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TOPIC: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray?

Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 9 months ago #33164

Everything gets old.  Some things turn gray as they age.

Like this AC compressor.  Poor thing.  Getting old and gray, leaning a bit.  It will only get older as the summer gets hotter.

Actually this AC unit is only 4 years old.  Sure, it shouldn't lean, but that is an installation problem and an easy fix.

But why so gray?

Look under the gray box on the wall.  The white trapezoid near the ground is the dryer discharge.  The dryer is about 4' below that cover, just inside that wall.

THIS DISCHARGE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE AC COMPRESSOR!  Why?

Air is drawn in through the fins to cool and discharge heat from the house a bit before the gas gets compressed and super cooled.  The fins are gray, but with dryer lint.  Notice how on the right side of the compressor the fins look a bit darker?  That is opposite the dryer discharge opening.  Less lint gets drawn in over there!  Up close you can actually see little puffs of lint.  But the "gray" color is actually a fine layer of lint all over the fins.

An AC compressor really should be about 12' from a dryer discharge opening.  That minimizes its opportunity to draw in lint and get clogged.  The compressor here is stressed, to say the least.  That will not only affect the efficiency of its ability to cool the house, but also make it age faster.

My recommendation: When you look at a house, check to see if the dryer vent is blowing too near the AC unit.  If so, make a note!  It may be an issue that comes up later!
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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly

Re: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 7 months ago #34914

Jay, this is a regular thing out here, even on new construction.

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Bent Nail Inspections
Serving Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Caldwell and surrounding areas
Boise home inspector, boise home inspections, Meridian home inspector, Idaho Home Inspection, Nampa Home Inspector
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Re: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 7 months ago #34916

Don't they understand the concept of:

Dryer and Lint

???????

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly

Re: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 7 months ago #34926

How about animal urination!!
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Home Safe Home Inspections
Link Url: Cleveland Home Inspector - www.hshinspections.net/
Body:Performing Home Inspections in Cleveland, Parma, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Strongsville and surrounding areas.
Keywords:Parma,Broadview...

Re: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 7 months ago #34927

Sure its a four-legged hairy animal? 

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Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia
www.jaymarinspect.com
Northern Virginia Home Inspector
Festina Lente - Make Haste Slowly

Re: Does An Old AC Compressor Turn Gray? 13 years 7 months ago #34928

There you go blaming the dog!!  Maybe it was a 2 leg creature!!

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Home Safe Home Inspections
Link Url: Cleveland Home Inspector - www.hshinspections.net/
Body:Performing Home Inspections in Cleveland, Parma, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Strongsville and surrounding areas.
Keywords:Parma,Broadview...
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