I will say that at this day in age, having the "thermal cameras" is awesome!!! You can really identify the "mind boggling" issues rather fast with them....I remember that we used to hover our hand/fingers over the lugs to feel temp differences....yes - we felt something sometimes and it wasn't heat - LOL......
I'mma take this one as a birthday present from you, Chris. Been a fan for a couple years now, bought a bunch of your hats - even if I am a commercial truck mechanic. My 38th birthday today, and good work as always.
Buenas noches Chris es impresionante lo minucioso que eres con tus trabajos y sinceramente hay mucho potencial para aprender contigo, además tú sencillez, honestidad y la alegría de enseñar no tiene precio. Muchas gracias por todo amigo Chris. Saludos desde Coacalco Edo de México.
i work in facilities at a casino and we just got 3 new air handler units dropped in by copter last week. hope the new hvac guy keeps up with the PMs. got into your vids on ice machine troubleshooting/cleaning for work and then roof unit cleaning and applied that knowledge to cleaning my home unit (saved me $100+/yr). your vids apply to lots of things. hope to see more of your home unit upgrade for follow up.
Love your videos man! Just great made videos showing 100 percent professional work. No need for any special RUclips rubbish specials - just keep it like that!
I work with electricity alot I work as a maintenance tech in a steel mill. Watching your prodding the knife in the disconnect made me curl my toes lol. I know the risks involving and I have done stuff like this myself but still I always hold my breath knowing what can happen.
That thermal image camera likely saved you a call by ratting out that contactor starting to over-heat. And hence on the disconnect you could see line 2 getting hot and line 3 getting very hot -- bad influence for the fuse. The thermal image really reveals what is going bad and the marginal stuff too. Great vid for the electro-mechanical issues.
Great video, Chris. I liked the intelligent prioritising of what tasks needed to be performed and how, depending on both the big picture of the equipment you're working on at the time and the overall workload. When you're using a clamp meter and measuring current through the clamp, one extremely common mistake is not separating the wire that is being measured from other sources of magnetic fields and ferrous metalwork. This was particularly noticeable when I saw how you measured current on those large feed wires with them all bunched together like that near the clamp and metalwork. The higher the current in a wire the worse the problem is as the meter does not just measure any wire put through the clamp but every magnetic field that induces a voltage in the clamp. It's actually surprisingly easy to get an inaccurate reading due to stray magnetic fields, which can produce a reading that is higher or lower than the true reading. This means that a motor can appear normal but is actually over-amping due to the position of the clamp and stray magnetic fields, as well as the opposite problem where a motor may read like it is over-amping but actually is not. A bad or failing crimped connection will have increased resistance and therefore build-up heat. Crimps fail because they are generally not squeezed sufficiently to form a true gas-tight seal that keeps the oxygen out from around the wire strands inside the crimp that causes oxidation and corrosion. A lot of crimp fittings can't actually take the required pressure and the small handheld tools can't actually provide enough pressure anyhow. I have come across this problem so many times which is why I personally always solder as well when I make a cable up to guarantee a strong, reliable and lasting connection.
Does a great job I did lots of restaurants and supermarket for over 35 years it's amazing all the gauges and stuff they have that can tell you the superheat subcooling excetera excetera excetera we had to do that by hand years ago
I'd put in a non-fused disconnect on a three phase system. Blow one fuse, and three phase motors get trashed, unless the unit has loss of phase protection.
the breaker may be oversized for the units ratings and not thermal trip at all, like a closer to spec. fuse would after heat soaking. that's why many call for fuses of a certain size, where breakers may not be available in that size. as for a short circuit/hard fault, the breaker will often open first, unless fast blow fuses are involved.
Did you happen to see the high voltage lines inside your electrical section? The lines are running from the lower section to the upper encloser section passing thru a hole in the metal bulkhead w/o any bulkhead protection and a prime area for wiring to rub thru the insulation? 11:29 time stamp.
Often there are holes with a beveled edge for this reason so im guessing thats what is there. He is pretty good on picking up on that especially when running new wires. Would a legit plastic bushing or grommet be better? Probably
As always, I enjoy your "process" (logical triage followed by correct repair). The IR camera is a great tool, having an after replacement shot would have been interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Me: hits play and goes to grab a drink comes back as you're checking fuses Chris: poking fingers at fuses in disconnect switch without gloves I almost freaked out at that, and then you said the breaker was tripped.
I've stood in the aisle at Home Depot and just stared at the price of a time delay fuse pack. I would start mumbling then storm out and drive another 15 minutes I can't do it.
When you first got there and were checking for grounded circuits, you should have pushed in the contactor since the power was off. and checked for grounded compressor, ect. Things that the contactor powers.;
Those wires at the bottom of the disconnect at 4:50 look crispy. They've seen some heat. I'd be concerned about a future short there. Glad you changed it out.
I really want to say thank you for your “edutainment” videos that introduced me to the HVAC industry, and still motivates me to be a better chiller technician.
Is there any way for you to transplant the guts of the new disconnect into the old disconnect enclosure? Perhaps the throw-switch complicates this, but with typical electrical panels can sometimes swap out the guts and leave the enclosure alone. Great to see all that wiring / contactors cleaned up etc.
Could you break down the meaning of using disconnect switch with fuses? Why you cannot use a circuit breaker in the box instead? this will use less contact points, so less potential fail points
What brand are those quick turn connectors for your probes? I tried a set of Yellowjacket but the seals were bad on the first try, leaking out of the stems.
Shout out you Chris for dealing with driveby RUclips 🚔. Yeesh. Oh, thank you for sharing. Your sub count shows how well you are doing. RUclips police, the frank stand is open. SMD
The thing about Carrier model capacity is you gotta take that number and then multiply by 10kBTU so: 6 = 60,000BTU (5 ton) 12 = 120,000BTU (10 ton) 18 = 180,000BTU (15 ton)
I hear you on the disconnects and size. Every enclosure seems to be getting smaller. Do you have many customers requesting phase loss protection relays for those with fused disconnects
I get confused on discharge temp/pressure on package units vs. condensing units. On condensing units, you have the liquid and vapor port after condenser. Most package units only give you the discharge port directly after the compressor. When doing the 30° over ambient, does that include discharge temperature right after the compressor?
I see these package units with gigantic supply wires coming from the disconnect all the time. Such a pain fitting them in new contactor lugs lol. Are these wires installed at that size on purpose? Seems intentionally oversized
It's crazy how hard your clients are on equipment. Where I work we havent had a huge issue with refrigeration equipment going down knock on wood. Ive been there 7 years and I think the biggest issue we've had is the floor in the walk-in freezer had a panel pop up and hussmann just had us clear the box and they resealed it other than that we've been fortunate again knock on wood im sure i just jinxed us
That early September heat wave was absolutely brutal. That Thursday and Friday you speak of, I was in Colton both of those days. 118° on Thursday and 122° on the Friday. The following week I had a few service calls, all the same thing: popped disconnect fuses and condenser coils completely plugged up from all the dust and ash from those fires. None of the units had any shorts. Only thing I could think of was the plugged coils combined with the nuclear heat wave overwhelmed the circuit causing overamping, and plus who knows what wonky power fluctuations occurred from the overwhelmed electrical grid. Only one unit had loose connections from the disconnect all the way to the contactor.
Fire alarm work aint any less busy or choatic. Had a job at a local theater where we found out that the ceiling had a rats nest in it and the installers who put in the system put a duct detector we needed to replace in a very hard to reach location. The duct detector ended up being inaccessible to us and we told the customer we needed scaffolding to get to it.
With as many fuses as you have blowing on a single phase, what would be the point of continuing with fused disconnects? It seems like it may eliminate some of your calls.
In this case, he was really forced to use a fused disconnect because the MOCP (Maximum Over-Current Protection) was 35 A, while the braker in the panel was 40 A. Commercial Carrier units do monitor the amp draw to the compressor and will lock the compressors out individually if there not within spec. That should protect the compressors. Ideally, a phase monitor along with a fused disconnect would be the best solution. The phase monitor would interrupt "R" to the control board, if it were to drop a leg, voltage went high or low, or become phased wrong.
Be careful using large conductors / large wiring in small disconnects--wire will only bend so far, and so downsizing to AWG8 was smart. Here's an easy hint if you haven't been measuring your wire bending space--if the insulation is wrinkling, you're close to the limit, and if it cracks, god forbid, you're over-bent and need to cut that part and start again.
why do you guys in the states have fuses at the unit when the system circuit is already protected by the breaker in the switchboard ? struggling to see the logic in it ?
GE is crap, use SqD disconnects (except for the really small one that has the switch looking like a QO breaker, they suck). Never had any trouble with SqD disconnects, GE a lot, Siemans are ok but yes the new ones seriously lack wiring space.
All of all us are not perfect, but you're a tech that's any company would like to have.making videos and being swamp I give you a alot of credit..people are rude but most of us appreciate the videos...
Like I said before, I think it would help a lot if you would start doing mandatory maintenance at a reasonable cost on all of your customers and you’ll be able to catch a lot of the stuff and save all your customers money in the end.
@@HVACRVIDEOS, Hey HVACRVIDEOS, you could make it mandatory by offering it to all your customers. Maybe you could slightly increase the price to cover it over time, but it’ll help you out and help the customer out, and I think in the long run, you’ll have customers who really appreciate that.
disconnects smaller in size, looks like 100% bean counter input or an engineer looking for an advancement. something like "look at all that wasted space, they're using it for storage of extra fuses and parts!" lets shrink it down to save $0.0001 per unit.
Why do you guys use cartridge fuses not breakers it seems like you have some many comp phase issues because of the fuses .. just put a breaker in the unit it’s odd to me
Waitttttt, I just looked up that thermal imaging camera. Did you really pay 4 grand for that thing?!?!?!????!??!!!! Edit: actually 2500 but still though.
I wonder what the climate changing will do with your job... Good luck! Pre-wetting the confessor is like making espresso. You need to push some water in and wait a few seconds...
I am thankful for every chain restaurant in southern California for running their junker A/C and refrigeration equipment.
Great video man. Am watching this while drunk, and just realized im a HVAC tech watching another HVAC tech fix stuff at 11.30pm
@@edwarddapalmer drunk on a Thursday?
@@blueg3027 lol no. Friday night at the time in Aus.
Cheers
@@edwarddapalmerhahah atta boy.
Drunk while on call?? lol
I will say that at this day in age, having the "thermal cameras" is awesome!!! You can really identify the "mind boggling" issues rather fast with them....I remember that we used to hover our hand/fingers over the lugs to feel temp differences....yes - we felt something sometimes and it wasn't heat - LOL......
Lol
I'mma take this one as a birthday present from you, Chris. Been a fan for a couple years now, bought a bunch of your hats - even if I am a commercial truck mechanic. My 38th birthday today, and good work as always.
Happy Birthday mr random person. Blue collars unite! 💪
Happy birthday
Buenas noches Chris es impresionante lo minucioso que eres con tus trabajos y sinceramente hay mucho potencial para aprender contigo, además tú sencillez, honestidad y la alegría de enseñar no tiene precio. Muchas gracias por todo amigo Chris. Saludos desde Coacalco Edo de México.
i work in facilities at a casino and we just got 3 new air handler units dropped in by copter last week. hope the new hvac guy keeps up with the PMs. got into your vids on ice machine troubleshooting/cleaning for work and then roof unit cleaning and applied that knowledge to cleaning my home unit (saved me $100+/yr). your vids apply to lots of things. hope to see more of your home unit upgrade for follow up.
Thanks for watching and good luck on those new units
You should always check phase to phase for shorts as well, not just phase to ground. Granted only one fuse blew, but still
Trouble is, you'll see the motor windings when going phase to phase, unless you check on the line side of the contactor with the power off.
@@smithno41 true, you have to know the difference between a dead short and motor winding resistance
Love your videos man! Just great made videos showing 100 percent professional work. No need for any special RUclips rubbish specials - just keep it like that!
Thanks bud
I work with electricity alot I work as a maintenance tech in a steel mill. Watching your prodding the knife in the disconnect made me curl my toes lol. I know the risks involving and I have done stuff like this myself but still I always hold my breath knowing what can happen.
That thermal image camera likely saved you a call by ratting out that contactor starting to over-heat. And hence on the disconnect you could see line 2 getting hot and line 3 getting very hot -- bad influence for the fuse. The thermal image really reveals what is going bad and the marginal stuff too. Great vid for the electro-mechanical issues.
The thermal camera is a great tool
thanks for the great content ..
Thanks for tuning in
God bless you boss I learn so much from you, two years in the trade and still going strong!
That's awesome, thanks for watching
Great video, Chris. I liked the intelligent prioritising of what tasks needed to be performed and how, depending on both the big picture of the equipment you're working on at the time and the overall workload.
When you're using a clamp meter and measuring current through the clamp, one extremely common mistake is not separating the wire that is being measured from other sources of magnetic fields and ferrous metalwork. This was particularly noticeable when I saw how you measured current on those large feed wires with them all bunched together like that near the clamp and metalwork. The higher the current in a wire the worse the problem is as the meter does not just measure any wire put through the clamp but every magnetic field that induces a voltage in the clamp. It's actually surprisingly easy to get an inaccurate reading due to stray magnetic fields, which can produce a reading that is higher or lower than the true reading. This means that a motor can appear normal but is actually over-amping due to the position of the clamp and stray magnetic fields, as well as the opposite problem where a motor may read like it is over-amping but actually is not.
A bad or failing crimped connection will have increased resistance and therefore build-up heat. Crimps fail because they are generally not squeezed sufficiently to form a true gas-tight seal that keeps the oxygen out from around the wire strands inside the crimp that causes oxidation and corrosion. A lot of crimp fittings can't actually take the required pressure and the small handheld tools can't actually provide enough pressure anyhow. I have come across this problem so many times which is why I personally always solder as well when I make a cable up to guarantee a strong, reliable and lasting connection.
That's something we should all be aware of, I appreciate you sharing that.
Does a great job I did lots of restaurants and supermarket for over 35 years it's amazing all the gauges and stuff they have that can tell you the superheat subcooling excetera excetera excetera we had to do that by hand years ago
I'd put in a non-fused disconnect on a three phase system. Blow one fuse, and three phase motors get trashed, unless the unit has loss of phase protection.
the breaker may be oversized for the units ratings and not thermal trip at all, like a closer to spec. fuse would after heat soaking. that's why many call for fuses of a certain size, where breakers may not be available in that size. as for a short circuit/hard fault, the breaker will often open first, unless fast blow fuses are involved.
Did you happen to see the high voltage lines inside your electrical section? The lines are running from the lower section to the upper encloser section passing thru a hole in the metal bulkhead w/o any bulkhead protection and a prime area for wiring to rub thru the insulation? 11:29 time stamp.
Often there are holes with a beveled edge for this reason so im guessing thats what is there. He is pretty good on picking up on that especially when running new wires. Would a legit plastic bushing or grommet be better? Probably
I'll go back and double check
You're the best..lot to learn from you.. appreciate your hard work.. happy HVACR.
Thanks bud
Love your work and your content ❤
I appreciate that
Great video. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for watching
Edutainment.....what a proper adjective for your videos.
Lol
As always, I enjoy your "process" (logical triage followed by correct repair). The IR camera is a great tool, having an after replacement shot would have been interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks bud
Me: hits play and goes to grab a drink comes back as you're checking fuses
Chris: poking fingers at fuses in disconnect switch without gloves
I almost freaked out at that, and then you said the breaker was tripped.
Lol
that wireless voltage worked great didn't it? 🤣 9:42 lol
I've stood in the aisle at Home Depot and just stared at the price of a time delay fuse pack. I would start mumbling then storm out and drive another 15 minutes I can't do it.
I don't miss the long hours running a service truck! Great vid! Always enjoy watching you work.
Thanks bud
Thanks bud
Square D Visipact disconnect switches are great see if your supplier carries them.
Nice work Chris has always.
Thanks
When you first got there and were checking for grounded circuits, you should have pushed in the contactor since the power was off. and checked for grounded compressor, ect. Things that the contactor powers.;
@glennsepelak5113 he checked both sides of the contactor so its the same as thing
You living at HVAC heaven, we are 50f now
Those wires at the bottom of the disconnect at 4:50 look crispy. They've seen some heat. I'd be concerned about a future short there.
Glad you changed it out.
For sure
Very thorough my guy
Thanks bud
I really want to say thank you for your “edutainment” videos that introduced me to the HVAC industry, and still motivates me to be a better chiller technician.
Thanks bud
No complaints here. You did great. This Chris.
Thanks
Is there any way for you to transplant the guts of the new disconnect into the old disconnect enclosure? Perhaps the throw-switch complicates this, but with typical electrical panels can sometimes swap out the guts and leave the enclosure alone. Great to see all that wiring / contactors cleaned up etc.
Could you break down the meaning of using disconnect switch with fuses?
Why you cannot use a circuit breaker in the box instead? this will use less contact points, so less potential fail points
Copper tubing makes a great fuse. In some places I've worked I would say 3 out of 5 units.
Well now
What brand are those quick turn connectors for your probes? I tried a set of Yellowjacket but the seals were bad on the first try, leaking out of the stems.
Great video. Very hot temperatures outside.
Yes it is, thanks for watching
Eaton boxes are pretty good
Amazing how to training video concise well thought out really great, how long were you there and what was the bill on this job?
Shout out you Chris for dealing with driveby RUclips 🚔. Yeesh.
Oh, thank you for sharing. Your sub count shows how well you are doing. RUclips police, the frank stand is open. SMD
Thanks bud
Great work Chris, thanks for another awesome video ❤
Thanks for watching another awesome video
The fusebox under those conditions should have a gasket on the cover
Do you run a database by unit address and serial number to be able to review past service work on a specific piece of equipment?
Yes, we keep records of work done to each unit by model and serial
A section of 5/8" copper tubing is a 8000 amp, no-blow.
Great video friend, get some rest.
Thanks bud
The thing about Carrier model capacity is you gotta take that number and then multiply by 10kBTU so:
6 = 60,000BTU (5 ton)
12 = 120,000BTU (10 ton)
18 = 180,000BTU (15 ton)
Sounds good to me
I hear you on the disconnects and size. Every enclosure seems to be getting smaller. Do you have many customers requesting phase loss protection relays for those with fused disconnects
I get confused on discharge temp/pressure on package units vs. condensing units. On condensing units, you have the liquid and vapor port after condenser. Most package units only give you the discharge port directly after the compressor. When doing the 30° over ambient, does that include discharge temperature right after the compressor?
I see these package units with gigantic supply wires coming from the disconnect all the time. Such a pain fitting them in new contactor lugs lol. Are these wires installed at that size on purpose? Seems intentionally oversized
Perhaps, or in some cases the wire was sized for a larger machine that is no longer there
Damned Carrier, want to do anything to not use a 3-pole contactor,; this cost the RTU $0.90 less.
ABC
Anything But Carrier.
After finding a couple of single phased blower motors, I always replace those relays with contactors.
First. Greets from Germany
Awesome, thanks for watching
It's crazy how hard your clients are on equipment. Where I work we havent had a huge issue with refrigeration equipment going down knock on wood. Ive been there 7 years and I think the biggest issue we've had is the floor in the walk-in freezer had a panel pop up and hussmann just had us clear the box and they resealed it other than that we've been fortunate again knock on wood im sure i just jinxed us
Lol
That early September heat wave was absolutely brutal. That Thursday and Friday you speak of, I was in Colton both of those days. 118° on Thursday and 122° on the Friday. The following week I had a few service calls, all the same thing: popped disconnect fuses and condenser coils completely plugged up from all the dust and ash from those fires. None of the units had any shorts. Only thing I could think of was the plugged coils combined with the nuclear heat wave overwhelmed the circuit causing overamping, and plus who knows what wonky power fluctuations occurred from the overwhelmed electrical grid. Only one unit had loose connections from the disconnect all the way to the contactor.
Nuclear heat is the best way to put it
@@HVACRVIDEOS pretty much. Or like a giant walk-in oven with wind.
Fire alarm work aint any less busy or choatic. Had a job at a local theater where we found out that the ceiling had a rats nest in it and the installers who put in the system put a duct detector we needed to replace in a very hard to reach location. The duct detector ended up being inaccessible to us and we told the customer we needed scaffolding to get to it.
I've seen a few restaurants like this, the smoke detectors where installed at the very top of the ductwork under the roof deck, impossible to reach
With as many fuses as you have blowing on a single phase, what would be the point of continuing with fused disconnects? It seems like it may eliminate some of your calls.
In this case, he was really forced to use a fused disconnect because the MOCP (Maximum Over-Current Protection) was 35 A, while the braker in the panel was 40 A.
Commercial Carrier units do monitor the amp draw to the compressor and will lock the compressors out individually if there not within spec. That should protect the compressors. Ideally, a phase monitor along with a fused disconnect would be the best solution. The phase monitor would interrupt "R" to the control board, if it were to drop a leg, voltage went high or low, or become phased wrong.
Be careful using large conductors / large wiring in small disconnects--wire will only bend so far, and so downsizing to AWG8 was smart. Here's an easy hint if you haven't been measuring your wire bending space--if the insulation is wrinkling, you're close to the limit, and if it cracks, god forbid, you're over-bent and need to cut that part and start again.
Another nugget of good information worth noting, thanks for that
Would a temp stye gun help I don't want to drop money on thermal camera if I could make that work lol
It could work, it's better than nothing that's for sure
I dislike those disconnects they feel like mush. I don't think spring-loaded to open and close the knives quickly.
Why use fuses and not a breaker?
That's a good question, electrical code perhaps, I'll do some digging and discuss this further on my next live stream.
thumbs up
Bang
Copper pipe fuse is very reliable
Lol
33:29 it is entertaining and educational but edutainment often applies to sillier content with gags
why do you guys in the states have fuses at the unit when the system circuit is already protected by the breaker in the switchboard ?
struggling to see the logic in it ?
That's a good question, electrical code perhaps, I'll do some digging and discuss this further on my next live stream.
GE is crap, use SqD disconnects (except for the really small one that has the switch looking like a QO breaker, they suck). Never had any trouble with SqD disconnects, GE a lot, Siemans are ok but yes the new ones seriously lack wiring space.
5:09 I hate flatheads, strips so easily. IDK why manufacturers insist on using them instead of torx......
There are definitely much better options
115 degrees dammm , are you in the southwest???
Yes I am
All of all us are not perfect, but you're a tech that's any company would like to have.making videos and being swamp I give you a alot of credit..people are rude but most of us appreciate the videos...
I appreciate that
Not too hard to figure a Carrier..6=60k=5 ton etc.
Like I said before, I think it would help a lot if you would start doing mandatory maintenance at a reasonable cost on all of your customers and you’ll be able to catch a lot of the stuff and save all your customers money in the end.
I would love to make it mandatory but if I push it they may look for another contractor
@@HVACRVIDEOS, Hey HVACRVIDEOS, you could make it mandatory by offering it to all your customers. Maybe you could slightly increase the price to cover it over time, but it’ll help you out and help the customer out, and I think in the long run, you’ll have customers who really appreciate that.
disconnects smaller in size, looks like 100% bean counter input or an engineer looking for an advancement. something like "look at all that wasted space, they're using it for storage of extra fuses and parts!" lets shrink it down to save $0.0001 per unit.
Lol
Noticed you tweaked your sponor intro. Sounds different.
In a good way ?
@@HVACRVIDEOS Ofc
@@HVACRVIDEOS Ofc
it's a blessing and a curse
I agree
Why do you guys use cartridge fuses not breakers it seems like you have some many comp phase issues because of the fuses .. just put a breaker in the unit it’s odd to me
That's a good question, electrical code perhaps, I'll do some digging and discuss this further on my next live stream.
Waitttttt, I just looked up that thermal imaging camera. Did you really pay 4 grand for that thing?!?!?!????!??!!!!
Edit: actually 2500 but still though.
I don’t remember exactly how much it was but I know it was stupid expensive
I wonder what the climate changing will do with your job... Good luck! Pre-wetting the confessor is like making espresso. You need to push some water in and wait a few seconds...
I agree, I think
Have you ever had something blow up after you said that? 🤣
It's been awhile, but yes
Why have MCBs and fused isolators, don’t in 🇬🇧, also why random building blocks lying around on the roof? 😂