1984 Carrier Siesta 5000 BTU Air Conditioner

[@renatofurnas]

I love this compressor startup. I have a friend who had one of this in 80`s. Actually their parents still with this unit in their house . My LG 5000 BTU power is 440W against 730w of this carrier.

[@chrisbeck8182]

The fan motor alone uses over 100 watts compared to almost half that on my 5000 Panasonic.

[@morganmend]

I knew there had to be others out there who appreciate a great AC unit! I’ve had a 1999 Daewoo 12,000 BTU DWC-121C in the window every year since it was purchased in 1999. It still works just as good as it did then. I’m always looking around for another one but I am unable to find them anywhere. My grandparents had quite a few of these old wood grained units and I always found their hum relaxing. Great video!

[@chrisbeck8182]

Just keep it clean and maintained and it will last a very long time. Don't let it rust - I highly recommend drilling drain holes to get the condensate OUT of the unit. The efficiency loss is only a few percent, if that. The "no-drip" designs came about from where units were stacked in apartment building windows above each other floor to floor. Imagine how annoying it would be hearing water dripping down on the case of your unit all night long, not to mention all the water raining down on the sidewalks below...LOL.

[@vanni9283]

That compressor speaks for itself! Especially when it starts up!!!

[@stevenmorgenstern5195]

Great find and great installation job! Also one of the best AC videos I've seen.

[@psychedelicnarwhal9599]

Ahhhhhh yes, the grand Tecumseh AE compressor. One of my absolute favorites!

[@1998MonroeNYColonial]

These old A/Cs are definitely a lot better than the newer ones. #theydontmakethemliketheyusedto

[@Mariano.Bernacki]

Nah, they used to make crappy units as well. Of course, the crappy ones never made it to today :)

[@brunoshow124]

@@vacexpert2020 the WCI units were really good units, even the later ones were built like the old ones.

[@vacexpert2020]

@@brunoshow124 I prefer older units, they tend to be quieter, my favorite unit is my 1996 Sharp Comfort Touch though my Kelvinator is pretty rare and I also have a rare old Montgomery Wards by Frigidaire 7000btu unit that has a Fasco fan motor and a Toshiba rotary compressor, it's 7000btus packed in a 5000btu form factor, I don't use it much because I don't have a window it'll fit in,

[@brunoshow124]

@@vacexpert2020 I have a bunch of wci units from the 80s till the 2000s. I have a few older ones like an 18000 btu carrier I have to dig out and play with as well as a 5000 btu GE Fashionette that's almost perfect. I dont use the GE since I don't want it to rot out the frame but I do put it in a window from time to time and let it run. I will have to make videos of my (way to many) ac this summer.

[@vacexpert2020]

@@brunoshow124 I find treating the chassis with a corrosion inhibiting clear coat will help reduce corrosion, that and running the unit on fan only for a few days in the fall before removal to dry it out

[@ericfreeze1945]

I like how the wood grain grill matches with furniture or hardwood flooring. And some modern units look out of place.

[@semarugaijin9451]

What a cool channel, I never would have thought that anyone else appreciated this kind of stuff

[@seanhamilton3634]

The real music is at 4:48 I could just sleep listening to the sound of the compressor!

[@ninodrago7917]

yeah me to

[@arcticarrowhvacr]

You pick up some real treasures!

[@chrisbeck8182]

Vann Berg HVAC - Thanks. I’d estimate maybe 1 in 500 listings is a decent vintage unit. Lots of junk to sort through to find the gems.

[@rajlovinglife]

you said reciprocating based compressors these are piton type compressors giving good efficiency and quick cooling but is noisy and consumes more electricity than rotatory compressor........now a days a rotatory compressor is widely used......those old units last longer than the new inverter series units...yes inverter ac save on electricity bills ans gives consistent cooling ..in inverter ac the major fault happens to be the pcb unit it can malfunction due to voltage fluctuations and spikes and there are two pcb controllers in inverter ac one that is situated outside the outdoor unit it is prone to failure.....that is why a non inverter ac is better for less maintenance........great video..good work..

[@chrisbeck8182]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, modern units can be very efficient, but also prone to failures just as you say. Sometimes I think the energy saved is more than offset by having to make more units to replace the ones that fail.

[@67tr876]

wow I love it !!!! I have to find one of my own

[@mccoy79productions66]

Nice video sir!

[@willthetrill4849]

That unit is a recommended unit for bedroom use

[@xbr0k3nhal0x]

id love to find one of those

[@aleisterblacke]

This is very similiar to the model I have. 2 days ago, it began leaking water on the inside. Yikes! I am on the 4th floor of an apartment building. I did not know it had a drain plug, so tomorrow (it's 10pm right now), I will undo the sliding panel on the side, reach out, find the plug, and pull it, to drain. I already adjusted it earler for a better angle, but it began leaking water inside again, so will have adjust it again, but only after I drain it. thanks for the info!

[@chrisbeck8182]

Aleister Blacke - I added the drain plug. They don’t have one from the factory. Most likely the unit is dirty enough to cause the condensation to back up and overflow inside.

[@aleisterblacke]

@@chrisbeck8182 so, no plug, but there is a hole?

[@chrisbeck8182]

Aleister Blacke - Nope. I drilled it.

[@aleisterblacke]

@@chrisbeck8182 Well hell. Looks like I'll be doing a 1 inch drop to the back then. Thanks! Saves me the trouble of reaching out and feeling around!

[@aleisterblacke]

@@vacexpert2020 I let it sit for 3 days in the heat (my apartment was burning up), and the sun dried it out, so it worked fne, until the next storm, then it started to do it again. I said screw it and ordered a new one via amazon prime. The old one was like 35 years old, and was in need of replacement anyway. Am like this new one, and, it has a drain hole! LOL

[@ESDI80]

I run window units with my central A/C as well. Better to just freeze out the rooms I use most instead of the entire house. When I’m in a given room, I’ll switch on a window unit to drop the temp some.

[@JordanU]

Did you remove the evaporator chamber when cleaning? I'm trying to clean mine out, the motor is locking up so it needs to be fully dissembled for bearing lubrication as well. I'm having difficulty getting the evaporator chamber free on the left side. It's free on the right but will not separate from the evaporator coil on the left.

[@chrisbeck8182]

Hey, Jordan. I just looked through the pictures I took when I had it apart and no, I didn't need to disassemble anything to clean it. However, it appears that the motor mounts to a plate that is attached to the bulkhead. flic.kr/s/aHsmECCpXo The plate is large enough so that the blower wheel will fit through the hole. You just need to move the condenser out of the way far enough to clear the fan motor. At least that's how it appears. I was able to snake my Zoom spout oiler down to the front bearing oil port using some long tweezers so it didn't need to come apart. Good luck!

[@JordanU]

@@chrisbeck8182 I was not able to pull the wheel through the evaporator chamber, the hole was a bit too small. Somehow I was eventually able to free the camber and pull it up and out. It still gets hung in the same place after reassembly, I'm really not sure what it's getting caught on.

[@catherineplett2541]

I have this exact unit and for some reason when I put it on siesta mode it freezes up. Any helpful suggestions?

[@chrisbeck8182]

There are several possible causes. 1) The air filter material could be too thick or restrictive blocking air flow. You should be able to see thru it (relatively coarse black foam, 1/8" thick). 2) The fan motor could need lubrication and it doesn't spin fast enough on the lowest speed to keep the coil from freezing up. 3) The room temperature is too cold. Cooling below 68-70F indoor on a cool evening outside can cause freeze-ups. 4) The condenser(outside) and evaporator (inside) coils could be dirty. Lastly, 5) the unit could be low on charge, which is possible, but pretty rare. I have 10 vintage a/c's dating back to 1965 and all of them still have 100% full charge. If the unit has never been taken apart and cleaned I am sure it sorely needs it. This would be time to oil the fan motor as well. Not all require lubrication, but my Siesta has oil ports. There are several videos on here that show the basic process of removing the case and cleaning the coils. After 20, 30, 40+ years, every unit I have cleaned was absolutely filthy!

[@catherineplett2541]

@@chrisbeck8182 Thank you so much! We will attempt your suggestions.

[@redleader6442]

Does anyone know if these came in white? I swear my dad had one of these in white when I was a little kid, but I can't find any info anywhere. This is identical, save for the wood grain.

[@chrisbeck8182]

There was a Siesta that was white in the 90’s/early 2000’s but it was a completely different chassis. Try looking through Ken Horan’s repository of info: air-conditioner-man.tumblr.com/

[@redleader6442]

@@chrisbeck8182 I know, the Siesta II. My dad's was definitely the exact shape as the 1, down to the lines on the front filter cover and old school push buttons and dial on top. I couldn't find what I was looking for when I was on that very same Tumblr earlier today when I stumbled on it by accident. My only guess is that my dad must've painted the front of his 80s Siesta white. He also replaced the temp dial with an old oven dial since the original was lost decades ago at this point. I definitely recognize the compressor sound. It sounds like my childhood when I'd watch Star Trek with my dad in his room with popcorn. Thanks for your reply!

[@redleader6442]

I'm about to get one of these Siesta units shipped to me. How heavy are they?

[@johnerwin9024]

huh..don't remember seeing a window unit with wood grain finishing

[@chevyfan9853]

That compressor sounds amazing! Check out the vid on my channel of my 70s carrier it’s not a siesta but same compressor and amazing sound. It also slings a lot of water lol

[@michaelmcbride7935]

They don't build them like that anymore.