I have a house that has settled a bit and my a/c units outside are not
level. I would say they are at 5-10 degrees from level. My
brother-in-law tells me I shoulod fix this. Is there any truth to
this? If so why?

Thanks.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a house that has settled a bit and my a/c units outside are not
level. I would say they are at 5-10 degrees from level. My
brother-in-law tells me I shoulod fix this. Is there any truth to
this? If so why?


Can I assume they are window or through the wall units? There is a
condensate pan in them and the water is collected and goes to the fan that
will sling it onto the coil. This evaporates the water so it does not drip
and helps to cool the unit. A few degrees is not a big deal, but if you see
dripping, do something about it.

I believe that OP is talking about outside central air units. I couldn't
fathom window units not being level without window closure problems.
I have been before and can be wrong now, but that is what I get from it. I
don't think level is critical here although leveling them really shouldn't
be too much of a problem. A pry bar and 4x4 piece should help raise the
desired side, them pitch in some sand and recheck for level. I am assuming
that the unit is sitting on a concrete slab. If not the "feet" can be
levelled by using appropriate concrete pavers. Be carfeul not to rack the
frame OR twist/bend or mishape the freon lines, you may not have alot of
play with them so be careful.

Searcher

wrote:
I have a house that has settled a bit and my a/c units outside are not
level. I would say they are at 5-10 degrees from level. My
brother-in-law tells me I shoulod fix this. Is there any truth to
this? If so why?

Thanks.

I suspect that if it's not level, the bearings will be loaded unevenly
and can wear faster. I think they're designed to be level. Small
deviations probably don't make much difference. I know that when we
had our most recent one installed, the guy who did the work seemed to
think it was important -- he spent quite a bit of time making sure
it was level, and I wasn't paying him by the hour.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

wrote:
I have a house that has settled a bit and my a/c units outside are not
level. I would say they are at 5-10 degrees from level. My
brother-in-law tells me I shoulod fix this. Is there any truth to
this? If so why?

It is very important that any window unit NOT be level and here's why.
When it rains the unit can channel water towards the house if it is
leaning towards the wall. This can cause a lot of water damage. So,
it is better to have the a/c be slanted slightly away from the house to
avoid this situation. If you tried to get it dead level there would
still be a chance that it could be nudged slightly towards the house.

I learned this the hard way when my window unit channelled rain water
towards the house where it got into the wall cavity requiring me to
demolish and replace all of the wall board and insulation in the
damaged area. I now take great pains to make sure my a/c is leaning
slightly away from the house. This obviously does not apply to outdoor
compressors.

Lawrence

Shopdog wrote:
I believe that OP is talking about outside central air units. I couldn't
fathom window units not being level without window closure problems.
I have been before and can be wrong now, but that is what I get from it. I
don't think level is critical here although leveling them really shouldn't
be too much of a problem. A pry bar and 4x4 piece should help raise the
desired side, them pitch in some sand and recheck for level. I am assuming
that the unit is sitting on a concrete slab. If not the "feet" can be
levelled by using appropriate concrete pavers. Be carfeul not to rack the
frame OR twist/bend or mishape the freon lines, you may not have alot of
play with them so be careful.

Searcher

thanks...they are outside central air units and i will do the pry bar
trick and get them closer to level!!

On 12 Jun 2006 16:44:15 -0700, "
wrote:

I have a house that has settled a bit and my a/c units outside are not
level. I would say they are at 5-10 degrees from level. My
brother-in-law tells me I shoulod fix this. Is there any truth to
this? If so why?

Thanks.


If you are talking about an outside condensor unit for a split or a
packaged unit, check the bottom of the pan after a good rain and see
if water is collecting in any area. If so you should level it to make
sure that it drains off properly. If it is a packaged unit, make sure
you check and reseal the supply and return duct work after you level
the unit. You may break them loose.

Frank