Running Bear's July 2020 Coffee Shop


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ShermanHill said:
Since the existing unit is well over it's service life, order the new one and run the existing one to failure. When it dies(?) you already have a replacement. No 2 week wait.
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Hmmm, hadn't thought of that [running the existing one "until death" with a new unit in storage] - might be worth considering! 👍

Before I take that step, I want to make sure I choose a brand that is as close to reliable as can be expected in this modern age of throwaway Chinese technology. My home Depot carries Frigidaire, GE, Honeywell and LG brands; they do not sell Friederich.
 
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IronBeltKen said:
Hmmm, hadn't thought of that [running the existing one "until death" with a new unit in storage] - might be worth considering! 👍

Before I take that step, I want to make sure I choose a brand that is as close to reliable as can be expected in this modern age of throwaway Chinese technology. My home Depot carries Frigidaire, GE, Honeywell and LG brands; they do not sell Friederich.
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maybe you checked this already? Friederichairconditioner.com

TomO
 
IronBeltKen said:
Ok gang, I'm in need of some expert HVAC advice! IIRC, some of you used to be professionally involved with that before you retired.

I had an unnerving experience last night. I went out to the trainroom/workshop to check on a decaling job I'd started ~5 hours earlier, and the air felt warm and humid; checked the [indoor] thermometer and it showed 78*F. Usually it is 72-73, so I immediately checked the window unit by turning the temperature dial to a colder setting...no response. Then I clicked the fan speed selector to "fan only" and the fan came on - NOT what I wanted to see, since this indicated a dead compressor.

I've had this Friederich 12500-btu heat pump for 15 years which, according to internet HVAC experts, is 5 years beyond the expected [10-yr] service life of a window unit. So I went online to shop for a possible replacement. The prices were lower than I expected to see, which was good news, but the availability was a different story - I would have to wait ~2 weeks before it could be delivered to my local Home Depot. [They apparently have to special-order 220-volts units like mine.]

In the meantime I went back out to the trainroom to set up a fan to pull in cold air from the adjoining laundry room as a temporary workaround. While I was doing this, I heard a familiar hum - and when I stepped back into the trainroom to investigate, I found the AC working again...go figure[?]
Here is where I need the advice: I'm not sure if this unit is on the last leg of its service life, or if it was just a fluke occurrence. If it is close to permanent failure, I should probably go and start the process of ordering a replacement unit while this one is still actively cooling my space. OTOH, if that 3-hour "coma" has a plausible explanation, I do NOT want to replace a machine that has given me faithful service for 15 years, with something manufactured more recently that is likely of inferior quality - especially not by LG, after reading what Chet wrote about his terrible experiences with that brand!

A few more data-points: The filter is new [clean], and there was no ice on the coils. I don't know what more I can possibly do to fix it myself.

I eagerly await your words of wisdom...:D
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Ken: Not for nothing, bring someone in to take a look, or...just order the replacement, and it's done. There's a lot of summer left.
 
Afternoon All,

Last night the wife was upset with how I did the backdrop sheets so today after some chores I cut back the backdrop board and added old fascia boards where the layout sticks out by the hallway. That required unbolting the end module and then for some reason I had to do a lot of adjusting to get it level again. I did add 2 more leg brace pieces. I'll take a picture later. We got about 20 minutes of heavy rain earlier so the humidity will be sky high this afternoon.

Joe- Nice pictures.

TomO- Great scenes. I especially like the sawdust hill. Is it glued together or loose?

Garry- Have fun with your guests.

Louis- That's a lot of John Deere's. I'm even willing to deal with snow at this point and summer has barely started here.

Sherrel- Interesting garage and rusty truck. Nice touch with the thermometer above the door.

Chet- I guess you're saying that beef prices are being artificially fixed...like gas prices. I'm totally shocked...not! Very nice layout scenes.

Willie- Nice job on the build. Our gas is running about 30 cents more a gallon here.

This is the plan that I'll be using.
rev 3.jpg

I hope everyone has a good evening.
 
PRR Modeler said:
Afternoon All,

Last night the wife was upset with how I did the backdrop sheets so today after some chores I cut back the backdrop board and added old fascia boards where the layout sticks out by the hallway. That required unbolting the end module and then for some reason I had to do a lot of adjusting to get it level again. I did add 2 more leg brace pieces. I'll take a picture later. We got about 20 minutes of heavy rain earlier so the humidity will be sky high this afternoon.

Joe- Nice pictures.

TomO- Great scenes. I especially like the sawdust hill. Is it glued together or loose?

Garry- Have fun with your guests.

Louis- That's a lot of John Deere's. I'm even willing to deal with snow at this point and summer has barely started here.

Sherrel- Interesting garage and rusty truck. Nice touch with the thermometer above the door.

Chet- I guess you're saying that beef prices are being artificially fixed...like gas prices. I'm totally shocked...not! Very nice layout scenes.

Willie- Nice job on the build. Our gas is running about 30 cents more a gallon here.

This is the plan that I'll be using.
View attachment 114933

I hope everyone has a good evening.
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Thank you about the chip pile. It is glued similar to ground cover. I spread the full strength white glue and applied the chips. Did that a couple times then added chips and added a mist of 70% acohol and added more misting with a wet thinned glue mix. It took a while.

TomO
 
IBKEN - I was just going to recommend the same as ShermanHill.
The other thing I would check is the warranty and service?

The "old/original" could have had an overheat ... maybe it has a thermal switch?
(actually, I know nothing about a/c's)
 
TLOC said:
maybe you checked this already? Friederichairconditioner.com

TomO
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Thanks, I did [actually it's just "friedrich.com"] but they don't appear to have documentation on any models before the year 2010 (mine is from 2005), the search came up empty when I entered my model#. So I clicked the "contact us" link and filled out a form describing everything about the unit, and what it did - hopefully they'll have an answer within a few days?
 
Sirfoldalot said:
IBKEN - I was just going to recommend the same as ShermanHill.
The other thing I would check is the warranty and service?

The "old/original" could have had an overheat ... maybe it has a thermal switch?
(actually, I know nothing about a/c's)
Click to expand...
I was wondering the same thing [about the overheat circuit breaker] myself Sherrell, I submitted a question about that to them via their website.
 
Thanks everybody for your responses to my A/C question! The unit seems to be working like normal again, for the time being at least. I submitted a question on the manufacturer's website to find out if there is a temp-sensing circuit breaker, hopefully I'll hear back from them after the holiday weekend.

A few of you recommended I go ahead and order a new unit to hold in reserve until my existing one dies. I'm definitely considering that option, but I don't want to rush into it until I have a clearer picture of the replacement unit's life expectancy. I've been spoiled having a Friedrich, but I don't have the kind of deep pockets I enjoyed back when I bought it in 2005, before all these other unforeseen expenses came along. And my wife's income took a hit with this Covid pandemic. I want to buy thru Home Depot because I can buy a unit at zero interest if I pay it off within a year; trouble is, they don't offer any 230-volt window machines in a brand that gets above a 4-star (out of 5) overall rating, or lasts longer than three years.
 
TLOC said:
Good morning from the deck in So. Central Wisconsin where the humidity is higher then the temperatures. It should be well into the 90’s here today but that comes from the local morning TV guy. Weather forecasting is definitely a guessing game.

Willie, where are you located in Texas? We normally spend February and parts of October and November at the son’s place in Austin.
Gas here did hit $.79 gallon for a couple days in April, which I think was a publicity stunt. Our station did get to $1.09 but is up to $2.29 yesterday. Why do we worry about World oil prices when with fracking we have more then enough to support ourselves and Canada? I would be fine if they banned world oil from the US and charged the $2.00 per gallon USA oil needs to be sustainable. They don’t need the crazy profits they were making, honest profiting is fine with me.

my daily pictures. View attachment 114920A view of the chip and pulp yards.
Have a great day. TomO
View attachment 114919
Click to expand...

Tom- is that pulp yard based on the Domtar mill in Rothschild?
 
Ken that is great news about the AC! Sounds like you got your money’s worth out of that AC. You do not have to wait for it to break down, new appliances are always more efficient. Replace it when it fits your budget.

Personally, I would not want to buy a spare unit. You never know how long the one you have will work. Mean while the warranty begins counting down when you get the new one and it is taking up space.

As for brands, who is to say? How many AC manufacturers are there? I bet there are many more brands then there are manufacturers. For many things we never really know what we are buying. I bought a Zenith TV several years ago only to find out the name Zenith had been sold to a Chinese company. Nothing wrong with many Chinese goods, but brand loyalty was not a good reason to choose that Zenith TV. Now I buy according to price and length of warranty. Zero interest can greatly influence overall cost!

Be sure to line up some help when you do replace that AC. We are not getting any younger! ;)

I wish you well!
 
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