What are your thoughts on this

Found this in a home today…call me crazy but is half of the cabinet missing. I pointed this out to the buyer and she said that this is the way her unit was in her old house as well?

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Hell, I would almost rather not have any AC than have that in my home. Yeah, you are missing some pretty important parts unless they do things a whole lot differently in Missouri. Looks like someone cobbled a bunch of parts together and called it Macaroni.

Was it a mobile home?

it was a mobile home

I’ve seen that lots of times. The units are usually contained in a closet that serves as a cabinet in a way. I’ll refrain from comment until a HVAC expert jumps in. I’ve always wondered about it.

No thoughts at all a piece of junk A/C are not designed to operate in that manner absolutely no efficiency. The coil has to be contained within its own box and air flow channeled across the fins poor people poor ways.

Charley, if it’s “not designed to operate in that manner”, then why are they installed that way? They most certainly are designed that way. Not saying it’s the best, but it is by design. The manufactured home meets HUD specifications.

Joe I don’t think you can find any MFG installation instructions that would allow that type of open A-coil design and warranty the equipment. I get to thinking about this and I also found one about 3 years ago on a Double wide MFG home I wrote it up as improperly installed. I was not hired to do a re-inspect so I don’t know what the outcome of my report was but I wrote it up anyway. Just another example of a short cut to save the MFG of these Modular homes a $100.00 by not using a coil box. There are lots of things that gets past HUD that should never be.

Charlie
I thought the same thing , I called the maker of the unit and They said that is how they are put in that type of home. The use the closet as a duct
LOL it is a cheap way of doing thing i agree .
Of course they are magnets for twisters so maybe it is a good thing that there is less sharp metal flying around .

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The same reason some companies will install a return on the back of the furnace when the installation manual says NO. Or they use 2 inch pvc pipe to vent a 120,000 btuhr high efficiency furnace when the manual only lists 3 inch for that btu rating. They got away with in the past and will continue to do so until they are called out on it.**

I’ve inspected only a few mobile homes in my time, but have never seen this setup before. I can’t believe this installation would meet any Equip.Manuf’s. specs…
By the way, what is the insulated flexduct designed to do in this picture?

I am thinking of writing this up as: Although this is a common practice in the MFG Homes in this area it is not installed as the manufacturer intended recommend having a HVAC Professional evaluate.

Do you know what the manufacturer intends? Do you have an installation manual from them when it comes to installation in a mfg. home? If you haven’t already called them or a local HVAC rep. for that equipment, you should.

Anthony

I don’t think I would do that.

I would state - The existing installation is inconsistant with any established design for this type of HVAC system I am aware of. I recommend a Prof. HVAC Contractor inspect and advise on any changes necessary for safe and reliable operation.

IMHO

Dat’s veally gute. :smiley:

I spoke with a competent licensed HVAC contractor about this yesterday and we discussed it. He said that’s they way they come from the factory and HUD approves it. He said it’s not the best installation, but there’s nothing “wrong” with it.

I believe it is Charlie. I see a sheet metal plate on the A end.

As said earlier, The closet space is used as the “duct” and I assume there are louvers on the door.

Exactly. That’s how I see them.

Ya’ll do what you want. I’m not going to swim against the tide against an entire industry based solely on my unlicensed HVAC judgment.

Joe

I’d really like to get your guys explanation on this design. I have been out of the HVAC everyday business for 18+yrs, but this design goes against the fundamentals of Industry design standards I used everyday for 20+yrs.
I wish other HVAC guys with System Design experience would chime in on this picture.
I still think Anthony got bad information from his Client/Buyer initially when she said this is the way hers was installed. Just because they say it is, “don’t make it so”.

Greg i had one just like it, i also did heat and air for many years i thought what clown would do this, So i called the maker of the unit and described the unit and how it was installed , they said that was acceptable in that type of home, AND YES THE DOOR HAD A OPENING AND FILTER. Who knows what engineer came up with this one.