I've been a tech for the better part of 2 decades. Last year I changed out an Armstrong at one of my best friends home. I have serviced this unit since I started. I in all that time never replaced the capacitor, compressor or the contact set. Fireants would occasionally get into the condenser motor and contact set, but some nitrogen would fix that. The aluminum on the coil stayed free of corrosion, shiny even. I've lauded its quality and reliability for all the years I've been taking care of it. American products, I was 3 years old when it was installed in 1980. With any modern equipment available, it's reliability and lifespan won't be replicated
My last a/c was installed in 1983 and the guy said , " these old units are no good ". I asked him how long will a new one last ? He said about 10-12 yrs. I said and that old one lasted almost 30 years. No good huh ?
The compressor was new. It was D1993 Which was April 19th, 1993 is when it was made, but still good none the less. That was back when units didn't have "designed obsolescence" built into the design to just get them through the warranty period and then crap out, they were built to last. 😎
Looks like the compressor was replaced in 1993 which is probably when that dryer was replaced. Still amazing that thing is still going strong and also nice to see that you fixed it enough and didn't just go straight to condemning it. Great video.
Our 1990 Janitrol A/C was still running last year when we replaced it. The coil had rotted through in one of the bottom corners, though. No leak, just the heat exchanging fins. They were starting to get crumbly down there, possibly from dog piss of the past. Our dog never pisses on the A/C. We have a Ducane/Armstrong/AirEase 90%+ dual stage furnace with ECM blower and 13 seer single stage A/C now. Our furnace was an original 1973 Climatrol furnace. Only had a couple of blower motors and a gas valve replaced in all those years. 140,000 BTU. The new furnace is 90,000 BTU and hardly ever runs in second stage. Amazing.
Since it was low it’s always good to check for ice formation on the evaporator before charging and take an amp draw while doing it as well as checking your sub cooling. And if you suspect that the coil is thick then it may be two coils deep so splitting the coils to inspect the space in between is always worth your time. I also like to check all of the vents and dampers in the house to make sure they are all opened for the correct air flow across the evap. So many people close them to cut off unused rooms to save money not knowing it can crack your heat exchanger or cause low enough suction pressure to draw oil out of your compressor. I like to inspect the contractor for burned contact surfaces as well as checking the capacitor for the correct Mfd. I know the unit looks like it’s at deaths door but i’ve seen older units live on past 30, they may not be as energy efficient as the 410a units but that’s a little less out of pocket than a new $7,000.00 unit and they’ll thank you for your honesty and getting them through another season.
You are a dishonest hack! You could've easily removed cover and cleaned the coil while you were standing around!! You Never checked the inside coil or temp, and you nver checked the vapor line temp!!! Do you even know how to charge an AC!??
@@jfmc2581 He touched the vapor line and he mentioned it "felt too cold". Low suction pressure with a low suction line temperature with proper superheat would be an airflow problem. If the line was already cold with a high superheat(undercharged), he's probably brought that superheat on the bleeding edge of zero. Hack job, even DIY folks do better than this on RUclips. I hope he isn't the one to put the new unit in, I don't want to see his "budget job" excuse for the hackjob. This guy has every excuse to cut corners. Hooking a temp probe to a suction line to properly charge a unit doesn't take long. ..or at least not slugging the compressor. If the customer is going to replace it anyway, why even bother dumping R22 into it, I doubt the customer will replace it, the customer shelled out for a 2 ton compressor in 1993 for it, it got a new cap and drier, I don't see him replacing it.
This video gave me the motivation to save a 30 year old air conditioner today. I just wanted you to know that lol I almost got lazy but thought of this. It was a unit on a roof, that's why I didn't want to spray it out. Took longer to get the hose up there and put it away than it did to clean the unit. BUT.... I feel better about myself than I would. Thank you 👍
I was working on a 40 plus yr old general electric unit last week. Looked well kept, all original parts except for the capacitors. Definitely built to last prob will last another 5 plus years
Had a window unit every summer done leaked out. Guy servicing it said valve was bad, but part had stopped being made long before that point. Was probably 30+ years old I don't recall name of it. 5 years of landlord getting someone to charge it, it landed in my lap as house went up for demo. I hawked it to someone helped them hook it up, it was so low on charge it froze up in one hour. I shook my head said I can't sell u this, we chucked it into a scrap pile cause I was done with it. Anyway I'm surprised this fired at all.
Reminds me of the ducted A/C our house had here in Sydney, Australia. Fitted when the house was new in 1976. "Pope" brand unit which was a division of Simpson Pope, they also made other products under both the Simpson and Pope brand names. Mainly white goods, in fact we have a 35 year old Simpson clothes dryer here. Only thing I had to replace on it was a motor and that was in the last 10 years. Probably about 8 or 9 years ago maybe. Got one out of a model that was only about 8 years old at the time. Design hadn't changed in years. Anyway, the A/C was a 3.5hp unit, 415V 3 phase, roof outlets in each bedroom and the lounge, dining and kitchen for a total of 6. The zone damper (separating bedrooms and living areas) was operated by a winder handle and mechanical cable in the hall cupboard. On the opposite wall in the hallway were the controls. A simple thermostat and a rotary switch to select OFF, FAN, COOL, AUTO COOL and AUTO HEAT. (Auto meaning the indoor blower would switch on and off with the thermostat, where as the COOL mode would just have the fan running whether the thermostat was calling or not.
Those units had a very strange outdoor fan motor. Service factor was 1.85 if I recall. The blade was allowed to bring the rpm down to around 800 and used the service factor of the motor to do it. Many techs would install ever increasing hp motors to get it to run, blasting air across the yard. Only Armstrong had the motor. Also marketed as Johnson Aire Ease. Weird. One more thing. That big square hole where the capacitor lives actually had a giant square oil filled capacitor in the hole. Those things were known to catch fire and summon the fire department.
I rather like this channel and how you show many things and repairs you make I ran my own havc/commercial business from 1974 to 2016 when I started we were called mechanics somewhere down the line probably when more elactronics and complex systems came along were became technicians lol At the beginning I carried just three refrigerants on the truck R-12, R-22 and R-502 when I retired I had at least 6 or 7 different ones laws were rapidly changing and systems as well
I have changed out many an old unit like that one back in the 90"s. In 93 in changed out a Westinghouse heat pump from 1964 that was still running with no leaks. I don't envy the contractor that will have to go into the crawl space of that house for the change out.
Reminds me of my old home system. Worked fine from 1970 to 1996 when it blew a condenser. Replaced the condensing unit with a ICP unit with a rotary compressor and that unit paid for itself the first summer in savings!
good old armstrong.. I worked on a few of these over the years.. they were old when I got into the business in the 90s but were popular being from columbus here
Back in 97 the guy I had work ing for me wanted to put an air-conditioned from a change out in his house I said replace evaporator and it will last a year or two and then you can upgrade then. It's still going. It was a Lenox dated 1968. Never in my last few did I expect it to be going yet
far better metallurgy then, now it's all unknown contaminated recycled trash and thinned tubing to gain efficiency. SEER = how quick do you want to replace it again or how often serviced (lol) more or less.
That's precisely right! How come galvanic corrosion didn't affect them! Plus the motors were American made, I always wax poetic to the younger guys when upgrading these older units.
This 47 or so year old unit is a testimony to USA quality, something lost long, long ago when all these units are, for the most part, made in some other country. 47 years! And was that the original capacitor? A 47 year old capacitor still working? Absolutely unbelievable. America lost part of its heart and soul when she decided to offshore all of this equipment.
@@billybassman21 No friggin way that compressor is original. Besides the fact that they wouldn't use a single digit year code, barcodes weren't even remotely ubiquitous enough to have on a compressor in 1973. The first item sold in a grocery store with a barcode(a pack of gum) wasn't even until 1974. It's much more likely that D1993 is April 1993
Knew an old man that had an International brand deep freezer. He said it was made back in the 50's. Can't say, but it looked like it could have been. This new throw away stuff off today can't hold a candle to the old stuff
here in the Midwest we had a ton of old Westinghouse condensers that would go 30 years and Luxaire condensers as well. Beer can cold that was the way they were charged, 1/4" liquid lines and 5/8" suction lines , Still see some good ol green Rheem outdoor units still going after all these years.
My Next door neighbours are today ,closing up their HVAC business after 40 years. Still plenty of business but couldn't find a buyer for the good will etc. There are several big scap metal skips outside right now full of really big R22 bottles(empty) probably around 50 liters. We haven't been allowed R22 since the early 90's. One of the things uncovered when they started cleaning out last week was the owners 1958 Mercedes which has been parked inside for over 40 years.😁
thats what I was wondering was that ot seems the indoor airflow is low.. alot of these old units were built that way from the get-go. lower airflow and Ice cold air.. used to be common on stuff installed in the 60s and 70s.. esp in humid areas they wanted good humidity control.. not to mention if the house filter boot is in the indoor return and not at the air handler(judging from that crawl space door). it couldve been sucking dirt through the returns for years and clogged that indoor coil up..
This guy doesn't know beacuse he never checked!!! Never checked the vapor line temp either!! What a total hack!! And dishonest, all that time standing around he could have removed the cover and cleaned the coils right.
@@jfmc2581 Why in the world would I want to micro-manage a charge that is going to change constantly ? .... I mean, you do realize that system is leaking refrigerant correct ?? The obvious thing with further issues would be, no matter how well they kept the filters clean.... after this many years plenty has gotten by them to create buildup on the evap. coil...... 45 year old leaking unit, and people want to nit pick the correct charge ? Let it sink in...... a leaking system, means the charge is changing constantly.
Yeah, but today's units are so much more efficient. And this system does have a leak and r22 refrigerant is no longer manufactured now. This unit ain't worth fixing more than adding some r22 (and refrigerant prices will go up once r22 inventory starts to get low)
Jason WB true and yet not entirely there you can get r22 (5 pounds is about 140usd) easily still . Believe it or not, so no I would not replace this unit . It’s a 4 ton unit, doing the job for decades JUST FINE. Fixing is way cheaper than replacing, todays ac units ain’t cheap. They are cheaper build tho
High efficiency = more service ! Especially with 95+ furnaces. I'm commercial refrig mechanic and I've got 21 grocery stores. I've got a couple stores that still running 10hp Tyler low temps from 1982. Original Copeland semi hermetic. Red labels. Evaps downstairs were replaced 12yrs ago in one location. 4 tonka walk ins all wooden lined covered in galvanized metal. Humm along nicely.used for Ice cream and gelato . Door overlays this year ,!
i just replaced a 30 year old trane. never had an issue but did blow a fuse every now and then. compressor seized up. the new carrier looks like terminator without his skin, and a matching blue pad
I would pull back in the day the whole top off and cover the motor with plastic because it was open like an evap motor and chemically clean that coil usually did the trick also the design of those units ran a hi head pressure
The chart at 3 minutes 13 seconds, says it should be 262 head pressure @ 85 degrees. The chart says 4 ton, while the compressor is a 2 ton. Hmm. Really good condition for nearly 50 years old . New trane won't last that long.
They do not make anything like they used to. Everybody should know that and regret chucking their old unit because it used a BIT more electric. Great shot on the vintage machine Ted!
most of the time they dont even use a bit more, one of my houses has an old packaged unit, i dont know the year but it is pretty old (80s maybe) anyway, the lady who lived there was going to have it replaced because she was not getting any cold air, it turns out the air ducts had fallen apart and all the air was going into the crawl space instead of the house, i use window units in my house even though i have central air because my central air system in this house is too new to be used.
@@WalterKnox sounds like you don't really understand how to calculate efficiency. You can buy new models that will use less than 50% of the electricity consumption of that old beast. Just compare the amp draw on the name plate or the cop / eer.
l have a Tecumseh 6hp air conditioning compressor since 1997 in my out door unit . and l have only had to replace the Magnetic contactor and the overload and it is still running. They definitely last a long time . All They need is regular cleaning of the filters and a check for any leaks of the gas refrigirant .
Man I ain't seen one of those in a long time. I was rather find of the square GE units which became Trane. Those things were rock solid and the XL series
That thing was put in the year after I was born. It's got the good old manual defrost clock, kicker in to defrost with a flathead screwdriver 💪 #starvingforBluon 😂👌
Im glad you share the opinion of changing it out. Some people get hung up on the "well, it still runs". Ya, it may still have a little life left it in but it's time to put her to pasture. If you do win the bid to change it out, give your techs my blessing when entering that crawl space!
If I’m not mistaken, wouldn’t having the cover off to the compressor make the air bypass the coils. Since air moves toward the place with least resistance? And then in turn give you high head pressures?
I like the way RUclips makes me watch commercials that I don't even understand.How brilliant RUclips might as well send that one to the CEO he'll like to hear this one.
Just a question I've only been doing this a couple years but I wouldnt add charge before cleaning a coil??? I get that you can kind of see whats going on prior to cleaning... but its never going to be good if coil is clogged....
I’d fill it, new contractor, new capacitor, strip and clean the coil just on principal…. The thing has been kicking since “73”, I’d have to give the girl a few more years of glory just because….. 😆
@@midsouthexpress I lived in an apartment building that had 3 of those type of chiller units, made by Servel if I remember right. They are called "absorbers" I believe. They were probably from the very early 1970s. They chilled water which circulated through the building. Hot water for winter; cold for summer A/C. They worked great until the building changed hands and the numb nuts maintenance people let water freeze in them over the winter and destroy them. They were then replaced with 3 York electric units which were much smaller and didn't cool the building nearly as well, and they had nothing but trouble with them.
Richard K Hester I remember working on and removing the gas A/C units. They would pump chilled water to the indoor coil. The outdoor unit refrigerant was ammonia. There is still one of them near my home. They were Arkla brand in twin cities area of MN.
Man working the way you do would be so awesome. i cant just throw refrigerant at an old system that is low. If its chlorine refrigerant that needs more than 2 lbs I like to find where it has leaked. You did just get them by though and it seems fun to do it that way, but outta principle i cant work like that. how much r22 did you put in? also didnt the compressor say 1993, thats a replacement right? the contactor and capacitors looks newer*** than 1873 too.
I'd assume capacitor changed with compressor, original was likely a Bristol and surely not the same cap value between them. contactor who knows? looked like there black burn/skid-mark to the left of it.
even though this old unit is still running, it may not efficient design compared to the latest design of the units now. the money spent servicing this old unit could be enough to buy a new hvac unit.
Great video Ted and I appreciate the time and effort you put into these for us. I just finished working on a Armstrong that was even older than that one! Those things are tanks! Quick question Ted....at first you said the line was “beer can cold”, suction was low head was elevated. Just TROT’ing it, ambient plus 30/35, head wasn’t that far off. Even after adding refrigerant, head pressure was within range and the suction was low....was the superheat correct? My gut feeling tells me there was possibly some airflow issues as well. Your thoughts....
Why in the world would I want to micro-manage a charge that is going to change constantly ? .... I mean, you do realize that system is leaking refrigerant correct ?? The obvious thing with further issues would be, no matter how well they kept the filters clean.... after this many years plenty has gotten by them to create buildup on the evap. coil...... 45 year old leaking unit, and people want to nit pick the correct charge ? Let it sink in...... a leaking system, means the charge is changing constantly.
Mr. Hall, I guess we caught ol’ Ted on a bad day. Sounds like he needs to quit worrying about all this HVAC stuff and change his tampon! You just asked a question and he just can’t resist to snap back all snarky and PMS-like.
Sharky55 he should just let the man work. I understand homeowners wanting to see what a tech does. But when you leave your car at the mechanic you don’t stay and babysit. You trust the man, and leave your car to get worked on. It should be the same with Hvac but too bad you can’t just drop off your split unit at a shop
My parents do too. IIRC it's a 1987 Carrier 38ES036. I always liked how quiet the compressor is in it. You could hear the neighbors' cheap sounding buzzy air conditioners, but all you really hear of this one is the fan. I absolutely hate that reciprocating buzz sound with so many units. If my house had come with that, I would replace it even if it was brand new.
I like your style but do you know what superheat and subcooling are? I check for line temp, air temp and refrigerant pressures too, but I always check SH & SC before charging.
LOL !! are you sure you are looking at the same unit you commented on ? 40 year old leaker and you are going to "nit pick" the charge ? Not worth my time, nor the customers money.
What I think is important to mention here is the energy saving of replacing this beast. He would be money ahead in just a few years. I'm all for repairing, but this one it's way overdue.
Ted two things The mold units can handle the head pressure back in the day when Ambien +30 was a big factor also compressor tag says 1993 so the guy is giving you a curve ball and telling a lie also just wanted to say I picked up the ratcheting stubby screwdriver that I saw you using on one of your recent videos thanks for the tip
Great Video! Were Armstrong units Lennox built units back then? It did look like the Lennox condensers from that time. Were you able to change out the filters?
We made them good here in Columbus. My first job out of High School was at Armstrong Furnace in 1955.
Very cool!
My 1966 finially died
I've been a tech for the better part of 2 decades. Last year I changed out an Armstrong at one of my best friends home. I have serviced this unit since I started. I in all that time never replaced the capacitor, compressor or the contact set. Fireants would occasionally get into the condenser motor and contact set, but some nitrogen would fix that. The aluminum on the coil stayed free of corrosion, shiny even. I've lauded its quality and reliability for all the years I've been taking care of it. American products, I was 3 years old when it was installed in 1980. With any modern equipment available, it's reliability and lifespan won't be replicated
This ac should go in a museum instead of the scrap yard.
I agree with you
Frrrr
Yes indeed. I feel that way about all old units.
I was 11 when that unit was built, I am watching this at 59 years old! Salute Ted!
My last a/c was installed in 1983 and the guy said , " these old units are no good ". I asked him how long will a new one last ? He said about 10-12 yrs.
I said and that old one lasted almost 30 years. No good huh ?
Good worksmenship. The fact that its still running is amazing. Surely got her money's worth.
The compressor was new. It was D1993 Which was April 19th, 1993 is when it was made, but still good none the less. That was back when units didn't have "designed obsolescence" built into the design to just get them through the warranty period and then crap out, they were built to last. 😎
Looks like the compressor was replaced in 1993 which is probably when that dryer was replaced. Still amazing that thing is still going strong and also nice to see that you fixed it enough and didn't just go straight to condemning it. Great video.
original was likely a bristol and got killed by no gas/acid oil
Our 1990 Janitrol A/C was still running last year when we replaced it. The coil had rotted through in one of the bottom corners, though. No leak, just the heat exchanging fins. They were starting to get crumbly down there, possibly from dog piss of the past. Our dog never pisses on the A/C.
We have a Ducane/Armstrong/AirEase 90%+ dual stage furnace with ECM blower and 13 seer single stage A/C now.
Our furnace was an original 1973 Climatrol furnace. Only had a couple of blower motors and a gas valve replaced in all those years. 140,000 BTU. The new furnace is 90,000 BTU and hardly ever runs in second stage. Amazing.
Nope, 199th day and 73. You would not know it was 73 by the date code alone, you would know that by the model of the unit.
@@billybassman21 That date code on a Tecumseh is April 19, 1993.
I still have a unit running that was built in 1961 , purrs like a kitten
Since it was low it’s always good to check for ice formation on the evaporator before charging and take an amp draw while doing it as well as checking your sub cooling. And if you suspect that the coil is thick then it may be two coils deep so splitting the coils to inspect the space in between is always worth your time. I also like to check all of the vents and dampers in the house to make sure they are all opened for the correct air flow across the evap. So many people close them to cut off unused rooms to save money not knowing it can crack your heat exchanger or cause low enough suction pressure to draw oil out of your compressor. I like to inspect the contractor for burned contact surfaces as well as checking the capacitor for the correct Mfd. I know the unit looks like it’s at deaths door but i’ve seen older units live on past 30, they may not be as energy efficient as the 410a units but that’s a little less out of pocket than a new $7,000.00 unit and they’ll thank you for your honesty and getting them through another season.
I won't waste all that time on a leaking 47 year old unit. Makes no sense to me. Going to replace it soon.
You are a dishonest hack! You could've easily removed cover and cleaned the coil while you were standing around!!
You Never checked the inside coil or temp, and you nver checked the vapor line temp!!!
Do you even know how to charge an AC!??
@@jfmc2581 He touched the vapor line and he mentioned it "felt too cold". Low suction pressure with a low suction line temperature with proper superheat would be an airflow problem. If the line was already cold with a high superheat(undercharged), he's probably brought that superheat on the bleeding edge of zero. Hack job, even DIY folks do better than this on RUclips. I hope he isn't the one to put the new unit in, I don't want to see his "budget job" excuse for the hackjob. This guy has every excuse to cut corners. Hooking a temp probe to a suction line to properly charge a unit doesn't take long. ..or at least not slugging the compressor. If the customer is going to replace it anyway, why even bother dumping R22 into it, I doubt the customer will replace it, the customer shelled out for a 2 ton compressor in 1993 for it, it got a new cap and drier, I don't see him replacing it.
I love seeing some of these old packages... Stuff from back when I was a young man!
My grandparents back in the late 70's had this exact same unit in their Spartanburg house. Seeing this unit brings back some good childhood memories!
Down the road from Greenville.
This video gave me the motivation to save a 30 year old air conditioner today. I just wanted you to know that lol I almost got lazy but thought of this. It was a unit on a roof, that's why I didn't want to spray it out. Took longer to get the hose up there and put it away than it did to clean the unit. BUT.... I feel better about myself than I would. Thank you 👍
I think the old girl can handle the head pressure. I just wish my wife could🥱
Cool
That's funny
Really enjoy watching your videos.
I love to see these old units still running.
I was working on a 40 plus yr old general electric unit last week. Looked well kept, all original parts except for the capacitors. Definitely built to last prob will last another 5 plus years
Yeah thats definitely before my time? Nowadays, you'll be lucky to have one made to last 15 years
lol “it hasn’t had any Freon in it in a while” always the go to from a customer.
Just used all its freon 😂
Had a window unit every summer done leaked out. Guy servicing it said valve was bad, but part had stopped being made long before that point. Was probably 30+ years old I don't recall name of it. 5 years of landlord getting someone to charge it, it landed in my lap as house went up for demo. I hawked it to someone helped them hook it up, it was so low on charge it froze up in one hour. I shook my head said I can't sell u this, we chucked it into a scrap pile cause I was done with it.
Anyway I'm surprised this fired at all.
Reminds me of the ducted A/C our house had here in Sydney, Australia. Fitted when the house was new in 1976.
"Pope" brand unit which was a division of Simpson Pope, they also made other products under both the Simpson and Pope brand names.
Mainly white goods, in fact we have a 35 year old Simpson clothes dryer here.
Only thing I had to replace on it was a motor and that was in the last 10 years. Probably about 8 or 9 years ago maybe. Got one out of a model that was only about 8 years old at the time. Design hadn't changed in years.
Anyway, the A/C was a 3.5hp unit, 415V 3 phase, roof outlets in each bedroom and the lounge, dining and kitchen for a total of 6.
The zone damper (separating bedrooms and living areas) was operated by a winder handle and mechanical cable in the hall cupboard.
On the opposite wall in the hallway were the controls. A simple thermostat and a rotary switch to select OFF, FAN, COOL, AUTO COOL and AUTO HEAT. (Auto meaning the indoor blower would switch on and off with the thermostat, where as the COOL mode would just have the fan running whether the thermostat was calling or not.
Those units had a very strange outdoor fan motor. Service factor was 1.85 if I recall. The blade was allowed to bring the rpm down to around 800 and used the service factor of the motor to do it. Many techs would install ever increasing hp motors to get it to run, blasting air across the yard. Only Armstrong had the motor. Also marketed as Johnson Aire Ease. Weird. One more thing. That big square hole where the capacitor lives actually had a giant square oil filled capacitor in the hole. Those things were known to catch fire and summon the fire department.
That cap would have been full of PCBs no doubt
I rather like this channel and how you show many things and repairs you make
I ran my own havc/commercial business from 1974 to 2016 when I started we were called mechanics somewhere down the line probably when more elactronics and complex systems came along were became technicians lol
At the beginning I carried just three refrigerants on the truck R-12, R-22 and R-502 when I retired I had at least 6 or 7 different ones laws were rapidly changing and systems as well
I have changed out many an old unit like that one back in the 90"s. In 93 in changed out a Westinghouse heat pump from 1964 that was still running with no leaks. I don't envy the contractor that will have to go into the crawl space of that house for the change out.
Reminds me of my old home system. Worked fine from 1970 to 1996 when it blew a condenser. Replaced the condensing unit with a ICP unit with a rotary compressor and that unit paid for itself the first summer in savings!
The place I used to work at has a 1972 ptac unit that somehow still kicks it. Gotta love spine fin!
I wouldn't want to get that electric bill, but amazing that it's still running.
good old armstrong.. I worked on a few of these over the years.. they were old when I got into the business in the 90s but were popular being from columbus here
Back in 97 the guy I had work ing for me wanted to put an air-conditioned from a change out in his house I said replace evaporator and it will last a year or two and then you can upgrade then. It's still going. It was a Lenox dated 1968. Never in my last few did I expect it to be going yet
far better metallurgy then, now it's all unknown contaminated recycled trash and thinned tubing to gain efficiency. SEER = how quick do you want to replace it again or how often serviced (lol) more or less.
That's precisely right! How come galvanic corrosion didn't affect them! Plus the motors were American made, I always wax poetic to the younger guys when upgrading these older units.
Wow! Where I live we are lucky to get 10 to 12 years out of an AC system. ( by ocean in Florida).
This 47 or so year old unit is a testimony to USA quality, something lost long, long ago when all these units are, for the most part, made in some other country. 47 years! And was that the original capacitor? A 47 year old capacitor still working? Absolutely unbelievable. America lost part of its heart and soul when she decided to offshore all of this equipment.
That was not original, neither was the compressor.
But you save a couple of bucks!
@@kingpins9 Its the general public, wanting everything cheaper as well.
Nice to see you always try to fix stuff rather than just replace.
Looks just like mine. Still works great!
That Armstrong is from my neck of the woods. When I did residential I replaced quite a few of those beasts.
Holy crap that thing is a sold 10+ years older then i am!
My 1979 Carrier lasted until 2018.
My friends carrier is a 85 and it’s still kicking 🤘🏻just replaced one of the caps still OG parts and compressor and ODF motor.
Without any problems?
Recently I had to condemn a 1976 3 1/2 Ton Westinghouse RTU. Still cooled with the original compressor but the heat exchanger cracked.
Compressor was replaced around 1993 but still time for an upgrade straight a/c no reversing valve
199th day of 1973, not 1993.
@@billybassman21 No friggin way that compressor is original. Besides the fact that they wouldn't use a single digit year code, barcodes weren't even remotely ubiquitous enough to have on a compressor in 1973. The first item sold in a grocery store with a barcode(a pack of gum) wasn't even until 1974. It's much more likely that D1993 is April 1993
@@billybassman21 D= April. 19 = 19th. 93 = 1993. Original compressor would have been a Bristol.
Shame we don't build things like this any more!
Don’t replace it. Nothing wrong with it. Would love to clean her up.
That's actually a really nice design. Super compact
Knew an old man that had an International brand deep freezer. He said it was made back in the 50's. Can't say, but it looked like it could have been.
This new throw away stuff off today can't hold a candle to the old stuff
the placard on this Brady Bunch A/C showed 30 amps at 105 deg outside temp.....7,200 watts!..that will make for quite a bill today KWh costs....
here in the Midwest we had a ton of old Westinghouse condensers that would go 30 years and Luxaire condensers as well. Beer can cold that was the way they were charged, 1/4" liquid lines and 5/8" suction lines , Still see some good ol green Rheem outdoor units still going after all these years.
Back in the day when they were built to last
What about the black burnt wiring at the contactor? I thought for sure that would be the problem.. how'd you get it started?
Ever heard the old saying they don't make them like that anymore? Well......there ya go!
The compressor has been replaced saw 1993 on the data plate makes sense why it had that filter dryer.
My Next door neighbours are today ,closing up their HVAC business after 40 years. Still plenty of business but couldn't find a buyer for the good will etc. There are several big scap metal skips outside right now full of really big R22 bottles(empty) probably around 50 liters. We haven't been allowed R22 since the early 90's. One of the things uncovered when they started cleaning out last week was the owners 1958 Mercedes which has been parked inside for over 40 years.😁
Wow wish all the lennox i worked on today were built like that
The older Lennox units were
They were built like tanks
New lennox is absolute shit. Don’t even get me started !!!!
The compressor was changed in 1993. 245 PSI Head Pressure is normal for a 80° day.
New one must use 1/3 the power?
"her name is christine"
3:19 i never seen any unit use a schematic map like that on the field. Lucky jerks, wish they bring them back
with a very cold suction line and low pressure i would think the indoor airflow is too low, not necessarily low on refrigerant.
thats what I was wondering was that ot seems the indoor airflow is low.. alot of these old units were built that way from the get-go. lower airflow and Ice cold air.. used to be common on stuff installed in the 60s and 70s.. esp in humid areas they wanted good humidity control.. not to mention if the house filter boot is in the indoor return and not at the air handler(judging from that crawl space door). it couldve been sucking dirt through the returns for years and clogged that indoor coil up..
This guy doesn't know beacuse he never checked!!! Never checked the vapor line temp either!!
What a total hack!!
And dishonest, all that time standing around he could have removed the cover and cleaned the coils right.
Airflow airflow AIRFLOW! Is my motto. Its the first thing to verify when pressures are odd. I'm sure he checked off camera.
@@jfmc2581 Why in the world would I want to micro-manage a charge that is going to change constantly ? .... I mean, you do realize that system is leaking refrigerant correct ?? The obvious thing with further issues would be, no matter how well they kept the filters clean.... after this many years plenty has gotten by them to create buildup on the evap. coil...... 45 year old leaking unit, and people want to nit pick the correct charge ? Let it sink in...... a leaking system, means the charge is changing constantly.
Anti DIY HVAC don’t mind all these RUclips experts, they hang on your channel ....
Says it all sir, you win
I have an Armstrong air from 2007 still running strong or have replaced two fan motors.
What a good ol girl right there.
And the number one question, did you sell them a new one? Will we see a video on the install. Definitely want to see that "door" opened. 👍🏻😁
Not yet!
His grand kids might sell them one when it breaks down in 2097
Why replace it? It’s working like a champ! They will probably have more service calls with a new unit.
Yeah, but today's units are so much more efficient. And this system does have a leak and r22 refrigerant is no longer manufactured now. This unit ain't worth fixing more than adding some r22 (and refrigerant prices will go up once r22 inventory starts to get low)
Jason WB true and yet not entirely there you can get r22 (5 pounds is about 140usd) easily still . Believe it or not, so no I would not replace this unit . It’s a 4 ton unit, doing the job for decades JUST FINE.
Fixing is way cheaper than replacing, todays ac units ain’t cheap. They are cheaper build tho
High efficiency = more service ! Especially with 95+ furnaces.
I'm commercial refrig mechanic and I've got 21 grocery stores. I've got a couple stores that still running 10hp Tyler low temps from 1982. Original Copeland semi hermetic. Red labels.
Evaps downstairs were replaced 12yrs ago in one location. 4 tonka walk ins all wooden lined covered in galvanized metal. Humm along nicely.used for Ice cream and gelato . Door overlays this year ,!
i just replaced a 30 year old trane. never had an issue but did blow a fuse every now and then. compressor seized up. the new carrier looks like terminator without his skin, and a matching blue pad
I would pull back in the day the whole top off and cover the motor with plastic because it was open like an evap motor and chemically clean that coil usually did the trick also the design of those units ran a hi head pressure
The chart at 3 minutes 13 seconds, says it should be 262 head pressure @ 85 degrees. The chart says 4 ton, while the compressor is a 2 ton. Hmm. Really good condition for nearly 50 years old . New trane won't last that long.
At first I thought it was strange he was adding refrigerant, then he showed the crawlspace door...
They do not make anything like they used to. Everybody should know that and regret chucking their old unit because it used a BIT more electric. Great shot on the vintage machine Ted!
most of the time they dont even use a bit more, one of my houses has an old packaged unit, i dont know the year but it is pretty old (80s maybe) anyway, the lady who lived there was going to have it replaced because she was not getting any cold air, it turns out the air ducts had fallen apart and all the air was going into the crawl space instead of the house, i use window units in my house even though i have central air because my central air system in this house is too new to be used.
@@WalterKnox what do you mean by "too new to be used"?
@@WalterKnox sounds like you don't really understand how to calculate efficiency. You can buy new models that will use less than 50% of the electricity consumption of that old beast. Just compare the amp draw on the name plate or the cop / eer.
Those things ran pretty high head pressures with that design anyway
l have a Tecumseh 6hp air conditioning compressor since 1997 in my out door unit . and l have only had to replace the Magnetic contactor and the overload and it is still running. They definitely last a long time . All They need is regular cleaning of the filters and a check for any leaks of the gas refrigirant .
What you come across! Lol! I have a question. What do you think of the TDX 20 replacement?
Man I ain't seen one of those in a long time. I was rather find of the square GE units which became Trane. Those things were rock solid and the XL series
Same yr I graduated high school
Compressor is dated April 1993
That thing was put in the year after I was born. It's got the good old manual defrost clock, kicker in to defrost with a flathead screwdriver 💪 #starvingforBluon 😂👌
Armstrong 💪 🇺🇸
Im glad you share the opinion of changing it out. Some people get hung up on the "well, it still runs". Ya, it may still have a little life left it in but it's time to put her to pasture. If you do win the bid to change it out, give your techs my blessing when entering that crawl space!
Looked like the date code on the compressor was 1993. Still impressive longevity.
Surprised that the compressor was changed in 1993, the unit was already 20 years old at that point
I want to how many seer this ac unit .. well built .
If I’m not mistaken, wouldn’t having the cover off to the compressor make the air bypass the coils. Since air moves toward the place with least resistance? And then in turn give you high head pressures?
those have a fully or mostly closed divider wall if I recall correctly. the idea is the compressor is cooled by the gas flowing through it internally.
I feel you on not spending to much time on them old ones. I ran across a 16 year old r22 running a head pressure of 351psi.
16 years old... Oh man that's ancient!
Ok I am just learning hvac and everything that I am learning you have to find the super heat on a fixed orfice system to know the charge level right ?
If they still made them to last like that, there would be a lot less jobs in the HVAC industry.
Doubtful. Too many individuals do not understand the industry nor home air flow and air quality and too many do not want to work.
I like the way RUclips makes me watch commercials that I don't even understand.How brilliant RUclips might as well send that one to the CEO he'll like to hear this one.
Just a question I've only been doing this a couple years but I wouldnt add charge before cleaning a coil??? I get that you can kind of see whats going on prior to cleaning... but its never going to be good if coil is clogged....
I’d fill it, new contractor, new capacitor, strip and clean the coil just on principal…. The thing has been kicking since “73”, I’d have to give the girl a few more years of glory just because….. 😆
Don’t know about original parts, but I can’t believe it’s still running
Interesting that the Condensing fan is vertical mount like a Mini Split, instead of Horizontal mount as most modern-day units.
That unit's had a long stretch, just call it Stretch Armstrong, LOL!
It’s a Tecumseh, it’ll keep going till something else fails catastrophically
That AC unit is really old. I'm shocked its still even alive.
Nice seeing the old systems that still run today, but definitely time for a new Trane system Ted 👍👍
You remember the old water cooled rheem condensers ???
I do around the time I started in the HVAC Industry
Does anyone remember the home air conditioners that burned natural gas and had no compressor? Think is used ammonia in one of the coils.
@@midsouthexpress I lived in an apartment building that had 3 of those type of chiller units, made by Servel if I remember right. They are called "absorbers" I believe. They were probably from the very early 1970s. They chilled water which circulated through the building. Hot water for winter; cold for summer A/C. They worked great until the building changed hands and the numb nuts maintenance people let water freeze in them over the winter and destroy them. They were then replaced with 3 York electric units which were much smaller and didn't cool the building nearly as well, and they had nothing but trouble with them.
Richard K Hester I remember working on and removing the gas A/C units. They would pump chilled water to the indoor coil. The outdoor unit refrigerant was ammonia. There is still one of them near my home. They were Arkla brand in twin cities area of MN.
Man working the way you do would be so awesome.
i cant just throw refrigerant at an old system that is low. If its chlorine refrigerant that needs more than 2 lbs I like to find where it has leaked.
You did just get them by though and it seems fun to do it that way, but outta principle i cant work like that.
how much r22 did you put in?
also didnt the compressor say 1993, thats a replacement right? the contactor and capacitors looks newer*** than 1873 too.
I'd assume capacitor changed with compressor, original was likely a Bristol and surely not the same cap value between them. contactor who knows? looked like there black burn/skid-mark to the left of it.
Original cap would have been a big square oil filled one that would go in that square opening.
Shes a classic
even though this old unit is still running, it may not efficient design compared to the latest design of the units now. the money spent servicing this old unit could be enough to buy a new hvac unit.
Great video Ted and I appreciate the time and effort you put into these for us. I just finished working on a Armstrong that was even older than that one! Those things are tanks! Quick question Ted....at first you said the line was “beer can cold”, suction was low head was elevated. Just TROT’ing it, ambient plus 30/35, head wasn’t that far off. Even after adding refrigerant, head pressure was within range and the suction was low....was the superheat correct? My gut feeling tells me there was possibly some airflow issues as well. Your thoughts....
Good to see he responded to you. 🙄
Why in the world would I want to micro-manage a charge that is going to change constantly ? .... I mean, you do realize that system is leaking refrigerant correct ?? The obvious thing with further issues would be, no matter how well they kept the filters clean.... after this many years plenty has gotten by them to create buildup on the evap. coil...... 45 year old leaking unit, and people want to nit pick the correct charge ? Let it sink in...... a leaking system, means the charge is changing constantly.
Mr. Hall,
I guess we caught ol’ Ted on a bad day. Sounds like he needs to quit worrying about all this HVAC stuff and change his tampon! You just asked a question and he just can’t resist to snap back all snarky and PMS-like.
Anti DIY HVAC WOW..... alrighty then.... have a great day!!
Survived many change out rip offs
Get on outa there so I can see”😂🤣😂🤣
He’s kinda standoffish isn’t he
Sharky55 he should just let the man work. I understand homeowners wanting to see what a tech does. But when you leave your car at the mechanic you don’t stay and babysit. You trust the man, and leave your car to get worked on. It should be the same with Hvac but too bad you can’t just drop off your split unit at a shop
That Tecumseh was definitely from 1993 as the date says. The original compressor would have had a metal data plate as they all did in the 70’s.
Yeah, those old units would just keep on going. I have a Carrier from the 80's that has only needed a condenser fan motor changed.
My parents do too. IIRC it's a 1987 Carrier 38ES036. I always liked how quiet the compressor is in it. You could hear the neighbors' cheap sounding buzzy air conditioners, but all you really hear of this one is the fan. I absolutely hate that reciprocating buzz sound with so many units. If my house had come with that, I would replace it even if it was brand new.
I like your style but do you know what superheat and subcooling are? I check for line temp, air temp and refrigerant pressures too, but I always check SH & SC before charging.
It’s a unit from the 70’s, beer can cold.🙂
What Alexander said! These aren't puron princesses.
LOL !! are you sure you are looking at the same unit you commented on ? 40 year old leaker and you are going to "nit pick" the charge ? Not worth my time, nor the customers money.
Máquina antiga, mas trabalhando bem.
🤝👏👏
What I think is important to mention here is the energy saving of replacing this beast. He would be money ahead in just a few years. I'm all for repairing, but this one it's way overdue.
Ted two things The mold units can handle the head pressure back in the day when Ambien +30 was a big factor also compressor tag says 1993 so the guy is giving you a curve ball and telling a lie also just wanted to say I picked up the ratcheting stubby screwdriver that I saw you using on one of your recent videos thanks for the tip
looked full of white fuzzy cruft in the back, pretty common on them(as you know) :)
Great Video! Were Armstrong units Lennox built units back then? It did look like the Lennox condensers from that time. Were you able to change out the filters?