Results 1 to 15 of 15

How to tell if central ac unit is drained?

| Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
  1. #1
    NoviceScrapper started this thread.
    NoviceScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    10
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    How to tell if central ac unit is drained?

    A neighbor of my parents called me and asked if I would take his old AC unit once a company replaced it. I took it and was wondering if the company drained the freon when they replaced the unit? I've broken down the unit and separated the compressor from the metal and it feels heavier than it should. Is there anyway to tell or should I just call an HVAC company to come by?



    Thanks for all the information



  2. #2
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    2,702
    Thanks
    2,237
    Thanked 2,352 Times in 1,014 Posts
    The lines are cut, so there shouldn't be any refrigerant left. Oil? Maybe.

    Compressors are heavy for their size.

  3. #3
    Russell's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Chicago,Il
    Posts
    815
    Thanks
    495
    Thanked 707 Times in 324 Posts
    Novice, if the unit is disconnected from the house but still in tact like in the picture. It is in fact still pressurized. The compressor us like a closed circuit. Look at the compressor in the middle you'll notice there is no outlet for pressure to be released. Compressor to the coils, coils are a closed circuit. I'm not an expert, but I do know unless it had a leak or something you could get a nasty surprise. I have an HVAC guy drain all my stuff only because he is an old freind does he do it for me. If the line inbetween the compressor and coils was cut or the installer bled it, you have a pressurized unit.
    Last edited by Russell; 09-23-2012 at 07:24 PM.

  4. #4
    Russell's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Chicago,Il
    Posts
    815
    Thanks
    495
    Thanked 707 Times in 324 Posts
    On a side note: these f-n things house a lot if nasty spiders. Do yourself a favor. Get a good bug spray that kills spiders. Spray the heck out of it , and let her sit for a day. After it sits take a hose with some pressure or pressure washer to it.

    I was taking the compressor off one day. Had my arm down in the unit. Youll see the 4 bolts holding her down to the frame. I was wearing those Jean type gloves; they are very loose at the top, I felt something inbetween the open part of the glove and my wrist. **** near had a black widow or something that looked like one sitting on the edge of the glove feeling its way around touching the hairs on my arm. I kept it alive just in case it had bit me. Im no spider expert and we don't have a lot of poisonous spiders around her but, it didn't end up biting me. It was a scary lesson.
    Last edited by Russell; 09-23-2012 at 07:34 PM.

  5. #5
    gustavus is offline Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
    gustavus's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,209
    Thanks
    1,351
    Thanked 920 Times in 425 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Russell View Post
    Novice, if the unit is disconnected from the house but still in tact like in the picture. It is in fact still pressurized. The compressor us like a closed circuit. Look at the compressor in the middle you'll notice there is no outlet for pressure to be released. Compressor to the coils, coils are a closed circuit. I'm not an expert, but I do know unless it had a leak or something you could get a nasty surprise. I have an HVAC guy drain all my stuff only because he is an old freind does he do it for me. If the line inbetween the compressor and coils was cut or the installer bled it, you have a pressurized unit.
    This particular unit looks like it was plumbed into an A Frame evaporator which would have been installed inside the furnace plenum giving the house central air conditioning.

  6. #6
    Destructo_d's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    185
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 97 Times in 49 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by gustavus View Post
    This particular unit looks like it was plumbed into an A Frame evaporator which would have been installed inside the furnace plenum giving the house central air conditioning.

    I agree... this is a central air unit, tied in with a furnace... Now... Some units like this have 2 shut off valve to hold the freon in the unit. They would be on each copper line near the brass fittings... sometimes the hvac techs shut these off and only drain the house side of the system and allowing the unit to be disconected and serviced, thus leaving the compressor pressurized... this particular unit does not appear to have the shut off's in it and from what I can tell, you are good to go on stripping it down... always err on the side of caution and be carefull tho

  7. #7
    NoviceScrapper started this thread.
    NoviceScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    10
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Thank you everyone so far for your information. I thought I posted a picture but just in case here it is:


  8. #8
    hobo finds's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    tucson, az
    Posts
    4,758
    Thanks
    6,037
    Thanked 5,910 Times in 2,556 Posts
    I am sure it still has freon in it. Up to you what you do next... Never mind I just saw pic! No freon left in that!

  9. #9
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    OK
    Posts
    5,731
    Thanks
    6,815
    Thanked 3,465 Times in 1,990 Posts
    call the EPA, they'll check it out for free

  10. #10
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2011
    Location
    boise, ID
    Posts
    1,605
    Thanks
    469
    Thanked 1,462 Times in 668 Posts
    If that is all you have left then there is definitely no refrigerant left in it. It was actually a heat pump so the radiator would be a little heavier than a normal a/c. Those scroll compressors are really heavy for their size.

  11. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by freonjoe:


  12. #11
    NoviceScrapper started this thread.
    NoviceScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    10
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Thank you everyone for your knowledge!

    Quote Originally Posted by freonjoe View Post
    If that is all you have left then there is definitely no refrigerant left in it. It was actually a heat pump so the radiator would be a little heavier than a normal a/c. Those scroll compressors are really heavy for their size.

    Does this weight affect the price at all?

  13. #12
    Jonniebrass's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    1,007
    Thanks
    582
    Thanked 496 Times in 296 Posts
    More weight equals more money.

  14. #13

    Member since
    Sep 2012
    Posts
    6
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts
    Central draining is very important that will give much desire to keep it more functional and learn new achievement that will come in creating much knowledge.

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to moshei for This Post:


  16. #14
    Hypoman's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    1,269
    Thanks
    2,774
    Thanked 1,332 Times in 513 Posts
    moshei,
    Thank you for the knowledge of achieving new functional learning by important central draining creating desires!











    Chicken-man Frank Perdue’s slogan, “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken,” got terribly mangled in another Spanish translation. A photo of Perdue with one of his birds appeared on billboards all over Mexico with a caption that explained “It takes a hard man to make a chicken aroused.”
    Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.
    Thomas Jefferson

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to Hypoman for This Post:


  18. #15
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    218
    Thanks
    130
    Thanked 158 Times in 60 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by moshei View Post
    Central draining is very important that will give much desire to keep it more functional and learn new achievement that will come in creating much knowledge.
    Huh?


  19. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. AC Unit and Handler
      By garrett in forum Scrap Metal Tips and Advice
      Replies: 1
      Last Post: 10-15-2012, 10:25 PM
    2. AC Unit Advice
      By Bull0525 in forum General - Let's talk business
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 08-03-2012, 11:13 PM
    3. 12 ton ac unit
      By easyrecycle in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 15
      Last Post: 07-01-2012, 04:43 PM
    4. AC Unit
      By slstahl in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 23
      Last Post: 09-08-2011, 10:31 AM
    5. radiators from AC unit
      By ilyaz in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 12-03-2010, 01:51 AM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook