Bay Breeze Compressor Replacement
If you have read my other webpages,
you know that I prefer to fix everything I can myself. While foremost is the satisfaction I get from
doing the work myself, I also know exactly who to blame for poor workmanship.
Unfortunately, between the certifications
needed to purchase Freon-22, and the myriad of special tools needed for
refrigeration work, servicing the pressurized portion of an air conditioning
system is something I just can not do.
But for my latest Airstream repair, there ended up being a lot of small
tasks before, during, and after the new compressor’s installation I handled
which made my HVAC service technician’s life easier, his time there $shorter$,
and improved the overall quality of the work done.
Step 1: Identify the problem. This was the easiest part of the entire
saga. Setting up camp at a state park in
Tennessee, the air conditioner produced no cold air even though the compressor
could be heard running albeit softer than normal. I figured the receiver-dryer had finally
rusted away enough to let the Freon leak out as, after the fan motor, it was
worst looking part of the system.
Step 2: Find an HVAC service technician willing to work on
the unit. This was the most exasperating
part of the return-to-service effort.
From what I have read, RV service centers, Airstream included, seldom
service an A/C unit preferring instead to replace the entire unit. With what ended up needing attention on my
unit, cost-wise, replacement would have been a viable option my unit was
constructed like RV A/Cs are made nowadays.
Modern day units are of a one-piece construction, and sit entirely on
the roof servicing the interior by means of one 14 inch square hole in the
roof. My unit has inside & outside
components which connect to each other by one fanshaft
sized hole, and one hole big enough to pass Freon & electrical lines
through. Between reading that my unit
was worth repairing, and the angst level involved in removing it, cutting a big
gaping hole in the roof, and mounting a new RV A/C, I opted for “repair if at
all possible”.
Although
being a homeowner since 1989, I have never needed any work done which involved
Freon. As a consequence, my search for a
service person started in the Yellow Pages.
I thought it would be a simple task after I explained that my RV A/C,
like regular home A/Cs, uses Freon-22.
Most of the people I spoke with on the phone would not even let me get
that far before saying “No!”. Some were
even rude about it. So I put the phone
book back in the drawer, and drove down to an HVAC supply house, and outlined
what I was looking to get done to the man behind the counter. Sure enough (I could almost see a bulb light
up over his head) he knew a guy who would treat the job like it ought to be
treated… just another job fixing a
refrigeration system.
Johnny Moseley, of Moseley’s Heating & Cooling,
showed up the next day with gauges & Freon sniffer in hand. Seeing as how the system had worked just fine
three or four weeks earlier, we were both surprised that he had to charge the
system slightly just to get any Freon to sniff for. But talk about leaks! Almost the entire lower surface of compressor
sent his sniffer into a tizzy. Although
the Receiver-Drier had almost the same effect, its condition became a moot
point because the R-D is always replaced when the compressor is. Johnny also soaped the compressor & R-D,
but none of the leaks were big enough to blow bubbles. Since all the coils & copper lines
sniffed okay, I felt pretty good about proceeding with the repair.
I
still can’t get over how much use this compressor gave me. Up until this time last year, all the topside
components had been covered for 23 years or so by wet pine straw. So it was no mystery as to why everything was
rusted as badly as it was. I was
incredulous last year when replacing the fan motor that
the compressor had any Freon in it, let alone worked. So I have no complaints about the
compressor’s service life.
Step 3: Decide on replacement parts, and who buys
them. Most Airstream enthusiasts seem to
agree that the Armstrong Furnace Company used an 11,000 Btu compressor in the Bay
Breeze units manufactured for Overlanders in
1967. Unfortunately, Tecumseh (OEM) no
longer makes this size compressor.
Present day choices are limited to 10k & 12k Btus. Advising Johnny of this, I asked him to round
up all parts necessary to make my unit blow cold air again. No problem there. After looking at the rusted-up condition of
the four mounting points, he also had no problem with cutting the Freon lines
to allow me to remove the old compressor, and prep the mounts for a new
one. Actually, I think he was relieved –
We both knew the mounting nuts were going to snap off; and I knew my labor was
a lot cheaper than his overcoming this particular problem.
Step 4: Prep for new compressor. Well, the square nuts did not snap
off…immediately. The stud and all
free-wheeled in place
. BTW, have you tried lately to find an 8-point
socket to loosen 4-flat nuts? All that
work for nothing.
Plan
2: Dremel tool.
Not enough room.
Plan
3: Brute force . Noticing that the compressor’s baseplate was
also incredibly rusted, I yerked the compressor to
the left, then to the right, then front, den back; And anudder
one, and anudder one!
The compressor was out before the end of round 1.
Cutting
the rubber bushing off of its bushing, I was able to lock Vicegrips
on it, and then break three of the
four studs off just below the mounting bolts.
I must be getting better – I expected to break all four!
The studs appeared to be the threaded part of a 5/16-20
elevator bolt. So, to solve the
free-wheeling issue, 1/8 inch D holes were drilled, and the hardware secured
with cut off steel nails and JBWeld.
Rummaging
around my miscellaneous nuts & bolts box, I found, what I will call “cap
nuts with an extended, threaded collar” to use to make up for the portion of
the stud which left with the nut. I was
glad to identify this solution, as Johnny’s solution involved the use of 3/8
inch D, self-tapping sheet metal screws.
From a leak path perspective, I was not real keen on it. I could have done what I did for the fan
motor mounts, but Johnny appeared to share my enthusiasm for my approach.
Step 5: Call Johnny back.
After his initial visit, Johnny advised me he would be out of time for a
week, so I knew camping was out for a while.
When he got back in town, he had a week’s worth or “regulars” to handle
before me. It was a rough two weeks
waiting to go camping again!. He did,
however, keep me posted on the phone, so I knew he hadn’t forgot about me.
The
new compressor, although a 1000 Btus stronger, was smaller than the original
one. Even though it too was made by
Tecumseh, you would never know it by the way both the electrical, and Freon connections
were arranged. The new capacitor was
also less than half the size of the old one. BTW, if you plan to purchase your own
compressor, the mounting plate is sold separately from the compressor, and not
welded to the can like days of old. Come
to find out, though, the receiver-dryer is still a stock, common part.
The installation went fairly smooth although it took
close to three hours of labor to accomplish the installation. The bulk of that time was making or arranging
plumbing fittings to line the modern day compressor up with the existing
plumbing. I have no qualms about any of
the work Johnny did, and would recommend him to you (Johnny’s number is (256)
990-2587) if you live in North Alabama.
I
have been trying, both in my mind, and on the Internet, to figure out the
consequences of using a compressor rated roughly 8% higher in Btus than my old
one. Additional cooling will not happen in
any significance because my coils, capillary tube, and airflow are not rated
for the extra capacity. Since Johnny’s gauges
indicated system pressures on par with what was to be expected out of the old
compressor, I assume that the new compressor has some sort of internal relief
valve which effectively vents the extra Btus internally without ever taking
advantage of their cooling potential. I
don’t know. If you do, please feel to
share the correct answer with me.
Miscellaneous: Old
compressor: AJK14-215; New compressor: AK111AT-004-J7