PDA

View Full Version : Hall of shame.



Pages : [1] 2

Temprite
31-05-2005, 12:38 PM
Hello all.

I think we should have an area known as Hall of shame.(Or at least use this thread)

In this area we should put pictures of the worst refrigeration work that you have come across along with an explanation.

I have got some pictures that would be a good start but still trying to work out how to post them.

Temprite
05-06-2005, 01:01 PM
This was a unit that I came across once.

The work was so bad that I had to take a photo of it.

Unit was serving a liquor coolroom.It was sold to the customer as a reconditioned unit.

Compressor was relatively new but the condensing unit was at least 20 years old.

Unit was sitiing out in the open(no cover on it). The capacitor is wrapped in a plastic bag, but still had water sitting in the top of it. Unit had TX valve but condensing unit has no reciever.

Unit had several leaks but amazingly enough it was still running.

Client wanted to know what to do. I told him to rip it out and start again.

This is the kind of work that gives fridgy's a bad name.

Brian_UK
05-06-2005, 10:52 PM
Well, I don't know, most of the bits seem to be in the right place......

Tim_Uk_Trainee
05-06-2005, 11:15 PM
probably shouldn't admit this but...

at college the other week i was practising recovering refrigerant and charging the system. i got there and without thinking emptied the gas into the bottle that was already rigged up to the recovery unit, sat by the system.

when the gauges started to freeze over it was pretty obvious id messed up. i shouted my tutor over and he nearly had a bloody heart attack, turned out the bottle i was using was R22, and that the system had been running on R401A. according to my tutor i'd caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage, and now i'm not allowed to touch refrigerant unless under constant supervision, what a jip :(

...beat that!

Brian_UK
05-06-2005, 11:27 PM
.....without thinking... That's the important bit right there:rolleyes:

bernard
05-07-2005, 09:12 PM
Paid for my holiday that little job did :D

Regards Bernard

chemi-cool
06-07-2005, 06:41 PM
Came across a mini split, 3.5 HP unit.
The complaint was that it was only installed a week ago but never really kept the place cool.
After one hour, the out door unit just stopped and never came back to work till the next morning.

Compressor was very hot, had to cool it with a hose, checked pressure after it came back to life, an amazing 450psi on the high side! only 33°C, normal.
Started to suspect air in the system, the refrigerant had a new smell, a bit like R 22 but something else with it, emptied the system, vacuumed and recharged, works fine, cool compressor, happy customer.

Did you see something like that? I asked the owner, showing at my vacuum pump.

No, The guy that installed it had an air compressor!!!

Chemi :)

patrickj
06-07-2005, 08:19 PM
HI Chemi - cool

Have seen similer things but not so bad.
Discharge pressures going up to 300 to 350 Psi.
Senn guy's connecting different brands of indoors and out doors
match the capacity but MINUS capillery.(One brand has cap in the outdoor next in the idoor)and complain no cooling and compressor no suction :o

Jamie
14-08-2005, 05:26 AM
Hello
One of our guys took 8 hours to install an evaporator in a cold room!after 10 hours he rang t say it just wouldnt cool,i checked the system over and after scratching me head i found the problem,he had left the orifice out of the tev i found it laying in the drip tray! Bloody Kiwi,s

US Iceman
29-08-2005, 07:19 PM
Here is one more for review. This happened about 20 years ago, when I was doing service and installations.

The owner asked for a cost to install a cold room for apple storage. He wanted glass display doors and racks on the front of the cooler for retail sales.

Did the drawings, layout, and proposal and dropped them off. Several months went by with no notice to start the job. (I had been doing the regular work for many past years for this family).

One day at the facility I asked "what is the status of the apple cooler?" Found out it was being completed by a part-time refrigeration guy. The other part of his time he was a preacher in a church. His cost was much lower, so he got the job.

Can you see were this is going??:rolleyes:

The cooler was built with framed up lumber, fiberglass sheets, and styrofoam board (1" thick). No vapor barrier was installed. Interior lights were open incadescent bulbs (not vapor-proof light fixtures). Door lighting was installed with normal fluorescent tubes (no low-temperature ballasts). Door heaters were not wired up (doors frames sweated and were foggy). Air defrost timer was set for 3 hours off (3 times a day). Temperature would not come down (big surprise there).:eek:

The owner asked me to fix it. By the time we got done correcting all of the problems, the total cost was almost double my original cost.

Some people will believe cost determines the quality. Others think cheaper is saving money. Both (myself and the preacher) promised the owner that our proposals would do what he required. The finall version worked quite well, but it was a painful project for the owner.

Moral to the story.... It takes money to make a system work properly and it must be installed by qualified people.

I'm sure everyone has seen these systems. piping runs that sag or are crooked, exposed wiring and cables, and any other poor installation practice you can imagine.

In my opinion, the cost is not the primary point to use for judging the installation or who to award the project to. It is the workmanship and knowledge that make the system run trouble-free from the initial start-up.

botrous
11-09-2005, 07:09 PM
Hear this one (I mean read this one :) )
Last year a supermarket asked us to ckeck one of their A/Cs we had the call from the guy who monitors the electrical work there , i send a technician to see it , he found the compressor burned out , 5Tones compressor , he writed me the report , i faxed the suppermarket with the price i want to do the job , well i didn't had a reply in 2 weeks , then the phone rings , it was the guy from the suppermarket asking to come and fix the AC , as i arrived to the site i discovered that the compressor was changed a week before , but it knocked out again because the first compressor failure was a windings burn out , the one who changed the compressor didn't bother himself to change the filter driyer , and as i assume to flash and vaccum the system .
The supermarket payed about twice the price of replacing the compressor . . .

Money makes a real deal for good work and this should be conducted by a professional with conscience , not only a professional

neil sailes
16-09-2005, 08:39 PM
Hi all
Last week I had a back bar unit, returned back to the workshop, with a gas leak ( or should I say without an ounce of refrigerant in it), one of our sub-contractors had been out to the unit and changed the evaporator, which was fair enough. The day later he had to go back to the unit and top it up, then it came back to us. It took me five minutes with a bottle ofn to hear a hiss in one of the condensor coils and I mean it wasn't even a misable leak.

Neil

botrous
17-09-2005, 07:56 PM
Hi guys , follow this internal link of a thread I posted days ago , but it seems it was posted in the wrong place , and it had replies i didn't delete it and post it here , and i don't want to attach the pics again to not take double the place for it on the sever . . .
see it and comment it :)
http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3088

Cheers and best regards

Greg W
26-09-2005, 02:09 PM
Most of the poor installations of equipment I have seen are those designed by worthless engineers and consultants , who know how all the figures are suppost to look and calulate , but wouldnt have a clue about servicing. They put equipment in the most stupid places.
Come time to repair it where are they then.
I would say a book or collage course wont make you any expert or even proficant.

botrous
26-09-2005, 02:12 PM
I would say a book or collage course wont make you any expert or even proficant.

EXACTLY . . . . .

frank
26-09-2005, 08:35 PM
Most of the poor installations of equipment I have seen are those designed by worthless engineers and consultants , who know how all the figures are suppost to look and calulate , but wouldnt have a clue about servicing. They put equipment in the most stupid places.
Come time to repair it where are they then.
I would say a book or collage course wont make you any expert or even proficant.
Part of the CDM (Construction, Design and Maintenance) regulations in force in the UK address this issue. When you design something you have to design in a service aspect, i.e., you cant put a cassette in a ceiling over an escalator if it is going to be impossible to gain access for sevicing.

that said, I've never come across a job where anyone has asked -"how do you intend to get access for servicing".
Not only for our trade but for electricians etc.

All the CDM regs seem to mean is -" have you submitted your CDM paperwork before you start work on site?" - after that it is rarely mentioned.

Just another case of someone covering their arse in case something goes wrong :)

Abe
26-09-2005, 08:52 PM
Frank

These CDM Regulations........can u point me further where I can download a copy?

Or tell me where to look

If we see a " dodgy" install, we can take it further you know!!

chemi-cool
26-09-2005, 09:13 PM
May this be of any help?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis44.pdf

Chemi:)

frank
28-09-2005, 10:55 PM
Nice link Chemi

techguy
03-10-2005, 01:55 PM
Hello
One of our guys took 8 hours to install an evaporator in a cold room!after 10 hours he rang t say it just wouldnt cool,i checked the system over and after scratching me head i found the problem,he had left the orifice out of the tev i found it laying in the drip tray! Bloody Kiwi,s
WE call that Plumbing over here

Konrad Knoesen
03-10-2005, 03:02 PM
Good idea about the "Hall of shame" you got there.Unfortunately,there are way too many "Mickey Mouse Mechanics",as we call them in South Africa,out there.Either that or they need to up the level of training a bit.That's disgusting!!!!

Double V
03-10-2005, 03:33 PM
As Konrad said South Africa is cowboy country when it comes to refrigeration mechanics. It's shoot & hope for the best.

I was called out recently to a sight, because the multiplex packs were not working. There were 2 multiplexes, 1 medium temp R22 & 1 low temp 404a. The guy was complaining that the compressors were cycling on & off too quickly & the electronic control i had set up was faulty. After some inspection i found the 1 medium temp cabinet had it's R22 liquid line going into to the cabinet but the suction line from the same cabinet was connected to the common 404a suction line. The blend of ****tail refrigerants was duely released into our atmosphere. There goes them beautiful african sunsets.

frank
03-10-2005, 08:16 PM
As Konrad said South Africa is cowboy country when it comes to refrigeration mechanics. It's shoot & hope for the best
No doubt Marc may have some words to add to this statement :D

Temprite
03-10-2005, 10:03 PM
No doubt Marc may have some words to add to this statement :D

Frank.

You took the words out of my mouth:D

We were doing some work for a company who had installed a system into a large supermarket chain.

I was discussing with the owner that we were looking for another mechanic. He informed me to see if I could get a mechanic from South Africa as they were the best.

I guess there is good and bad everywhere.

Although this company went belly up shortly afterwards.:D

Double V
04-10-2005, 07:05 AM
Hi Marc

All the best guys have already left the country & all gone elsewhere in the world. The guys don't get paid well here. So maybe those South African boys down under aren't so bad after all.

Konrad Knoesen
04-10-2005, 05:34 PM
Just so you know Mark,I am an South African citizen,but working in the UK.You might have misunderstood my statement I made.I was commenting on the crappy job the technician did on the photo I saw.No hard feelings though.I thank all the other members for your comments and replies.You were correct in your statements,the level of training is good in South Africa and South Africans come highly recommended.Keep it up boys!!!!!

rudyreg
17-10-2005, 10:02 AM
Heres a good one. We sold a couple of monoblock thru- the - wall packaged coldroom units to a East Coast of Scotland refrigeration company whose customer was on a West coast island. The customer decided to do his own installation as it merely meant cutting a hole in the wall and pushing the unit into it. They phoned a few days later complaining that the rooom was getting very hot! Yes - you guessed it; they installed them back to front with the condensing unit section INSIDE and the evaporator section OUTSIDE.

techguy
25-10-2005, 11:19 AM
Hi Guys
I've a good one while installing a Mitsu split yeaars ago in a shopping Center in Dublin. The owner of the shop next door asked me to have a look at his A/c install. I went in and there was a young apprentice standing in front of a Condensing unit that he had hung in the shop.

His supervisor had gone to do a service call and instructed him to hang the unit. The poor guy was beside himself when I explained the situation to him and being the nice guy that I am I helped him take the condenser down and carry it to the roof and showed him how to hang the indoor.

Often wondered what would have happened if I had'nt been there. im sure it would have been resolved but someone would have got it in the neck for the mess.

By the way it was (to paraphrase members of this site )A ****ing Diakin split.

T

star882
05-11-2005, 06:01 PM
I remember a time long ago (about 8 years ago) when my mom brought her car to a professional auto repair shop to get the A/C compressor replaced. The mechanics just cut the pipes and let the gas out, making a lot of fog in the process! IIRC, that's supposed to be illegal, but the shop has done that for quite a while. Of course, those cans of "freeze spray" used for electronics troubleshooting are just aerosol cans filled with refrigerant. Maybe that law only applies to some refrigerants.

Jambo
06-11-2005, 10:17 PM
got called to a heiair (sp?) system in a warehouse once. there were to identical units that had been installed 2 weeks previous. One system was operating fine the other just kept cutting out. After replacing the whole condensor went away think it was fine. the system worked fine for a week, then same problem. Was told to change the condensor again so we did. worked fine for a week then the same thing happened again.Now 3 compressors have gone down.

By this point me, the bloke i work with and the customer are getting pi**ed off. And so are management. Whilst pottering about in the fusebord cupbord i realise that the yellow phase coming into the warehose is extreamly hot and theres a smell of burning.

After investigation phase mains fuse and burned out.

so after getting through 4 condensors the customer was unhappy to find out that it was nothing to do with what the AC engineers had done but his fuse that had blown. Needless to say he wasn't happy with the bill.

Abe
06-11-2005, 11:07 PM
You mean 4 Compressors?

Reminds me of a Chinese Proverb....

He who makes a mistake once.......... its ok
He who makes the same mistake again............

Well, figure........

lana
07-11-2005, 09:53 AM
Hi there,

As you may know I am from IRAN.
The refrigeration industry has a huge market here but also there are too many problems due to lack of knowledge.

1- I have visited an AC system without receiver, without sight glass, without solenoid valve, without TEV, without filter. A small nozzle was installed which supposed to act as a pressure reducing device!!!??

2- I have been called to visit a blast freezer (-40°C) with double stage compressors. The piping was done like a water plumbing!! the sub-cooler was installed horizontally. System oil was trapped in the evaporator. There is another compressor as stand-by with the same evaporator and condenser. There was no check valve on the discharge lines. No oil equilization line for the compressors!!

I have lots of stories to tell but as you call it, it is a shame:(

Temprite
07-11-2005, 12:49 PM
One of the worst I have heard was not discovered by me, but by someone I work with.

Approx 15 years ago.
He was called to a pub to check out the refrigeration system there mainly the system that serves the temprites.

Publican was complaining about the amount of gas that was going into the systems.

When he got there the problem was apparent. There was a large leak that the last mechanic couldnt find, and to compensate this there was a large refrigerant bottle connected to the low side of the system with a gauge hose and the hand valve cracked ever so slightly. He told me he would never have believed it unless he had seen it with his own eyes.

Guess What?
It was R12!!!!!!:eek: :eek:

Simple
15-11-2005, 10:33 PM
The worst case of bad practice I ever found was about 8 years ago when I was called out at about 10pm to Lincon area, well over a 1 1/2 hours drive away. The customer was beside himself, because his loaded vehicle didn’t cool on standby. The last thing I wanted to find was a seized compressor, but worse was to come. The unit had been visited two weeks earlier by another engineer and the contactor had been faulted as
in-operational. As the “engineer” hadn’t got a suitable contactor, he had bridged the contactor and overload out with three bits of wire! He told the customer to keep an eye on the unit and switch it off at the mains when it got to set point. Well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that after the compressor seized it took the mains motor with it. So after some time I finally changed the Standby Compressor, the mains motor, the contactor and overload. I left a very happy customer at 3am, the following morning. The engineer in question left not long after that!

Ybb
24-11-2005, 02:41 AM
I can't help but post to this thread with the worst one I've ever heard of. I've got heaps I could recount that I've seen but this is the absolute worst.

This from a guy who is sadly still working in the industry.

A mate went to a callout on an upright display freezer that had just been installed and wasn't working properly. I can't remember the fault but it was likely due to the installation. While he was there he isolated the power to work on the controls but realised after nearly blowing himslf up that he still had power on the control circuit.

He traced back the wiring to reveal that the unit had TWO 10 amp supply cables. It seems the defrost heaters drew about 18 amps so the "mechanic" decided to overcome the problem of having one ten amp gpo supplying the fridge he'd put on a second 10 amp cable in to cope with the current.

My mind is blown by the idiocy not only of having two supplies to isolate for safety but the obvious fault of having a LIVE three pin plug when you unplugged one of the two supplies. :eek:

Sadly I didn't do the job or I would have had the authorities there to witness it.

rbartlett
13-12-2005, 06:56 PM
HI guy's

Back in early this year I fitted a small Daikin wall mount.

The customer said "just put the condenser on that wall nothing ever comes down this sideroad"
I said "sure I'll put it at 2 metres to stop the kids messing with it"

2 weeks later "err something seems to have hit the a/c can you come and fix it-oh and put it up another metre nothing will hit it then"

So I did -and something did!! So I came back and re-fixed it for the second time



On Monday we get another call "Hmm somethings really smacked it this time"

This is what I found today

cheers

richard

Temprite
13-12-2005, 09:05 PM
G'day Richard.

How the hell did it end up like that?

rbartlett
13-12-2005, 09:11 PM
G'day Richard.

How the hell did it end up like that?


Waddja mean -I thought I did a good job!!

my re-install aside it was hit three times with a lorry..(twice by the same company!!)

cheers

richard

shanes696
13-12-2005, 10:57 PM
My mate went to a job recently where his company had taken over a service contract on A/C splits that'd been installed about 18 months previously but 2 had never worked from new. He found that the when the 2 problem units were installed the liquid lines had been crossed-over between them inside a ceiling void.

slingblade
22-12-2005, 05:26 PM
I read somewhere that someone is looking for a minisplit engineer, i think the chap that did this may suit the position.;) :D

Abe
22-12-2005, 05:51 PM
Been working on my first Foster Room last couple of days, have always been a Williams man, but this is first for Foster.

Ignore the date on my digital camera. Can never get round to setting it properly

phil68
03-01-2006, 09:46 PM
I think I came across one today that beats these all into a ****ed hat. I got called to a cellar cooler that apparently hasn't worked properly since being installed by a local 'fridge engineer' a couple of weeks ago. Walked into the cellar to be confronted by, no, surely not, yep -the condensing unit was mounted on the wall next to the evap. with interconnecting pipework in 15 & 22mm copper water pipe. Not just that but the condenser itself was hard up against the wall so it was constantly tripping on HP:eek:

Abe
03-01-2006, 09:54 PM
A picture would be great Phil

angryk
04-01-2006, 03:51 AM
I read somewhere that someone is looking for a minisplit engineer, i think the chap that did this may suit the position.;) :D
Best picture ever.:D

rpbuenaflor
08-01-2006, 04:21 PM
I have a flash back as well in my mind way back 1984, I got an experienced with a refrigerator. the user call me for his refrigerator serviced by a cowboy technician. His ref evaporator accidentally chip by a pointed sharp metal. The cowboy technician welded the evap used an epoxy glue. After a couple of days the customer call me, his Ref not working and the compressor tripping. When I removed the compressor to check the oil, my goshhh wath a milky coulor.. (Water and oil mixed). Adviced to the customer to replace the evaporator and flushing the system, replace the filterdrier. The customer said they rather buy new Refrigerator. GOOD idea..

rudi

rbartlett
08-01-2006, 08:44 PM
the epoxy glue you speak of (usually a kawasaki green)is a well tried and tested method of repairing plate evaparators in domestic fridges. so personally I wouldn't call him a cowboy for that.

maybe he should have vacuumed it out for a month before re-charging it but hey that costs and the owner probably didn't want to pay .....

cheers

richard

phil68
10-01-2006, 10:20 PM
These involve me as a green 18 yr. old & working for an environmental test chamber company (who shall remain nameless). I'd had only rudimentary training in the workings of a fridge system from a service engineer working for the same company (didn't go to college for City & Guilds until the age of 22). And I was sent out to service cascade refrigeration.
The first was when I was trying to charge the 2nd stage of a system with R13. I noticed that the charging cylinder was getting hot. I shut the cylinder off & told my mentor about it later in the day. After he'd calmed down he expalined that I'd been trying to charge the sysyem via the compressor discharge service valve & was lucky to be still alive.
The second was when I was doing routine maintenance on another chamber & noticed that the liquid-line sight glass was bubbling. Must be low on gas thought I, so I started to fill with R502. The sight glass didn't clear, so I kept filling. Bearing in mind this was a bench-top chamber ten minutes passed before there was an almighty sound of escaping gas & the whole lab filled with oil vapour. My mentor later told me it had a blocked drier.
Number three was when I was checking 3 phase, phase to phase with a meter borrowed from my mentor. Except that I had forgotten to switch the meter to VAC from ohms. The flash almost blinded me & I had to hand the meter back with the ends of the test prongs blown clean off:D

chillin out
10-01-2006, 10:48 PM
Hi Phil,

You are one lucky sod..

It`s YOUR life and health so take it upon yourself to get proper information and training.

Im not saying you are dumb, but there is a lot to learn. Everyone (marco included) learns something new every day.

Think about the job in hand before you pick up any tools or meters (if you have any that are not blown apart LOL).

Do not learn by your mistakes , learn before the event happens.

Chillin:) :)

rpbuenaflor
15-01-2006, 12:36 PM
Rechard,
The cowboy tech I mentioned used all purposed epoxy glue a grey colour one. I experienced for the situation when my one of McQuay 650 Tons centrifugal chiller r134a evaporator tube leaks in the middle east, Kuwait. After we replaced 12 tubes, and vacuumed it almost 2 weeks 24 hours a day. We used/ consummed 350 litters of vacuum oil. What a nightmare in my part but added to my job acheivement.

rudi

rbartlett
15-01-2006, 02:59 PM
Rechard,
The cowboy tech I mentioned used all purposed epoxy glue a grey colour one. I experienced for the situation when my one of McQuay 650 Tons centrifugal chiller r134a evaporator tube leaks in the middle east, Kuwait. After we replaced 12 tubes, and vacuumed it almost 2 weeks 24 hours a day. We used/ consummed 350 litters of vacuum oil. What a nightmare in my part but added to my job acheivement.

rudi

ah i see a little clearer now the grey stuff is just a epoxy 'metal' and as such not fridge rated. however using glue on a fridge system sounds strange but they said that about using glue in the manufacturer of cars at first..

cheers

richard

star882
17-01-2006, 12:28 AM
The second was when I was doing routine maintenance on another chamber & noticed that the liquid-line sight glass was bubbling. Must be low on gas thought I, so I started to fill with R502. The sight glass didn't clear, so I kept filling. Bearing in mind this was a bench-top chamber ten minutes passed before there was an almighty sound of escaping gas & the whole lab filled with oil vapour. My mentor later told me it had a blocked drier.
One thing: watch both gauges while charging.

andre_fridge
03-05-2006, 12:43 AM
hey guys got one that tops the list
one of our esteemed competitors in town decides to fit a new 5hp semi copeland unit but phones the supplier complaining that the sight glass is leaking oil, so the supplier thinks that its a fault with the unit and supplies a 2nd one, this one too springs aleak at the sight glass.
supplier thinks that this is just too much off a coincdence and comes to town to check it out, he has alook at the installation and it looks ok, but true as nuts the sight glass is leaking oil!!!!!!!!!
so he asks the guy what gas you charging and he points to a cylinder of helium and says 404 why????

Toolman
03-05-2006, 08:17 AM
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Andy T
04-05-2006, 12:28 AM
One of are engineers switched off the condenser fans and left the comps running on a large pack so that he could build up the pressure in the condenser to check for a leak while stood on the liquid receiver. And listening for leaks the pressure relief valve pooped R404A missing him by inches. When it was reported to the Refrigeration Manager he failed to question why the HP control never cut the comps first. I think refrigeration Managers have a responsibility to question any risks by staff and equipment.All I find now is the same engineer now is sent on jobs when he can't find the fault blames the comp failed.I am then sent to change the comp to find the comp ok and the condencer blocked with dust or what ever simple fault it is.Leaving me to cover his ass or dob him in.I have now left.....

US Iceman
04-05-2006, 01:01 AM
Here is short story told to me a long time ago by the Copeland manager for the local parts supply back home.

A long time refrigeration contractor came in and asked for a new hermetic compressor. The manager looked up the correct part, picked out the compressor and a new set of driers.

The contractor took the parts and went back to the job site. Three or four hours later my friend got a phone call from the contractor.

This is the conversation that took place.....

The &^%$%& compressor is not working right!

OK, what is the problem?

The compressor runs, but is not doing anything.

Is the suction valve open (a Rotolock valve)?

Yes!! But the suction pressure is not decreasing. Why did you give me a bad compressor???? :eek: This is costing me money and the customer is going to call you because you gave him a bad compressor. What are you going to do???:mad: :mad: :mad:

Nothing, but I'll tell you what to check.

OK, what should I do?

Take the suction valve off of the compressor and call me back.

Much cursing and shouting now happens and the contractor slams down the phone.

An hour later the phone rings again.

OK smart A*S, I took the valve off now what?

Look inside the threaded connection on the valve. What do you see?

End of conversation.........


OK guys are you ready for the answer?

You are going to love this.




A red plastic plug was still in the Rotolock valve body. :D

I love happy endings.:p

jamcool
04-05-2006, 01:25 AM
Have a short one:) ,walk-in-cooler has a leak (this is the company i work for) they send a guy out to it the guy finds the leak fixes the leak,he "blows out the unit" with some refrigerant while on the roof he decides to charge unit up,he looks around and about 4 other condensing units are on the roof,he looks on the name plate of 2 it says 404a so he figures this cooler must use 404a charges up unit blows high side gauge on manifold set:eek: ,turns unit off and tells boss that I would sort it the next day.
Next day I get sent to unit, have to recover 404a gas,look on name plate unit uses R22,have to do the whole works get unit up and running and to end it all the boss gives the guy a pat on the back because he responded to the initial call in less than 20 minutes:confused:

Peter_1
04-05-2006, 06:20 AM
... however using glue on a fridge system sounds strange but they said that about using glue in the manufacturer of cars at first..

An Airbus is mostly glued, I've seen in my beginning yeras very good aluminium evaporators (tubes and fins) on transport cooling where the bends were glued in the pipes.

NoNickName
04-05-2006, 12:05 PM
I was once sent in Austria firstflightinthemorning to respond to an SOS by a fussy installer who was shouting in the phone to my boss that we were building ****ty chillers.
This one chiller was going LP, so probably it was losing refrigerant or already lost all of it. Infact the LP gauge was zero.

You guessed it.

He forgot the suction line rotalock closed.

thebigcheese
04-05-2006, 07:12 PM
Here is short story told to me a long time ago by the Copeland manager for the local parts supply back home.

A long time refrigeration contractor came in and asked for a new hermetic compressor. The manager looked up the correct part, picked out the compressor and a new set of driers.

The contractor took the parts and went back to the job site. Three or four hours later my friend got a phone call from the contractor.

This is the conversation that took place.....

The &^%$%& compressor is not working right!

OK, what is the problem?

The compressor runs, but is not doing anything.

Is the suction valve open (a Rotolock valve)?

Yes!! But the suction pressure is not decreasing. Why did you give me a bad compressor???? :eek: This is costing me money and the customer is going to call you because you gave him a bad compressor. What are you going to do???:mad: :mad: :mad:

Nothing, but I'll tell you what to check.

OK, what should I do?

Take the suction valve off of the compressor and call me back.

Much cursing and shouting now happens and the contractor slams down the phone.

An hour later the phone rings again.

OK smart A*S, I took the valve off now what?

Look inside the threaded connection on the valve. What do you see?

End of conversation.........


OK guys are you ready for the answer?

You are going to love this.




A red plastic plug was still in the Rotolock valve body. :D

I love happy endings.:p





i done that before but luckily enough i found it out for myself

The MG Pony
05-05-2006, 04:15 AM
I may be new student but I know how to do quality work. Sadly it seems most don't, this one plant I just salvaged the guy hacked up an old gauge hose to attach the LP switch and used a cheap T to set it up in the system the best part? Finger tight!, I thought nothing was in there as it was so loose, so start taking it off and WOSH! tightened it up right fast!.

Tycho
05-05-2006, 05:46 PM
An Airbus is mostly glued, I've seen in my beginning yeras very good aluminium evaporators (tubes and fins) on transport cooling where the bends were glued in the pipes.


About six years ago we built a Horisontal platefreezer for ***** and ammonia,the aluminum plates where built up from three plates glued together, and the end pieces were glued on too.

The plates held a pressure test of 30 bar without any problems.

We "borrowed" one of our customers plants and installed the freezer for trials.

I cant remember what kind of glue we used, but it was certified for use with *****, ammonia and refrigeration oil.

However.... it started melting when it came in contect with a *****/oil mixture... and it turned very brittle when it came in contact with an ammonia/oil mix :D

I had a sample that had been submerged in ammonia/oil for a week, put it in a vise, the two pieces separated from an ever so slight tap from a ball-pane hammer :D

Andy T
05-05-2006, 11:13 PM
I think we should start a hall of fame, this thread is starting to give the wrong impression.

S_Line
11-06-2006, 08:56 PM
Lots of Details but no pictures :~( I will provide a few great pics ;)

Hall Of Shame here we come :)

Tiger 05
26-06-2006, 11:14 AM
Two for me
Walked onto a site it was a building with several tennancies over 100 all individually being cooled by Blaico water cooled units located in the ceiling. We had just taken over the contract the managing agent had gone through and asked the tennants if they had any probs with the a/c only one person was happy. To cut a long story short I ended up seeing every problem even some I didn't know exsisted.

Second walk into a building in town again we had just taken it over 15 stories. Best supply temp I could get was 16*c then the motors would trip out on overload went back over twenty years of records found every year that the bearings for the three motors had been changed every year (open drive).After much discussion with my boss they call in the big guns every one scratching their heads I'm in a corner with an engineer who had come out of retirement to look at the system when he turns to me and says that shell and tube is piped the wrong way.

Rangerdoc
04-10-2006, 01:56 AM
My worst ever was ten years ago on a rooftop in Lebanon, Missouri, USA. This remote freezer was on the rooftop. Wire dangling... wire nuts everywhere. Every type of tape and wire you can imagine was holding this thing together.
The clincher was: they converted from R-12 to r-405 or some blend, I can't remember. To deal with the excessively high head pressures due to the new refrigerant, they simply added another condenser and laid it on a wooden pallet next to the unit. The motor capacitors were just hanging out in the open air.
I told the property owner that this was a disaster waiting to happen and took pictures to cover my a$$. :D



Long story short, the capacitor blew, the oil caught fire and dripped on the pallet. It caught on fire and ruptured a refrigerant line. The high pressure oil made a great blow torch and nearly burned the building down. :eek:

giddy
04-10-2006, 11:56 AM
I saw a spilt system tied to a building 20 floors up in taiwan last year.

Toolman
05-10-2006, 01:30 AM
Australian EPA has finally organized licenses for all qualified fridgys . This should get rid of some cowboys.

The pic below is the best one have seen . A picture speaks a thousand words .

taz24
06-10-2006, 10:56 AM
I went to a job once where the owner had got hold of a cold room and built it himself. He then conected the pipe joints together with softsolder. When he got intouch with me he could not understand why it would not work.

taz.

greref
09-10-2006, 11:23 PM
Hey fellows got myself a little prob.
Was asked to quote for the installation of a ducted air conditioning system...customer has the unit,both the air handler and condensing units are YORK... They were never installed but has been sitting in his bond for the past 6 years..
unfortunately the label with the specks on the condensing unit is unreadable, but air handler model number is LIEU36QAA.
Could anyone say whats the Btu.

frank
10-10-2006, 07:39 PM
Most equipment has some reference to the duty in the label.

My guess with this one is 36000btu's

andre_fridge
10-10-2006, 09:29 PM
Ok so this one probably beats the lot, got called out to have a look at a job that was done at the local brewery, and getting there we had a look around, got told that they had just replaced a compressor in the main chiller and I decided to have a look, OMG this beats all of what was done!!!!!!!!!
the semi was replaced with a sealed unit, but they "forgot" to bolt it down, the electrical box was stripped off the semi and "wired" to fit the sealed unit, but kinda left dangling in the air without the cover on, the "cowboy" didn't have a tube bender with him, so he gave the discharge pipe a really funky looking loop to the condenser inlet, but forgot to "move" his expertly wired harness, the connector block that he had fitted to "join" the wiring touched and melted away, exposing the wiring and you could well imagine POOF!!!!!!
he's kinda upset about loosing 10kg's of R22, but then again we had so much flooding down here who the hell cares about global warming!!!!!!

OH well looks like I got a really great job coming up when he refuses to come back, customer says that he will continue calling this monkey back till he fixes the job correctly!!!

I WILL be taking photo's to share with you all!!!
customer wants to remain anon though hahahahaha

taz24
11-10-2006, 01:07 AM
I'll own up to one job I did many, many moons ago when we still used to blow condensers clean with 502:D I was a young lad repairing an ice cream van that had a fractured capilary line. I reffited the capilary tube into the suction where it had snaped off, purged the system of air and charged it up till it frosted back. The I let out a little bit of gas to stop the liquid flooding the comp. For some reason though it would not work. It took very little gas and frosted back very easily. I had to have help to put it right.:rolleyes:

Cheers taz.

Tony Weston
15-10-2006, 08:01 PM
This is true.
Got called out to a dairy (NZ corner shop) to look at an upright milk cabinet that wasnt working. The fridge was full of milk bottles, so I put my guages on and saw it had no gas in the system at all.
I added a bit of gas, and it leaked straight away. I asked the shop owner to empty the fridge as I suspect there was a broken pipe in the evap. We emptied the fridge, and saw the evap was missing !!! I asked the owner where the evap was, and he said "Oh do you mean this fan, I have taken it out to get more milk inside !!!!
I left him with a call out fee, and a totaly unrepairable fridge,he had left it running, and there wasn't an LP switch fitted.
I just love New Zealand shop owners.
:rolleyes:

Tony Weston
15-10-2006, 08:07 PM
Hello
One of our guys took 8 hours to install an evaporator in a cold room!after 10 hours he rang t say it just wouldnt cool,i checked the system over and after scratching me head i found the problem,he had left the orifice out of the tev i found it laying in the drip tray! Bloody Kiwi,s
Was this in NZ or in the Uk ? Living here for 21 years, I come across so called fridgies all the time. Most are good, but some !!! :rolleyes:

Tony Weston
15-10-2006, 08:10 PM
Hello
One of our guys took 8 hours to install an evaporator in a cold room!after 10 hours he rang t say it just wouldnt cool,i checked the system over and after scratching me head i found the problem,he had left the orifice out of the tev i found it laying in the drip tray! Bloody Kiwi,s I see your in Queenstown, nice one. Im in sunny Auckland.

Leo1967
20-10-2006, 07:27 AM
well,they say the mother of idiots is always pregnant.......A friend of mine who works for Daikin after having told an installer he had to pressure test at 38 bars the VRV system,received a call from the installer:
-Hi,remember you told me about the pressure at 38 bars?
-yes
-well,i filled the system but how do you make water go at 38 bars??

This idiot flooded everything,pipes and internal units,can you imagine the damage??? lol

Abe
20-10-2006, 10:21 AM
Ok so this one probably beats the lot, got called out to have a look at a job that was done at the local brewery, and getting there we had a look around, got told that they had just replaced a compressor in the main chiller and I decided to have a look, OMG this beats all of what was done!!!!!!!!!
the semi was replaced with a sealed unit, but they "forgot" to bolt it down, the electrical box was stripped off the semi and "wired" to fit the sealed unit, but kinda left dangling in the air without the cover on, the "cowboy" didn't have a tube bender with him, so he gave the discharge pipe a really funky looking loop to the condenser inlet, but forgot to "move" his expertly wired harness, the connector block that he had fitted to "join" the wiring touched and melted away, exposing the wiring and you could well imagine POOF!!!!!!
he's kinda upset about loosing 10kg's of R22, but then again we had so much flooding down here who the hell cares about global warming!!!!!!

OH well looks like I got a really great job coming up when he refuses to come back, customer says that he will continue calling this monkey back till he fixes the job correctly!!!

I WILL be taking photo's to share with you all!!!
customer wants to remain anon though hahahahaha



Waiting for your pics Andre
:)

arcticmonkey
21-10-2006, 10:46 PM
A friend of my dads took a picture of small unit on a farm in se england.this unit comprised of a 12.5hp compressor,a 1/2 inch filter drier, a nice and tidy condensor and an R22 EMPTY GAS CYLINDER AS A RECIEVER.someone had even drilled the holes and soldered the pipes into it.I will get the photo coz it looks the biz and i wish i was that inventive.:eek:

arcticmonkey
21-10-2006, 10:59 PM
if anyone would like to pressure test a system with oxygen i would like to see pictures of the outcomee.hehe.

taz24
22-10-2006, 04:44 PM
I know someone who in the 70s blew a condeser clean with propane and then blew the shop windows out when he lit his leak lamp.:eek:


Cheers taz.

taz24
22-10-2006, 05:59 PM
The same guy whilst carrying a unit across the joists of an attic fell through the joists and was only saved by his large girth.

Cheers taz.

MTKkeefy
22-10-2006, 08:46 PM
Maybe as a spin off to this thread you could add the best excuses you have come up with after making.... operational whoopsies?

Surely the most popular one is blaming it on the previous engineer, who happens to be your largest competitor?

mickandlee
23-10-2006, 02:33 PM
Many years ago I went to commission a new AC system serving a restaurant. Day was very hot. I was told system had a holding charge of R22.

Started comp and suction just dropped, added more gas - no change.

Check system found liquid line from condenser connected to the reciver connection marked ontlet !!!!!! (Both connections on top of LR shell - outlet being fitted with a dip pipe). lliquid from receiver comming from top of receiver shell.

Only option, as managed of resturant getting most upset, but to blow off complete charge. Approx 80 lbs. R22. (Global warming had'nt been invented in those days)

This affected the sensor for the AC system and turned on FULL HEATING. Restaurant manager even more unhappy!!!!

Latter when mentioning problem to the installing ENGINEER ???????? he said he did not know that one of the receiver connections had a dip tube and his arrangement looked better.

Happy days

Mick

MikeA
23-10-2006, 03:48 PM
Hi all new to this but laughing a lot all the same.

Went to look at an existing R22 rooftop package A/C unit that the encumbant engineers had been unable to determine the problem. They said that it was sort of working as there was a TD across the compressor but that there didn't appear to be any action on the indoor section.

We had a look over the unit and there are two 25kW circuits. After a brief check we found that there was a blockage across one of the TX valves. We suggested reclaiming the system and checking it out.

This is what we found...


I think they need to work on their maintenance regimes a little more.:rolleyes:

Cheers Mike

frank
26-10-2006, 07:36 PM
Did anyone read the article in H & V News this week about fixing AC condensing units?

Robert Rumpff
02-11-2006, 02:48 PM
Don't want to blame the Tech but he should have questioned the installation.
Contracted out a ducted central, unit is 60,000 btu but won't cool. I check subcooling and determine unit is undercharged so I evacuate and recharge by weight.
Suction is so high I decide compressor must have a broken suction valve. I arrange for a new compressor and pull the old one.
This is Great!
Result: The 1 1/8" (27 mm) suction port on this sealed compressor was dented in leaving aprox. a 3/8" (10 mm) opening, but the factory brazing machine sealed the lip of the 1 1/8" (27mm) copper tube below the dent so you couldn't see it.
I used the new compressor and sent the original back to the factory :)

Simon Butler
08-11-2006, 11:27 AM
I had one when i was an apprentice. The company we were working for had employed there own "engineer" but we were called out whilst this guy was on holiday. Being a few years ago when R502 was being phased out he had decided to run this blast freezer on R22, which would have been fine except that his retrofitting skills only ran as far as letting out the R502 and charging with R22, he did'nt even change the TEV's. By the time we got there the poor 25hp Sabroe had holes you could put your finger through in the pistons.

Simon

Temprite
16-01-2007, 12:18 PM
Whats wrong with these pictures?

Peter_1
16-01-2007, 01:05 PM
First picture, the tear in the trouser, :p second one , you can't use a suction accumulator as an additional receiver.

Josip
16-01-2007, 01:16 PM
Hi, Peter_1 :)


First picture, the tear in the trouser, :p second one , you can't use a suction accumulator as an additional receiver.

Seems he can;)

Best regards, Josip :)

monkey spanners
16-01-2007, 07:12 PM
Lol
Drier and suction line accumulator should be blue to match the unit:D
Is that a L'unite lecky box on a Maneurop?

Jon

The MG Pony
16-01-2007, 07:48 PM
lol ghetto receiver! why that when they all ready have one? lol thats just sad! Poor plant!!

TSK
16-01-2007, 09:55 PM
Talking of blaming the previous engineer (taboo) I once spent about half a day trying to find a leak that had all but emptied the system, this was a chill cabinet with a remote condenser on R12. Eventually gave up under pressure to get it going from both client and boss, recharged it and left it working ok. Got much grief from boss over not finding leak, young lads, not a proper engineer yet then etc, etc.
Then some time later whilst chatting to some of the older lads in the cafe one of them owns up to being out of gas at the time and robbed the chill cab to recharge the freezer coldroom on the same site, swine near split his sides laughing. No names mentioned but if you are reading this well done at reaching retirement age!

Temprite
17-01-2007, 12:16 PM
First picture, the tear in the trouser, :p
Saving on uniforms you have to get the most out of them.:)


second one , you can't use a suction accumulator as an additional receiver.

Quite correct.
I quoted on this installation some time ago but it appears we were to expensive.

The unit is a walk in freezer and the condensing unit is located above.We have had a quite a bit of hot weather and the ambient above the room was nearly unbearable.

Unit has been short cycling on HP control and potential relay failed.This unit will soon be outside minus suction line accumulator (on the liquid line). The oil seperator and the real accumulator will be bolted to the unit instead of floating in mid air.

I happened to pass by the place when it was being installed and asked the installer why there was an accumulator in the liquid line. He tells me that it is a liquid line accumulator. I tell him that that was a new one to me. He tells me that the wholesalers told him to install it.I then walk away wondering how long it will last.
Well it lasted about a year.

At least he got the flow direction correct:D .Although it probably would have been better in reverse.

The unit is an "Aussie blue star" which is Australian for "Manurop".:)
Electrical box is original.

Peter_1
17-01-2007, 12:23 PM
In a suction accumulator, both tubes inside it are going to the top of it (besides the small hole at the bottom for oil return), so it must first completely be filled to the top before it starts to flow.
So it can't work in my opinion.

Taffy
17-01-2007, 12:33 PM
Hi chaps, I'm quite new here, does anyone have the generic fault codes for Hitachi splits?

Peter_1
17-01-2007, 12:48 PM
See it, posted it in the wrong section, nobody will notice it here.

frank
17-01-2007, 12:57 PM
Hi chaps, I'm quite new here, does anyone have the generic fault codes for Hitachi splits?
Use the Search facility. They have been posted in the past.

NoNickName
17-01-2007, 01:39 PM
In a suction accumulator, both tubes inside it are going to the top of it (besides the small hole at the bottom for oil return), so it must first completely be filled to the top before it starts to flow.
So it can't work in my opinion.



Yeah, but I still miss the reason why they required one extra liquid receiver. I see one already. Or isn't it?

Peter_1
17-01-2007, 05:51 PM
NoNickName, we have sometimes the same troubles with the market trucks: long lines where the receiver has sometimes not enough volume to store all the liquid when we pump down the system.

NoNickName
17-01-2007, 08:53 PM
NoNickName, we have sometimes the same troubles with the market trucks: long lines where the receiver has sometimes not enough volume to store all the liquid when we pump down the system.

Well, there's a whole condenser to store it in eventually. And I love freezing it up when the solenoid opens. :D
Side note: we don't usually call it suction accumulator, but liquid strainer. It more gives the idea... it doesn't accumulate like a receiver, it strains liquid from vapour.

Temprite
18-01-2007, 10:37 AM
Yeah, but I still miss the reason why they required one extra liquid receiver. I see one already. Or isn't it?

There was no reason.He put it there because he thought it was supposed to be there.

That reciever is plenty big enough to hold the charge in that system.

RONB
22-01-2007, 07:18 PM
How about this one.Afew years ago I was commissioning on a supermarket refit,as usual the cases were coming on line in stages.As the weeks went by the last of the cases were fitted and then the problems started.The pack was running flat out and the cases were not getting temperature,suc press was almost 70 psi(R404).I got on to the project manager and told him I was having major problems with the plant, and he threw a wobbler "what the !!!! have you done wrong on the commissioning you useless !!!!"was his reply.I said that in my opinion the pack was undersized for the case duty,but he said the pack design duty was 15% above the case duty.The company sent in a "troubleshooter" to check my work.He started cutting risers looking for oil logged pipes and baisicaly pulled the job to bits and would not listen to me.After almost a week he left site and the problem was not rectified.The design engineer went through all his sizeings and said they were spot on.After almost two weeks of empty cases the problem was found.The case manufacturer had upped the sizes of the case evaps and had not told anyone,we had to put 36" on a condensing unit And the plant ran as sweet as a nut.

frank
22-01-2007, 09:50 PM
Hi Ronb

Who ended up paying for the C**k-up :confused:

RONB
23-01-2007, 03:39 PM
As far as I know the case manufacturer got hit with the costs.I got lots of overtime though.

taz24
23-01-2007, 03:54 PM
we had to put 36" on a condensing unit And the plant ran as sweet as a nut.


We had exactly the same fault. was it an Asda store by chance?

taz.

RONB
24-01-2007, 09:53 AM
Yes.Were your cases manufactured by a company begining with N.

Abe
24-01-2007, 11:45 AM
,we had to put 36" on a condensing unit And the plant ran as sweet as a nut.

36 inches.........is that increase the size of the condenser coil??

The Wanderer
25-01-2007, 12:45 AM
I work in the Transport Refrigeration side, as it is a small industry there's not many of us at it. The whole industry is short staffed.
Going back a few years we took on a commercial engineer who in his words was 'the dogs b******s.

After a few weeks in the workshop he was moaning about not getting the chance to get on site. A job came in localy and off he went, (just a simple N.P.T)

After half the day had gone with no contact from the 'Engineer' i was asked to call in to where he was on my way back to the depot.

"There's something wrong with the compressor, I know the engine's turning the right way but the compressors running backwards the pressures are the wrong way round"

Bearing in mind the compressor will run either rotation this was baffleing. After climbing up the ladders and having a nosey I told him what the problem was.
"You have your gagues on the wrong way round"

"NO I HAVE NOT, look i followed the pipework back to the compressor, there's the accumilator tank back to the compressor"

Thats the RECIEVER tank I said!!!

Why he followed the pipework back and missed the condensor doing so I do not know

Toolman
25-01-2007, 06:20 AM
that last story reminds me of a guy who started with the company I was with at the time . Sent him to a commercial refrig job. He came back later and was asked , how did you go .. he said

"There was some bubbles in the sightglass so I let the gas out until there wasnt any bubbles" ! :rolleyes:

He was marched out of the place .

I guess the LP was at fault as well if it kept running after he worked his magic :D

RONB
25-01-2007, 11:25 AM
Yes.Were your cases manufactured by a company begining with N.


Sorry I meant 36 foot.

Chillin'
29-01-2007, 04:10 AM
And yet when it comes to capital spending... the cheapest usually wins...

*sigh*

renny_no1
18-02-2007, 04:40 PM
Australian EPA has finally organized licenses for all qualified fridgys . This should get rid of some cowboys.

The pic below is the best one have seen . A picture speaks a thousand words .

Toolman
At least the pallet is level!

taz24
21-02-2007, 04:22 PM
Yes.Were your cases manufactured by a company begining with N.


Yes they were :).

Cheers taz.

sid
05-03-2007, 04:33 PM
hi
only today i was called to look at a split that wasnt working , when i got there it was going out on hp. checked unit out and it was running ok for a couple of hours and then cutting out. i decided that it was ethier mostire in the system are over charged. the coils where clean and fans running ok aswell. when i started reclaimimg the gas i niticed that there should only be 3.7kg of gas in it. by the time i removed it all there 6kg taken out of it.....
some cowboy had been there before me...

refaircon
06-03-2007, 08:36 PM
service call by an engineer, complaint of system 'not doing anything.' gets to site alls looking good only thing missing is the pipework though! Wired and drain done, just not piped customer had paid bill though!

andre_fridge
07-03-2007, 10:11 PM
siting here going through all the stuff that I have missed reminded me of a very amusing story that happened to my son while he was visiting in december ( I get him when mommy decides she needs a break)
So said kid arrives in the middle of high season with all hell breaking loose and as all 6 year olds are they are inquisitive as hell, have to touch everything, hang on everything, grab screwdrivers and imitate Dad at every opertunity, and yes irritate the life out of Dad (aka boss) and all hired help!
Picture this "sitting in the guts of a 5 star hotel with a poolheat pump that is "blowing" digital controllers", so nothing beats a good old standard electro-mechanical unit, said unit gets fitted to the heat pump and like all 6 year olds, he don't listen!, he don't like shoes, he is on holiday at the sea, he doesn't WANT TO wear shoes, he stands in the puddle of water forming under the pool heat pump and hangs on the machine like all good monkeys will do and WHAMO!!!!
he does the spaso dance, shrieking at the top of his little lungs "it bit me, it bit me"
well first a concerned father sorts out the problem, and then a hell of a lot of laughter, and a few crocodile tears from monster child and all was sorted out.

the moral of the story is such "kids always know better, and no macine however firmly it is bolted to the floor still needs to be held up by a kid"

the cause of the "spaso dance" was the neutral was lying in water in the casing of the machine, the hotel got the bill to upgrade the wiring of the unit.

the outcome of this story: utterly priceless! can't wait till the kid turns 21 to repeat the story to his peers!

monkey spanners
07-03-2007, 10:32 PM
This reminds me of when i was younger helping out my dad by holding the lead lamp (briticent gripa, who remembers them?) so he could see what he was doing. " dad I'm getting a shock off the lead lamp!" reply " no your not "
fizz fizz fizz
" dad i'm getting a shock off the lead lamp" reply " no your not, shut up"
fizz fizz
" give it here i can't see OW!! I got a shock off the lead lamp" I think no sh*t sherlock. Turns out it had 72volts coming down the earth. You've got to love working on farms!

Cheers Jon

Takeshi
08-03-2007, 10:23 PM
Got called out to a small grocerie shop. Dairy case not working. One of the guys adjusts the timeclock and "OW!" he gets poke off of it.
Hm..bit odd. Anyway so I unplugs it and take apart the plug to check whats going on..
Turns out one of the doughnuts who own the shop crossed the live & neutral and had wrapped a bit of foil around the fuse to stop it blowing..:rolleyes:
Change the plug and sort the wires and switch to see what happens.
BZZZZZZZ CLICK
Job done:) lol

NoNickName
09-03-2007, 12:43 PM
Got a call from a moron who'd got an ALOC alarm (inspection door open).
I told him: "you've got the door open. Just close it".
(I hear him going to the building door and slams it).
"Still can't reset".

slingblade
09-03-2007, 01:43 PM
Hi all,
Service call to local boozer ice machine. whilst waiting for first cycle to end i noticed this little beauty.
2 x porter lancastrian coolers serviced by tee'd pipework and condensing unit outside somewhere.
Liquid line consists of 10mm microbore.
suction is 15mm tube tee'd to 28mm tube all done with yorkshire fittings and extra plumbers solder for extra strength and safety in mind.
All works fully backed by the cellar services fridge/plumbers warranty.:D

taz24
09-03-2007, 10:57 PM
Hi all,
Service call to local boozer ice machine. whilst waiting for first cycle to end i noticed this little beauty.
2 x porter lancastrian coolers serviced by tee'd pipework and condensing unit outside somewhere.
Liquid line consists of 10mm microbore.
suction is 15mm tube tee'd to 28mm tube all done with yorkshire fittings and extra plumbers solder for extra strength and safety in mind.
All works fully backed by the cellar services fridge/plumbers warranty.:D


They should of put armaflex on, then you would not see it.
Cheepskates:D

Cheers taz.

mr cool
16-03-2007, 11:38 PM
ive been called to a pack after another engineer had left it after several hours and after many phone calls! he told me that hed left the pack running but there was a problem with the control circuit. when i got there i found the control circuit fuse blown because the press switch cable rubbed through. fair enough,
but he had wedged compressor contactors in with card board to keep them running!!

SuperEd
21-03-2007, 01:20 AM
Hi all, this is my first post and I have 2 stories to tell. The first begins when I was about 12, we used to have a large domestic chest freezer in the utility room of my parents house, it was fairly old and the dividers kept collapsing as they do which would annoy the hell out of my mom. So my dad, being the diy genius that he is breaks out the battery drill and starts drilling new fixings into the side. You guessed it, TSSSSSSS, straight through the evaporator. Wasn't funny at the time but I often wonder if he hadn't done that would I have had an interest in becoming a fridge engineer.
My second is 15 years later. I get a call-out early one Thursday evening, a local supermarket chain who has their own engineer and are having problems. I arrive on site to find this guy fitted a new compressor on the Monday but can't get it going, food delivery due Friday morning first thing. He tells me "just keeps blowing fuses" Its a brand new condensing unit. so I ask to see the old one, he takes me to a new looking compressor and says "this one ran for a week and packed up, I can't get the other one to run" Turns out he replaced the whole unit, then the compressor failed and the one that won't run now is the second new compressor. I spend hours here and can't sus it out so take the wiring of the panel and compressor info away to have a think and to come back next day with some ideas. While at home having a think I come across the cause of the problem, the original unit was star delta, the new unit is part-wound. The other guy left his job and the country.

NoNickName
29-03-2007, 09:40 PM
I was once called out for a water cooled chiller having a broken condenser, which lost all refrigerant into cooling water. It turns out that the condenser was connected to tap water and all water was then wasted into sewage. The high level of oxigen in tap water corroded the condenser.
But this is not the funny thing.

I called the engineer of the installer and asked for a pressure test. He came downstairs with a nice black bottle... no pressure reducer.... ads sticker on it... strange OFN I thought...
Where did you get it, I asked
From the warehouse upstairs, he answered.
I went upstairs, and into the warehouse, which was shared with a bar of an adjacent fitness gym.
I looked around... you guessed. He disconnected the co2 of the soda dispenser and brought the bottle downstairs...

taz24
31-03-2007, 01:22 PM
I asked
From the warehouse upstairs, he answered.
I went upstairs, and into the warehouse, which was shared with a bar of an adjacent fitness gym.
I looked around... you guessed. He disconnected the co2 of the soda dispenser and brought the bottle downstairs...


Maybe he was trying to make soda water:D

taz.

The MG Pony
31-03-2007, 06:25 PM
Did you check his Kit for a bottle of jin and some orange juice?

Temprite
12-05-2007, 01:27 PM
Had a bad day today.

Attended a call this morning (Saturday) to a display fridge storing cheese with storage underneath.

Call was a noisy condenser fan motor, said to my wife I wouldnt be long.

Got to job and changed fan motor, checked unit operation and found sight glass bubbling, superheat seemed ok unit wasn't flooding back. Had a look for leaks but nothing obvious.Unit was labeled 134a so added some gas shortly after doing this it started to flood back. Thought I better check orifice size in TEV, open evap cover,TEV is R22:eek:.So I change TEV,whilst changing:eek: this I notice compressor is actually R12 model, mineral oil:eek:

Out comes the 134a, new dryer and in goes the drop in replacement, of course pressure control was set for r22 cut in was about 55 PSI, not to mention thermostat was a domestic two door type. Then of course the inevitable phone call from my wife asking me why a simple job was taking me so long:rolleyes:

Anyway fridge is now running fine.Client could not understand why I had done all this "extra work" as the fridge had been running fine for 2 years:eek:

Why is it that hacks can set up fridges like this and get away with it for ages, yet if I set it up this way the comp would be dead after a week.?

The MG Pony
12-05-2007, 05:55 PM
Are you sure they didn't replace oil, I do that with R-12 units, should the compressor be in good condition I'll clean it out with iso alcy then dry, vac, refill with POE.

Any case I feel for ya mate.

Toolman
14-05-2007, 01:39 AM
Anyway fridge is now running fine.Client could not understand why I had done all this "extra work" as the fridge had been running fine for 2 years:eek:

Why is it that hacks can set up fridges like this and get away with it for ages, yet if I set it up this way the comp would be dead after a week.?


;) Ah that old chestnut - where have I heard that one before ?;)
Maybe the customer is not telling you everything , like they had some " mate " try to do the work a week ago and now they have decided it need an expert so sort it out.
Dont you know the old saying " everybody knows a fridgy " this saying is very common in Adelaide anyway .

I guess this customer isnt a regular of yours - hopefully he will be now .
Oh yeah and dont you love it when the wife is hassling you along with the customer. Use this one next time - say you will be home by half past , just dont say which hour. :D

Toolman
14-05-2007, 01:40 AM
Anyway fridge is now running fine.Client could not understand why I had done all this "extra work" as the fridge had been running fine for 2 years:eek:

Why is it that hacks can set up fridges like this and get away with it for ages, yet if I set it up this way the comp would be dead after a week.?


;) Ah that old chestnut - where have I heard that one before ?;) Maybe the customer is not telling you everything , like they had some " mate " try to do the work a week ago and now they have decided it needs an expert so sort it out.
Dont you know the old saying " everybody knows a fridgy " this saying and practice is very common in Adelaide anyway .

I guess this customer isnt a regular of yours - hopefully he will be now .
Oh yeah and dont you love it when the wife is hassling you along with the customer. Use this one next time - say you will be home by half past , just dont say which hour. :D

Temprite
14-05-2007, 12:06 PM
Are you sure they didn't replace oil, I do that with R-12 units,

I figure if he isn't intelligent enough to put in the right TEV then he probably wouldn't change the oil in the comp.

Temprite
14-05-2007, 12:30 PM
G'day Toolman.


;) Ah that old chestnut - where have I heard that one before ?;) Maybe the customer is not telling you everything , like they had some " mate " try to do the work a week ago and now they have decided it needs an expert so sort it out.
Dont you know the old saying " everybody knows a fridgy " this saying and practice is very common in Adelaide anyway .
I was over in Adelaide about a week ago to go to a wedding, nice place.Something suss about eating a pie floating in pea soup after a long night on the grog though.:D

I guess this customer isnt a regular of yours - hopefully he will be now .
Regular and good customer just decided to buy a second hand fridge instead of a new one and has now payed the price.

Oh yeah and dont you love it when the wife is hassling you along with the customer. Use this one next time - say you will be home by half past , just dont say which hour. :D
My wife was hassling me so bad one night about coming home, I diverted my mobile to the home number so everytime she rang she was getting diverted to the number she was calling from:). I wasn't too popular when I got home:)

Toolman
16-05-2007, 01:20 AM
I was over in Adelaide about a week ago to go to a wedding, nice place.Something suss about eating a pie floating in pea soup after a long night on the grog though.:D

Ah the old pie floater - Its a tradition here but not as popular as it was once.
Lots of Cafe & eaterys here open till all hours trying to make a buck , I guess because its outside the casino that helps the poor barstards come out of the casino broke and can only afford a floater.
Did you have the sauce on top of the pie ? The colour combination is a classic trigger to make people throw up the nights drinking into the nearest bin :( :eek:

cameron.e
19-05-2007, 08:13 AM
hi guys ive being to a butcher were the previos tech went to put prolong inside the compressor and told the customer that comp will last longer.when i got there i found that the whole system needed to be replaced

monkey spanners
19-05-2007, 12:31 PM
It'll last indefinatly now its not working and wearing out.

Ignorance time, whats prolong?

Jon

The MG Pony
19-05-2007, 09:41 PM
I just worked on a large sandwich cooler, as the saying goes: Any thing worth doing is worth doing right, apparently that includes screwing up! Horrid wiring (Fire hazed and more) 3K BTU/H compressor, not too bad R-134a they at least got the refrigerant right, but used a 1K btu/h orifice and a grossly under sized evap <_< never put a sticker in stating the refrigerant, and of course I've had to do so much to the thing the customers are wanting it don cheap :( under sized evap and rotted door seals.

"Why isn't it geting cold enough?"

Geee, I wonder? !

So I told them I'll make it work but no worrenty and no gurentee's and they signed on that, so Happy hacking :( I hate doing it but I can make it work for cheap, but if she blows Up I'm telling them I'll only be using fresh ordered parts.

knighty
24-06-2007, 02:24 AM
mmm, I'm ashamed to admit... this is my wiring I just descovered... (I'd forgotten about it)

tho in my defence, I did it up a ladder, with a broken leg, at midnight, 2 weeks out of hospital after a motorbike doing 140mph drove into the drivers door of the transit van I was driving.... (pretty banged up, van written off, me airlifted to hospital etc...)


it was one of those things when you don't really realise that you're making bad descisions.... but you are :o

US Iceman
24-06-2007, 04:06 AM
...I'm telling them I'll only be using fresh ordered parts.


This is what you should have done in the first place MG. When it breaks again (and it will) he will have forgotten whatever you said and try to get you to fix if got free the next time.

This is just setting yourself up for a fall!

BTW, how are you working on systems if you have not been to school yet? Do you have any licenses to be doing this for the general public???

The MG Pony
24-06-2007, 04:33 AM
I'm working with an engineer who is, It is his company, He is training me untill school starts when it is finnished I'll be put on as a full time aprentice. For now it is working on basic systems, he checks them over first, so far not a beat missed!

In the end It still didn't perform to a level I considered acceptable and told them it could not be patched and they need to either get a new unit or get the manufacturors parts. my instrcuter agreed with my idea that the plant on it is plainly under sized for the way it is built.

NoNickName
24-06-2007, 11:04 AM
tho in my defence, I did it up a ladder, with a broken leg, at midnight, 2 weeks out of hospital after a motorbike doing 140mph drove into the drivers door of the transit van I was driving.... (pretty banged up, van written off, me airlifted to hospital etc...)


What about the bike rider? Did he survive?

knighty
24-06-2007, 03:01 PM
What about the bike rider? Did he survive?

no, he survived just past the accident (people who stopped told me this... I was trapped in the van) but pronounced dead when helicopter arrived :(

I still fill my pants every time a motorbike goes flying past me too... I'm quite lucky that I was just poping around the corner and didn't put my belt on, otherwise I'd be dead too.... the impact trapped my foot next to the accelerator and broke my leg, but as the door hit me it knocked me over so i was sitting on the passenger seat and out of the way of damage to the rest of me.

theboss
02-07-2007, 09:10 AM
check this out!!

DVaider
02-07-2007, 11:42 AM
check this out!!

+1!!!!! Genious!!!!!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

star882
02-07-2007, 04:29 PM
check this out!!
Nice dehumidifier/heater to use during the winter...

The MG Pony
02-07-2007, 08:19 PM
hey at least he had a good pipe rout!

Chillerguy
09-07-2007, 01:46 PM
Reading all of these makes me glad I don't do field service anymore! I've got two from my service days, both for the same company at the same Supermarket as a matter of fact. No wonder they started using a different company!

First off, I had been there perhaps a month and was just a helper to one of the techs. We go in to a large walk in used for meat cutting. They just had us install 4 new gravity coils and they weren't working. After some head scratching we notice that, while each coil has its own TEV they are piped in SERIES! SO we spent a day repiping the whole system so more than 1 TEV would get some liquid.

Second, same store. They had a Case for cakes that just wouldn't keep temp. Seems like they were looking for ~20°F but I can't remember. After a couple of compressor replacements (actually I think it was 4) it was noticed that the shelves stuck out past the load line so the air curtain was just dumping on the floor. I don't thin they ever told the store manager...:rolleyes:

paul_h
11-07-2007, 11:09 AM
Most of my hall of shames are about cowboys not wiring up units properly, putting underated cable/isolators on it, and doing really dodgey flares.
I have once incident I still give my boss crap about though.
He calls me up on friday and told me I have to change two tx valves on a cabinet. He spent the afternoon there and that's his prognosis.
So I have to wake up 6am on a saturday morning and change these valves and recharge the system (which is on the roof, in the rain)
I call him a few times, asking WTF?, he's given me 404a valves, the unit I'm working on is R22, and it has no gas in it. He assures me it's 404a, do it anyway, and charge it up.
Bottom line, there was nothing wrong with the valves, he condemned them because he was getting normal pressures on the roof cond unit, but no cooling.
He was actually looking at the wrong cond unit.
The system was r22 with a massive leak on the sight glass, which he could have fixed on friday in 1 hour, instead of draggin me out of bed to stuff around all sat morning.
I really ripped into him, his excuse was "it was raining I was in a hurry to get off the roof", my retort was "it was raining on saturday too, yet I had to fix your stuff up"
His next excuse was "I was looking at the unit the previous tech told me it was"
I replied " theres a gauge port on the evap EPR, how could you condemn two TX valves without even at least cracking the flares open"

The guy is pretty smart, 50+ year old fridgey that knows most things about really old school stuff, chillers, blast freezers, plus keeps up to date with electronics and all modern commercial a/c and refrig etc. But I'm not letting him live this one down.

Also this cabinet was the one that didn't have the carel controller wired up to the solenoid that I mentioned in another story. Plus the EPR on it was welded in backwards.

monkey spanners
18-07-2007, 06:28 PM
Asked for two 10a supplies and got this:confused::eek::mad::rolleyes:

hendrag
24-07-2007, 11:55 AM
take alook at these aircon installations http://picasaweb.google.com/propernasty/HallOfShame

most were spotted on my holidays there are many more where this came from.

regards hendrag

paul_h
24-07-2007, 02:16 PM
take alook at these aircon installations http://picasaweb.google.com/propernasty/HallOfShame

most were spotted on my holidays there are many more where this came from.

regards hendrag
Got a laugh out of the second last one, the unit bolted up the wall on it's side. :p

unfortunatley, the covers over the cond fans to force air upwards, or the obscured cassette in the ceiling, are all too common sights here, as anyone can install units with just a short course completed. And the course is primarily about not releasing refrigerant and other enviromental things, it has little to do with how refrigeration or air conditioning works, heat loads etc.
edit: add that to the fact that installers don't have to back their own installation, (they can throw troublesome jobs to manufacturers waranty agents), means there is a lot of cowboys installing here.
1st image shows an a/c that cooked in the summer heat, it was down the side of a house than was 10C higher than ambient. Turning the corner around the back yard to go down the side of the house that a/c was on you could feel the heat 10m away. Yeah, no **** it didn't work on hot days.
2nd photo show a 'flare' down by an 'installer', yep, that job wouldn't be warranty, and for the price of r410a, they'd be looking at $300 for a repair and recharge. I always give the customer a chance to get the installer back to repair, (which should be free for the customer), but it always ends in me doing the repair anyway, because (1) installers don't have licenses to buy refrigerant, and (2) they don't have reclaimers or scales.

expat
30-07-2007, 06:16 PM
Hi Paul. Curious to know what you did with the first one. Did you have to completely change the emplacement or did you get away with just reorienting it?

theboss
02-08-2007, 12:54 AM
@hendrag
This is a common practice in Saudi Arabia and those ducts made from fiber, plastic or tin are sold ready made in market for various brands. Seems like some time that front exhaust of hot air runs in at undesirable location.Sure there are top vented models available but how often do you want an alien in your monogamous brand HVAC solution??

paul_h
02-08-2007, 10:58 AM
Hi Paul. Curious to know what you did with the first one. Did you have to completely change the emplacement or did you get away with just reorienting it?I didn't install it, I work for a company that sub contracts the breakdowns. Once I identfy there's no fault with the unit, my job ends.
But usually the installers are called back and they turn the unit 90 degrees, which they did in this case. If it won't fit sideways they put those covers over the fans instead of listening to our advice and relocationg the unit. That's why I said those covers ducting air upwards are a pretty common sight down here. I have no problems if they do that, it's just the manufacturer won't cover it if it underperforms.

Toolman
08-08-2007, 08:48 AM
Any thoughts on the cause of this sort of occurance ?

monkey spanners
08-08-2007, 05:01 PM
Pressure testing with oxygen? BANG!!!

US Iceman
08-08-2007, 05:07 PM
Look at the pictures on this link and see if your situation looks similar.:confused:

http://www.alder.co.za/blowup.htm

This is a project Peter & I worked on sometime ago.

paul_h
08-08-2007, 05:20 PM
@hendrag
This is a common practice in Saudi Arabia and those ducts made from fiber, plastic or tin are sold ready made in market for various brands. Seems like some time that front exhaust of hot air runs in at undesirable location.Sure there are top vented models available but how often do you want an alien in your monogamous brand HVAC solution??I was reading a panasonic ducted split manual today, and they actually endorse them. They basically said if you use these covers you're allowed to have condensing units 15cm apart.

monkey spanners
08-08-2007, 06:38 PM
There but for the grace of god go I.
Thanks US Iceman for that link. Makes very interesting reading.

Jon

US Iceman
08-08-2007, 07:01 PM
Hi Jon,

The article Mr. Alder wrote explaining the problem was an example of several things combining to create "the perfect storm" as it were.

It helps to illustrate how these "little" things can go drastically wrong. Some or lucky, others are not.:(

Peter also translated and re-wrote the article in Dutch also.

expat
09-08-2007, 10:08 PM
US Iceman, I read Mr Alder's report together with your, as would be expected, correct procedure explanation.

I am however at odds with two things here:

1 We still don't know where the blockage was. I mean, it has to have been in the compressor but where and how???

2 Of course you don't deliberately induce air into a refrigeration circuit, unless of course you are at the end of you tethers and you woe the thought of going back to the office and telling your boss that it still doesn't work (without you having tried all of the obvious) and you don't know why.
So the chap thinks to himself hmm, I'll undo both the inlet and outlet of the compressor one after the other to see if it is either drawing or discharging...,sorry but I really don't see how any amount of training could have prepared him for the result he experienced.

This seems a horrible example of pinning it on the little guy!

note: I have never seen written on any compressor
"DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ALLOW AIR TO ENTER THIS SYSTEM FOR FEAR OF IMMEDIATE EXPLOSION".

This sort of story worries me very much. But I am not ready to blame the Tech for it; more the gas manufacturers who seem to be given free reign in what they choose to tell us about their products and the dangers there in.

I hope one of the b*****ds who chose not to explain it properly gets a flat tire on the side of the motorway, and gets run down by someone he was trying to flag down.

Expat.

The Viking
09-08-2007, 10:25 PM
Expat,

Please tell me that you are an American, now living in France.

expat
10-08-2007, 10:43 AM
I'll give you a clue:

Where I come from rubbers will not stop you getting pregnant.

Smoking a fag in public places is antisocial but it would not get you sent to prison for murder:p

We have a Queen 'cos it's better than a president init...etc

theboss
04-09-2007, 09:34 PM
Found this today.. the installation makes the unit recirculate large part of its condenser exhaust air..

ErickDavey
05-09-2007, 09:00 PM
Not been in this game for long but seem some shocking installs. The worst of them is as follows:-

Got called to a job where the walk in coldroom was high temp. found evap fan seized so changed and cleared ice. once done i wanted to check outdoor unit (condenser clear, pressures etc) and told it was on the roof.

I got there to find that there was 2 wall brackets in place 4 feet up from the flat roof but no condensing unit. The unit was swinging 1 foot from the flat roof held amazingly by 3/8 (non lagged suction) and 1/4 discharge plus of course compressor electrical feed from controller (which was 1mm lighting cable). The condensing unit was originally sat on the brackets under 7 sheets of cardboard which over the months had got wet and well, did what soggy cardboard does....saggs. Plus no weathered unit housing & electrics for compressor (klixon, relay & capacitor didnt have its cover on.

Im still amazed but this unit was still ok for pressures and ran, not that that news was much comfort for the customer.

Cannot name names of the company who installed it but needless to say im not losing sleep over them as competitors.

If I can find the pics I will gladly post. The shaming starts here......

°Herm Medic°
11-11-2007, 04:47 AM
Took this pic to show my new employer a leak that had eluded previous service techs. I had little experience with this particular type of filter, so it took me a bit to realize that it had been installed backwards:rolleyes:

cameron.e
11-11-2007, 03:59 PM
hi guys I DONE SOME WORK AT A DAIRY FACTORY RECENTLY AND WHAT I FOUND WAS ON THE COLDROOMVCODENCINGUNIT A2.8 HP DORIN THE LIQUID LINE WAS 1/2 AND IT HAD A1/4 SIDE GLASS ,WHICH CAUSED STARVATION OF THE EVAP AND DAMAGED THE COMP valve seats on valve plate due to over heating ,THE NEXT FACTORY I WENT BY THE WAY THE SAME COWBOYS WORK WHAT HE DONE WAS HE FITTED A 10HP CONDENSER WITH THE FANS FACING THE WALL AND BLOWING ALL THE WARM AIR THROUGH THE 3HP CONDENSER NEXT TO IT THE 3 HP CONDENSER HAS A SUCTION REDUCED FROM 11/8 to 5/8 still the customer does not want to send money on getting it done correctly ,penny wise pound foolish cheers guys

deyna
13-11-2007, 02:32 PM
I had one in a local hotel. Just had a deep freeze room and coldroom installled couple of months, installer could not get temperatures down, fridge at +20c and freezer, well it couldn't be used. Decided to get a second opinion on what could be wrong as John Wayne couldn't sort his own install.
On arrival, my first question,
"Where are the condensing units?" The reply,
"In the boiler room." As a matter of interest, I measured the temperature in there from memory at arond 50c. Heaven help us, these muppets and muppets like them are out there earning a living at the experts expense.

SteinarN
25-02-2008, 07:17 PM
Hello
One of our guys took 8 hours to install an evaporator in a cold room!after 10 hours he rang t say it just wouldnt cool,i checked the system over and after scratching me head i found the problem,he had left the orifice out of the tev i found it laying in the drip tray! Bloody Kiwi,s


I've seen the same once. On a direct driven TK Transport unit. The driver complained of poor cooling capacity. Found lack of refrigerant. (bubles in sight glass) Tried to fill up. Then liqiud back to the compressor. Not possible to get the TEV adjusted. There was some cooling capacity due to the distributor acting as a (way to big) capilary tube. Dismantled the TXV. No orific. The installer had even installed an O-ring in the place of the orific to get the flare sealed against the TEV. Unbelievable it was not leaking.

Josip
26-02-2008, 12:39 AM
Hi, SteinarN :)


I've seen the same once. On a direct driven TK Transport unit. The driver complained of poor cooling capacity. Found lack of refrigerant. (bubles in sight glass) Tried to fill up. Then liqiud back to the compressor. Not possible to get the TEV adjusted. There was some cooling capacity due to the distributor acting as a (way to big) capilary tube. Dismantled the TXV. No orific. The installer had even installed an O-ring in the place of the orific to get the flare sealed against the TEV. Unbelievable it was not leaking.

.... why unbelievable....take a look at my sig;)

Best regards, Josip :)

taz24
26-02-2008, 01:23 AM
Wish I had a photo of it to show but did not think at the time.
I saw 10 air conditioning units stood one in front of the other. They were only about 18inch apart and all faceing the same way.
The air from unit one was sucked into unit two, unit two's air was sucked into unit three, unit three's air was sucked into unit four.
You get where this is going?
Units six onwards only worked when the unit infront was off on HP.

taz.

nike123
26-02-2008, 02:48 AM
Wish I had a photo of it to show but did not think at the time.
I saw 10 air conditioning units stood one in front of the other. They were only about 18inch apart and all faceing the same way.
The air from unit one was sucked into unit two, unit two's air was sucked into unit three, unit three's air was sucked into unit four.
You get where this is going?
Units six onwards only worked when the unit infront was off on HP.

taz.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Springbok
26-02-2008, 07:00 PM
Nice one...

hendrag
26-02-2008, 11:20 PM
its not a story but a picture says a thousand words go to www.mylg.co.uk (http://www.mylg.co.uk) and click the hall of shame . check the boys in the pool at the end priceless

enjoy and email any more i will put them in the hall

regards

hendrag

Magoo
27-02-2008, 05:34 AM
Hall of shame
sad but true, called to site to ceck recent A/C install. Dishy blond at reception not happy. Check out door C/U, problem 1, installer used discarded tyre from tyre bay for vibration isolation, on slight angled roof , add windage, unit face down. Compressor stuffed, problem 2 installer obviously lost his tube cutter, so left rest of 15 metre coil of pipe connected next to C/U unisulated. consequently wasnt paid and was billed for recovery.
magoo

Magoo
27-02-2008, 06:00 AM
Hall of shame.
Hi rise bldg manager having hissy fit with A/C central plant contractors. Could I have a walk through and comment?. OK ten minutes in plant room, water temps balistic. Problem centrif compressor going wrong way. Short fix apart from fact the compressor was stuffed once direction was corrected.
magoo

star882
01-03-2008, 08:23 AM
One of the most unusual leaks I've heard about was in a unit with dual evaporators. There was a leak where the liquid line branched to two TXVs. (Visualize a single liquid line on one end of the fitting and two smaller liquid lines side by side on the other.) Apparently, the brazing was marginal so it cracked between the two smaller lines.

Strange thing is, ever since I heard about it, I somehow get reminded about it every month!

william_wye
02-03-2008, 04:40 AM
Sent a qualified frigee to find a leak on a supermarket multi rack. Found out the next day he had ordered 10 jugs of R404 and hadput 12 jugs 404 in the previous day. Walked into the supermarket and found him walking around with a halide leak detector.

:mad:

nike123
02-03-2008, 09:25 AM
That guy is really over-qualified .:D

monkey spanners
02-03-2008, 01:23 PM
At least he was looking for the leak:D:rolleyes:

I used to get sent to site with the instructions "it always leaks at this time of year, just top it up":eek:

techie
03-03-2008, 10:00 AM
how in blue blazes can someone forget about the dam orifice you might as well forget to put underwear on

star882
03-03-2008, 04:26 PM
I used to get sent to site with the instructions "it always leaks at this time of year, just top it up"
Or in the case of the "strange leak" I mentioned earlier, "It always leaks this time of month, just charge it."

TRASH101
03-03-2008, 06:10 PM
Or in the case of the "strange leak" I mentioned earlier, "It always leaks this time of month, just charge it


If you add another little TEV that strange leak may stop for the best part of a year. BE WARNED this might put to much strain on the compressor ( I assume you have a recip....);)

Refrigerologist
04-03-2008, 01:55 AM
Years ago, before recovering gas was even thought about, I went to Sainsbury's in Chingford and found an old Marstair A/C runnign their computer room. It was running but not working, I put the gauges on and had almost equla pressures. I thought the compressors not pumping, but something was not quite right. I let some gas out and my head guage sprang roung from 100lbs/in2 to 450lbs/in2. It was so overcharged it was impossible for the compressor to compress the gas. It made me jump a bit! Purged off some more it worked fine. And nuts to the ozone layer and global warming! We had never heard of it back then.

Refrigerologist
04-03-2008, 02:00 AM
Doe anyone remember those halcyon days when we were all cowboys! Condensers were cleaned with liquid R12. R11 was great for cleaning up after a burn out. And you could still have fun at work because there was no health and safety Gestapo. Wasn't it fun to leave the apprentice laying on a cable tray 20ft in the air above a ceiling and then go for a cup of tea because he had been a right little S***. It was so much easier then, just like it is in China now or maybe France today!!

cre8waves
07-03-2008, 05:25 AM
Hello . Im a newbie to the boards . Being in Chicago we have relief valves on all systems that have more than thirty pounds of refrigerant in the seal system . Third year in the trade I was sent out to pump down a trane 40 ton condenser . Having my gauges after the liquid line valve i didn't realize that the pressure got above the 450 pd setting of the valve . My hearing didn't come back for a few hours . Only happen once . Live and learn .

Refrigerologist
17-03-2008, 12:30 AM
This is a warning to always check for yourself: When I was a 16 year old apprentice, I was assisting an engineer who found 2 x 200amp main fuses blown. He traced the fault to the plant room extract fan control panel. The door mounted speed selecter switch had a dead short between 2 phases. He duely removed the switch and we went back to our workshops. He told the service manager that a new switch was required. He then went on another service call.

The service mangager checked the switch with his multi-meter and found no fault, he handed it to my supervisor and told him to refit it and find the real fault. Off we went to site. The super didn't like the other engineer and so he thought he must have made another co*k up. He installed the switch and with the control panel door open he told me to throw the circuit breaker. The switch blew up in his face, removing his eyerows, some of his hair and blasted his face with molten brass. After he had calmed down a little, and got his sight back, he checked the switch with a meggar, as the other guy had done, lo and behold, dead short! He drove back to the workshop, foot to the floor. 30 odd years later I believe the switch is still being removed from the service managers' arse!

Southsidebobby
17-03-2008, 11:07 PM
Hi Guys-just listen to this awful tale of woe!
got myself called to a bit of a Zanussi table top fridge recently by an old dear dear whose butter was 'going off'. Some joker had installed the unit for her, but only left the knob set on '1' !!!!
didnt take me long to figure the problem and reset the knob to '3'.
Guess the first guy was just totally incompetent or something!!!
Sorry but photos didnt turn out.

Greengrocer
10-05-2008, 04:15 AM
its not a story but a picture says a thousand words go to www.mylg.co.uk (http://www.mylg.co.uk) and click the hall of shame . check the boys in the pool at the end priceless

enjoy and email any more i will put them in the hall

regards

hendrag

Here's another one for your collection. Went to survey a job for a new system where the existing A/C had packed a year before.
Here's what I found - and this one's in the UK.
Actually the rotten crate wasn't responsible for killing the cond unit because it looked to me like the gardeners shears had gone through the coil!! Our engineers had to take some electric hedge trimmers with them when we did the install for the replacement system so they could get the old unit out.:D

alan 07
30-06-2008, 02:36 AM
hi everyone this is one i came across last summer, a polish sparky installed ac system in his shop wasnt workin so i went to have a look. Found unit running on deep vac but bags of gasin high side. Ok its a blockage traced problem to indoor unit found he had removed the flare connections and used plumbers solder on the pipework reclaimed the gas and cut out the joint on the liquid line it was full of flux blocked solid what a muppet changed all his joints pressure tested vaced and gased good job it wasnt a 410 unit

refmech
04-07-2008, 05:02 PM
was ask to survey a resturuant a week ago. pulled in behind kitchen parked in front of a condenser ref. type.talked with owner, looked over and recorded a/c stuff-well maintained/ten yaers old. noticed old kramer condenser coil on roof? recorded all the stuff in the bar, then to the kitchen.found five more reach ins, one was an old herrel make table from the early 60's! one old herrel steel/fiberglass W/I cooler, and a modern foam insulated W/I cooler freezer. now some of these unit had line sets running out. so down in the basement i went! found an abandoned open drive commpressor-- thats it! that old presscold condenser i parked in front of was driving all three walk ins, two make tables in the kitchen, and a large three door diplay case and 8' bottle box at the bar! i'm guessing it did not have enough cond. surface so that explains the grafted on kramer coil on the roof. Man-o-man can you imagine walking up on this on an emergency call-mabey rainy night /customer flippin because most of his stuff doesn't work???
thats not all, there was a B model manatowoc- had a full bin. line set sticking out back.found condensing unit 75' away! was made out of an old arcoair roundtype a/c condenser circ.80'. looked down inside only to find a little tiny tecumseh and about three valves i would imagine are for defrost.
now i've been doing this [ref. work] for twenty years,and i am thoroughly IMPRESSED. every box was cold!!! I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THIS GUY A COUPLE MONTHS-I AM POSITIVE THERES MUCH TO LEARN FROM HIM!!!! sorry i had not thought to bring my camera!:eek::confused::confused::o

casstrig
04-07-2008, 05:55 PM
There are probably more shoddy jobs then there is space to write them down,and not all by poorly trained people.I went to service some Ahu,s in a well known hotel only to find that it was impossible to gain access to,they were in a false ceiling in the lobby fifty feet up with no accsess door.

prasky
07-07-2008, 05:00 AM
A friend of mine is an automotive technician (without A/C). He opened up a shop of his own and decided to try A/C without any training as he had a friend that he could consult at a dealership. He asked me to come down to his shop one day and help him understand what went wrong with his new compressor install. The compressor was seized and there was water everywhere. I asked him what he had done and this was his reply :
" Since the last compressor failed I decided to flush the system out so I hooked up the garden hose to the discharge port and let it run through for a 1/2 hour. Once I got the new compressor in I hooked up the gauges to the vacuum line on the engine and let it run for a couple hours since I don't have a vacuum pump. I charged the system with 1 pound of R134 and when I turned it on it only ran for 3-4 seconds before seizing again." I explained to him that if he ever touched another A/C system again I would burn his shop down, and his friend should be stripped of any technical status he has ever recieved!

SteinarN
07-07-2008, 06:32 AM
A friend of mine is an automotive technician (without A/C). He opened up a shop of his own and decided to try A/C without any training as he had a friend that he could consult at a dealership. He asked me to come down to his shop one day and help him understand what went wrong with his new compressor install. The compressor was seized and there was water everywhere. I asked him what he had done and this was his reply :
" Since the last compressor failed I decided to flush the system out so I hooked up the garden hose to the discharge port and let it run through for a 1/2 hour. Once I got the new compressor in I hooked up the gauges to the vacuum line on the engine and let it run for a couple hours since I don't have a vacuum pump. I charged the system with 1 pound of R134 and when I turned it on it only ran for 3-4 seconds before seizing again." I explained to him that if he ever touched another A/C system again I would burn his shop down, and his friend should be stripped of any technical status he has ever recieved!


Holy **** :eek::confused::eek::rolleyes:

This must be the worst I have ever heard of.

nevgee
07-07-2008, 09:14 PM
This pic shows a 1 1/8 suction line that has been re connected after a compressor change. The fitting used is a 35mm "Yorkshire" soldering fitting intended for water pipework. I wonder where the soft solder went?

By the way, the compressor only ran for 4 weeks and has since locked up!!

hendrag
08-07-2008, 10:54 AM
thanks for sendin me more quality pictures i will upload them again the collection is now full of some beutiful examples of installations. they never cease to make me laugh .

thanks for looking www.mylg.co.uk (http://www.mylg.co.uk) click hall of shame

regards

hendrag
general Manager lgeuk

Bustings
07-10-2008, 08:36 PM
yeah nice one,i had similiar problem Hi there, i once had a coldroom to commission, a little 1/2 hp L'unite con unit, Pressure test and vac out, charge with R134a. When i run it, it ran into a full vacuum i couldnt understand why, i kept adding gas, stillrunning in vacuum, checked all valves all seemed ok, I had to take the gas out and take unit apart to discover why, I found a small red plastic plug still in the opening of the liquid rotolack valve. I swore at the install guy, He just laughed.

back2space
24-11-2008, 05:29 AM
i LOVE this one off the lg site!

http://picasaweb.google.com/propernasty/HallOfShame#5225751254679648642

ausmartin1
06-12-2008, 05:34 AM
Please advise if this porous chicken poop look is normal ? :confused:

- Cheers All had a local australian tech replace upper and lower EV valve on a multisplit here.

First one valve didn't flow at all, told faulty valve mmm ok or was it welding?, second time round overhead nearby end cap - now leaking gas.

Last time I checked even our local plumber did better rewelds than this......:eek:
Yeah and no pride, look at all the stuff left behind....
It's always a great sign to know the main job is stuffed as well;)

nike123
07-12-2008, 01:27 PM
Ignore, double post!

nike123
07-12-2008, 01:32 PM
Both welds are way overheated!
Pipes should be cut to point where not overheated and replaced with new portion and welded with silver alloy(30% Ag)!
Also, that expanded part of joint is badly done and capillary action there is not existent. That is point where you could expect new leak soon if it is not replaced.

paul_h
07-12-2008, 02:07 PM
Looks like they did it with mapp gas hand torch :eek:

ausmartin1
10-12-2008, 12:08 PM
Yes it not good, the flared tube is Daikins idea for retaining a strainer, not the greatest idea for field service, however the brazing is very unexceptable so much heat - so you can just imagine the scale on the inside of the pipework - a longer term killer. The local trade schools have a lot answer for. I have no idea why they persisted when clearly the job had gone to the dogs before they got ot end, they should have asked for help. Unfortunety it reminds me of another tech different service industry - people used call em "$ex fingers" until oneday I finally understood that every thing the tech touched was ...... you get the idea!

Peter_1
10-12-2008, 08:43 PM
....so you can just imagine the scale on the inside of the pipework - a longer term killer...

If you have scale inside after soldering, then you've done something wrong. ;)

ausmartin1
19-12-2008, 01:25 PM
New valves are now soldered in ok, but the other damage is still evident, opinions please about the other pipework damage and potential scale problems - or do the daikins mulisplit horizontal scrolls have any tolerance to scale flaking off longer term.:eek:
Cheers all.

Bluestar
29-01-2009, 08:37 PM
Oh yes agreed. Grey epoxy is metal paste(probably aluminium+smthin othr). I used it lot of time to fix evaporater leakage.its name is 'metal set'. There z metal paste and hardner drops.and its 100 percent successful solution for small evaporater leakages.nowdays a big refrigerator company(named 'godrej') in india provides this thing as its genuine spare parts under 'godrej' brand.

piersons_man
05-02-2009, 06:17 AM
Hi all long time reader first time poster :)

When i first started my apprentiship i tried to teach myself the basics by tinkering with domestic refrigerators in my spare time, anyway i had a small fridge which had no gas in it so i put some nitrogen in to pressure test and got to work with the bubble leak detector.
After checking every place i could think of i couldnt find the leak and i noticed that the pressure had dropped slightly
so, with my limited knowledge of practical skills, i cranked the pressure up to 300psi! in the hope that i could hear the leak.

couldn't hear anything around the compressor so i stuck my head next to the cooling plate and heard a cracking noise, squirted everything with bubbles, no leaks! whats going on?!

took my head out of the fridge and stood back to see the exterior panels of the fridge were bulging out! :eek:
you guessed it, the leak was on a pipe inside the panels

glenn1340
05-02-2009, 09:19 PM
probably shouldn't admit this but...

at college the other week i was practising recovering refrigerant and charging the system. i got there and without thinking emptied the gas into the bottle that was already rigged up to the recovery unit, sat by the system.

when the gauges started to freeze over it was pretty obvious id messed up. i shouted my tutor over and he nearly had a bloody heart attack, turned out the bottle i was using was R22, and that the system had been running on R401A. according to my tutor i'd caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage, and now i'm not allowed to touch refrigerant unless under constant supervision, what a jip :(

...beat that!

Well, here goes,
Mnay years ago I worked on British Rail as a diesel fitter on the loco`s. Part of my job involved going out to standby generators that acted as a back up for the signals on the east coast main line.
On one visit I had to replace a cooling hose. After cutting off the old one I tried to fit the new one only to find I`d picked up a hydraulic one by mistake that in no way would fit over the hose fitting. Realising the genny could not be left off till a new hose was found I cut of the barb on the fitting so the hose would slide on.
Hose clips tightened, coolant refilled and engine started and tested. I went home feeling all`s well with the world
A few days later the power failed and the genny kicked in only to blow the hose off with the result that the engine failed along with the entire signal system from Kings Cross to Peterborough.
They never did find out why the hose had come off as I had to make out the failure report. Phew!!!

Now, where`s the next genny to repair:)

gesi
04-04-2009, 01:26 PM
Hi.
I saw many instalation but I have funny evening when I saw pictures in thiss hall.
pict1: York unit. in summer time you have free shower. in winter time you have wonderfull view. In few places in Warsaw. pict 2: counter with new elements. pict 3: coldroom. the doors opened to inside of coldroom. pict 4: well, they have not money this year, maybe next year.
picasaweb.google.com/gesi74/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOnX49ym2MXKmwE&pli=1#5320805370907457154

Leo1967
26-04-2009, 06:21 PM
Glenn............lol........it's so funny!!!

cadwaladr
28-04-2009, 01:06 AM
many moons ago when i was working on a refrigeration unit on a truck a guy asked if i could look at his unit he was not sure if there was anything wrong with it but just needed reassurance as it was a 5 minute walk away i did ,i have to add this guy had a italian accent,got to the unit he asked if the [teddington] dial thermometer would read a +temperature if the cargo area got to cold ,it was reading +40degrees c i asked what was in the back ,a pallet of ice lollys . not now i said apallet of lolly sticks, we opened the door yep lolly sticks and cardboard it had stuck on heat made me laugh

desA
28-04-2009, 02:54 AM
The gas bottle without valve guard reminds me of Laos. I have yet to find a valve protector over here - scary...

Question:
How would you be able to know for certain what the contents of a gas bottle is e.g. N2, or O2, if you don't trust the sprayed writing on the outside? Could even be the wrong valves for all one knows.

I literally go through my prayer list every time I use a new bottle of OFN to purge a system - in case is perchance is O2!!!

Polaris
06-05-2009, 04:49 PM
Just look at this photos..
No comment needed..;)

NoNickName
06-05-2009, 06:10 PM
Just look at this photos..
No comment needed..;)


I agree: it's a shame the garden is not being trimmed.

Quality
06-05-2009, 08:18 PM
Welcome to RE, now thats what I call an entrance;)

Chris E G
15-05-2009, 02:12 AM
A favourite of mine was when a new "experienced" tech rang to abuse me about supplying faulty equipment. We had given him a tx valve that had not been manufactured properly. His complaint was that the valve (a danfoss that I rarely have any problems with) had not been manufactured with all the flares in place! Was not sure if I should tell him to put the orifice in, or to start washing our work utes....

4 evr learnin
18-05-2009, 12:10 PM
Having explained to my customer that the most likely reason for the fridge not running was, a shortage of refrigerant, I proceeded to look for a leak ! some 30 seconds later my customer came rushing back in to the sound of me pissing myself laughing. I found that the suction service port on the small can, still had the rubber plug in it or rather, used to. The give away sign was the oil up the wall and ceiling, leading from the port. What really astounded me was when she explained the unit had been running satisfactorily for years. And only faulted due to being located in the sun and turned off at night , pressure temprature relationships go figure !

HallsEngineer
19-05-2009, 02:08 AM
Those pics are genius why dont we all install our units like that?????

wingman
19-05-2009, 10:29 PM
Those pics are genius why dont we all install our units like that?????


Well we would be out of work real soon :)


Besides that it looks more like an artwork than a decent install.

nike123
20-05-2009, 07:21 AM
Those pics are genius why dont we all install our units like that?????

Because your customers pays about ten times more than his.

Polaris
20-05-2009, 08:08 PM
Yes my neighbour friend..it is true..
Is it correct that the price for installation of split tipe AC in Croatia is about 150 euros?
For the same job in Serbia you can`t get more than 65!
Shame for us!!!

nike123
21-05-2009, 04:42 PM
Yes my neighbour friend..it is true..
Is it correct that the price for installation of split tipe AC in Croatia is about 150 euros?

Yes!......
And there are many, many "cowboys" who do it like on that pictures for almost same amount of money (120-130€), no bill, no tax payed.
Take money and run philosophy. And they have their customers (many) .

bebad
22-05-2009, 07:41 AM
excellent pics.

hendrag
18-06-2009, 05:06 PM
hi i used to run a hall of shame section on my lg web site but now im no longer with them i better give you the new link.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/propernasty/HallOfShame02?authkey=Gv1sRgCMSXoZC-w7CkNg&feat=directlink

or search for propernasty on google web albums

if you have any more please send them to me by email propernasty@gmail.com and i will stick em up for all to see.

good luck

hendrag

cooltools
19-06-2009, 06:15 PM
How about this ,a company in south wales i was working for had a new service eng his first job was re gas a car ac he then called back saying job could not be done as car was packed on hill!!!!!!!!his next job was a high temp cold room ,after 3 days still there eng sent down to see what he up to.He had changed comp,evp val and changed the gas.He was working on wrong unit!!!! he got the sack on the spot

steemy
19-06-2009, 07:31 PM
hi new kid here. just having a read through/laugh at this thread and noticed that these pics hadnt popped up. apparently a russian air con install. i love how there is a couple of splits up already too.

steemy
19-06-2009, 07:33 PM
oh and here is the link to the other 3 pics.

multisync
19-06-2009, 07:50 PM
How about this ,a company in south wales i was working for had a new service eng his first job was re gas a car ac he then called back saying job could not be done as car was packed on hill!!!!!!!!his next job was a high temp cold room ,after 3 days still there eng sent down to see what he up to.He had changed comp,evp val and changed the gas.He was working on wrong unit!!!! he got the sack on the spot


I think that's a bit unfair- thats a lot of work for one man to complete in only 3 days!

Andy W
21-06-2009, 04:36 PM
I have today been out to the worst installation I have seen in my 31 years in the fridge trade.

A Manchester company installed second hand equipment on a coldroom which they built out of odd panels, the cataloge of errors is as follows:

Outside pipework at high level not supported.
Electrical joint not weatherproof.
No lid to condensing unit housing.
Unit not screwed down (on brackets at high level)
Mains lead into unit not weatherproof and protected by an house brick.
Electrical isolator on unit not used.
Pressure switches not connected electrically or mechanically.
Drier wrong way round.
Brazing of poor standard and lost gas charge after 3 days.
R134a compressor fitted, R404a expansion valve.
Evaporator sized to room but not compressor.
Main power switch above cold room wired so neon on even when switch is off.
Water pipe insulation fitted to pipes.
E2 probe fault, no probe even present.
Floor plates loose and will trap water and fallen food stuffs as not sealed.
Equaliser line on tev valve blanked off.
Tev bulb incorrectly fitted.
No cable grommets used for cable entries.
No end panels to evaporator.
Pipework bent by hand and kinked badly.
Earth wires on t & e not sleeved.
Time clock and mechanical stat left loose above coldroom in a mess of cables.
Elliwell controller fitted to front of box as a display only but no evap probe fitted so displaying E2 probe fault.

I have pictures to prove!

thebigcheese
24-06-2009, 10:55 PM
that is shockenly bad. no way a fridge company could leave something that bad?

Pol
25-06-2009, 09:31 PM
http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/090623/572r5/2195jn3_20.jpeg

lowcool
26-06-2009, 07:38 AM
i take it thats 4 isolators for 5 units

jdunc2301
26-06-2009, 11:07 PM
looking really chuffed with the install..... just dont trip on the power cable draped across mid-air

wingman
04-07-2009, 12:37 PM
*snort* I love this thread, :D

Eddie frigoserv
07-07-2009, 06:35 AM
I haven't laughed this hard since a friend told me he bought a window AC and installed it on its side because that was the only way it would fit... it ran for an hour. Great pictures!! Classic!

bebad
07-07-2009, 11:34 AM
what about lp & hp swithches? no wiring present, or prehaps they're them new telepathic type? how do you know it's 2nd hand...??? lol

multisync
19-07-2009, 08:18 AM
Comfort Inn Harrow

Not the worst by any means but a typical 'self instal'

lowcool
19-07-2009, 12:40 PM
didnt know you blokes got boat people

Y L Lai
22-08-2009, 07:23 PM
I take all these as industrial fxxk ups and had good laugh. This was what I experienced: Few years back I sold a LT condensing unit and a unit cooler to a contractor who normally install small A/C units. Few days later he called me and told me the system was not functioning. I went to site and did not know to laugh or cry. Yes.... What you're thinking is right. He assumed this would work just like 1hp A/C units, 2 CU pipe, power supply and it'll function. No TXV, filter drier, pressure switches etc were installed. Thank god nothing was damage.

just chilling
23-10-2009, 08:53 PM
went to a yacht the other week. has an isotherm brand name hold over plate. and a danfoss 12 volt compressor. yacht owner said she has had the yacht one year and the fridge has never worked well.

it took us a while to locate the compressor which was hot enough to fry an egg on. and came to realise the condenser had not been installed... yes you read correctly no condenser.... the mongrel who put in the system had just brazed the compressor discharge straight into the capillary. that supplied the evap hold over plate.

I would love to know how he got hold of the gas..

AUcooler
25-10-2009, 04:16 AM
Heres a couple of my favs. There must a be tech in the area that believes that externally equalized TXV redily convert to internally equalized. The second pic was no doubt the cheapest quote accepted.

Peter_1
25-10-2009, 10:03 AM
Something similar http://users.skynet.be/vuurwerk2004/CC/masser.jpg
Bulb is cut off, outlet TEV is shut off brazed
This was on the stand of a well known manufacturer on a big fare in Brussels to show their new products.

Ascott69
17-12-2009, 08:45 AM
Was it An irish pub in Brisbane?

ardent
18-12-2009, 04:02 PM
I used to be the Refrigeration manager/engineer for a fridge company that installed bulk milk tanks.
C****T,some of the installations were amazing,and how the herdsman never got zapped....,

monkey spanners
18-12-2009, 05:56 PM
I used to be the Refrigeration manager/engineer for a fridge company that installed bulk milk tanks.
C****T,some of the installations were amazing,and how the herdsman never got zapped....,

A zap helps to keep them awake at 4am :p

Paul J
10-01-2010, 09:32 PM
I was called to a walk in freezer owned by a deer velvet farmer, he had two different companies attempt to fix his freezer which wouldn't get below -9 degrees C, both companies thought it was short of gas so both put more gas in, when I got there the relief valve on the receiver was weeping liquid out and the compressor was short cycling on an auto reset HP switch, both companies told him it was natural for the compressor to cycle like that, looking at the electrical panel the fault was immediately apparent, the defrost element contactor had seized closed and was constantly running the elements even while refrigerating. I believe the two other guys had come to their conclusions even before they got to site. I believe the moral is not to assume anything and prove whats right first, not whats wrong.:cool:

D.D.KORANNE
11-01-2010, 01:15 PM
Experienced technical hands even switched suction & discharge lines & complained compressor is behaving crazy, suction line hot & discharge line cold

they concluded :
1) that i have installed pistons wrongly whereby this happened

2) claimed they have 10 years hands on system like this & most likely compressor is running in anti-clockwise direction has resulted this.

Unwilling to listen reasoning & missing out simple reference to the operating manual to identify discharge & suction valve ports.

nike123
11-01-2010, 01:22 PM
Experienced technical hands even switched suction & discharge lines & complained compressor is behaving crazy, suction line hot & discharge line cold

they concluded :
1) that i have installed pistons wrongly whereby this happened

2) claimed they have 10 years hands on system like this & most likely compressor is running in anti-clockwise direction has resulted this.

Unwilling to listen reasoning & missing out simple reference to the operating manual to identify discharge & suction valve ports.

Nothing new here, I see that every day, especially with some older refrigeration service engineers known here as "reputable". Some are like "Geese in the fog".

baycuclaudyu
08-02-2010, 05:23 AM
This is happening when the split is not mounted goodhttp://i50.tinypic.com/xag4k.jpg[/IM http://i49.tinypic.com/1zocaav.jpg I see this ac when I drive through the city :o

andy32
20-02-2010, 01:16 AM
I started at a place last monday were they used a old compressor as a vac pump used a line tap to charge r600 had no way to pressure test a system , they also operated out of a unmarked unit and paid everyone cash in hand , obviously i walked out , I did try explaining that it was dangerous to charge fridges that was but they could not care less , oh I was also given a 12v dc fan motor and was expected to use it to replace a 18 w 240 fan motor , all these fridges are domestics and would have ended up in someones house I am going to have to report them to the relevant authorities as what are doing will probably end up killing someone