Question for the old-timers here

ombre

Have a 3 ton Weather King condensing unit. About 2 years old.----

----Who really makes Weather King?

Looks like a Heil to me. But it has been over 12 years since I worked in the trade so I could be wrong.

2nd question and more in line as far as being old time stuff. ---

Have an evaporator matched with that Weather King condensing unit. Seemed to work very well when in use. Plan to re-use it because of that.

Original condensing unit was a Chrysler Air Temp installed in the mid 60's.---condensing unit long since replaced at least a couple times.

Not sure if this is the original matching evaporator for that old Chrysler Air Temp---but I think it may be. Or possibly not.

Nothing on the evaporator says Chrysler.

All that is stated on the evap is APCO --------Model # SFA 42, serial # 287109127

Anyone into the old stuff think that this is an original Chrysler Air Temp evaporator?

Or is it a generic replacement done at some time in the past?

jim murtaugh

weather king

weather king is made by rheem/rudd mfg. it is not always nessesary to replace the evap coil. but itis good practice to do so (i always do) the evap i do not believe is a chrysler or orig. i think it is a 3.5 ton replacement by a company now known as adp hope this helps jim murtaugh

jim murtaugh

old timer

oh and i am not that old

ombre

Meant nothing bad about old timers, or younger ones.

So a Weather King is a Rheem? I wouldn't have guessed that. Looks so much like the last few Heils I worked on, that it fooled me.

And thanks for the info.

ombre

That 42 in the APCO model # would seem to indicate 42,000 BTU's or 3 and 1/2 tons.

Was under the impression that the Weather King condensing unit was a 3 ton unit. But maybe I was misinformed and I don't know how to read the Weather King codes in either the model or serial #'s.

Doubt it is a 1/2 ton mismatch since it worked so well while in service and was professionally installed.

So maybe the Weather King condensing unit is really a 3 and 1/2 ton.

ombre

I remember back long ago, that, if in doubt about the tonnage of a CAC, that you could go by the running amperage of the compressor.---and you would be pretty accurate. Good enough for government work as they say.

I doubt that is true today with the increased efficiency of the newer units. ====Can't tell crap by comparing running amperage as far as determining BTU's, I don't think.

The 29 year old 2 and 1/2 ton Rheem condensing unit that I just trashed out was rated at 18 amps. The 2 year old ---3 or might possibly be a 3 and 1/2 ton (not really sure, can't read Weather Kings codes) Weather King condensing unit that I plan to replaced it with is also rated at 18 amps running.

So forget the old rule of thumb ----can tell tonnage by running amperage stuff--- that we relied on years ago and worked well as an excellent indicator as a guide for BTU's.

I like progress as far as increased efficiency, but it can make things somewhat difficult for us old farts.

jim murtaugh

weather king

it was not un common to install a 3 ton cond. with a 3.5 ton evap in those days if you get me the cond mdl # i can tell you for sure but i am 99% sure you have a 3 ton cond. w/ a 3.5 ton evap. thanks

ombre

OK---thanks for any help on this.

Weather King condensing unit model # is 10AJA4201

Serial # is 6760M210241243

Manufacture date was 5/02

jim murtaugh

3.5 ton

both the evap and cond. are 3.5 ton happy st. pats day

ombre

Happy St Patrick's day to you also.

And thanks for the info.

don_87

beware

just because it said 3 1/2 ton then,May not be now with today higher efficent equipment.

Example..lets say you decide to go with a 12 seer equipment.
If you were to set a 3 1/2 ton condenser you would need to
match it to a five ton coil to get a rated capacity of 42000 btus.

And then the question would be,what part of that 42000 btu
is sensible and what part of it is latent capacity?

I guess what I'm trying to said is dont base your replacement on what the size used to be,but rather what the
size should be now.

Hope this helps.

tim smith

3 & 3.5 ton

Not uncommon to use a half ton oversized evap. Improves the #s a little on efficiency due to heat exchange surface area. We do this all the time, have ratings by the mfr for this also. Good luck.

tim smith

3 & 3.5 ton

Not uncommon to use a half ton oversized evap. Improves the #s a little on efficiency due to heat exchange surface area. We do this all the time, have ratings by the mfr for this also. Good luck.

tim smith

3 & 3.5 ton

Not uncommon to use a half ton oversized evap. Improves the #s a little on efficiency due to heat exchange surface area. We do this all the time, have ratings by the mfr for this also. Good luck.

ombre

Looks like I am good to go with this unit anyway from the postings. Even if the evap is a little oversize.

I would like to compliment Rheem for having pretty good stuff. The 29 year old 2 and 1/2 ton Rheem unit I just trashed out actually still worked--as old and as abused as it was. The evap pan finally leaked and liked to flood the garage is the only reason I considered replacing it. -----a real bear to remove, have fabricated and replace that pan.

The Rheem condensing unit got sprayed badly about 20 years ago with a leaking water softener sitting right next to it. ----spraying 100% saturated salt water all over the unit. Fixed the water softener and flushed that Rheem out as good as I could with fresh water, but I did wonder about its longevity.

Found out that, when I removed it just a few days ago-------that there was absolutely no bottom to the condensing unit. The compressor and condenser were sitting on nothing at all except for rust. There was nothing there supporting anything.

And that super old, almost 30 year old Rheem never failed to cool, never ripped itself apart, even though it was completely unsupported---

--However, it was always undersized, I think. When in the midst of mid 90's ambient in Floriduh's July and August heat, the best it could do was about 80 degrees inside the house-------running constantly, but dry as hell.---and felt pretty damned good. (As long as you didn't move around too much.)

Just goes to show you --it is not the heat, it is the humidity.

Anyway--I have nothing against having an extra ton of air conditioning. Won't be quite as dry-----but will definitely be colder. And "party time" will go much better.

I assume the duct work and blower for my original 2 and 1/2 ton system will be adequate for 3 and 1/2 tons.

Any dispute on that?

Rich Kontny_2

Yes

If you're installing a condenser that needs 1400 cfm on a distribution system that is only good for 800 to a 1000 cfm
at best,then your assumption is wrong.

Lack of airflow across the coil will reduce efficency of the equipment,will sludge the compressor with liquid and will reduce the life of your compressor.

If you dont have proper airflow across the coil,you will have no chance and dailing in proper superheat or subcool temps.

ombre

I guess you're right. I really do need to check the air flow across the evap.

But there are a couple of ways I can improve the air flow fairly easily when installing the "new" evaporator.

Original design was about 21 inch square return, super short run, maybe a couple feet, to the blower unit.

Unfortunately they restricted that opening to about half that size in that short run to be able to mount the blower right onto the garage wall.

Same restriction occurs in the discharge.

Plan to bring the whole unit out about a foot and support it independently from the garage wall to get rid of those 2 restrictions and have a straight shot both return and discharge.

Which should improve air flow. Maybe enough.

jim murtaugh

a/c

you said in a previous post that the unit worked exelent. why up size, I have seen people due this and freeze the a/c coil,slug liquid to the comp.,I dont know where you a located but oversizing the system can make a house more unplesent your temp will get cooler faster but you wont remove the humidity hence cool wet air. thank jim murtaugh

ombre

I live in the Tampa bay area---Florida.

Well the 29 year old 2 and 1/2 ton original Rheem AC did work excellent as far as humidity removal----driest house I have ever been in---running constantly when ambient over 90 to 95 degrees. Best indoor temperature you could get out of it with outdoor ambient over 90 degrees was 80 plus degrees inside (usually about 82 degrees)---but a super dry 80 plus degrees, so wasn't half bad.

And actually felt awfully damned good -----as long as you were doing nothing more strenuous than sitting in a chair and watching the boob tube.

Invite more than 2 people over and want to actually walk around and the original undersizing of the unit got very noticeable.

I think that 3 and 1/2 tons will work quite nicely. Not give an inside environment as dry as the old 2 and 1/2 tonner running constantly did with a minimal heat load,-=-

----- but I think that the 3 and 1/2 ton could handle very high (mid 90's) mid July and August outside ambients much better. And company, when I have it, might appreciate that.

To be honest, nobody wanted to visit me in July and August. And I get lonely.

Now I will admit that upgrading to a 3 ton unit would have been better. --------But I got this 3 and 1/2 ton, 2 year old unit for free. And will try and make it work and see what happens.

Can't beat the price you know.

Tom_35

Chrysler Airtemp

The coil is not an Airtemp coil. They had a pretty unique numbering system i/e---a C4A4-00 evaporator coil was a cap tube coil that was rated for 3 tons, C4A5-00 was a 4-ton, but the 5-tom capacities went to a 1490 series. If the first letter was X, it was an expansion valve coil.

There were many Airtemp units that were replaced with too large of a replacement system because the dealer thought he was working with a 4-ton unit in lieu of a 3-ton unit.

Tom A

ombre

Thanks for the input and the info about Chrysler Air Temp evaporators.

I have been pretty much convinced by this forum that that original Air Temp evap was replaced at some time in the past by an Addison 3 and 1/2 ton evap. -----It does make sense --APCO==Addison Products Company.

Big John_2

Van Wert Coal Stoker (Steam Boiler)

I have recently assumed ownership of a home in Scranton, PA from my ailing father. The home came with a Van Wert Anthratherm coal stoker steam boiler heating system, probably about 50 to 55 years old. I was the coal shoveler on this system when I was a boy, and this furnace always worked great. Before Dad's recent surgery for colon cancer, he replaced the worn out rings in this furnace, but he never fired it up again. He is too sick to continue the rebuilding. I thought it was all back together right, but now I can't get a fire to stay lit for longer than a few hours. I have built about fifty wonderful hand fed coal fires in the past two weeks. A few have lasted for a couple of days, but most for only a couple of hours. The problem seems to be associated with the fuel to air mixture of the burn. Each time the fire goes out, it retreats to the right side of the pot and keeps shrinking. Raw unburned coal from the left hand side of the pot seems to force the fire out of the pot. I can't get the left side of the pot to burn at all sometimes. The fire does not seem to spread after the coal feed from the bottom starts to overtakes the original fire. I have tried mildly incresing or decreasing the amount of air in the pot by changing the size of the opening at the air intake to the rear of the furnace, but the fire keeps getting pushed up and out of the pot. I can't even find anyone local who makes service calls. Before I give up on this system and break my dad's heart after he worked so hard rebuilding this furnace, I was hoping someone could help me with some ideas. I thank you for your help in advance.