PennSilverTaco's HVAC BS MegaThread!

@6 gearT444E
@ABA180
@Bishop84
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@Lt. Dangle
@shakerhood
@Speedytech7
@steelcity2
@Steves104x4
@TnShooter

The scrapyard I go to charges an “environmental fee” of like $26 for intact HVAC/R equipment. This has never been an issue for me, because I tear them apart and organize the pieces by material. Properly stripped down, a window A/C or thru-wall A/C can be anywhere from $25 to nearly $100 depending on how big it is. My boss gave me a nonfunctional 1995 Carrier wall unit from his house back in July, and I believe I got $90.

A couple of guys brought this 20,000 BTU LG wall unit to the scrapyard, unaware of the policy on intact HVAC equipment. They didn’t want to pay, so the woman who works the scale directed them to go over to the nonferrous metal side, guaranteeing that someone would take it; Ashley is that woman, and she knows me. She glanced over to the parking lot, saw my truck, and said “give it to the guy in the zombie truck.” I’ve got a good $80-$90 here when all is said and done!

 

@6 gearT444E
@ABA180
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@Lt. Dangle
@shakerhood
@steelcity2
@Steves104x4
@TnShooter

I made a serious score! Not only do I have the wall unit that was given to me at the scrapyard, and Amanda’s old minifridge; I’ve scored two complete central A/C systems and a metric shit-ton of copper! The HVAC tech around the corner bestowed these gifts upon me, and tonight, I picked up this 3-ton 2006 Trane XR14; I could not fit the gas furnace and indoor coil in the truck on this trip, so I am going back for those tomorrow. This guy is also giving me a 2-ton heat pump and indoor unit, which I pick up on Monday!

 

Nice, that should give you a few bucks for scrap!

 

I'd give the guy $20.
Maybe he'll "remember you" if he gets any more....

 

No need; I’m officially his scrap guy!

 

@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@Lt. Dangle
@steelcity2
@Steves104x4

So, the Trane was fully operational at the time it was removed. The former owner is a semi-retired HVAC tech with a lot of time on his hands, who decided to upgrade to a more efficient (16 SEER) unit. The Trane is a 14 SEER straight-cool unit that was matched with a gas furnace; I am also scrapping the furnace and evaporator coil.

The replacement unit is a 16 SEER Goodman, and not a cheapo one either. If installed correctly by a qualified tech, Goodman is decent; I still wouldn’t put a Goodman in my house if I had a choice, but the Goodman condensing unit of today is a far cry from the one of twenty years ago.

I could probably sell this Trane, but I don’t have the time or the space to keep it. As much as I did not want to scrap the 1981 York Champion, the only thing that saved it from my Sawzall was a teenage HVAC enthusiast from New Jersey with $200 in cash. So yeah, this Trane gets disemboweled first thing tomorrow morning, along with Amanda’s minifridge and the LG wall unit!

 

I picked up the furnace tonight, so I can scrap everything in one trip and pick up the heat pump tomorrow!

 

@Lt. Dangle

I chopped up the Trane XR14 this morning, and discovered just how deceiving a compressor sound blanket can be…

 

At least there is some copper in a Trane condenser…

 

@Lt. Dangle

Under that glorified rodent’s nest was an Alliance scroll compressor, but still in that classic Trane red; I’ve seen Tranes with black scroll compressors in them, and even scrapped one such unit…

 

The condenser was manufactured in February 2096, and the evaporator was manufactured in September 2005…

 

The evaporator was actually in halfway decent condition, but what would I have done with this besides scrap it?!?!