Thread: Think Outside the Box

Yesterdays inspection the builder decided to hide the AC units within a masonry wall enclosure. CMUs covered with manufactured stone veneer. Exterior walls were 5 feet tall. The enclosure was hidden by holly bushes. 3 feet away at the property line, 7' high privacy bushes. 3200 square foot, $500K house in a golf community.

He placed two units in the enclosure. The clearance for one unit was approximately 9 inches on three sides, 15 inches on the fourth. The second unit has one open side but approximately 9 inches on 2 sides and 15 on the third. With some minor shoving and pushing they might be able to get 12 inches between the 9 and 15 gaps but still only leave 12 inches between the units and the foundation wall to access the disconnect and service the units.

Yes, that is efflorescence on the faux stone. We normally get a dusting of snow once every 3 years. This is the 4th or 5th snow we have had this season. At least the snow was excellent in showing the drainage of the lot as it melted.

Must be the same builder who did the same thing many years ago down in Boca Raton.

Entire development filled with homes with similar enclosures and had 2-3-4 condenser units in them - besides not having proper access or working space, everyone wondered why the units overheated and killed themselves so often .. yeah ... stupid is as stupid does ... but ... you can't see them from the street (was the answer the builder always gave) (at least until his a/c contractor got tired of replacing them under warranty and then his pocket when the manufacturer came down to see why so many were failing prematurely).