Older Bard AC condenser

[Joshua L. Frederick]

Unit was "sucking" air on fan side and blowing out on fin side, this can't be right, can it? Not familiar with this type & unit is 30 years old.

Thanks in advance.

[Robert J. OConnor]

Originally Posted by jfrederick

Unit was "sucking" air on fan side and blowing out on fin side, this can't be right, can it? Not familiar with this type & unit is 30 years old.

Doesn't really matter how old it is ... the fan should be drawing air in thru the coil side/fins and blowing it out thru the fan side/grille.

For a unit that old it's likely a replacement fan that wasn't wired correctly. A pretty easy fix for a service tech who knows what they are doing ...

[Joshua L. Frederick]

Originally Posted by roconnor

Doesn't really matter how old it is ... the fan should be drawing air in thru the coil side/fins and blowing it out thru the fan side/grille.

For a unit that old it's likely a replacement fan that wasn't wired correctly. A pretty easy fix for a service tech who knows what they are doing ...

Thank you Sir, just wanted to double check.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Seen some of those old units that did discharge through the condenser might need to check that out

[David A. Andersen]

No, No, damn no!

Can't you guys leave this crap alone?!

Nothing wrong with that...

[Robert J. OConnor]

I have never come across an AC condenser that draws air in from the fan side/grille that didn't have the fan wired incorrectly. Plus it just seems wrong that ya could be drawing in debris that could be blown on the coil or wiring. Checked with a buddy who is an old time service tech and he said that Bard units aren't that common in my neck of the woods, but thats just how Bard did it. Ya learn something new every day.

In any event I would still call out that a condenser thats 30 yrs old needs to be serviced and checed out by a specialist, and that they budget for replacement.

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by roconnor

I havent never come across an AC condenser that draws air in from the fan side/grille that didn't have the fan wired incorrectly. Plus it just seems wrong that ya could be drawing in debris that could be blown on the coil or wiring. Checked with a buddy who is an old time service tech and he said that Bard units aren't that common in my neck of the woods, but thats just how Bard did it. Ya learn something new every day.

In any event I would still call out that a condenser thats 30 yrs old needs to be serviced and checed out by a specialist, and that they budget for replacement.

See us old farts are good for something I have worked on Bards many times had enclosed electrical sub-stations with Bard package units hung on the exterior wall for cooling never did like them hard to work on some PE designed the unit and never worked on them some Bards had reverse air flow on the condenser some did not and If memory serves me there was an old york unit the same way

[Robert J. OConnor]

Just goes to show ya that even after 25 years you can run across unusual situations ...

And I see mechanical designs from guys with no practical experience all the time. Last one was 14 forced air heat/cool systems for a commercial building with everything looking good on paper ... only problem was the furnace drives were not big enough for the cooling coils ... ... Just looking at the equipment schedule it looked wrong, but nobody bothered to check it. All the ductwork was then wrong too ...

Probably the same guy who designed the older Bard units. I'm thinking mostly about debris being blown on the coil fins and damaging it. You could change the fan/direction, but if thats the way they are designed it's probably better to just leave it alone and service it more regularly.

And your dating yourself again Charlie ...

[David A. Andersen]

I didn't say I liked it...

Carrier also has blow through design (new ones).

See them all the time, and I hate them...

Yes crap does get sucked in, and they are a bear to clean (if anyone was so inclined to do so) :-0