so happy that on my last day I had to have plastic surgery to make my face bigger to fit my smile.

 

[4FordFamily]

If your AC is croaking, you may want to check for frogs :/

Here is an ID aid for you.


Frog.


Frog.

Hope you get it fixed inexpensively!

 

[Cleo642]

If your AC is croaking, you may want to check for frogs :/

Hope you get it fixed inexpensively!

Too silly. Lol

 

[Cleo642]

I installed a Fujaima, or Fugitsu, or Fu something, I forgot the name and am to lazy to go outside to read the thing. They don't make an American one or I would have gotten it. They are very easy to install and pretty cheap. I think they give them away after you buy 10 ice cream cones. Here in NY we have some of the largest variations in temperature anywhere in the world. It commonly goes from 100 in the summer to zero in the winter. Most places don't vary by 100 degrees with different seasons.
The split units are heat pumps so they also provide heat. I don't need heat but the condensing boiler I installed looks like A TV inside so if the thing breaks when it is 3 degrees outside I would have to order a part and wait a week to get it. During that time I would spend my time chopping ice out of my fish tank (or at the least add a bunch of firefish) so at least this thing can also provide heat in that scenario.
There is a huge cost difference in the SEER ratings of those ACs. The SEER rating is the efficiency and the difference between the most efficient unit and the least efficient unit is about $900.00. I chose the highest SEER rating because you re coup it in power costs. But the more efficient unit is larger and sticks off the wall about 4" more.
My house is extremely efficient and my utility bills are a joke. I have solar panels on the roof and the most efficient boiler made. After I installed that boiler my heat bills went from $5,000.00 a year to $960.00 and my solar panels provide me with a third of my electricity. This new AC costs almost nothing to run compared to my ancient "Anchor" I will remove from my wall soon.

Quote:
That's some scary stuff!

No, thats not scary. Scary is if a Supermodel comes to your house to ask if you will drive her across country, and you are in the shower cleaning your ears so you don't hear the door bell.

Cleo, we have our share of weather. This is my back yard last year.

I am glad we don't have any snow down here. Lol
I rare times that it snows, even if a few flakes hit the ground, they shut down the interstates and schools.

 

[Cleo642]

I installed a Fujaima, or Fugitsu, or Fu something, I forgot the name and am to lazy to go outside to read the thing. They don't make an American one or I would have gotten it. They are very easy to install and pretty cheap. I think they give them away after you buy 10 ice cream cones. Here in NY we have some of the largest variations in temperature anywhere in the world. It commonly goes from 100 in the summer to zero in the winter. Most places don't vary by 100 degrees with different seasons.
The split units are heat pumps so they also provide heat. I don't need heat but the condensing boiler I installed looks like A TV inside so if the thing breaks when it is 3 degrees outside I would have to order a part and wait a week to get it. During that time I would spend my time chopping ice out of my fish tank (or at the least add a bunch of firefish) so at least this thing can also provide heat in that scenario.
There is a huge cost difference in the SEER ratings of those ACs. The SEER rating is the efficiency and the difference between the most efficient unit and the least efficient unit is about $900.00. I chose the highest SEER rating because you re coup it in power costs. But the more efficient unit is larger and sticks off the wall about 4" more.
My house is extremely efficient and my utility bills are a joke. I have solar panels on the roof and the most efficient boiler made. After I installed that boiler my heat bills went from $5,000.00 a year to $960.00 and my solar panels provide me with a third of my electricity. This new AC costs almost nothing to run compared to my ancient "Anchor" I will remove from my wall soon.

Quote:
That's some scary stuff!

No, thats not scary. Scary is if a Supermodel comes to your house to ask if you will drive her across country, and you are in the shower cleaning your ears so you don't hear the door bell.

Cleo, we have our share of weather. This is my back yard last year.

It's pretty though.