PennSilverTaco's HVAC BS MegaThread!

The compressor, condenser coils, and various copper scraps are the most valuable parts...

 

This was my best score in a very long time; I had to drive down to Berwyn, PA (near Paoli)to get it, but it was free and it will be worth it! This is a 3-ton Trane XE 800 air-conditioner, manufactured in February 1991 and installed a short time later at a house that was built in 1967. The compressor just recently died, and the homeowner installing a Fujitsu ductless mini-split heat pump system, while keeping the natural gas baseboard heat. I snatched this up as soon as it hit the market, and drove almost an hour to get it!

 

The government first implemented a mandatory minimum energy efficiency ratio in 1992, and from 1992 to 2005 it was 10 SEER. Prior to 1992, typical central air-conditioners and heat pumps were 6 to 8 SEER, though higher-end models could be 10 to 12 SEER. In the late 1980s, Trane came out with a 15 SEER inverter heat pump that had a variable-speed compressor, but they were very expensive and required special training to service. As a result, this unit did not sell well and there aren't many left. This Trane was manufactured in February 1991, so there was no minimum mandatory SEER. Trane also made an XE 900, and came out with the XE 1000 in 1992. Many of these are still in operation today, and I've also seen XE 1100s and 1200s, but the XE 1000 (last manufactured in 2002) is by far the most common.

 

Trane is the only HVAC manufacturer I'm aware of that installs its own compressors in some of its products. Trane's in-house compressor manufacturer is Climatuff, and this unit has one of these legendary compressors! The compressor is allegedly what failed, but it was an impressive 33 years of age, so that's definitely not a bad run!

 

33 years is a long time.
We have a refrigerator from 91' still going.......

 

As an HVAC co. owner, this thread cracks me up. I get paid to mess with this stuff and I have about 1/100th the enthusiasm of @PennSilverTaco lol. And maybe 1/2 the knowledge...

I'm a licensed Trane dealer so a couple tidbits:

Those Climatuff Comps were a cinch to replace since you didn't have to braze/solder them, simply use 2 wrenches and your were in. So quick and easy. The really big ones had a nut welded on the top so you could insert some all thread and lower them in with a buddy.

As for the Runtru brand mentioned about 20 pages ago, I just installed a Runtru furnace in my house (A952V060BU4SAD) and a Trane HP (4twr40303N1000A with a baytwgr0003). The Runtru furnace lacks the finish of the Trane, but is functionally identical ( to the S9V2B060U4PSCA). If you cruise through both install manuals, they are so identical that Trane uses the diagrams and pictures of the Trane in the Runtru book. Weights are the same, everything except for one thing.

Trane has a lifetime (99 years) warranty on the heat exchanger where Runtru goes only 20 years.

I don't care as much for the Runtru O/D units. The QC on them is not as great as the Trane and the fit and finish looks builder grade IMO. I install them typically in rentals. The service ports are supposed to be clocked about 45º and I have encountered a few Runtru's that were at 0º and had to bend the sheetmetal to get my gauges on.

Since it is 55º here today I spent the day stripping old units, I will post a pic of my current pile next time I go back to them. Scrapping is hard work and doesn't pay enough IMO for the work involved. It certainly is a young man's game.

 

Maybe I should be an HVAC tech after all...?

 

HVAC places are always hiring lol. Especially heading into summer. If you really want to get into the industry, installation is the easiest way. Start by being a helper and as you learn you climb the ladder.

Jumping into service without training or schooling is tougher. I went to school for HVAC (lol), then actually started as the parts runner/install helper. Then I pivoted to service helper/service tech/lead tech and eventually owning my own shop. I had a few stops in between and did facilities maintenance as well for a bit.

It all really depends on the size of the shop you work at. Bigger companies typically are more compartmentalized where smaller ones are all hands on deck type stuff. Slow season like right now is on its own schedule.

 

I'm 35. Is it too late for me?

 

Absolutely not.

Most important trait you can have is availability. I'm 45 and have been in the industry my whole life, but I worked with tons of guys who started at 40-50. A lot of guys get into the field as a second or 3rd career/job.

If you're willing to work and learn, someone could use a guy just like you. Kids don't exactly grow up dying to get into this career path, lots of holes to fill.

 

I will soon be the proud owner of a York Champion "Tombstone" central air-conditioner; I am getting it for free because I answered an ad on Facebook Marketplace and helped a guy clear out a house he bought and is presently renovating!

 

@6 gearT444E
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy

The house presently has no electricity and the new owner has to wait several days to get it turned back on. As such, we have no way of firing this beast up. When the power is turned on, we will fire up the A/C and see if it works. If it works, I will restore it and sell it to a collector (yes, A/C collectors are a thing!), but if it doesn't work I will just scrap it...

 

Pawn Stars

 

@PennSilverTaco

Current pile I'm working through. I store them until they take up too much space, or save them for when work is slow. I'll probably finish them up later in the week as it got warm here right now.

Current stack of coils is over 5ft tall as it is taller than my helper when we quit. I'm not sure how many I have in total.

 

Data sheet...