Using manufacturer's websites to good end.

[Dan]

Copeland, Sporlan, Alco, Danfoss, and I am sure many, many others have websites that make available virtually all of their printed literature. And for free! I personally have taken advantage of these fine efforts to print out bulletins, size components, troubleshoot misapplications, or confirm good design to eliminate nagging thoughts. I would like to continue this thread by showing how I used information from them to solve actual problems in the field. I would invite others to join in as well. For example, what other websites offer great technical information on their products? Has anybody used the sites to address a problem in the field?

Please understand, the way I have used these sites is as a manager talking over the phone to a technician needing information. I go to the websites with the information provided by the technician and get back to him with what the manufacturers' say. It puts the tech back on solid ground, almost as if he talked to the factory. No call waiting, no voice mail jail, no, "he's in a meeting", no getting rerouted forever to find the person he needs to talk to... it works! The tech can get the information he needs when he needs it.

Dan

[Dan]

Performance curves for compressors are readily available at the Copeland site. Compressor curves are invaluable in my opinion in making life easier for a technician in a hot spot.

About a year ago, I had a technician in Bogota with new equipment that apparently was underperforming. Parallel scrolls. I didn't even have the proper catalog to help him.

He was able to provide me voltage, amperages, suction pressures, and discharge pressures. I went to the website (I now have a CD that has this information.) I was able to quite closely determine the amount of work the compressors were accomplishing, which was more than 30% of what the supposed loads were on the boxes. Long story short, we were able to plant our feet on firm ground and tell the customer that there was a sizing error and the equipment is working fine. It turned out to be true.

That's just one example of using a compressor performance curve to troubleshoot in the field. You can also use them to determine if you have bad valves or other mechanical problems before dismantling things. We have even successfully diagnosed an incorrectly stamped run capacitor that drove everybody crazy for months.

Dan

[nathan]

hey
How do i see replys?

[WebRam]

what do you mean Nathan ?

This would be a reply, if that what your question means.
When postingf a question, tick the box "email notification" and you will recieve an email to let you know when someone replies to your post

[Dan]

Nathan, when I was new to the site I puzzled over how to reply. Especially if I was reading a long thread and wanted to reply to an early post. The reply button is at the lower right after the last message on the page. Had me going for a while.

[nathan]

Thanks heaps,
I think i have it figued out , for now!!!

[WebRam]

Also, If you reply to an early post in a long thread, it is better to use the quote button to reply as others can then see who you are replying to

[johnl45]

Dan, do you use the Copeland Pathfinder + CDrom distribuited by Copeland? I have found it very helpful.

[Dan]

Yes, I do. All that information is on the website as well. I received my copy gratis, but am not sure it is available to everybody for free.

Very helpful in diagnosing and even sizing equipment on the run. I wish they would extend all the curves for OEM unusual applications so I could troubleshoot selfcontained equipment. Also, I have a problem getting some compressors to come up that are available in their literature for certain applications.

But all in all, a wonderful bunch of information well put together that I find invaluable when confronted with underperforming equipment. My hat is off to Copeland! Have you used it for troubleshooting, John?

Dan

[johnl45]

Sorry for the delay, temp heat wave. Yes I do use Pathfinder CD for troubleshooting. I like the electronic verison of the AE information.

[Dan]

If Tecumseh products had such a worthy website, I would be fixing problems in Malaysia. This is not only the present way to read manuals and check specifications, but it is also the future.

Inside our offices, we are connected to the copier! So printing out 100 pages of anything just zooms through the copier at copier speeds. It appears that PDF files rule the roost. And it is for free! I think most anybody can register to receive software and get it for free.

I'd like to know if anybody out there is charged for things that I think are for free.

Dan