What's this?

#1

Inspected a condo today with a new 2.5 ton Bryant condensing unit. The compressor was encased in what appeared to be a plastic or rubber covering of some sort. At first I thought the installer had forgotten to remove some type of packing material but the other 15 units were the same and many were in use. I don’t ever remember seeing this and am just wondering what the purpose is. The photo is difficult to see but it is looking down into the unit from the top. The compressor covering is fairly obvious.

bryant_ac.jpg

#2

Mike,

I believe it’s encased in acoustic foam to eliminate noise.

#3

Well, they were quiet. Maybe that’s it. I kind of thought it would act as an insulator and increase the compressor heat and maybe shorten it’s life.

#4

It will if the refrigerant charge is not maintained!

Small refrigerant leaks take a long time to be noticed indoors. In the process, the refrigerant capacity becomes maxed out at lower design temperatures. There is no longer the ability for the refrigerant to absorb heat. The suction line enters the compressor from the top, cooling the compressor from the top, down. This design also prevents refrigerant slugging if liquid refrigerant should bake it back to the compressor.

When you feel a properly operating systems suction line it should “suck” the heat out of your hand and feel cold. If it is not doing this, the compressor cooling may be compromised.

This compressor insulation prevents the air-over cooling effect available to most compressors from the condenser fan (which is a secondary means of keeping the compressor cool).

So Michael, you are correct.

#5

That is a noise supressor blanket to prevent the compressor operating noise from being annoying to people on porch or next to bedroom windows. Carrier has used these for several years in their products because their compressors are very noisy

Ralph Ramsey
www.1stchoicehomeinspections.biz
Air Excellence