Just a tip!

[Vern Heiler]

With summer here A/C inspections are back in the spotlight. Just a tip for anyone who doesn't know, a good indication of the condition of the outdoor coil is the direction of air flow at the fan. If it is horizontal the coil is restricted by dirt or proximity to walls or bushes. I use a piece of surveyors tape to illustrate the condition in the report. Hope this helps someone.

[Jerry Peck]

I just hold my hand over it - blowing hot air up is the right direction.

Blowing cool air up and it is not working.

Not blowing air up yet fan is running - not working right (fan may be wrong type for the motor direction.

[Vern Heiler]

I just hold my hand over it - blowing hot air up is the right direction.

Blowing cool air up and it is not working.

Not blowing air up yet fan is running - not working right (fan may be wrong type for the motor direction.

What brought this to mind was that I have found 3 units with air flow problems in the last three days. Two were tucked in a corner of a house with a wood fence on the third side. When both were running at the same time the tape almost went down into the fan blade. The one I have pictured is just dirty coils. The surveyors tape helps to confirm to the seller that something is wrong, as it is sometimes very hard to see that the fins are clogged.

[Charles Wilson]

Vern, I like your tip. We may be able to tell with our hand, but I think the tape is a good way to take a picture you can include in the report that shows the customer that things are not right. Pictures always seem to help.

[BillKace]

With summer here A/C inspections are back in the spotlight. Just a tip for anyone who doesn't know, a good indication of the condition of the outdoor coil is the direction of air flow at the fan. If it is horizontal the coil is restricted by dirt or proximity to walls or bushes. I use a piece of surveyors tape to illustrate the condition in the report. Hope this helps someone.

Don't assume when it comes to refridgeration equipment. Some outdoor compressors will have variable speed condensor fans or may be equiped with a low ambient fan control kit which will shut down a condensor fan in order to increase head pressure in the system https://opi.emersonclimate.com/CPID/GRAPHICS/Types/AEB/ae1234.pdf

Bill Kace
Nationally certified Air Balance Technician

[Vern Heiler]

Don't assume when it comes to refridgeration equipment. Some outdoor compressors will have variable speed condensor fans or may be equiped with a low ambient fan control kit which will shut down a condensor fan in order to increase head pressure in the system https://opi.emersonclimate.com/CPID/GRAPHICS/Types/AEB/ae1234.pdf

Bill Kace
Nationally certified Air Balance Technician
Low or Hi speed, the air will flow up not sideways with a clean unobstructed coil.

[Jerry Peck]

Vern, I like your tip. We may be able to tell with our hand, but I think the tape is a good way to take a picture you can include in the report that shows the customer that things are not right. Pictures always seem to help.

Well ... you could tie a small parachute to Mr. Bill and let a rope (string) hang down where horrified-expression Gumby is holding Mr. Bill from blowing away in the upblast from the super-hyper-turbo-'weightlessness effect creator machine' below ... just sayin' ... :D

[Vern Heiler]

Well ... you could tie a small parachute to Mr. Bill and let a rope (string) hang down where horrified-expression Gumby is holding Mr. Bill from blowing away in the upblast from the super-hyper-turbo-'weightlessness effect creator machine' below ... just sayin' ... :D
I'm not ignoring you Jerry, I'm hunting through the grand kids toys:)

[Lon Henderson]

Nice tip......