Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air is drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even have a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the
preservatives they can get. Robert Orben

Wayne Boatwright wrote in
5.250:

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.
Air is drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA


How about putting a lattice enclosure around it on 2 or 3 sides?

You can get lattice sheets and construct something to your liking or you
can get sections or fencing with lattice. Not sure about the sections
type but I've see a very dense lattice in sheets at Lowes.

Go to Lowes webside and search Lattice for some ideas.

Of course when the sun is directly overhead it's still an issue but
possibly can minimize with lattice.

Keep in mind to construct it so the HVAC service people can get at it
easily. Consider somewhat removable panel(s) by using screws in key
access areas or maybe hinges.

Just some initial thoughts...

On Jul 30, 5:56*pm, Red Green wrote:
Wayne Boatwright wrote . 185.250:





Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. *We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit.
Air is drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

How about putting a lattice enclosure around it on 2 or 3 sides?

You can get lattice sheets and construct something to your liking or you
can get sections or fencing with lattice. Not sure about the sections
type but I've see a very dense lattice in sheets at Lowes.

Go to Lowes webside and search Lattice for some ideas.

Of course when the sun is directly overhead it's still an issue but
possibly can minimize with lattice.

Keep in mind to construct it so the HVAC service people can get at it
easily. Consider somewhat removable panel(s) by using screws in key
access areas or maybe hinges.ha

Just some initial thoughts...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

BINGO on the lattice suggestion ; it will be the lowest cost
solution, easy to assemble and install, and effective . Dont put it
too close to the condensor coils...leave at least 6 inches clearance.
Make sure there is no obstruction on the a/c discharge ; most
manufacturers suggest at least 8 ' . If youre interested in getting
a bit more capacity out of your a/c unit during scorcher days and at
the same time drop the amp draw of the unit...consider spraying a fine
mist of water over as much of the condensor coil area as practical ;
but run the water thru an inline filter so you dont get alot of
sediment and scale buildup on the condensor. If you go online, you
can find ready-made systems that you simply hang on the side of the a/
c unit and water sprays out thru small holes in tubing. It really
works good in hot and dry climates as you get evaporative cooling of
the air air entering the condensor coils in addition to cooling of
the freon in the tubes directly from conduction. Just use an inline
water filter if you choose to go this route. Good luck.

On Thu 30 Jul 2009 03:56:03p, Red Green told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote in
5.250:

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.
Air is drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA


How about putting a lattice enclosure around it on 2 or 3 sides?

You can get lattice sheets and construct something to your liking or you
can get sections or fencing with lattice. Not sure about the sections
type but I've see a very dense lattice in sheets at Lowes.

Go to Lowes webside and search Lattice for some ideas.

Of course when the sun is directly overhead it's still an issue but
possibly can minimize with lattice.

Keep in mind to construct it so the HVAC service people can get at it
easily. Consider somewhat removable panel(s) by using screws in key
access areas or maybe hinges.

Just some initial thoughts...



I think that's an excellent idea, especially joining the panels with
hinges. We also get very strong winds, and as the unit sits rather close
to the exterior house wall, I could also hinge it to the house on one side
and and possibly eye hooks or something similar on the other side, maing
the unit easily accessible for service. Attaching a piece across the top
would certainly help, too. I would definitely allow ample space between
the lattice and the unit itself for adequate air movement.

Thanks for a great idea!

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are. Anthelme Brillat
Savarin

Dunno how this would look. Some kind of a frame with mylar
space blanket. Reflect the sun. Or, you could get a
portable clothesline, and hang a couple of bedsheets all the
time. They also make dining canopy, but that would tend to
keep the heat in.

Spraying water on the coils, that's likely to leave minerals
which will eat away the coil.

The portable clothes line might be tacky looking, like
leaving the plastic wrap on your table lamps. But it could
help.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Wayne Boatwright" wrote
in message
5.250...
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of
our house until
about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically
110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical
solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the
unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the
unit. Air is drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I
don't even have a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all
the
preservatives they can get. Robert Orben

In article 0,
Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air is drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even have a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

We just had a thread on PVC construction projects ...

On Jul 30, 3:05*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. *We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit. *Air is drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even have a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wayne Boatwright * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the * * * *
* * * * * * * *preservatives they can get. *Robert Orben * * * * * * *

There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. Might be
some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air is drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even have a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

Hmmm,
Patio umbrella.

On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:47:21p, Tony Hwang told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air is
drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

Hmmm,
Patio umbrella.


Probably a good idea in some areas, but we've lost 3 to the high winds just
this summer. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bread deals with living things, with giving life, with growth, with
the seed, the grain that nurtures. It is not coincidence that we
say bread is the staff of life. Lionel Poilane

On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:01:18p, Smitty Two told us...

In article 0,
Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air is
drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

We just had a thread on PVC construction projects ...

I'll have to look back. Thanks!

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vegetables are the food of the earth; fruit seems more the food of
the heavens. Sepal Felicivant

harry k wrote in
:

On Jul 30, 3:05*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our
house un
til
about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. *
We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F
and
above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due
to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to
gro
w to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit.
*Air i
s drawn
in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
hav
e a
clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wayne Boatwright
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-- * * * * Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the
* * * *
* * * * * * * *preservatives they can get. *Robert Orbe
n * * * * * * *

There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. Might be
some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K


there is no benefit to doing it.

Dunno Harry. Wayne wanted to do something and I just tossed my .02 at it.
Leave the deeper logistic on this one to r&d :-)

On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:40:59p, harry k told us...

On Jul 30, 3:05*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
un til about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. * We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to gro w to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit. *Air i s
drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
hav e a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wayne Boatwright * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the * * *
* * * * * * * * *preservatives they can get. *Robert Orbe n * * * * * *
*

There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. Might be
some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K


Perhaps, although one would think that if temperatures measured in both
full shade and full sun vary by as much as 8-10 degrees in adjacent areas,
that it would lighten the load on the unit if it were shaded.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eat little, sleep sound. Iranian Proverb

I read a couple years ago. About a study of this, using two
identical houses. Condensor on sun or shade side. They did
conclude not enough difference. Still, my experience tells
me that things in the sunshine are hotter. And, that's got
to make some difference.

I hope Wayne has an AC service company chemically clean the
outdoor unit. That will make much more difference than
shading.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"harry k" wrote in message
...

There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it
seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on
the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it.
Might be
some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K

On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:05:56 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning.

Yea it would be good to sheld the unit from the sun, but likey
not as much good as you might think. Partly because anything you
provide is likely to also block air circulation and because it really
does not add as much to the heat load as you might think.

The A/C unit is likely light colored or metalic. It will tend
ot reflect more heat than most serfaces of your home. It also is a
very small area compared to the roof, walls and windows of your home.

My suggestion is to make some effort, but don't over do it and
don't block air ciruclation or it will likely reduce overall
efficency.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:40:59p, harry k told us...

On Jul 30, 3:05 pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our
house un til about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in
direct sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer
temperatures are typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution,
both due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for
the plants to gro w to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.
Air i s drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't
even hav e a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the
preservatives they can get. Robert Orbe n


There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. Might
be some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K


Perhaps, although one would think that if temperatures measured in
both full shade and full sun vary by as much as 8-10 degrees in
adjacent areas, that it would lighten the load on the unit if it were
shaded.

That temp measured in sun is a static thing. Start moving air with a fan and it
quickly disapates. The savings by shading the heat exchanger will be pretty
small.

A louvered lid over the unit would probably be the best way to shade it if this
is really wanted. Angle the louvers toward the north. The air passes through,
the sun is stopped. The sides are open for full air flow.

On Jul 31, 10:32*am, "Bob F" wrote:
Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:40:59p, harry k told us...

On Jul 30, 3:05 pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our
house un til about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in
direct sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer
temperatures are typically 110°F and *above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution,
both due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for
the plants to gro w to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.
Air i s drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't
even hav e a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the
preservatives they can get. Robert Orbe n

There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. *Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. *The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. *Might
be some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K

Perhaps, although one would think that if temperatures measured in
both full shade and full sun vary by as much as 8-10 degrees in
adjacent areas, that it would lighten the load on the unit if it were
shaded.

That temp measured in sun is a static thing. Start moving air with a fan and it
quickly disapates. The savings by shading the heat exchanger will be pretty
small.

A louvered lid over the unit would probably be the best way to shade it if this
is really wanted. Angle the louvers toward the north. The air passes through,
the sun is stopped. The sides are open for full air flow.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Waste of time. It's the ambient air temp that affects the unit, not
the sun.

On 7/30/2009 16:08 wrote:

BINGO on the lattice suggestion ; it will be the lowest cost
solution, easy to assemble and install, and effective . Dont put it
too close to the condensor coils...leave at least 6 inches clearance.
Make sure there is no obstruction on the a/c discharge ; most
manufacturers suggest at least 8 ' . If youre interested in getting
a bit more capacity out of your a/c unit during scorcher days and at
the same time drop the amp draw of the unit...consider spraying a fine
mist of water over as much of the condensor coil area as practical ;
but run the water thru an inline filter so you dont get alot of
sediment and scale buildup on the condensor. If you go online, you
can find ready-made systems that you simply hang on the side of the a/
c unit and water sprays out thru small holes in tubing. It really
works good in hot and dry climates as you get evaporative cooling of
the air air entering the condensor coils in addition to cooling of
the freon in the tubes directly from conduction. Just use an inline
water filter if you choose to go this route. Good luck.


I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it did
nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my house.
My A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air coming out of
the vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the
ambient temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas
coming in on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

High temps mean higher pressures, and higher amperage.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Dave" wrote in message
...

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me
that the
ambient temperature of the coils is not significant so long
as the gas
coming in on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the
output side.

"Dave" wrote in message

I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it did
nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my house. My
A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air coming out of the
vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the ambient
temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas coming in
on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

The water would make a difference in a marginal unit. Properly sized, the
heat carrying ability of the system will take care of the house.

Wetting the condenser has much less effect on newer high efficiency
units than it did on typical units 25-30years ago, because the condenser
coils on the newer ones are so much larger.I have seen new 1.5 ton units
that were physically larger than antique 4 or even 5 ton units. I have
checked the amp draw right after washing the condenser on numerous
units, and left the amprobe on it until it dried and the system
stabilized. The smaller the condenser coil is, usually the more the
amperage goes up as it is drying. Recently did that on a fairly new 16
SEER, and there was very little differnce between wet and dry. This was
on a day that was probably in the high 90s. Granted, when you get up in
the 115+ range, the difference would be much larger. There are/were
several "hybrid" units that are what amounts to a cross between a swamp
cooler and a regular air cooled condenser, made mainly for the AZ area.
Freus (sp?) is one. There was one called ACll or AZll or something like
that, but I think they are no longer around. On them, they were really a
swamp cooler, with a serpentine coil of copper tubing in the water
trough that the Freon went through to be cooled . It was technically a
water cooled condenser with a cooling tower. I think it was one of those
things that looked good on paper, but---. Actually I heard they worked
fairly well, but were maintainence nightmares
This whole subject has been discussed in here several times over the
years. There was research done by some outfit in Florida a while back
(don't remember who/what it was) but their test result showed there was
a very slight gain by shading, but it was not significant. Larry

"Wayne Boatwright" wrote in message
5.250...
On Thu 30 Jul 2009 08:40:59p, harry k told us...

On Jul 30, 3:05 pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
un til about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to gro w to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit. Air i s
drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
hav e a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

--
Wayne Boatwright

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old people shouldn't eat health foods. They need all the
preservatives they can get. Robert Orbe n


There have been threads in the past on shading a compressor/
condenser. Altho it seems to go against common sense it seems that
there is no benefit to doing it. The compressor works on the air
passing through it, not on the ambient conditions around it. Might be
some gain on initial start up but not after that.

Harry K


Perhaps, although one would think that if temperatures measured in both
full shade and full sun vary by as much as 8-10 degrees in adjacent areas,
that it would lighten the load on the unit if it were shaded.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eat little, sleep sound. Iranian Proverb




Asked the HVAC guys at the jobsite today and they chuckled and said it
doesn't make a damn bit of difference...FWIW....

On Thu 30 Jul 2009 04:08:06p, told us...

On Jul 30, 5:56*pm, Red Green wrote:
Wayne Boatwright wrote
innews:Xns9C5899
:





Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. *We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from
the intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit.
Air is drawn in through all 4 sides and exits through the top.

I would like to do this as economically as possible, but I don't even
have a clue where to start.

All ideas welcome...

TIA

How about putting a lattice enclosure around it on 2 or 3 sides?

You can get lattice sheets and construct something to your liking or you
can get sections or fencing with lattice. Not sure about the sections
type but I've see a very dense lattice in sheets at Lowes.

Go to Lowes webside and search Lattice for some ideas.

Of course when the sun is directly overhead it's still an issue but
possibly can minimize with lattice.

Keep in mind to construct it so the HVAC service people can get at it
easily. Consider somewhat removable panel(s) by using screws in key
access areas or maybe hinges.ha

Just some initial thoughts...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

BINGO on the lattice suggestion ; it will be the lowest cost
solution, easy to assemble and install, and effective . Dont put it
too close to the condensor coils...leave at least 6 inches clearance.
Make sure there is no obstruction on the a/c discharge ; most
manufacturers suggest at least 8 ' . If youre interested in getting
a bit more capacity out of your a/c unit during scorcher days and at
the same time drop the amp draw of the unit...consider spraying a fine
mist of water over as much of the condensor coil area as practical ;
but run the water thru an inline filter so you dont get alot of
sediment and scale buildup on the condensor. If you go online, you
can find ready-made systems that you simply hang on the side of the a/
c unit and water sprays out thru small holes in tubing. It really
works good in hot and dry climates as you get evaporative cooling of
the air air entering the condensor coils in addition to cooling of
the freon in the tubes directly from conduction. Just use an inline
water filter if you choose to go this route. Good luck.


Thanks, yes I was thinking about 6" clearance from each side of the unit.
Since the latice panels are usually 8' tall, I might just forego putting
any top on it and depend on the height of the latice panels.

As to using a mist on the coils, unfortunately it would be very impractical
here in AZ. We have some of the hardest water in the country where I live
and without a water softener in addition to the filters, the mineral
buildup would quickly clog the fins on the coils.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avoid fruit and nuts. You are what you eat. Jim Davis

On Fri 31 Jul 2009 01:15:03p, Dave told us...

On 7/30/2009 16:08 wrote:

BINGO on the lattice suggestion ; it will be the lowest cost
solution, easy to assemble and install, and effective . Dont put it
too close to the condensor coils...leave at least 6 inches clearance.
Make sure there is no obstruction on the a/c discharge ; most
manufacturers suggest at least 8 ' . If youre interested in getting
a bit more capacity out of your a/c unit during scorcher days and at
the same time drop the amp draw of the unit...consider spraying a fine
mist of water over as much of the condensor coil area as practical ;
but run the water thru an inline filter so you dont get alot of
sediment and scale buildup on the condensor. If you go online, you
can find ready-made systems that you simply hang on the side of the a/
c unit and water sprays out thru small holes in tubing. It really
works good in hot and dry climates as you get evaporative cooling of
the air air entering the condensor coils in addition to cooling of
the freon in the tubes directly from conduction. Just use an inline
water filter if you choose to go this route. Good luck.


I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it did
nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my house.
My A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air coming out of
the vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the
ambient temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas
coming in on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

I would have thought that cooling the unit with mist would help, but given
the mineral content of our water here, I would never consider it without it
going through a softener in addition to filters. I expect that the fins
would clog quickly.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost; united
and well mitched they are as body and soul, living partners. Andre
Simon

In your area a good swamp cooler would probabley work. With low humidity
the hotter the temp the better it works.

In article 0,
says...
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.


This comes up every year on various HVAC sites, the consensus is that it does
very little. To put some math to it:

The maximum heat gain from a surface directly facing the sun is about 1000
BTUs per square meter. The condenser has maybe a half meter of surface facing
the sun at any time, probably not even that since the sun is overhead during
the hottest weather.

You didn't say how large your HVAC is, but let's look at a 4 ton unit. That
provides 48,000 BTUs of cooling, and depending on the efficiency, has to
transfer approximately 55,000 BTUs of heat into the air. The solar gain of 500
BTUs amounts to less than one percent. So all it does is slightly reduce the
amount of subcooling, probably not even measurable with typical instruments.

--
Dennis

On 7/31/2009 15:25 Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Dave" wrote in message
I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it did
nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my house. My
A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air coming out of the
vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the ambient
temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas coming in
on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

The water would make a difference in a marginal unit. Properly sized, the
heat carrying ability of the system will take care of the house.


My experiment was in a rental house I lived for a while. With outside
temps 110+ the A/C would never cool the house below 81 until after 7pm.
As I said before, the water had no effect.

The A/C unit was built in '97 and IIRC, it was a 2.5 ton 10 SEER on a
1250 sq/ft house. I'd consider that marginal if not inadequate.

On Aug 1, 9:46*am, DT wrote:
In article 0,
says...

Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house until
about mid-morning. *The rest of the day it sits in direct sunlight. *We live
in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are typically 110°F and above
by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both due to
the location of the unit and the time it would take for the plants to grow to
a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow *for the unit. *

This comes up every year on various HVAC sites, the consensus is that it does
very little. To put some math to it:

The maximum heat gain from a surface directly facing the sun is about 1000
BTUs per square meter. The condenser has maybe a half meter of surface facing
the sun at any time, probably not even that since the sun is overhead during
the hottest weather.

You didn't say how large your HVAC is, but let's look at a 4 ton unit. That
provides 48,000 BTUs of cooling, and depending on the efficiency, has to
transfer approximately 55,000 BTUs of heat into the air. The solar gain of 500
BTUs amounts to less than one percent. So all it does is slightly reduce the
amount of subcooling, probably not even measurable with typical instruments.

--
Dennis

Good analysis. I've never seen it explained that way before. I have
seen at least one study that was done comparing the identical
installations of shaded vs no shade and the conclusion was similar.
It made no measurable difference in energy usage.

On Sat 01 Aug 2009 06:46:53a, DT told us...

In article 0,
says...
Our A/C Compressor/Condenser is only shaded by the shadow of our house
until about mid-morning. The rest of the day it sits in direct
sunlight. We live in the AZ desert where our summer temperatures are
typically 110°F and above by early afternoon.

Natural shade from trees or shrubs are not a practical solution, both
due to the location of the unit and the time it would take for the
plants to grow to a useful size.

I would like to construct something that would shield the unit from the
intense sun, yet also provide adequate air flow for the unit.


This comes up every year on various HVAC sites, the consensus is that it
does very little. To put some math to it:

The maximum heat gain from a surface directly facing the sun is about
1000 BTUs per square meter. The condenser has maybe a half meter of
surface facing the sun at any time, probably not even that since the sun
is overhead during the hottest weather.

You didn't say how large your HVAC is, but let's look at a 4 ton unit.
That provides 48,000 BTUs of cooling, and depending on the efficiency,
has to transfer approximately 55,000 BTUs of heat into the air. The
solar gain of 500 BTUs amounts to less than one percent. So all it does
is slightly reduce the amount of subcooling, probably not even
measurable with typical instruments.


Thanks, Dennis. This is very interesting information that I didn't know.
However, I am less concerned in improving performance (it is more than
adequate), than I am in wanting to minimize deterioration from the constant
sun exposure.

The house and A/C are both 3 years old. The A/C is a 13 seer 3-1/2 ton
unit. It appears to be properly sized for the house.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play
each time with a variation. Madam Benoit

On Sat 01 Aug 2009 07:25:43a, Dave told us...

On 7/31/2009 15:25 Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Dave" wrote in message
I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it
did nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my
house. My A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air
coming out of the vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the
ambient temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas
coming in on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

The water would make a difference in a marginal unit. Properly sized,
the heat carrying ability of the system will take care of the house.


My experiment was in a rental house I lived for a while. With outside
temps 110+ the A/C would never cool the house below 81 until after 7pm.
As I said before, the water had no effect.

The A/C unit was built in '97 and IIRC, it was a 2.5 ton 10 SEER on a
1250 sq/ft house. I'd consider that marginal if not inadequate.

I would consider it inadequate if an A/C cannot cool to the desired
temperature.

Both our house and A/C are 3 years old. The A/C is 3.5 ton 13 seer,
cooling a 1645 aq/ft. house. The house is extremely well insulated. We
normally cool to 75° on the weekends and from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
during the week. While we're at work we only cool down to 80°. To
conserve energy, I would make that 85°, except that we have several indoor
pets and aquariums.

Having said that, during "high activity levels" in the house, we often cool
down to 70-72°.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined
well. Virginia Woolf

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Thanks, Dennis. This is very interesting information that I didn't
know. However, I am less concerned in improving performance (it is
more than adequate), than I am in wanting to minimize deterioration
from the constant sun exposure.

The house and A/C are both 3 years old. The A/C is a 13 seer 3-1/2
ton unit. It appears to be properly sized for the house.

Paint the exposed parts with higly-reflective and durable paint.

On Sun 02 Aug 2009 10:24:42a, HeyBub told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Thanks, Dennis. This is very interesting information that I didn't
know. However, I am less concerned in improving performance (it is
more than adequate), than I am in wanting to minimize deterioration
from the constant sun exposure.

The house and A/C are both 3 years old. The A/C is a 13 seer 3-1/2
ton unit. It appears to be properly sized for the house.

Paint the exposed parts with higly-reflective and durable paint.

That may be a viable alternative. Thanks!



--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and
lie about your age. Lucille Ball

Nothing like a dose of glossy white.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Wayne Boatwright" wrote
in message
5.247...

Paint the exposed parts with higly-reflective and durable
paint.

That may be a viable alternative. Thanks!

On Aug 1, 9:47*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:
On Sat 01 Aug 2009 07:25:43a, Dave told us...





On 7/31/2009 15:25 Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Dave" wrote in message
I live in Phoenix and tried the water on the condenser trick and it
did nothing to help with cooling, at least not on the inside of my
house. My A/C unit ran just as long to cool the house and the air
coming out of the vents was no cooler.

I saw no benefit and wasted precious water in the process.

My limited knowledge of how A/C condensers work tells me that the
ambient temperature of the coils is not significant so long as the gas
coming in on the inlet side is changed to liquid on the output side.

The water would make a difference in a marginal unit. *Properly sized,
the heat carrying ability of the system will take care of the house.

My experiment was in a rental house I lived for a while. *With outside
temps 110+ the A/C would never cool the house below 81 until after 7pm.
* As I said before, the water had no effect.

The A/C unit was built in '97 and IIRC, it was a 2.5 ton 10 SEER on a
1250 sq/ft house. *I'd consider that marginal if not inadequate.

I would consider it inadequate if an A/C cannot cool to the desired
temperature.

Both our house and A/C are 3 years old. *The A/C is 3.5 ton 13 seer,
cooling a 1645 aq/ft. house. *The house is extremely well insulated. *We
normally cool to 75° on the weekends and from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
during the week. *While we're at work we only cool down to 80°. *To
conserve energy, I would make that 85°, except that we have several indoor
pets and aquariums.

Having said that, during "high activity levels" in the house, we often cool
down to 70-72°.

--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Wayne Boatwright * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* *One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined *
* * * * * * * * * * * * *well. *Virginia Woolf * * * * * * * * * * * *- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Living in an area where 110F+ temps are common, why did you go with
only a 13 seer unit 3 years ago? I would think the pay back from a
higher efficiency unit would be fast and go to putting more money in
your pocket than worrying about the effects of outside temps on the
life of the cooling eqpt.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Sun 02 Aug 2009 10:24:42a, HeyBub told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Thanks, Dennis. This is very interesting information that I didn't
know. However, I am less concerned in improving performance (it is
more than adequate), than I am in wanting to minimize deterioration
from the constant sun exposure.

The house and A/C are both 3 years old. The A/C is a 13 seer 3-1/2
ton unit. It appears to be properly sized for the house.

Paint the exposed parts with higly-reflective and durable paint.

That may be a viable alternative. Thanks!

Yeah, well, it don't cost much... and if you don't like it, you can paint it
back.

You know, thinking on it, maybe that white paint they use on roofs would
work. It's made for the action and, heck, it's got to be durable.

On Mon 03 Aug 2009 09:15:16a, HeyBub told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
On Sun 02 Aug 2009 10:24:42a, HeyBub told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Thanks, Dennis. This is very interesting information that I didn't
know. However, I am less concerned in improving performance (it is
more than adequate), than I am in wanting to minimize deterioration
from the constant sun exposure.

The house and A/C are both 3 years old. The A/C is a 13 seer 3-1/2
ton unit. It appears to be properly sized for the house.

Paint the exposed parts with higly-reflective and durable paint.

That may be a viable alternative. Thanks!

Yeah, well, it don't cost much... and if you don't like it, you can
paint it back.

You know, thinking on it, maybe that white paint they use on roofs would
work. It's made for the action and, heck, it's got to be durable.

I believe that some of those white roof products are supposed to have
insulating qualities, too.

Last year I noticed a neighbor resurfacing their roof with one of these
white products. They also used the same "paint" to cover their roof-
mounted swamp cooler. I should ask if it made a difference.

--
Wayne Boatwright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years
she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has
never been found. Calvin Trillin