What did we do today?

[Grizzly]

for example Grizzly, i had you pegged as the character from : It ain't half hot mum, Y'now seargent major,

And your impression is now?
Grizzly

[jonjon]

well ive changed 20 strip lights and unblocked 3 toilets not bad 2 say am a a/c engineer ! :S

[james10]

Decanted r22 from a 21 year old chiller then removed evap end plate so it can be re-shelled all good fun

[Quality]

Today, I gave a consultancy briefing to 6 guys from a well known industrial company.

No big deal it seems but

2 were Irish

2 were Scottish

2 were Londoners

where is this leading ???????

I am from Yorkshire, probably one of the twangyest accents around

We actually had a good day and some proper laughs

All good fun

[Grizzly]

Today, I gave a consultancy briefing to 6 guys from a well known industrial company.

No big deal it seems but

2 were Irish

2 were Scottish

2 were Londoners

where is this leading ???????

I am from Yorkshire, probably one of the twangyest accents around

We actually had a good day and some proper laughs

All good fun

Any on the forum?
Or don't you ask?
Grizzly

[Quality]

Any on the forum?
Or don't you ask?
Grizzly

It was hard enough getting to the point , without asking any questions

[monkey spanners]

Sloooow day on the home front( have the flu anyway) so i've been reading through chit-chat history. up th page 15. Some incredible subjects. I've now got a fairly good handle on the main characters of today, for example Grizzly, i had you pegged as the character from : It ain't half hot mum, Y'now seargent major, anyway I can add further to others profile later if requested but before i'm" moderated" off here for hijacking Jon's thread, can i just say i'm still waiting for that free beer( in good faith) from your post Jon...... mike.

I'm Monkey!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg

I'll happily post you a beer if you want one!

Jon

[mikeref]

Honestly Grizzly, yours was the first name that came to mind, could have easily been anyone..no offence intended. Installed a cake display fridge at a historic village today, Australian history doesn't go back very far compared to other countries however i did ask the restorators about displaying old refrigeration machinery, apparently there is a building with domestic and commercial on show but didn't have the time to sneak a look.. mike.

[Grizzly]

Understood Mikeref!
No Problem!
Where in Queensland are you? Only I have family in Gympie.
Incidentally if you speak to the guys off forum as I sometimes do.
The posted Handle has very little to what they do, or indeed where they are in the food chain!
Oh! Yesterday i did a 360ml round trip to watch a Carrier based system.
Randomly ramp up on inverter chasing it's spurious Carel controller readout.
Until it tripped. As they say further investigation required!

Cheers Grizzly

[cadwaladr]

today i replaced an engine in a thermo king ts500 refrigerated truck,started at 815 finished at 1715 ,three cups of coffee 2 biscuits,and now my back is aching!!!

[djbe]

today i replaced an engine in a thermo king ts500 refrigerated truck,started at 815 finished at 1715 ,three cups of coffee 2 biscuits,and now my back is aching!!!

No wonder your back is aching lifting that bugger down the ladders

[cadwaladr]

No wonder your back is aching lifting that bugger down the ladders

i took the starter ,the clutch off to make it lighter lol,no i had help from a fork lift.

[Silhouette]

Been up to Leeds this morning to check over a new Morrisons I'm commissioning, all is ok! A good job really as the painters are now painting the plantroom floor with it's first of three coats of red paint

[cadwaladr]

woke up in cyprus 30 degrees breakfast going to the beach,i am on holiday

[monkey spanners]

Fitted a new wash pump to a milk tanks cip system, run it through a cycle to test and the hot water coil burnt out as i was watching it! Fitted new one.

Help customer fit new light fitting as the one in the tank room was broke, as i found out last saturday night when i got called out to the faulty tank wash.

Check over systems and wash out condensers.

[mikeref]

Jon, you sure have a close relationship with the dairy industry. In this area there is some 80 odd farmers left from over 200 when i settled here many years ago, though i don't look after any to date. Some knob high up, who probably never seen a cow decided to truck in milk from 3000kms away and put our farmers out.. go figure. Anyway, yesterday drove 400kms on a round trip to fix a coldroom on a cattle station.(80,000 acres) 1/2 the distance was dirt road. Have to watch for kangaroos in the late afternoon..too fast to negotiate and too big to be up close and personal with.. mike.

[john rey]

Can i ask a question what is the cooling capacity of evaporator type aib 06 75/85 s aa

[chemi-cool]

Just finished a nice project this week, a -2°C freezer for flowers bulbs.
Evaporators from LU-VE and condensing units from Danfoss, electrics from my workshop.

Some pictures for you.

Jon, the next project is installing 40000L milk tank, starting November 21.
How about a working vacation? tools, food, beer and aplace to stay, on me.

[r.bartlett]

Just finished a nice project this week, a -2°C freezer for flowers bulbs.
Evaporators from LU-VE and condensing units from Danfoss, electrics from my workshop.

Some pictures for you.

Jon, the next project is installing 40000L milk tank, starting November 21.
How about a working vacation? tools, food, beer and aplace to stay, on me.

Why the suction accumulators ?

[chemi-cool]

To protect the compressor from liquid return.

[paul_h]

I had a sight unseen split install. Apparently the owner and the tenant could only get this day off together and just wanted it done.

It was fun. Never been to a back to back split install before, seen heaps though. Why do I never get them? Seems like I never will.
I brought the whole kitchen sink with me just so it would go OK. Seems like I needed the laundry sink though too, which I forgot.

Needed ducting inside the room through the ceiling into the roof, tight tight bends around roof beams (ended up having to cut some) with 5/8", condensate pump and all the horrible things you need when someone has supplied their own wall split for a room that really should have a cassette, or anything except a standard wall split.

Left the phone in the ute as I was annoyed enough without dealing with time wasters. Luckily amongst all the 10 missed calls from timewasters calling for prices on more sight unseen installs or other BS over the phone, was a guy cancelling his job at 2pm. Good, because I was stuck at this job until 3pm.
So at least one good thing happened today, someone canceling, So I made it to my 4pm job on time.

I really hate installs because I always get horrible ones. I'd rather just fix crap. Also, having to unload my reclaimer, refrigerant bottles and test equipment all the time, just so I can fit the cabling, tubing, extra drills, saws, hoist and splits just sucks too. Especially if I have installs and service calls on the same day.

[glenn1340]

.....sliced the top of my finger with a mini grinder. Next time I must hold the handle and not the disc when switching it on. At least I was wearing goggles so the blood didn`t spurt in my eyes.

[Quality]

.....sliced the top of my finger with a mini grinder. Next time I must hold the handle and not the disc when switching it on. At least I was wearing goggles so the blood didn`t spurt in my eyes.

I hope you put in the detail and completed the accident book

[mikeref]

Paul h, Sounds like you're doing it hard. If i were to leave my phone in the ute i'd miss that one important call from a good paying regular, however i do enjoy the times i'm out of mobile phone coverage so i can work in peace. Cold callers usually have "restricted" on phone display, these i don't answer. One split a/c comes to mind, runs 24/7 in a nursing home. Done and said all that is possible to this lost cause unit but it refuses to die. Barrel fan cloggs regularly, slime builds up behind it, drain doesn't and coils are beyond cleaning. Only the rust holds evap in place, still, management will not part with it, just keeping it on life support is so frustrating!

[El Padre]

Spent an hour and a half trying to get a Daikin service checker operational via my new notebook ( I forgot to install the driver for the USB to serial port converter cable), I gave up and found the fault in about two minutes!!

Cheers

[paul_h]

Paul h, Sounds like you're doing it hard. If i were to leave my phone in the ute i'd miss that one important call from a good paying regular, however i do enjoy the times i'm out of mobile phone coverage so i can work in peace. Cold callers usually have "restricted" on phone display, these i don't answer. One split a/c comes to mind, runs 24/7 in a nursing home. Done and said all that is possible to this lost cause unit but it refuses to die. Barrel fan cloggs regularly, slime builds up behind it, drain doesn't and coils are beyond cleaning. Only the rust holds evap in place, still, management will not part with it, just keeping it on life support is so frustrating!

I normally answer a few calls, but most are just time wasters (wanting cheap unsighted install quotes, or some tool not happy to wait three days for me to get there for some domestic job and want someone sooner, so I give up on them).
If they don't leave messages, their problem. Most of my regulars will leave a message anyway.
Also on the note of people not willing to leave messages, if I do answer the phone, seems everyone rings at the same time, so I'll still lose the jobs from people not willing to leave messages. EG my phone will be quiet for 20min, then in just 4 minute time frame, 3-4 people will ring, so if I was answering the phone I'd be talking to the first caller, the next 2-3 callers will be redirected to voice mail anyway.
Strange and annoying that all calls come in waves like that.
Yesterday I had another horror install, I was getting toasted in the sun and the temp was 39C. 50 missed calls! No way I can work and answer the phone at the same time.
edit:
If you are referring to cold caller having "private number" on the phone display meaning sales people, well I have too many customers who have private numbers as well, certain businesses will if they have their own phone system, and plenty of private residences do as well. I hate the sales people calling, and people who choose to have an unlisted number, but missing out on heaps of customers if you ignore all "private numbers".
I just equally divert all to voice mail whether mobile/landline or private number

[mikeref]

Paul h, I think many of my callers wait till i'm on the road to call, or at the post office, bank, accountant. Anywhere inconvenient. This time of the year, and with school holidays just 10+ days away(ALREADY?), vehicle a/c's queries mount up, all last minute before holidays + once a year fired up fridges. 39c temps would have been Western Aust, still waiting for summer here in the hills, only getting 28c with ocassional storms taking out pcbs.. Mike.

[monkey spanners]

What goes NGNGNGN NGNG NG NG NG HHMMMMMM and then silence....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXubYQY99O4

Think its best days are behind it!

Jon

[mikeref]

That will be a good job. Will it be rebuilt or just swapped out. One place i work at takes pride in picking up "lost cause" equipment for nix then wants me to make it work like new. 17 compressors from everywhere run under borrowed time, keeps me in work...New compressor or condenser.. Fat chance, grab that one thats been out in the weather,got it from ? should be o.k. HO,HUM...

[paul_h]

That compressor sounds stuffed.

mikeref, I always tell them no, I don't mid repairing stuff on it's last legs, but I don't fit it, too much chance they'll blame me and not pay for frequent repairs, I'm busy enough anyway.

Have to replace 2 wall split units under warranty today at two different sites.
That was fun, the old units are r22, completely different model to the r410a replacments.
So new wall plates indoors, new pipes and new cabling (one of the old ones had indoor mains, the replacement had outdoor mains. It had 3 wire interconnect, new one had 5 wires).
I brought everything I could think off, knowing my luck I expected it really, so much I hired a trailer to fit the units and extra gear, but I wish they could have told me first so I could plan my day better.
Hope they pay me for the extra time and materials for re-piping and rewiring, as the contract rates of pay only consider direct replacements, not re-piping and rewiring.

[monkey spanners]

Mikeref, its an obselete model so i am quoting for a new copeland 7.5hp discus comp, a ZB50 scroll and a rebuilt replacement. The new comps will cope with R404A when the time comes but i suspect they will go with the cheaper for now option.
I have customers like that too! I don't mind so long as they pay for my time and understand that it might not last that long.

Paul, theres no way i'd get two splits changed in a day on the same site let alone two different ones, took me 2.5 days to swap a 5kw unit for an old 2.5kw unit the other week with a 15m pipe run

Jon

[paul_h]

Paul, theres no way i'd get two splits changed in a day on the same site let alone two different ones, took me 2.5 days to swap a 5kw unit for an old 2.5kw unit the other week with a 15m pipe run

Jon

You're just trying to make me feel better :lol:
I was home by 3.30pm
Worst installs I have are small flats or apartments, have to fit a condensate pump, drill through 2 walls at least or lift tiles and go through the ceiling etc.
I normally get them done from scratch in 6hrs by myself for these flats etc.
Doing it solo take way longer than two guys (can't push an pull a pipe from either side of a wall at the same time) so what can take 2 guys 2hrs, takes me 6hrs.
Of course all my installs are difficult ones, the retailers have installers that will do it for $500 ( whats that, about 200 pounds?) Catch is they will only do the simple back to back, ~2m pipework installs.
So they get the simple easy ones, and I get the really hard ones...

[flyinkiwi]

Swapped glycol lines on to a new brewery fermenter - and will be back to swap it to the previous tank when the new fermenter goes back to the stainless fabricator for it's outer skin to be fitted... then back again to reconnect it...

Plus had the boys out working on automating a water defrost system.

[mikeref]

Taking it easy doing just a few hours/day untill 2011. Landed this job at the local law enforcements social club/house/shed. Anyway, the 2 door display fridge had given out, condenser fan seized and the cabinet was full with all brands of beer and spirits now gone warm, this just won't do. Anyways, finish up the job and stroll up to the station, hand them the invoice and on walking out, took a wrong turn into the ladies locker room where they were changing shift, oops! sorry!.. , my mistake. Must have been the warm rum and cola.. JUST KIDDING OFFICER.

[monkey spanners]

First job of the new year!

Got a call from a restaurant, thought they were calling to ask where their ice maker was that i'm waiting on parts for but it was for a chest freezer.

They had dropped a knife on the flex... but looked more like mouse damage to me which was confirmed once the cover was off as little mickey had chewed through a couple more cables in there too! The kitchen is very clean so i was surprised to see the damage but we got it fixed before the food was thawed out.

Got a bottle of wine as a thankyou and new years gift, hopefully this will set a precedent for the rest of the year

[monkey spanners]

Had to change a agitator motor on a 8000L dx milk tank, the paddle is about 6ft long and screws onto the output shaft on the agitator gearbox. It stirs the milk as it is cooled and to stop the cream from seperating.

Thought it would not take long to do as usually just mole grip the paddle and shock it free then unscrew it but couldn't get it to move.
Got inside the tank and tried turning the paddle blades having jammed up the agitator with screwdrivers in the motors cooling fan, still wouldn't turn....
Back on top of the tank with mole grips on the paddle pushing against the mounting stud for the gearbox and a chain wrench round the motor and i got a few turns till the mole grips started slipping
Finally got it undone with two mole grips on the paddle and the chain wrench and some heat, I put pleanty of grease on the new one so if i have to change it again it should be a bit easier.

I think a lot of the trouble is that it is a stainless to stainless connection and it tends to lock together.

Then on the way home i bought a trailer for my truck.

Jon

[charlie patt]

do you much with muller bmt mk?

[frank]

Got to change the LP switch on a Daikin 3 pipe outdoor unit (K Series) today.

As the original one didn't have a schraeder depressor, which meant having to recover and then re-charge, I decided to disconnect the static gauge line and put the new one on there.

Saved about 3 hours

[monkey spanners]

do you much with muller bmt mk?

I try to avoid them, parts are difficult to get as is technical information.
I only look after two tanks for customers who have fallen out with the main agent....


Frank, i love it when these short cuts spring to mind before work is started, instead of in the van on the way home after

[paul_h]

Frank, i love it when these short cuts spring to mind before work is started, instead of in the van on the way home after

Ain't the the truth. Too often good ideas come too late.

Today I got chased and stung by wasps living under the tiles on a roof while repairing an evap cooler. They didn't like me up there walking on their tiles.

[lawrence1]

Got called to a friends ducted ac system,,,one room zone was not operating,,,,,crawled through 35c ceiling climbed over the offending zone motor only to find a 2 metre snake wrapped around the cable which was pulled out of the connector.Took a moment to check my underwear,came out of ceiling,,,,got mapp gas torch and returned,,,,,fired it up and joe blake got the message and quickly moved away,,,reconnect the cable and got out of there in 2 seconds.

[paul_h]

Nice one.
I think the UK stories are always lacking in fauna like snakes, spiders, lizards etc.

When an inverter or circuit board shorts out here, it's nearly always either our crappy power supply causing surges, or a skink lizard fried itself.
When a wall split indoor unit dies for no reason, it's nearly always our crappy power supply causing brownouts or surges, or a mouse thats got in and chewed stuff up and p1ssed on everything.

edit:
So with no problems caused by fauna, crappy power supply or bad installers, there would be not much work in domestic a/c repair at all

[stufus]

Got called to a friends ducted ac system,,,one room zone was not operating,,,,,crawled through 35c ceiling climbed over the offending zone motor only to find a 2 metre snake wrapped around the cable which was pulled out of the connector.Took a moment to check my underwear,came out of ceiling,,,,got mapp gas torch and returned,,,,,fired it up and joe blake got the message and quickly moved away,,,reconnect the cable and got out of there in 2 seconds.

Fairplay ,I know for a fact i'd have got the apprentice not a mapp torch,

[charlie patt]

funny that ms same down here today i fitted a bottle cooler fan and of course cleaned a condensor on a horrible polar cooler dove to exeter and fitted a new comp on a gah on a sprinter of then to street and sorted out a porka coldroom with a frozen coil then two car acs on the way home and tomoz swimming pool heatpumps i had better get the speedos out

[AlatoStonbots]

Hey,Great post i found it very interesting and at the same time very informative i will definitely bookmark this site for future reference...

[Goober]

Day before yesterday had to fly to Sydney (just for the night mind you) on two hours notice to assess a Super Yachts cool/freezer room issues and be ready to carry out repairs when it docks in Auckland next week. Had brekky the next day in the crew galley. The boat has crew of sixteen, swear to god 13 of them were young fine lookin females. Mmmmm...which one's going to get the attention when they arrive.....

[lawrence1]

Goober,,,,you lucky b*stard

[FreezerGeezer]

Seconded!

[paul_h]

Ha ha yeah, lucky sob.

I played human CPR valve.
I repair a bunch of custom made (by who!) freezers for bagged ice you see and shops and delis.
The ones I look after of course don't like it when you first turn them on, normally trip out on HP or overload. So if one is ever defrosted or delivered warm and empty on a hot day like 37C ambient today, I've got to shut the suction valve to just a crack to limit the suction pressure unit the cabinet cools down a bit.

[lawrence1]

paul h,
I am surprised they have hp controls.Usually a capiliary and stat is it.