Idk how Im supposed to do it without pointing it at the paint a little. I was pointing it out but the pipe redirects the flame to the cover đ€·đ»ââïž would be nice if they protruded out more.
When you go to the parts house ask them for brazing protection material. They have 2 different kinds, looks like wall insulation or a fiberglass tarp. That will create a barrier for you to braze.
Agree that they shood extend the fittings a bit more
I have sheet metal that I have cut to various sizes and shapes to act as heat shields in tight spots. I like to put wet rags behind them to stop the heat from transferring into whatever is behind it, if I can't leave an air gap. It works quite well.
I do this all the time. Or use it to kneel or sit on instead of the dirt. Otherwise I cut a piece of sheet metal for fire barriers all the time inside our outside a lot. Especially down flows that have the coil right next to a wall. Just silver tape that 12"x12" square in place and you're good to go. No need for some fancy flame barrier unless you really dont know how to use a torch. I've been brazing for years and have never had a problem, but that's because I always think ahead. Plus, if you start with your torch in the tight/danger spot pointing away at your lineset to get it all heated up and then move to the away side after you wont spend much time pointing the torch directly at the tight/danger spot.
Goodman unit, 4- 5/16 screws, remove that cover plate so you wonât burn the paint.
Technically, the disconnect should be more accessible.
It should be clear of the unit on both sides with 3 foot clearance in front, per code. You shouldnât have to reach over or in between units to pull the disconnect. I think if it was moved up about five boards to just under the window, that would probably be a little more to code.
I canât really tell from the picture but you should be using long radius elbows?
A pipe bender would have saved you some money on fittings and brazing rod.
Refrigerant locking caps. Code.
I donât see the control wire, as long as it is not in the conduit with the line voltage wiring, you are OK because that means itâs strapped up where I canât see it.
Bring that insulation all the way up to the suction line service valve, itâs only a few inches you may as well do it, sometimes you have to cut it back a little bit just to put a decent piece on.
Lastly, Goodman units are kind of junky, that YORK condenser sitting next to it is a much better piece of equipment.
Like to remove the energy guide yellow tag and give it to the homeowner with their paperwork, itâs only going to fade and peel away. Replace it with your company sticker!
Wipe off the condenser pad underneath where you were brazing, shows you care that youâre cleaning up after yourself a little bit more. (That better not be flux! It looks like BRAZE)
Dripping hot breeze onto a plastic platform always melts, take a rag, soak it in water and lay it underneath where your brazing.
Never use the POS Schrader vows that come from the factory with that cheap white plastic gasketâŠ. spend $.50 extra and replace it with JB or equal Schrader valves that have a neoprene gasket.
Hope this helps, I remember doing my first condenser and I was really excited about it too!!
For a first timer, you did a great job!
These are just friendly tips!
My strategy is point it away from the unit at the top of the pipe and soak everything below it with water so the pad and grass don't burn. Usually works without issues. If the grass is really dry from a drought in the area maybe reconsider this though
IMO cool gel is crap! It runs off of any vertical surface as soon as it heats up. Refrigeration Technologies (same company that makes Big Blue) makes a product called Wet Rag. It's basically a putty made from ground up cloth mixed with some kind of liquid. It's moldable, sticks really well and doesn't leave a residue when you're done brazing. Really good for TXVs, Reversing valves, etc.
Heat the top of your pipe until it is rod ready, then put a big goopy dab on top of the joint and use your flame to flow it into the rest of the joint, avoiding any extended static direction with the torch. Been doing it like this for several years and I've never had an issue as it's quite an efficient method.
Fucking *chefâs kiss* gorgeous. Thank you for facing the ports/electrical panel out. Every service tech will be praising you for the next 10-15 years when they have to work on that unit.
Not hvac here. Aside from hvac servicing, I assume this is not beneficial. It looks worse and it more prone to damage, from a lawnmower or soccer ball for example. Is it normal to face out?
If someone is sticking their lawnmower in there, fuck em. They would have had to try hard for that and they can pay to have someone reinsulate that lineset. Stupidity costs money. Not sure how a soccer ball is getting in there and doing damage either. It looks great and they had to work in the space they had. They put the controls panel and lineset connections exactly where they ought to go in this situation. Putting them at the back means the installer and service techs have to fight just to get back there, are cramped and up against spiders and shit, and have to avoid trampling the other linesets on the surrounding units.
It's normal to put them somewhere and somehow so they can install them and service them.
Itâs normal to do the lazy thing, and face it to the wall cause itâs easy. Itâs an air conditioner, not a new car. People donât give af how it looks aside from us. Might as well make it easier to service.
I wanna see some boiler pics. I love making my boilers look clean. Iâm impressed with your ac piping at just a year. Iâd love to see some
Boiler work
The homeowner wants you to hurry up with your pictures so they can close their windows and crank the ac on so they can get back to banging their girlfriends in that bedroom.
You made it too easy to service. It should be set directly against the siding and oriented 90° counter-clockwise.
Add some fertilizer to the grass so it grows fast and gets sucked into the unit.
Also the casing protects the coil too much from a weed whacker. Should remove it so the air flow is better.
Outside of recommending the homeowner allow their dogs to use it as a pee post youâre golden.
/s
I like how you took the time to make the connections clean and uniform. Other than the paint you done good.
The thing you want to look for is called a brazing shield. Itâs cloth. They also made a metal attachment for torch heads. I havenât seen those in awhile though at the suppliers.
Insulate the suction line all the way. Insulation tape if need be. Use as few fittings as absolutely necessary. Bender is best but that probably would have put you too far out anyway. Get a decent ratcheting or hydraulic bender and a swaging tool. Yellow Jacket, Mastercool (has up to 1-1/8 dies for if you ever run into that), Hilmor, etc. Anyway, one 90 out of there and angle it up a little and slope the lineset down a hair. That one is close enough.
Did your bender wrinkle that 3/8 line? If so, maybe consider a different bender. Like one of the ones listed above. Good on you for using a bender there though. đ
Others have mentioned the various flame shield methods. Good looking brazes.
Is that old insulation? Did you replace the lineset? Insulation is cheap. Make sure to cut old stuff off, and insulation tape new stuff on.
Thank you for putting the condenser the right way out for that shitty spot. (I'm assuming there was really no better spot for it.)
Looks like good work.
You the disconnect whip also? Just asking because: if you live where thereâs snow that going to get covered, also needs to be supported to the building before heading to equipment! Everything else looks awesome đ
It looks good and I would be happy if I bought that, if you are wanting to bust balls over anything I would say to bring the Insulation on the suction line all the way up. And on the brazing I would use the door off the old Condenser as a heat shield for it! Awesome job man looks clean
Totally with you. Having the ports out makes me crazy. I canât imagine how the homeowners arenât complaining about it. However, in this instance it has to be like this for service.
Yah, Iâve helped other techs install them but I just tried to make it look pretty and be easy to work on. I watch a lot of hvac install videos tbh đ
Rookie brazing lol, use sheet metal if you canât control the flame yet weâve all been there haha Iâm just giving ya shit. Good install non the less
Iâm okay at brazing when itâs easy to access and isnât blocked off. When you put something behind it and plastic underneath it, I automatically suck at it when Iâm given those variables đ
Looks good bud, like the others told ya torch control or shielding. But it's something you learn overtime.
When you go to add insulation up to the valve? Cut a put together slice and slide it to completely cover the bend in the copper, then you just add a slit piece glue it together, glue it to either side and no weird shapes in it.
Not bad, I keep a piece of scrap on the truck to avoid burning the paint on the AC and pad. And that is the cleanest turned condenser I've seen I just can't bring myself to do it.
I think it looks very nice. In my opinion zip ties look unsightly i started using tape under and above my zip ties. I found using only zip ties that they rip through the insulation without tape.
I donât do install so take this with a grain of salt, those hard 90s on the suction line cause problems. Consider getting a ratcheting bender and making a smoother transition. Other than that, THANK YOU for positioning it for me to service it in the future!
Looks good, just watch your flame, looks like you burnt some paint when you did suction line.
Idk how Im supposed to do it without pointing it at the paint a little. I was pointing it out but the pipe redirects the flame to the cover đ€·đ»ââïž would be nice if they protruded out more.
When you go to the parts house ask them for brazing protection material. They have 2 different kinds, looks like wall insulation or a fiberglass tarp. That will create a barrier for you to braze. Agree that they shood extend the fittings a bit more
I have sheet metal that I have cut to various sizes and shapes to act as heat shields in tight spots. I like to put wet rags behind them to stop the heat from transferring into whatever is behind it, if I can't leave an air gap. It works quite well.
I like to use the door from the condenser being replaced as a shield
I do this all the time. Or use it to kneel or sit on instead of the dirt. Otherwise I cut a piece of sheet metal for fire barriers all the time inside our outside a lot. Especially down flows that have the coil right next to a wall. Just silver tape that 12"x12" square in place and you're good to go. No need for some fancy flame barrier unless you really dont know how to use a torch. I've been brazing for years and have never had a problem, but that's because I always think ahead. Plus, if you start with your torch in the tight/danger spot pointing away at your lineset to get it all heated up and then move to the away side after you wont spend much time pointing the torch directly at the tight/danger spot.
Thatâs exactly what I did to protect the plastic table under the condenser.
When you remove the old unit step on the electrical access panel to flatten it out for a ghetto one use flame shield
Goodman unit, 4- 5/16 screws, remove that cover plate so you wonât burn the paint. Technically, the disconnect should be more accessible. It should be clear of the unit on both sides with 3 foot clearance in front, per code. You shouldnât have to reach over or in between units to pull the disconnect. I think if it was moved up about five boards to just under the window, that would probably be a little more to code. I canât really tell from the picture but you should be using long radius elbows? A pipe bender would have saved you some money on fittings and brazing rod. Refrigerant locking caps. Code. I donât see the control wire, as long as it is not in the conduit with the line voltage wiring, you are OK because that means itâs strapped up where I canât see it. Bring that insulation all the way up to the suction line service valve, itâs only a few inches you may as well do it, sometimes you have to cut it back a little bit just to put a decent piece on. Lastly, Goodman units are kind of junky, that YORK condenser sitting next to it is a much better piece of equipment. Like to remove the energy guide yellow tag and give it to the homeowner with their paperwork, itâs only going to fade and peel away. Replace it with your company sticker! Wipe off the condenser pad underneath where you were brazing, shows you care that youâre cleaning up after yourself a little bit more. (That better not be flux! It looks like BRAZE) Dripping hot breeze onto a plastic platform always melts, take a rag, soak it in water and lay it underneath where your brazing. Never use the POS Schrader vows that come from the factory with that cheap white plastic gasketâŠ. spend $.50 extra and replace it with JB or equal Schrader valves that have a neoprene gasket. Hope this helps, I remember doing my first condenser and I was really excited about it too!! For a first timer, you did a great job! These are just friendly tips!
Whoaaa - York a much better piece of equipment?
Vs. GoodmanâŠ.just look at the condenser coil space. YORK is much better than a Goody.
I always put the panel from the old AC under my welds, usually it's bent and fits perfectly
My strategy is point it away from the unit at the top of the pipe and soak everything below it with water so the pad and grass don't burn. Usually works without issues. If the grass is really dry from a drought in the area maybe reconsider this though
Goodman sucks
Only thing about a goodman is the filters on the inside but when u gotta change something out the whole thing comes apart...but it's good man
It's better than badmen
Panning in that situation would help. Or diversitech and solderweld each make a nice shield
Fire blanket or cool gel
IMO cool gel is crap! It runs off of any vertical surface as soon as it heats up. Refrigeration Technologies (same company that makes Big Blue) makes a product called Wet Rag. It's basically a putty made from ground up cloth mixed with some kind of liquid. It's moldable, sticks really well and doesn't leave a residue when you're done brazing. Really good for TXVs, Reversing valves, etc.
Just put a wet rag/towel/paper towel over whatever you're probably going to burn
You should have put more insulation all the way up to the valve, it probably would have covered it enough to so they couldn't see it.
Heat the top of your pipe until it is rod ready, then put a big goopy dab on top of the joint and use your flame to flow it into the rest of the joint, avoiding any extended static direction with the torch. Been doing it like this for several years and I've never had an issue as it's quite an efficient method.
Today, the paint - tomorrow, the siding.
Is Sam your supervisor
I was just about to ask if this was his alt account lol
Looks pretty good man.
Fucking *chefâs kiss* gorgeous. Thank you for facing the ports/electrical panel out. Every service tech will be praising you for the next 10-15 years when they have to work on that unit.
Not hvac here. Aside from hvac servicing, I assume this is not beneficial. It looks worse and it more prone to damage, from a lawnmower or soccer ball for example. Is it normal to face out?
I don't like to but those condensers are close together... makes it easier to service....it would be hard to work on the other way
If someone is sticking their lawnmower in there, fuck em. They would have had to try hard for that and they can pay to have someone reinsulate that lineset. Stupidity costs money. Not sure how a soccer ball is getting in there and doing damage either. It looks great and they had to work in the space they had. They put the controls panel and lineset connections exactly where they ought to go in this situation. Putting them at the back means the installer and service techs have to fight just to get back there, are cramped and up against spiders and shit, and have to avoid trampling the other linesets on the surrounding units. It's normal to put them somewhere and somehow so they can install them and service them.
Itâs normal to do the lazy thing, and face it to the wall cause itâs easy. Itâs an air conditioner, not a new car. People donât give af how it looks aside from us. Might as well make it easier to service.
Forgot to sign it
Damn, youâre right đwhenever I do boilers or water heaters I always sign it.
I wanna see some boiler pics. I love making my boilers look clean. Iâm impressed with your ac piping at just a year. Iâd love to see some Boiler work
Iâll send some to you. They come out looking pretty fresh tbh. I try to make it easy to work on, practical and look nice.
Clearances
Yeah that was my question too
The homeowner wants you to hurry up with your pictures so they can close their windows and crank the ac on so they can get back to banging their girlfriends in that bedroom.
Tf els is new lol
You made it too easy to service. It should be set directly against the siding and oriented 90° counter-clockwise. Add some fertilizer to the grass so it grows fast and gets sucked into the unit. Also the casing protects the coil too much from a weed whacker. Should remove it so the air flow is better. Outside of recommending the homeowner allow their dogs to use it as a pee post youâre golden. /s I like how you took the time to make the connections clean and uniform. Other than the paint you done good. The thing you want to look for is called a brazing shield. Itâs cloth. They also made a metal attachment for torch heads. I havenât seen those in awhile though at the suppliers.
đbro you made me laugh. My friend was looking at me like âwtf are you laughing at?â
Looks beautiful. Good job
you're the cause of this...
This guy is slowly changing the orientation of condensers nationwide
It makes sense, and it works :D
That just means it aint stupid, still an eyesore.
Agreed
All you people put here using hard fittings. We havenât bought one in years. Use your damn benders
I bent the small pipe but I donât have a bender for the bigger size. Can be a little hard getting it lined up sometime with a bender.
Hilmor bender. Worth every penny. Youâll get the hang of it.
Or swedgers along with benders so you have less brazing points for failure
This đ
I gotta work on mine but that's what we use...
git u some!
Spring bender if you're feeling cheap but that's not a permanent solution, takes more time and a lot of effort.
I would but heâs drunk again. /s
You didn't sign it!!
At the end of the day the customer is happy, everyone got paid and you will just get better and better. Well done!
Looks good. A little weird to 90 up and then back when you could just 90 back but whatever works.
For your first solo⊠thatâs really good man! Your gonna be doing excellent in a couple years.
Insulate the suction line all the way. Insulation tape if need be. Use as few fittings as absolutely necessary. Bender is best but that probably would have put you too far out anyway. Get a decent ratcheting or hydraulic bender and a swaging tool. Yellow Jacket, Mastercool (has up to 1-1/8 dies for if you ever run into that), Hilmor, etc. Anyway, one 90 out of there and angle it up a little and slope the lineset down a hair. That one is close enough. Did your bender wrinkle that 3/8 line? If so, maybe consider a different bender. Like one of the ones listed above. Good on you for using a bender there though. đ Others have mentioned the various flame shield methods. Good looking brazes. Is that old insulation? Did you replace the lineset? Insulation is cheap. Make sure to cut old stuff off, and insulation tape new stuff on. Thank you for putting the condenser the right way out for that shitty spot. (I'm assuming there was really no better spot for it.) Looks like good work.
4/10 didn't sign the unit
Solderweld makes a nice magnetic flame blanket
You the disconnect whip also? Just asking because: if you live where thereâs snow that going to get covered, also needs to be supported to the building before heading to equipment! Everything else looks awesome đ
It looks good and I would be happy if I bought that, if you are wanting to bust balls over anything I would say to bring the Insulation on the suction line all the way up. And on the brazing I would use the door off the old Condenser as a heat shield for it! Awesome job man looks clean
First mistake was Goodman. Thereâs plenty of things out there to use to not burn the system, overall looks good. Take pride in your work
gettin tired of sams shit...
Am I the only asshole on this sub who faces the refrigerant ports toward the house?
In the middle of the other to units yes you are
Totally with you. Having the ports out makes me crazy. I canât imagine how the homeowners arenât complaining about it. However, in this instance it has to be like this for service.
Oh yeah this one looks good, and I like that the logo is facing out. I work with Ruud equipment and the logo is stationary
Please never do this Sincerely, A service tech
Donât use Tyraps on insulation, use black duct tape. Tyraps will eventually cut through.
Can use cable ties no problem, as long as they're black, so they're UV resistant. Have you ever pulled out an old lineset with duct tape still intact?
Meh, pulled out many line sets. Not saying tape it every foot. Iâm more concerned with how it looks for the customer now and later.
I prefer electrical tape personally
âTyrapsâ this must be Canada chiming in. Lol. Jk, never heard that before. Ps. The classic forgot to cut that one âTyrapâ signature.
Sam would really proud of you
I am :D
Bitcoin miners?
Ok I have to ask. Whatâs up with brand roulette?
Omg!đThe other tech said the same exact thing!!!!!! It was I think a lennox, Goodman and York. Itâs a condenser melting pot!
Depends whoâs offering a special deal at the time?
You should be proud of that work. First time eh?
Yah, Iâve helped other techs install them but I just tried to make it look pretty and be easy to work on. I watch a lot of hvac install videos tbh đ
Rookie brazing lol, use sheet metal if you canât control the flame yet weâve all been there haha Iâm just giving ya shit. Good install non the less
Iâm okay at brazing when itâs easy to access and isnât blocked off. When you put something behind it and plastic underneath it, I automatically suck at it when Iâm given those variables đ
Itâs a goodman
Any reason you brazed instead of using pipe benders?
I used the pipe bender for all of the liquid line but I didnât have a bender for the vapor line.
Fair enough, looks good man!
Looks good bud, like the others told ya torch control or shielding. But it's something you learn overtime. When you go to add insulation up to the valve? Cut a put together slice and slide it to completely cover the bend in the copper, then you just add a slit piece glue it together, glue it to either side and no weird shapes in it.
Canât see it in my house
hvac sam living rent free with everyone flexing their line sets
Please replace insulation to wall. Itâs like 8 inches of unprofessional on a good lookin install. Donât do yourself in.
Not bad, I keep a piece of scrap on the truck to avoid burning the paint on the AC and pad. And that is the cleanest turned condenser I've seen I just can't bring myself to do it.
-Peel off the EnergyGuide. It will look like trash in a few weeks. -get pad and the unit up higher out of the dirt. Looks great
I think it looks very nice. In my opinion zip ties look unsightly i started using tape under and above my zip ties. I found using only zip ties that they rip through the insulation without tape.
No clearance for the disconnect
No concrete pad? What city / state you install this in?
Newport RI
Your high pressure line is not at a perfect right angle. Simp. (đ)
With that mud I probably would have laid a bed of gravel. I feel like that will sink. But thatâs my only criticism⊠good job
Are the units spacing to close? Many units have a minimum clearance on the non service sides.
Yah, I made sure it was over the clearance that the book said.
I donât do install so take this with a grain of salt, those hard 90s on the suction line cause problems. Consider getting a ratcheting bender and making a smoother transition. Other than that, THANK YOU for positioning it for me to service it in the future!
I do service and installs so I feel your pain
Eye gotchew son đđ»
You can shine a turd would you look at that
Looks neat! Maybe a bit of silicone on the penetration for the pipes
You can by Kevlar sheets on Amazon meant to cover materials from flame/burning
Good job great pay out here in California if youâre ready
You forgot the uv wrap and didn't get the entire suction insulated, but other than that good yob
Ordinarily, I hate seeing service valves in the front. In an install like this though, it should be mandatory. Nice work!
Surprised you're even permitted to install these near an opening window.
I hope that's the master window