I was at a house this summer with two condensers on opposite sides of the house. the sunny side was 92degrees and the shady side was 85 degrees. thats where it makes a difference.
Shading prevents heat from being introduced into the system by means of radiation. The coils themselves are still shaded by the stamped steel cover in both cases. I'd attribute the difference in results to the difference in ambient air temp between the two tests.
GREAT experiment, I thought shade would help a little here in the middle of scorching SC. After pondering a misting system to cool the unit, I felt that would only cause probs due to the fins eventually clogging from the minerals, had even bought all the parts to do that. There is no magic bullet sadly, but geothermal is likely the way to go, right.
Good experiment. I believe you were recycling some air. There have been other experiments done doing the same thing but in a more controlled setting and the results revealed a small reduction in head pressure and amp draw. I have also seen where companies have strongly discouraged people from putting a roof over their ac units to shade them for the same reasons why your pressures went up. It was always told to me that trying to shade one is worse than leaving it alone. Luckily, mine is on the north side of the house and is shaded.
shade a larger area so the air temp drops some before its pulled into the unit. Also leave an area open above the fan to most of the discharged air blows up and out of the tarp. RV and Home windows AC units are a whole different animal though, I seem to be the ONLY person who will work on small AC units like that around here.. Anyways If you remove the shroud the head pressure drops because the discharge air is less restricted. also you can shade them with a tarp because the discharge typically flows out of the sides of the unit. Misting water on the condenser also drops the pressure and makes it cool faster too but is short lived unless you rig up a recirculating mister that works off the evap condensation water on it.
I would love to have your field piece gadget there with pressures & temp probes!!! That's a thing of beauty!!!! But yeah outdoor ambient is what it is! You can have shade & it's still hot & humid! Other day I parked in shade... opened car up & it was still hot! 110-120 in car b4 starting up & running ac! But that was a gd experiment!!! Liked that suction pressure reading!!! I usually find 410a systems around 115-125 psi on the suction line! I hate txv's diagnosing issues but the piston systems are easier to diagnose & repair! Lol! Ikr! But a good working txv system is nice!!! 12-20 SEERS?!
You were causing the unit to recycle the exhaust by deflecting some of it back to the intakes on the side--out the top, alone-side the tarp, to the underside of the balcony, and back-down the side of the house. Even thought heat rises you were pushing enough heated air to cause a convection current to recirculate. To make an accurate comparison you should keep the top of the tap open to the atmosphere so that most of all the heat is deflected up and away.
Looks better without shade. I heard if you use one of those sprinkling system's on them while they are running it really helps with energy use and cooling down the home.
Shade is not the key, but reflectivity. All it takes is a simple test to prove this. I just completed one the other day. The results where 150 degrees on the dark painted metal surface in full sun, with 85 degree ambient temp. And 90-95 degrees on the opposite protected side. It was protected with 90% Mylar reflective material. (funny stuff, you will also find this installed in the unit from the factory) 50-60 DT is a pretty good! Take a laser pointer thermometer. Shoot a dark surface that is in full sun light the compare to ambient temp. It will always be much hotter! Yes, shade definitely helps, but highly reflective material is the key to success. If you are still having trouble getting your mind around this, just go work in the full sun for eight hours and then decide if you had rather be in the sun or shade. Another note, shade from a full canopy of trees, will give a much different result than a simple tarp in full sun!
Temperature is not BTUs. The reflective material means nothing for this application. As the video shows, the small size of the A/C condenser exposed to the sun adds no additional load to the condenser. If you wanted to use reflective material, you would have to use it on the roof, windows or walls to lower absorption of heat into the structure. The full canopy of trees is an effective in reducing A/C usage but they must be big and placed right. GFM
I agree with the other comments that the recirculation of heated discharge air the tarp created more than offset the benefit of the shade. I believe condensers in the shade do perform better, keep in mind the louvered coils like most manufacturers use now are already in the shade.
Since the fan is moving heat away, not sure how much diff it will make regardless, but i think it being a trane ( or similar) with the housing that shields the coil is also less likely to be affected by direct sun than say a low end unit with just widely spaced spokes like my builder grade lennox
Have to agree with others in the comments section that the tarp was not only blocking incoming air, but may have also forced the re-circulation of discharge air from the condenser. I would be interested in seeing a second video that addresses these questions. Thanks for everything you contribute Grayfurnaceman!
Unfortunately the position of the tarp was creating that hot air is sucked from the condenser hence higher discharge pressure, try to place the tarp in a way that its not blocking discharged air and slightly far away from the unit so it creating shade but allowing cold air to be sucked from the unit. As always my pleasure to watch your videos and learning from your experience and knowledge, keep up with videos you are doing great job Greetings from UK
if you shade a larger area around it, there will be less radiant heat hitting it and lower temps of the surrounding materials giving off heat, which should make the air around it a little cooler. tall trees or a wall shading it and a large area around it would be about it.
You are talking about a 5 to 10 foot shading on each side.This is my guess from personal experience of working outside. Maybe building a porch over the a/c unit, but allowing plenty of air flow will be enough.
i put an umbrella by mine and it does make a differance . you were keeping tat hot air around it with that tarp . mine does blow cooler and doesent run as hot !
Great video thanks. I’m wondering should I get a compressor blanket to reduce noise? I didn’t know if you’ve done any videos on compressor blankets/covers.
Something that everyone is miss is the actual coils are already shaded by the louvres around the cover … there is no sun shining on the coils just the cover a tarp will do absolutely nothing… the first 10 seconds the air flowed through the louvers they will cool down … they are also painted a light reflective color to help with heat soak
What about an aluminum tarp? I rent an old mobile home and the 100° temps we are currently having are definitely making the unit run continually and it doesn't get truly cool inside until around 9 to 10 pm. I just saw a tarp online at Harbor Freight that's aluminum on one side and black on the other..... I'm very curious.
I could see how shade *might* increase the lifespan of the run capacitor by reducing heat in the enclosed area where they're usually mounted. I've seen some setups where the fan can pull air past it, but not many, and caps are often relocated.
I think your experiment was good enough to prove that it makes no difference.Maybe some more elaborate set up would have made some folks more comfortable with the results but I'm satisfied.It's all about Air!
You should do a similar test using one of those water-spray devices. The engineering behind evaporative coolers is solid, and a lot of institutional and industrial cooling towers, starting even at small sizes, often use evaporative cooling to lower the compressor power required. Even window air conditioner units make use of the water dripping off the evaporator, by draining it toward the condenser outside, where a slinger on the condenser fan throws it onto the coils to get some evaporative cooling effect.
Try this one: ruclips.net/video/GEHE69OC9Xk/видео.html Commercial cooling towers do not spray water on condensers. The units use water cooled condensers that pump the water to a cooling tower that flows air over the water as it falls thru metal plates. the primary movement of heat is thru sensible temp change, not latent. Window A/Cs sometimes do move their condensate to be picked up by the condenser fan however, the primary reason for this is to eliminate condensate drainage. The amount is quite small and will make little difference is power usage. GFM
The problem with misting systems is the water you are using if lucky you have low mineral content here in Florida we have a lot of calcium it builds up very quick on the condenser fins and soon blocks them and in most cases voids any warranty on the coil so not very much savings.
Yes to add to what a lot of people are saying here, with out a doubt you were recycling hot air from the condenser which will raise the head pressure. I've seen this myself with an AC condenser that was to far under a roof overhang that was what I call "hot boxing" itself, we moved the condenser out a couple of feet so that it could breath properly, it significantly lowered the head pressure back to normal range.
I can tell you from experience that an AC in the sun only uses 5-10% more electricity measured at the compressor, but the more important factor is runtime, which I've noticed an AC in the sun runs 20-30% longer and that's without being on the roof! If an AC is half of your electric bill and you live somewhere where the AC only runs during the day and its sunny everyday then it could be a 15% differece in your electric bill. A unit located on a hot roof and in the sun would be an even bigger difference! Try to locate your outdoor unit on the north side of your house where its naturally shady or get a 20 by 20 foot awning, but make sure its at least 5 feet taller than your AC unit, so that it can breathe properly. Keeping the rain off of your AC will also help it last much longer before the metal rusts over the years. Capacitors in the shade also last many years longer! I would image it would also impact the life of the fan motor as well.
I was very interested in your videos on mist systems and shading as my cooling bill for 4 apartments is over $1,000 per month. However, your skepticism appears to inhibit your ability to perform an unbiased test. I really lost confidence in you during your 2nd video on mist system when you conducted your test with a return temperature of 69F. Where are you? Montana? And why do you even have an AC? The position of the shade tarp only confirmed my suspicion on your bias affecting test results. Bad science is worse than no science. I am not considering misters for the simple reason of scaling and corrosion problems. I am sure these are the same reasons the residential unit manufacturers don't incorporate pre-cool systems on their units. It would be a warranty nightmare.
I was laughing my ass off at this "ac" man, dude did one test of each and called it a day 😂. Worst experiment ever. When you make tests, first you make sure there's a proper test setup. Putting a tarp in the middle of the day most likely won't do crap anyway since the ground and the unit is already hot as hell. You'll probably want to put it before the sun comes out. Second you make multiple tests to test for variance or disturbances. Doing one test of each is pretty much useless. 4 minutes I'm never getting back.
From my years of doing a lot of automotive HVAC work, I said straight away that it wouldn't matter much if at all. My reasoning is that the condenser of your vehicle is bolted to the radiator with a half inch between them. The radiator puts off 180+ degrees F of heat when the engine is at full operating temp. Even at idle when the airflow is low your A/C is still cold.
Had a call client put up tarp for shade off the roof edge and fence on two side by the side yard the compressor kept going out on high head, it was re recycling hot air removed the tarp condenser performed ok, i believe you cant shield the top of the condenser as the hot air wil bounce back n trap hot air Love your vids keep posting always Enjoy watching them Thanks !
In the 1990s, it was popular in the Southwest to build houses with the AC on top of the house. They soon realized it wasn't efficient and moved them in the shade between the houses
The tarp affected airflow to some degree? Use a large Solar window screen to shade the unit, so the airflow stays pretty much the same in and out of the shade?
Measure total power consumption; that will tell you if it's more efficient. If the condenser is in the shade, and especially cooler air, then it has less heat to get rid of. Insolation is 1 kW per square metre, so shade takes that heat load from it.
refrigerants work by changing phases - when it evaporates it gets colder which is how you cool the air. for an ac to work optimally you keep the refrigerant as close to the critical point as possible because then it takes less energy to swap it back again. that balance has been pretty closely worked into the design of the unit. fucking with that is obviously brilliant.
If you use shade cloth and shade a wider area around the unit you'll get better results. You can take it a step further and use a misting system to cool the unit down.
We had a customer/some kind of engineer, which I dread, who built an enclosure around his Infinity cond & blew his compressor, 1st one/warranty told him to remove it & he blew up on us that we didn’t know a/c from shinola, year later we arrive for same thing & BAM! warranty voided for still having enclosure, have to cull the heard
The word “engineer” is way too much of a blanket term. I deal with hundreds of engineers at my work place... but they know their spot. Electrical engineer, electronic engineer, steam plant engineer, nuclear engineer and so on.
Nice test, I was sure that there would be at least a little difference, but I can't argue with the data. I would not try to shade an AC unit, but if I had a choice of where to install the outdoor unit and everything else was equal, I would still install it on the side of the house that is out of direct sunlight. A large shaded area might make a tiny difference to the efficiency of the unit since the overall air temp might be a tiny bit lower, and I also think that being out of direct sunlight would be a tiny bit better for the unit's longevity, mostly electrical parts, capacitor, and exterior paint finish.
There is such a thing as a microclimate. It's hotter in an area such as a parking lot with no shade. I don't think a small tarp would do much in a situation like that either.
I used to live in the high desert of Ca. Humidity was in single digits. I could work in it all day I had enough water. Tried that in Florida, no way. GFM
The coil is already shaded by the shroud. Even though the unit is in direct sunlight, the coils aren't. Even if you ran the unit with the shroud off most of the coils would never see the direct sun, they self shade. The money work lies in the difference in temperature between the coils and the ambient air temperature.
Any updates on a/c furnace filters? I'm trying to figure out if the Arm and Hammer Baking Soda filters we're using now are restricting air flow and making the a/c work harder... I'm learning from your videos and appreciate the information...Thank you.
Often homes return air filters are sized for the old standard fiberglass filters. The velocity of the air could be in the range of 400 to 500 feet per minute through the filter. With a HEPA filter it is in the 200 to 250 ft/min max allowed velocity. Thus a "better filter" often requires adding more surface area so the pressure drop is still the same. Here I use the 3M Filtete filters in several sizes. 18x30, 20x20, etc. I actually made a wood box out of 1x2 and 1x4 and doubled my surface area. ie two filters. Thus I have a cleaner work area and the airflow is not reduced. Sadly many homes are really marginal, or undersized for the stock fiberglass filters. Then a higher restrictive one is used and the airflow drops, less cooling too. The technical way is to measure the pressure drop across the air filter, it will be in the 1/10 to 3/10 inch range.
Not too surprising in this test. The case temperature doesn't matter. The part that counts is the condenser - that's already shaded. And the parts that are not are probably silver. Not much solar heat gain there. However, if the question is what side the building should the unit be placed, that could make a difference. You'd be better off pulling in cooler air - be it from the surrounding shade or from the breeze. But to build a box to shade it - you could easily do more harm than good.
Two problems with your experiment 1) the tarp in that proximity traps heat. Shading needs to be further away, 2) Your not only supposed to shade the unit but for the Area near the unit with trees, for example, allowing an Area of slightly cooler shaded air for your AC unit to suck air from. Also making the ground retain less heat from the sun. Effectiveness varies but it does help...
Good airflow is more important than shade, but having a few trees to keep it cooler or on the east or north side of the house to keep it out of the afternoon sun (northern hemisphere) doesn't hurt either.
I haven't read of anyone suggesting this for a future test. How about shading the unit from a distance to allow full unrestrictive airflow out the top, then measure the outgoing air from the condenser fan. Do the same test in full sun after an hour or two of backing in the sun. A unit that's surrounded by more objects that collect solar heat would be preferable like gravel landscaping. I'd also like to see the air handler output temp differences as well for each. In my opionion, especially in my home state of Arizona, all utilities should be on the north facing side only!!!
I may do an updated test. However, there is no point to measuring inlet and outlet temp if there is no difference in head pressure. Ditto on Delta T at the indoor coil. I can understand the north side. Mostly for service tech comfort. Those tools get hot in the sun. GFM
Have you check the amperage? I’ve seen a/c condenser stop working on hot days. I had to cool it off with the garden hose. After 10mins of cooling it would start normally.
probably not shaded from day break to testing and too small an area shaded overall and opposite for testing no shade. not sure that tarp blocks many UV rays either. EDIT: how did this comment get under his post? I know I didn't put it there originally, youtube must play up some times when not refreshed before posting :|
not many systems are sized for the "far outlier" temperate days. why some will ask? because they're inefficient as can be when short cycling and never pull the humidity out, same for heating up north. the systems have all been sized for running 90-95% ON time, for the hottest "average" climate in the locale. now take super hot days or super cold days and you end up with heat or a/c that cannot keep up. if the system is working properly to it's ratings, the best solution is insulate and seal the home! which is always a good idea as step one before installing new equipment anyway ;)
This reminds me...I always wondered what if you paint the panels around the unit white to deflect some of the sun rays to protect the inside parts like the capacitor and such...would it save some energy costs?
Well I own a black car and a white one, and I can affirm the more energy you can deflect the better. Surprised all AC units aren't painted white (or better yet relective/mirrored finish) by default for this reason. Prob cheaper to paint em grey.
All you really do is create air recirculated. Which makes it harder for unit to run. That air needs to be able to get as far away from unit. That being said I’m in Az and the sun definitely dose damage to the case of the unit. Paint and data tags ext.
Maybe try it with a radiant barrier next time? The sun heating the coils directly will create a higher temperature on the coils than ambient air temp. I doubt it will make a significant difference on AC efficiency. Regardless, the fact that radiant barriers rapidly loose efficiency as they become dirty ruins the usefulness of it.
My window unit comes out to an enclosed porch. When the afternoon to evening sun heats up that porch, my temperatures inside also rise. And yes, it's because of the sun. The temperature on the porch skyrockets to something that almost burns your skin.
grayfurnaceman The sun doesnt shine on the unit whatsoever. The porch is enclosed in t1-11. Air doesn't circulate in and out of the porch much. Air in the porch heats up and thus the unit cannot shed the indoor heat through the condensor.
I work better without the sun bearing down on me, so I figure my condensing unit operates the same way, right? It's fascinating how that mechanical device responds to the way I'm feeling at any particular moment. :-)
What about if you built a semi fenced system far away enough and high enough to not bother air flow and keep shaded all day. I know it would be minimal but would it increase the life span of the unit over say 5- 10-20 years.
Tho the cost of the fence would fe a factor, I wasn't really thinking about saving money operating the unit more or less keeping in shade but also away from water and snow during winter, I know they are fine to get wet but my question would be would the unit need less maintenance if I live in a wet snowy climate in Chicago if my unit never touches water or sun or dirt vs the guy next door who has the same unit over the say 10 years? In would assume yes but it would me minimum if anything at all.
It hasn’t got anything to do with shade or sun what it has to do with is the air temperature of that is being pulled through and the air temperature of it going out showing whether it is working better. 0 to10° difference makes no difference in the operation of the unit.
It's the sun hitting that big yard and house raising the temperature of the surrounding air 10 degrees that's getting sucked into the condenser. Shading the condenser won't do anything. If you're sitting on an asphalt parking lot against a wall with the sun beating down everywhere around you but you have an umbrella, the only thing that's going to do is prevent sunburn as you cook from all the heat rising up around you. Go to the other side the building and it's ten degrees cooler air temp.
Shade is not putting a cover over the unit. As for weather reports, aren't thermometers always placed in the shade to get a proper reading of the air temperature? As others point out below, a compressor / condenser unit generates a lot of heat. While your tarp does provide shade, it also appears to have the potential of trapping heat. I've been an advocate of placing compressor / condensers on the shady side of the house if at all possible. Others claim it makes no difference.
Tarp is trapping heat. If the shade under a sensible cover lowers the temp around the condenser it will cause a lower head plus you let the unit run for awhile cooling the house. Low temp means lower pressure. Temperature and pressures rise and fall together
I would agree that direct sun has no impact because the unit is depending on air temperature differences to transfer heat. Some might argue that a stand of oaks around the house and in their neighborhood will reduce ambients a few degrees due to transpiration and they would be right. But transpiration caused lower temps are easy to measure.
I would agree that trees can make a considerable difference in cooling load. Transpiration is part of it but I think the majority is the shading they may give to the structure. Especially the roof. I often found a large Maple tree close to the house on the south or west side would make a difference. GFM
My unit was so hot to the touch that I could not leave my hand on it. (and this was when it was not runnning) with the Desert sunlight on it. 100 to 115 days we get in the summer. I made a wall, about 15 feet away from the unit, on just one side to block the unit from direct sunlight. I used Phifer Black SunTex 90 it's a type of screen that blocks 90% of the Sun and allows air to pass through it. now my unit was cool to the touch so wouldn't the unit now be more efficient since my radiators are not as hot so now it can transfer the heat faster with less work. P.S. I just did this in July 2020 So i have not had a bill yet to see if it is less or the same in this heat.
I used to live in the high desert of California, where, if I was working on a car, I had to be sure any tools I used had to be placed in the shade or I would get burned. That said, you have to understand, the sheet metal exposed to the sun is a maximum of 4 sq ft. If that sheet metal was 200F, the amount of BTUs it would contain would be 150. And that is a very generous number. Your A/C is probably 36,000 to 60,000 BTU. That would be about .05% reduction. Checking your bill will not be an accurate measurement as the load changes with each month and your use changes with each month. If you want to make a difference, use that shading material to reduce solar gain thru your exposed windows. GFM
@@nickhaddad9778 I did not leave it on. Even if I did a long term test, it would be worthless because electric bills are not an accurate measure of usage. No 2 months are comparable. GFM
Actually, the unit will run more efficiently when the coils are kept cool. The sun's heat on the high side of the refrigerant is helpful. Shading the unit from the sun will keep the outdoor unit cooler which will help with the lifespan of the unit.....keeping the cooling coils cooler will help the unit blow colder air.
There is virtually no difference between a shaded outdoor unit and one in full sun. Obviously you have not watched the 2 videos in this series. Thinking its true does not make it so. GFM
The Delta-T between the Condenser coils and the outside ambient air is directly related to efficiency. Don't argue with me about facts because I have not said anything that is arguable.@@grayfurnaceman
If the cover is making the heat get recycled it will cause the varient , but it so little that the work needed to do this isnt worth it , the mist system at least shows a noticable change , issue is water purity then
A CU being baked in the sun all day wouldn’t really make a difference if it’s not, it’s ambient air temp, dirty coil and fan speed that will cause high head pressures
Some people are dumb. I been doing ac for years. Shade always helps ..common sense of it can dissipate more heat of course it will work better. Also when a fan fails on a coil on the rooftop units we set a spray of water from a garden hose on it until we get another fan. Usually 48 hours max. But it will still work as long as you cool the coil...( cooling the coil) .
I guess you did not watch the video. There was no change in head pressure with or without the shade. There is so little solar gain on the unit as to be negligible. It makes no difference. GFM
Use a clear piece of plastic in place of the tarp to see if there is a difference with air flow restricted like it was with the blue tarp. You opened up the area to reduce recirculating the hot air when you removed the tarp. That is why it lowered the pressure.
grayfurnaceman ...did no ever think that you were trapping heat around the unit instead of having what gives it shade so close.. I have been coming across some of ur videos and every single one has elements that u don't think about that make ur tests invalid... It's either u are a complete dumbasses and the condenser should file a restraining order against u because of domestic abuse...or you are intentionally deceiving people... It's one or the other
@@kathyjordan3922 Outdoor units are placed for various reasons. Lineset length or available power wiring are some. In the end, the location makes little difference to its efficiency. As long as there is good airflow, it will work well. GFM
the way you have it the head is gona go UP when the air is recirculated as it hits the top of the roof line and fed back through the wall and cover you have====== that is why the head went down when you removed the cover
Хобби
Thanks for your review. It was very helpful and informative!
I was at a house this summer with two condensers on opposite sides of the house. the sunny side was 92degrees and the shady side was 85 degrees. thats where it makes a difference.
I know this topic has been debated for a long time... It would sure be nice if someone did an in depth comprehensive side by side comparison.
Shading prevents heat from being introduced into the system by means of radiation. The coils themselves are still shaded by the stamped steel cover in both cases. I'd attribute the difference in results to the difference in ambient air temp between the two tests.
Awesome test as always. I thought it would have made at least a small difference in performance, but I was clearly wrong.
Thank you for a quick honest an accurate video much appreciate it
Welcome
GFM
thanks for your efforts ...
I always wondered if they actually cared in most cases. Pretty interesting test GFM.
GREAT experiment, I thought shade would help a little here in the middle of scorching SC. After pondering a misting system to cool the unit, I felt that would only cause probs due to the fins eventually clogging from the minerals, had even bought all the parts to do that. There is no magic bullet sadly, but geothermal is likely the way to go, right.
Good experiment. I believe you were recycling some air. There have been other experiments done doing the same thing but in a more controlled setting and the results revealed a small reduction in head pressure and amp draw. I have also seen where companies have strongly discouraged people from putting a roof over their ac units to shade them for the same reasons why your pressures went up. It was always told to me that trying to shade one is worse than leaving it alone. Luckily, mine is on the north side of the house and is shaded.
shade a larger area so the air temp drops some before its pulled into the unit. Also leave an area open above the fan to most of the discharged air blows up and out of the tarp.
RV and Home windows AC units are a whole different animal though, I seem to be the ONLY person who will work on small AC units like that around here.. Anyways If you remove the shroud the head pressure drops because the discharge air is less restricted. also you can shade them with a tarp because the discharge typically flows out of the sides of the unit. Misting water on the condenser also drops the pressure and makes it cool faster too but is short lived unless you rig up a recirculating mister that works off the evap condensation water on it.
Thank you. When I see tarps and other means of shading a condensing unit, it's a sign that they need a professional evaluation before something fails.
It works I’ve been shading my AC unit with a pop up tent Big Difference ! Plus adding Radiant Barrier to your roof bottom rafters !
Always like your videos and value your advice.
I would love to have your field piece gadget there with pressures & temp probes!!! That's a thing of beauty!!!!
But yeah outdoor ambient is what it is!
You can have shade & it's still hot & humid!
Other day I parked in shade... opened car up & it was still hot! 110-120 in car b4 starting up & running ac!
But that was a gd experiment!!!
Liked that suction pressure reading!!!
I usually find 410a systems around 115-125 psi on the suction line!
I hate txv's diagnosing issues but the piston systems are easier to diagnose & repair!
Lol! Ikr!
But a good working txv system is nice!!!
12-20 SEERS?!
You were causing the unit to recycle the exhaust by deflecting some of it back to the intakes on the side--out the top, alone-side the tarp, to the underside of the balcony, and back-down the side of the house. Even thought heat rises you were pushing enough heated air to cause a convection current to recirculate. To make an accurate comparison you should keep the top of the tap open to the atmosphere so that most of all the heat is deflected up and away.
I agree
Looks better without shade. I heard if you use one of those sprinkling system's on them while they are running it really helps with energy use and cooling down the home.
Shade is not the key, but reflectivity. All it takes is a simple test to prove this. I just completed one the other day. The results where 150 degrees on the dark painted metal surface in full sun, with 85 degree ambient temp. And 90-95 degrees on the opposite protected side. It was protected with 90% Mylar reflective material. (funny stuff, you will also find this installed in the unit from the factory) 50-60 DT is a pretty good! Take a laser pointer thermometer. Shoot a dark surface that is in full sun light the compare to ambient temp. It will always be much hotter! Yes, shade definitely helps, but highly reflective material is the key to success. If you are still having trouble getting your mind around this, just go work in the full sun for eight hours and then decide if you had rather be in the sun or shade. Another note, shade from a full canopy of trees, will give a much different result than a simple tarp in full sun!
Temperature is not BTUs. The reflective material means nothing for this application. As the video shows, the small size of the A/C condenser exposed to the sun adds no additional load to the condenser.
If you wanted to use reflective material, you would have to use it on the roof, windows or walls to lower absorption of heat into the structure.
The full canopy of trees is an effective in reducing A/C usage but they must be big and placed right.
GFM
I agree with the other comments that the recirculation of heated discharge air the tarp created more than offset the benefit of the shade. I believe condensers in the shade do perform better, keep in mind the louvered coils like most manufacturers use now are already in the shade.
Since the fan is moving heat away, not sure how much diff it will make regardless, but i think it being a trane ( or similar) with the housing that shields the coil is also less likely to be affected by direct sun than say a low end unit with just widely spaced spokes like my builder grade lennox
Great video. Thanks
Yes it works mine was blowing warmer when in sun ☀️ but in the shade was much cooler
Are you sure? Because air con manufacturers in user manuel never mention of installing condensing unit under shade or any mention on sun light
It is mentioned in my manual.
Have to agree with others in the comments section that the tarp was not only blocking incoming air, but may have also forced the re-circulation of discharge air from the condenser. I would be interested in seeing a second video that addresses these questions. Thanks for everything you contribute Grayfurnaceman!
I have done another one that addresses that issue. It will be published soon.
GFM
Unfortunately the position of the tarp was creating that hot air is sucked from the condenser hence higher discharge pressure, try to place the tarp in a way that its not blocking discharged air and slightly far away from the unit so it creating shade but allowing cold air to be sucked from the unit.
As always my pleasure to watch your videos and learning from your experience and knowledge, keep up with videos you are doing great job
Greetings from UK
thank you ; good job
Welcome
GFM
if you shade a larger area around it, there will be less radiant heat hitting it and lower temps of the surrounding materials giving off heat, which should make the air around it a little cooler.
tall trees or a wall shading it and a large area around it would be about it.
sounds like rocket science! oh wait, simple thoughts, also common sense to me ;)
You are talking about a 5 to 10 foot shading on each side.This is my guess from personal experience of working outside. Maybe building a porch over the a/c unit, but allowing plenty of air flow will be enough.
i put an umbrella by mine and it does make a differance . you were keeping tat hot air around it with that tarp . mine does blow cooler and doesent run as hot !
Great video thanks. I’m wondering should I get a compressor blanket to reduce noise? I didn’t know if you’ve done any videos on compressor blankets/covers.
A blanket will not damage anything and indeed may help with noise reduction.
GFM
Something that everyone is miss is the actual coils are already shaded by the louvres around the cover … there is no sun shining on the coils just the cover a tarp will do absolutely nothing… the first 10 seconds the air flowed through the louvers they will cool down … they are also painted a light reflective color to help with heat soak
Agreed.
GFM
What about an aluminum tarp? I rent an old mobile home and the 100° temps we are currently having are definitely making the unit run continually and it doesn't get truly cool inside until around 9 to 10 pm. I just saw a tarp online at Harbor Freight that's aluminum on one side and black on the other..... I'm very curious.
I could see how shade *might* increase the lifespan of the run capacitor by reducing heat in the enclosed area where they're usually mounted. I've seen some setups where the fan can pull air past it, but not many, and caps are often relocated.
I think your experiment was good enough to prove that it makes no difference.Maybe some more elaborate set up would have made some folks more comfortable with the results but I'm satisfied.It's all about Air!
make a space after a period
You should do a similar test using one of those water-spray devices. The engineering behind evaporative coolers is solid, and a lot of institutional and industrial cooling towers, starting even at small sizes, often use evaporative cooling to lower the compressor power required. Even window air conditioner units make use of the water dripping off the evaporator, by draining it toward the condenser outside, where a slinger on the condenser fan throws it onto the coils to get some evaporative cooling effect.
Try this one: ruclips.net/video/GEHE69OC9Xk/видео.html Commercial cooling towers do not spray water on condensers. The units use water cooled condensers that pump the water to a cooling tower that flows air over the water as it falls thru metal plates. the primary movement of heat is thru sensible temp change, not latent. Window A/Cs sometimes do move their condensate to be picked up by the condenser fan however, the primary reason for this is to eliminate condensate drainage. The amount is quite small and will make little difference is power usage.
GFM
The problem with misting systems is the water you are using if lucky you have low mineral content here in Florida we have a lot of calcium it builds up very quick on the condenser fins and soon blocks them and in most cases voids any warranty on the coil so not very much savings.
Yes to add to what a lot of people are saying here, with out a doubt you were recycling hot air from the condenser which will raise the head pressure. I've seen this myself with an AC condenser that was to far under a roof overhang that was what I call "hot boxing" itself, we moved the condenser out a couple of feet so that it could breath properly, it significantly lowered the head pressure back to normal range.
Lol hotbox
I can tell you from experience that an AC in the sun only uses 5-10% more electricity measured at the compressor, but the more important factor is runtime, which I've noticed an AC in the sun runs 20-30% longer and that's without being on the roof! If an AC is half of your electric bill and you live somewhere where the AC only runs during the day and its sunny everyday then it could be a 15% differece in your electric bill. A unit located on a hot roof and in the sun would be an even bigger difference! Try to locate your outdoor unit on the north side of your house where its naturally shady or get a 20 by 20 foot awning, but make sure its at least 5 feet taller than your AC unit, so that it can breathe properly. Keeping the rain off of your AC will also help it last much longer before the metal rusts over the years. Capacitors in the shade also last many years longer! I would image it would also impact the life of the fan motor as well.
I was very interested in your videos on mist systems and shading as my cooling bill for 4 apartments is over $1,000 per month. However, your skepticism appears to inhibit your ability to perform an unbiased test. I really lost confidence in you during your 2nd video on mist system when you conducted your test with a return temperature of 69F. Where are you? Montana? And why do you even have an AC? The position of the shade tarp only confirmed my suspicion on your bias affecting test results. Bad science is worse than no science. I am not considering misters for the simple reason of scaling and corrosion problems. I am sure these are the same reasons the residential unit manufacturers don't incorporate pre-cool systems on their units. It would be a warranty nightmare.
I was laughing my ass off at this "ac" man, dude did one test of each and called it a day 😂. Worst experiment ever. When you make tests, first you make sure there's a proper test setup. Putting a tarp in the middle of the day most likely won't do crap anyway since the ground and the unit is already hot as hell. You'll probably want to put it before the sun comes out. Second you make multiple tests to test for variance or disturbances. Doing one test of each is pretty much useless. 4 minutes I'm never getting back.
From my years of doing a lot of automotive HVAC work, I said straight away that it wouldn't matter much if at all. My reasoning is that the condenser of your vehicle is bolted to the radiator with a half inch between them. The radiator puts off 180+ degrees F of heat when the engine is at full operating temp. Even at idle when the airflow is low your A/C is still cold.
Put the condenser on the engine side of the radiator and see if there’s a difference…
Its a no brainer ...... shad is our friend when it comes to location of a ac unit compressor.....
I must assume you have not watched the video. Sometimes the no brainer is wrong.
GFM
your air on and air off is what matters
The tarp keeps the heat in and makes the unit short cycle
Had a call client put up tarp for shade off the roof edge and fence on two side by the side yard the compressor kept going out on high head, it was re recycling hot air removed the tarp condenser performed ok, i believe you cant shield the top of the condenser as the hot air wil bounce back n trap hot air Love your vids keep posting always Enjoy watching them Thanks !
Our AC person said " make your shade idea at least 4ft. above the unit. I had commented " that it seems the units are always in the blazing sun.
In the 1990s, it was popular in the Southwest to build houses with the AC on top of the house. They soon realized it wasn't efficient and moved them in the shade between the houses
Tell me.... I'M in Vegas!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The gradual decrease in pressure may be because as the inside of the house cools, the suction pressure goes down, resulting in a lower head pressure.
The tarp affected airflow to some degree? Use a large Solar window screen to shade the unit, so the airflow stays pretty much the same in and out of the shade?
I subbed great video
Measure total power consumption; that will tell you if it's more efficient. If the condenser is in the shade, and especially cooler air, then it has less heat to get rid of. Insolation is 1 kW per square metre, so shade takes that heat load from it.
refrigerants work by changing phases - when it evaporates it gets colder which is how you cool the air. for an ac to work optimally you keep the refrigerant as close to the critical point as possible because then it takes less energy to swap it back again. that balance has been pretty closely worked into the design of the unit. fucking with that is obviously brilliant.
If you use shade cloth and shade a wider area around the unit you'll get better results. You can take it a step further and use a misting system to cool the unit down.
Efficiency should be based on how many amps you are pulling. Your test proved that unit can compensate on a sunny day.
We had a customer/some kind of engineer, which I dread, who built an enclosure around his Infinity cond & blew his compressor, 1st one/warranty told him to remove it & he blew up on us that we didn’t know a/c from shinola, year later we arrive for same thing & BAM! warranty voided for still having enclosure, have to cull the heard
Engineer =asshole
I’ve given lectures to engineers. Real world and desk bound engineers don’t mix.
@@notacommie5415 perhaps it's more accurate to say good engineers and bad engineers don't mix.
So if it was a factory warranty, they only way they would've know anything about an enclosure would be if you told them?
The word “engineer” is way too much of a blanket term. I deal with hundreds of engineers at my work place... but they know their spot. Electrical engineer, electronic engineer, steam plant engineer, nuclear engineer and so on.
Nice test, I was sure that there would be at least a little difference, but I can't argue with the data. I would not try to shade an AC unit, but if I had a choice of where to install the outdoor unit and everything else was equal, I would still install it on the side of the house that is out of direct sunlight. A large shaded area might make a tiny difference to the efficiency of the unit since the overall air temp might be a tiny bit lower, and I also think that being out of direct sunlight would be a tiny bit better for the unit's longevity, mostly electrical parts, capacitor, and exterior paint finish.
Cant argue with that.
GFM
I think it depends on if you want good meticulous service or bad rushed service out of your techs.
There is such a thing as a microclimate. It's hotter in an area such as a parking lot with no shade. I don't think a small tarp would do much in a situation like that either.
19% Humidity...whoa!!...... Florida humidity is usually around 90-99% in the summer. Couldn't imagine humidity that low.
I used to live in the high desert of Ca. Humidity was in single digits. I could work in it all day I had enough water. Tried that in Florida, no way.
GFM
The coil is already shaded by the shroud. Even though the unit is in direct sunlight, the coils aren't. Even if you ran the unit with the shroud off most of the coils would never see the direct sun, they self shade. The money work lies in the difference in temperature between the coils and the ambient air temperature.
Any updates on a/c furnace filters? I'm trying to figure out if the Arm and Hammer Baking Soda filters we're using now are restricting air flow and making the a/c work harder... I'm learning from your videos and appreciate the information...Thank you.
I do need to continue that series. Thanks for reminding me.
GFM
Often homes return air filters are sized for the old standard fiberglass filters. The velocity of the air could be in the range of 400 to 500 feet per minute through the filter. With a HEPA filter it is in the 200 to 250 ft/min max allowed velocity. Thus a "better filter" often requires adding more surface area so the pressure drop is still the same. Here I use the 3M Filtete filters in several sizes. 18x30, 20x20, etc. I actually made a wood box out of 1x2 and 1x4 and doubled my surface area. ie two filters. Thus I have a cleaner work area and the airflow is not reduced. Sadly many homes are really marginal, or undersized for the stock fiberglass filters. Then a higher restrictive one is used and the airflow drops, less cooling too. The technical way is to measure the pressure drop across the air filter, it will be in the 1/10 to 3/10 inch range.
Seems to me the a/c companies would offer a shade option of some for their units if it made a difference.
Not too surprising in this test. The case temperature doesn't matter. The part that counts is the condenser - that's already shaded. And the parts that are not are probably silver. Not much solar heat gain there. However, if the question is what side the building should the unit be placed, that could make a difference. You'd be better off pulling in cooler air - be it from the surrounding shade or from the breeze. But to build a box to shade it - you could easily do more harm than good.
I rented a house that I suspected something like this but now I just think the unit was way undersized and the house was not well insulated.
TXV? could explain the slight drop in head. Not hunting but looking for the sweetspot.
Yes, TXV
GFM
Two problems with your experiment 1) the tarp in that proximity traps heat. Shading needs to be further away, 2) Your not only supposed to shade the unit but for the Area near the unit with trees, for example, allowing an Area of slightly cooler shaded air for your AC unit to suck air from. Also making the ground retain less heat from the sun. Effectiveness varies but it does help...
Watch the whole series.
GFM
Has something to do with getting more air flow through the vent. With a tarp over it stops the air glow. I've always been told dont crowd the system.
Try this link: ruclips.net/video/2YOl6lms1Q8/видео.html
GFM
Good airflow is more important than shade, but having a few trees to keep it cooler or on the east or north side of the house to keep it out of the afternoon sun (northern hemisphere) doesn't hurt either.
You mean east or west side (south too). North side wouldn't need shade. It WOULD be in the shade.
I haven't read of anyone suggesting this for a future test. How about shading the unit from a distance to allow full unrestrictive airflow out the top, then measure the outgoing air from the condenser fan. Do the same test in full sun after an hour or two of backing in the sun. A unit that's surrounded by more objects that collect solar heat would be preferable like gravel landscaping.
I'd also like to see the air handler output temp differences as well for each.
In my opionion, especially in my home state of Arizona, all utilities should be on the north facing side only!!!
Agreed. I'm an HVAC tech in Phoenix.
I may do an updated test. However, there is no point to measuring inlet and outlet temp if there is no difference in head pressure. Ditto on Delta T at the indoor coil. I can understand the north side. Mostly for service tech comfort. Those tools get hot in the sun.
GFM
Wouldn't a more conclusive test be to measure how much amperage is being drawn?
Have you check the amperage?
I’ve seen a/c condenser stop working on hot days. I had to cool it off with the garden hose. After 10mins of cooling it would start normally.
Yea, amps would of been nice to see too. but, logic says the head pressure was going down so amps would also go down. they are directly Proportional.
probably not shaded from day break to testing and too small an area shaded overall and opposite for testing no shade. not sure that tarp blocks many UV rays either.
EDIT: how did this comment get under his post? I know I didn't put it there originally, youtube must play up some times when not refreshed before posting :|
There is something wrong with the system if it stops working on hot days.
oh yes! 26 years old and never been service.
not many systems are sized for the "far outlier" temperate days. why some will ask? because they're inefficient as can be when short cycling and never pull the humidity out, same for heating up north. the systems have all been sized for running 90-95% ON time, for the hottest "average" climate in the locale. now take super hot days or super cold days and you end up with heat or a/c that cannot keep up. if the system is working properly to it's ratings, the best solution is insulate and seal the home! which is always a good idea as step one before installing new equipment anyway ;)
This reminds me...I always wondered what if you paint the panels around the unit white to deflect some of the sun rays to protect the inside parts like the capacitor and such...would it save some energy costs?
Pretty small change.
GFM
Well I own a black car and a white one, and I can affirm the more energy you can deflect the better. Surprised all AC units aren't painted white (or better yet relective/mirrored finish) by default for this reason. Prob cheaper to paint em grey.
I was wondering I haven't heard from you from awhile and guess what the bell wasn't pressed
interesting --- Not what i expected at all. But maybe u were not letting all the discharge air out and it was recirculating a bit.
All you really do is create air recirculated. Which makes it harder for unit to run. That air needs to be able to get as far away from unit. That being said I’m in Az and the sun definitely dose damage to the case of the unit. Paint and data tags ext.
Maybe try it with a radiant barrier next time? The sun heating the coils directly will create a higher temperature on the coils than ambient air temp. I doubt it will make a significant difference on AC efficiency. Regardless, the fact that radiant barriers rapidly loose efficiency as they become dirty ruins the usefulness of it.
There will be a video coming out in a few weeks that will go farther on this.
GFM
My window unit comes out to an enclosed porch. When the afternoon to evening sun heats up that porch, my temperatures inside also rise. And yes, it's because of the sun. The temperature on the porch skyrockets to something that almost burns your skin.
The temp rise is because of the increased solar gain. Not the sun on the condenser.
GFM
grayfurnaceman The sun doesnt shine on the unit whatsoever. The porch is enclosed in t1-11. Air doesn't circulate in and out of the porch much. Air in the porch heats up and thus the unit cannot shed the indoor heat through the condensor.
I work better without the sun bearing down on me, so I figure my condensing unit operates the same way, right? It's fascinating how that mechanical device responds to the way I'm feeling at any particular moment. :-)
Maybe thats why they say dont install under a deck your just returning the heat back to the unit so what's the outcome
Furnaceman!!! The diy killer!
What about if you built a semi fenced system far away enough and high enough to not bother air flow and keep shaded all day. I know it would be minimal but would it increase the life span of the unit over say 5- 10-20 years.
Go for it if you want to, but you will spend more on the fence than you could ever save, on operating costs and longevity.
GFM
Tho the cost of the fence would fe a factor, I wasn't really thinking about saving money operating the unit more or less keeping in shade but also away from water and snow during winter, I know they are fine to get wet but my question would be would the unit need less maintenance if I live in a wet snowy climate in Chicago if my unit never touches water or sun or dirt vs the guy next door who has the same unit over the say 10 years? In would assume yes but it would me minimum if anything at all.
It hasn’t got anything to do with shade or sun what it has to do with is the air temperature of that is being pulled through and the air temperature of it going out showing whether it is working better. 0 to10° difference makes no difference in the operation of the unit.
how come you didn't take the amp draw
It's the sun hitting that big yard and house raising the temperature of the surrounding air 10 degrees that's getting sucked into the condenser. Shading the condenser won't do anything. If you're sitting on an asphalt parking lot against a wall with the sun beating down everywhere around you but you have an umbrella, the only thing that's going to do is prevent sunburn as you cook from all the heat rising up around you. Go to the other side the building and it's ten degrees cooler air temp.
Did you watch the temp readings?
GFM
Shade is not putting a cover over the unit. As for weather reports, aren't thermometers always placed in the shade to get a proper reading of the air temperature? As others point out below, a compressor / condenser unit generates a lot of heat. While your tarp does provide shade, it also appears to have the potential of trapping heat. I've been an advocate of placing compressor / condensers on the shady side of the house if at all possible. Others claim it makes no difference.
The AC creates its own heat on the outside weather its sunny over cloudy.
Tarp is trapping heat. If the shade under a sensible cover lowers the temp around the condenser it will cause a lower head plus you let the unit run for awhile cooling the house. Low temp means lower pressure. Temperature and pressures rise and fall together
There will be a video addressing this issue in about 2 weeks.
GFM
That is very interesting !!!!! Great Video !!!!!
Try spraying water on the unit !!
I would agree that direct sun has no impact because the unit is depending on air temperature differences to transfer heat. Some might argue that a stand of oaks around the house and in their neighborhood will reduce ambients a few degrees due to transpiration and they would be right. But transpiration caused lower temps are easy to measure.
I would agree that trees can make a considerable difference in cooling load. Transpiration is part of it but I think the majority is the shading they may give to the structure. Especially the roof. I often found a large Maple tree close to the house on the south or west side would make a difference.
GFM
You are recirculating the air coming out the top back down through the intake
BUT does the air conditioner have to work harder to maintain?
My unit was so hot to the touch that I could not leave my hand on it. (and this was when it was not runnning) with the Desert sunlight on it. 100 to 115 days we get in the summer.
I made a wall, about 15 feet away from the unit, on just one side to block the unit from direct sunlight. I used Phifer Black SunTex 90 it's a type of screen that blocks 90% of the Sun and allows air to pass through it.
now my unit was cool to the touch
so wouldn't the unit now be more efficient since my radiators are not as hot so now it can transfer the heat faster with less work.
P.S. I just did this in July 2020 So i have not had a bill yet to see if it is less or the same in this heat.
I used to live in the high desert of California, where, if I was working on a car, I had to be sure any tools I used had to be placed in the shade or I would get burned.
That said, you have to understand, the sheet metal exposed to the sun is a maximum of 4 sq ft. If that sheet metal was 200F, the amount of BTUs it would contain would be 150. And that is a very generous number. Your A/C is probably 36,000 to 60,000 BTU. That would be about .05% reduction.
Checking your bill will not be an accurate measurement as the load changes with each month and your use changes with each month.
If you want to make a difference, use that shading material to reduce solar gain thru your exposed windows.
GFM
Just curious on an update on what happened to your ac bill. I live in the phoenix area and was wondering if your bill decreased and by how much?
@@nickhaddad9778 I did not leave it on. Even if I did a long term test, it would be worthless because electric bills are not an accurate measure of usage. No 2 months are comparable.
GFM
I used to install aircon split system. Always makes a difference.
What is an Aircon system?
@@grayfurnaceman split system! Indoor head unit with outdoor unit.
@@dragan3290 What is an indoor head unit?
GFM
@@grayfurnaceman what????? Really? Playing games!
@@dragan3290 Nope. Have no idea what it is.
GFM
Actually, the unit will run more efficiently when the coils are kept cool. The sun's heat on the high side of the refrigerant is helpful. Shading the unit from the sun will keep the outdoor unit cooler which will help with the lifespan of the unit.....keeping the cooling coils cooler will help the unit blow colder air.
There is virtually no difference between a shaded outdoor unit and one in full sun.
Obviously you have not watched the 2 videos in this series.
Thinking its true does not make it so.
GFM
The Delta-T between the Condenser coils and the outside ambient air is directly related to efficiency. Don't argue with me about facts because I have not said anything that is arguable.@@grayfurnaceman
It does with a window unit.
I have a question. Is the unit can be damage being under a canopy shade?
Equipment manufacturers generally do not like canopies. Some say if it is 8' above it is ok but I would not use one.
GFM
grayfurnaceman thank you for your answer. Big help ☺️
You install aircons! Split system is same just smaller. Only for one room
I thought if load in house goes down condenser gets cooler ?
Thanks for subbing, really enjoyed the chat. Supporting you back friend.
Interesting, but still I feel better that my evap is on the north side / shaded side of the house. Air that it sucks in FEELS cooler there.
If the cover is making the heat get recycled it will cause the varient , but it so little that the work needed to do this isnt worth it , the mist system at least shows a noticable change , issue is water purity then
A CU being baked in the sun all day wouldn’t really make a difference if it’s not, it’s ambient air temp, dirty coil and fan speed that will cause high head pressures
So whether or not you put the air conditioning unit on the south side of the north side of the house makes no difference?
Generally, no.
GFM
Some people are dumb. I been doing ac for years. Shade always helps ..common sense of it can dissipate more heat of course it will work better. Also when a fan fails on a coil on the rooftop units we set a spray of water from a garden hose on it until we get another fan. Usually 48 hours max. But it will still work as long as you cool the coil...( cooling the coil) .
I guess you did not watch the video. There was no change in head pressure with or without the shade. There is so little solar gain on the unit as to be negligible. It makes no difference.
GFM
Use a clear piece of plastic in place of the tarp to see if there is a difference with air flow restricted like it was with the blue tarp. You opened up the area to reduce recirculating the hot air when you removed the tarp. That is why it lowered the pressure.
There will be a video that may help in a few weeks.
GFM
grayfurnaceman ...did no ever think that you were trapping heat around the unit instead of having what gives it shade so close.. I have been coming across some of ur videos and every single one has elements that u don't think about that make ur tests invalid... It's either u are a complete dumbasses and the condenser should file a restraining order against u because of domestic abuse...or you are intentionally deceiving people... It's one or the other
How well do those pre cooler misters work?
Our AC guy told us the "shade idea needs to be at least 4ft above the unit."
Don't bother shading. It makes no difference. The 4' distance is sometimes used and some use 8'. Either way, no difference.
GFM
@@grayfurnaceman OK, I will plant a tree instead. Please tell me why the units are in the hottest area. Even 55 years ago I wondered that???
@@kathyjordan3922 Outdoor units are placed for various reasons. Lineset length or available power wiring are some. In the end, the location makes little difference to its efficiency. As long as there is good airflow, it will work well.
GFM
the way you have it the head is gona go UP when the air is recirculated as it hits the top of the roof line and fed back through the wall and cover you have====== that is why the head went down when you removed the cover