So I had a hail storm blow through about a month ago and did some damage around the place. My AC unit got pretty beat up, granted some of these are probably from rocks in the past.
>>995996
I started by removing the protective wire cover. A few bolts here and there and she popped right off. Make sure you turn off the breaker to the unit before you start, electricity is nothing to take a chance with.
>>995997
Here's a close up of what we need to fix. Golf ball sized hail is a bitch. This isn't the newest unit so I'm sure some of these can be attributed to rocks from a mower over the years, etc. Either way the hail storm was a good motivation to get it fixed. Note the fin is actually broken so we're not going to be able to get it perfect. But we can make it much better than it was.
>>995998
Picked up an AC comb set from Amazon for about $15 or so. After using it I can say it was definitely a good purchase. My AC unit used the "20 per inch" comb
>>996000
Working the comb took some getting used to. You kind of had to judge if you should start at the top and go down, or come from the bottom up. Also coming in at an angle seemed to help to start lifting the pieces up, then slowly you could comb it straight.
>>996001
Lastly run the comb gently over the surface to spread the fins evenly.
>>996002
This is about what it looks like when done. Again not perfect, but waaaay better than it was. Seems like a small adjustment, but with so many all over the place it will help to straighten them all out
>>996003
Here's another straightened out section that had no broken fins, came out pretty good.
>>996004
So after an hour or so of work, I finally have all the dents removed and the fins straightened.
>>996005
Hit it with some water to wash out all the fins. It was getting late and I actually did this last hence the flash.
>>996006
Here's the final result. Much better, and will help to keep it a little cooler in the summer. Every little bit helps!
>>996009
Quick repost of the first pic just so you can see them side by side. All in all totally worth my time, and you can do it to for just about $15 and a little elbow grease. Thanks for looking!
>>996011
Your coil was nowhere near bad enough to warrant the cost of the comb plus an hour of labor, but OK.
Good job. Did you clean it while you were at it?
>>996030
My bad I double checked and it was $8 on Amazon. I live in Texas and our summers are brutal, plus I only have the one unit running a two story house. Even if it only helps a percent or two I'll take it. Also, it looks much nicer in the backyard now. I did wash out the fins with the water, as well as removed the dust and stuff that accumulated on the edges.
>>996030
I rent
I was told by the AC man that my compressor is very old and barely working. He suggested that the whole unit be replaced as it wont last long. The whole unit is lime green, its from like the 70s.
My landlord took months to go actually have someone look at it, and I know he will never replace it if it does die.
Would cleaning it and combing it like in the OP put less stress on the old parts? Anything I can do to prolong its life?
>>996054
An AC guy would suggest replacing the whole unit just so he can make money. Think of it like an old car, and all you need it to do is get from point A to point B. No matter how ugly the car is, you just need it to transport you. If the engine dies would you go out and buy a whole new car? No. The doors still work, the tires still roll, etc. All you do is replace the engine and you're good to get around again. Same thing here. The lines are still good, condenser is fine, electrical hooks-ups are good, fan blade isn't bent, etc. It would just need a new compressor, maybe a few hundred. Definitely no need to spend a few thousand.
To answer your question you can have an AC guy make sure the lines are full with the correct amount of freeon on the high and low side lines. If the lines are low it can cause the compressor to prematurely give out. Combing the blades will help the machine get the lines as cool as possible since air can flow through unobstructed. Definitely don't forget to change your air filter each month. Just do it the first of every month so you don't have to remember some random date. The cheapest filters work the best from what I've heard. I use the Home Depot ones, I think it's like $7 for a 3 pack? I'll post a pic in a sec.
Whatever you do, do not get these types of mesh filters. They don't filter for crap, and they let dust get all up in the machine which can mess it up.
These filters from Home Depot work really well. You can buy "allergy" filters and other expensive ones. But the problem is, they get thicker. AC units need to suck in as much clean air as possible. Though a thicker filter may catch microscopic particles, this kind of thing won't affect the actual machine. Instead it will just hinder air flow. These filters are just thick enough to catch the normal sized actual dust that would clog up the machine, while still allowing for maximum airflow.
>>996085
Here's a closeup. Cardboard with a wire mesh support. The filter is thick enough to capture dirt and dust, but thin enough to keep maximum air flow.
>>996086
Forgot pic.
>>996082
Your analogy is fine but your car has 300,000 miles on it and the trans just went you going to buy a new trans for it? LOL a few hundred you're crazy dude. Atleast 1k if not 2.
How the hell does an AC unit get hit by rocks?
>>996054
How does he know the compressor was barely working? did he even put a set of gauges on it
>>996994
Lawnmowers driving by...
>>996085
The more pleats a filter has, the more surface area the air has to pass through the filter, meaning better flow.
I have tested vent airflow with a cheap filter, an expensive allergen filter, and no filter. There was no difference in airflow between cheap and expensive, and barely any between no filter and with filter.
>>996989
Found the AC tech.
>>996082
Except of course if the gasoline your car is using will be completly fazed out in a few years. Supposse the car motor breaks down after labor cost and the now super expensive fazed out gasoline is used to keep it running, the total cost would be more expensive than buying a new car with 10 year warranty as oppossed to just one year warranty for replacing the car motot.
>>997140
Also your new car would use a more efficient and less expensive fuel, should a leak ever develop,
>>997130
if you don't believe me look it up government averages AC life span as 20 years but they are thinking of the ones made like 20 years ago that weren't built to fail.
You will be told to buy the most efficent AC unit don't buy it get a decent company like trane or carrier sure but when it comes to parts all you need is a relay and some capacitors. The boards and temperature sensors just break and cause you tons of headaches.
>>997311
What this fag said also go for a psc motor over ecm motor, ecm are more expensive and more proned to fail
