The Lighter Side This month’s Lighter Side brought to you by:
1 WINNER
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1 CROWDED AT THE TOP
4 THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
Jordan sent in this pic from Miranda in Sydney. “Soft drawn slapped in everywhere,” he says. “This is where outdoor units come to die.” Sadly for Jordan, this wasn’t a job he was called out to – he found it when he went to investigate why the AC in his brand-new apartment wasn’t working.
Scott was called out to a home in Wynn Vale, SA, because the AC wasn’t working well. “The customer’s back garden was under full pergola,” Scott says, “so they hadn’t seen the air conditioner since it arrived about 20 years prior. “I asked when they’d last had it serviced, and the response was of course: ‘What do you mean, it needs a service!?’ “I’ll never forget the looks on their faces when I showed them the photos. I should have taken that photo! Priceless.”
Graham says: Just finding the right unit to work on would be a challenge. Often these systems are not designed, they are “sold” by a salesperson and the installer then has to make the best of it. The bottom line is that the price rules.
2 TECHNICOLOUR HVAC Those of you old enough to remember the Mousetrap game will appreciate Ben’s pic of a bar in Brisbane. Graham says: Wonderful job of brightening up some boring old ducting. So long as the access doors are still usable.
3 TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE BRAIN “Came across this beauty on a job in Brunswick,” says Kody. “Package unit completely surrounded by solar panels.” Graham says: Reinforces the need for access walkways on rooftops which make the task of servicing air conditioning units much simpler and also much safer.
Graham says: While we can be critical of the customer, it was really the fault of the selling agent who didn’t instruct them properly on the need for service. Out of familiarity with our equipment we tend to think that customers understand what we are talking about and have what we would describe as common sense.
5 UNHAPPY UNION “Had to replace this unit due to premature compressor failure,” says Aidan. “I think you can tell why. Yes, the flared unions were cut away.” Graham says: It appears that the pipe run between indoor and outdoor unit has been cut back to a minimum, which may have created some flood back, although there should be an accumulator to protect the compressor. The “pair coil” insulation is not great, but may have been cut back for the photo. The apparent close proximity between indoor and outdoor unit could also present problems for noise and vibration through the wall.
Additional comments and observations provided by Graham Boyle, F.AIRAH, portfolio manager, heavy automotive and refrigeration at South Metropolitan TAFE. Please note that the comments are provided on the basis of the photos only and should be read with this in mind – not all issues or solutions are apparent from a 2D image.
HAVE YOU COME ACROSS SOMETHING SCARY, UGLY OR JUST PLAIN FUNNY? If your entry is deemed the monthly winner, a 700ml bottle of Jim Beam will be on its way to your door. Please include a postal address with your entry. Entrants must be 18 or over. Send your hi-res (>500KB) photos to Editor, Mark Vender at mark.vender@airah.org.au
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HVAC&R Nation
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www.airah.org.au/nation
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July 2021
