The Vintage air condtioner thread

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by egrand

Something else to consider when looking at these larger 208/230v units is if they are single phase or three phase. If they are hard wire or don't have the plug anymore then you need to check the label. A lot of REA and co-op utilities did and still do provide home three phase service. So I know three phase window units are out there.

I've never seen a three phase window unit.
GE 17,500 BTU air conditioner is rated at both 208 and 230 volts. IIRC, the output is 16,800 BTU @ 208 volts.

[DavGoodlin]

Even a thru-wall heat pump (GE Zoneline, Carrier etc) is always single phase but these units CAN be ordered to operate on a 277/480 volt system at 277 volts single phase. This higher voltage ultimately saves copper and panel space but makes finding replacement parts a headache.

Three phase was 220-230-240 volts delta (and 440 delta in factories) in the old days, but did not have a neutral wire and could not provide the always-needed 120 volts without a transformer.
In the late 40s 120/208 wye became more common due to the large 120 volt lighting loads in many larger buildings. 240 delta services persisted long after and 240 continued to be the single-phase version of "220" while 208 was the 3-phase version of "220".

This issue is complicated by the fact that some equipment is UL-listed for use on "200-240 volts" and other equipment must have at least 230 volts and is not rated for 200-208. The utility must supply 120/240 or any other voltages +/- 5% but how much it fluctuates within that range is NOT regulated. Pun intended

Even today with 120/208 volts as the standard three-phase voltage system, most AC units up to 3 tons (36,000 BTUH) is single phase and dual-rated for use on 208 or 240 volts.
Most of the ductless mini-split AC systems (Mitsubishi, Daikin etc) are dual rated at 208/240, but always single phase.
This is necessary to allow one model to be used almost anywhere.

For example, most apartment buildings have a group of meters, making it efficient (for the utility) to serve the group with 120/208 three phase balanced, even though each residential occupancy has a single phase service. Often, larger buildings have single-phase power because in order to qualify for three-phase from the utility, a motor larger than 7.5 HP must be on the premesis.

[Charlie]

I have a 7800 BTU General Electric window unit in the bedroom from 1981. It was installed to cool the bedroom at night (this was while my grandparents were building this place) until the central air was installed and connected. After that, it was used as a back-up. To this day, it still blows pretty damn cold.

I turn it on now and then to keep it loosened up. It was used heavily for two weeks during Hurricane Rita because I was afraid to run the central air on the generator. I ran it last week for 30 minutes, and still impressed it works so well being over 30 yrs old.

[josephdaniel]

You should look up the Fox theater they still use their AC which was installed in 1924

[Charlie]

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs...tryID=10136234

Providing a link is always appreciated.

[jstout66]

Cool story concerning the "Fox", which than reminded me of two air-conditioners I grew up with. (sort of).
My grandpa LOVED to have the "latest and greatest".. he had central-air installed at their house in the 1940's. ( he always bragged he was the FIRST house in town to have it) I remember it was water cooled, and when turned on, would freeze out the house within a 1/2 hour. He sold the house in 1976 and purchased the old town theater which had central air installed in the 1920's. THAT thing was a beast. I remember MASSIVE equipment in the basement, and there was some type of device in the ticket-booth that fed oil to the unit. Grandpa ( and my Uncle and dad) converted the theater building to individual businesses, and each business had their own furnace/AC. I know all that old equipment AND furnace are still in the basement of that building. It was too massive to haul out! Interesting side-note on the old theater. The builders built it with a hinged floor, so it could be jacked up and level.
Grandpa bought the building in 1976 and died in 2000. It is now "out" of the family.
I had a friend that had a used store in the same town, and the building she rented, still used the Chrysler "Aire Temp" water unit. I DO remember that it was super expensive to run, and always needed work at the beginning of the season.

[josephdaniel]

Originally Posted by Charlie

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs...tryID=10136234

Providing a link is always appreciated.

Sorry, I was on my phone in the middle of class.

[radio63]

I used to have a neighbor many years ago that had a Fedders with the round grille. She had it in her dining room. Worked very well as I recall.

Hey, has anyone ever seen one of the RCA air conditioners from the mid-1950s? I have always wanted one but have never seen one. Perhaps none exist any more. They had a fancy model that had a light-up control panel and hidden controls. I have a sales brochure for them somewhere.

Philco had their "Cool Wave" air conditioners that they sold back in the 1940s. Never seen one of those in person, but I have a couple of service bulletins for them.

Gilbert

[Kamakiri]

I installed my 3 units in the windows last week. Ahhhhh

I was shocked to see that my Emerson Quiet Kool DOESN'T have charge ports on it. I could have sworn that it did. Makes me wonder if there are ANY window units that actually do.

Not having them on any or most, implies that they were never meant to be very serviceable

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

I installed my 3 units in the windows last week. Ahhhhh

I was shocked to see that my Emerson Quiet Kool DOESN'T have charge ports on it. I could have sworn that it did. Makes me wonder if there are ANY window units that actually do.

Not having them on any or most, implies that they were never meant to be very serviceable

GE used to have their own type of maintenance port on their refridgerators. There was a special adaptor that they sold to access the system. Most refridgerator techs didn't own one, unless they did a lot of GE repairs, as they were rather pricey.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

I installed my 3 units in the windows last week. Ahhhhh

I was shocked to see that my Emerson Quiet Kool DOESN'T have charge ports on it. I could have sworn that it did. Makes me wonder if there are ANY window units that actually do.

Not having them on any or most, implies that they were never meant to be very serviceable

The damn things are so cheap now (at least the smaller units) that they are just like everything else... when they quit, you toss it and buy a new one. I purchased a 5000 btu Fedders at Walmart for 99 dollars a few years back. If that thing died, I wouldn't fix it... i'd just buy another.

[marty59]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

FYI, I use the liquid form of this to clean my units. You'd be surprised at all the black mold and crap that gets into these things, no matter how they're cleaned externally.

http://www.nucalgon.com/products/aer...-brite-aerosol

Not exactly off topic but worth mentioning is that I use oven cleaner to clean the evaporator coil in my central air unit. I've used commercial cleaners and both work just as well. With anything that tends to be a little caustic I'd avoid harsh cleaners around any painted surfaces or take precautions.

[compu_85]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

... my Emerson Quiet Kool DOESN'T have charge ports on it. I could have sworn that it did. Makes me wonder if there are ANY window units that actually do.

I doubt any window unit has had a charge port for many, many years. It's a potential leak point. Good news is a Bullet Piercing Valve is cheap

-J

[Kamakiri]

I've heard that they leak, though

The disappointing thing about that for me, is that I refuse to believe that things wear out to the point of needing to toss them. It's a mental disorder of some kind

When I do buy something new, I'd rather spend $800 on something that will last forever, than spend $50 on something I'll have to replace in a couple years.....

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by radio63

I used to have a neighbor many years ago that had a Fedders with the round grille. She had it in her dining room. Worked very well as I recall.

Hey, has anyone ever seen one of the RCA air conditioners from the mid-1950s? I have always wanted one but have never seen one. Perhaps none exist any more. They had a fancy model that had a light-up control panel and hidden controls. I have a sales brochure for them somewhere.

Philco had their "Cool Wave" air conditioners that they sold back in the 1940s. Never seen one of those in person, but I have a couple of service bulletins for them.

Gilbert

I rented a house once that had a very old looking RCA window AC, it really pulled some amps when it started and took a long time to get cold. I wondered why it didn't have a Whirlpool tag like any appliance tagged "RCA"