Got the updates… not liking what I found.

[@johncantwell8216]

Ken Horan's Tumblr page lists the 1957 Philco Heavy Duty unit at 20,000 BTU using a Tecumseh B 2HP compressor, and the Philco service manual shows that model requiring a 15-amp 230V circuit. Very efficient!

[@kenb1918]

Man I’d love to have one of them!

[@Kevinsrack]

15A for 18k btu? That type of efficiency is crazy, it'd really be a shame not to save that! Not sure if you've ever cut a rotary open before (I have), but the housing is at least 3/16" thick, it'd probably take the rest of your life in a salty environment for that to rot out enough to cause a leak. Also, do I spy Collinite Insulator Wax on the operating table?

[@Kevinsrack]

10A* Even by today's standards, that's crazy efficient!

[@kenb1918]

That’s all I needed lol. Time to save it lol. And yea, love that wax! Stuff works good!

[@air_conditioner_man]

Hey Ken, Hopefully that rotary compressor can be saved. It looks like a Sanyo to me, and if so, it is one of the best rotary compressors made. If it can’t be saved, consider finding a replacement Sanyo. Although not made any more, try a surplus refrigeration dealer which may have new old stock Sanyos. That Tecumseh ‘AH’ you pointed out in your video is quite inefficient, as are ‘AJ’, ‘AU’, ‘AE’, and ‘AK’. (As a general rule most 2-pole reciprocating compressors are inefficient). I would recommend not using it as a replacement. Try to find a surplus Sanyo rotary or a reciprocating Tecumseh ‘B’ or Bendix-Westinghouse ‘CH’ to maintain the Emerson’s integrity. Also it’s best to use the unit’s wattage draw as an indicator of efficiency instead of amperes. Because of the alternating current phenomena, factors such as power factor come into play and wattage can give a much more accurate account of efficiency, i.e. BTU/watt ratio.

[@kenb1918]

Hi Ken! Thank you very much! This one is a Mitsubishi, everyone on Facebook is pushing for a recip swap. I too want to keep it a rotary simply for that low amp/wattage draw! So far it’s been holding 75 psi of nitrogen so maybe I’ll try more if it holds for a couple days?

[@redleader6442]

Oh dear. I am really glad I caught my Tecumseh AJ before the rust got THAT bad...

[@kenb1918]

What unit do you have with a AJ in it?

[@redleader6442]

@@kenb1918 Welbilt Super Power Master 11,000 BTU from the mid-60s. About to restore it once I get some wire brushes, rust primer and paint. Still gets nice and chilly. Video on my channel from before pending restoration and before I opened it to spot the rust and the type of recip it has. Just a start-up vid, if you're curious.

[@hvacexplained9341]

Everything that you’re doing Ken is benefiting yourself for the better. This makes a technician a better technician by far understanding how it’s built and why is it designed the way it is. I really believe every production worker as well as beginning apprentices would benefit from complete unit teardowns when they are going to the scrapyards. I have seen compressors weep through the welds on a scroll compressor but I believe it was a Copeland. I have seen ones on a York unit down south side it literally looks like the size of a baby blue out of the bottom of a reciprocating compressor causing the whole charge to blow out. Lol. Glad you’re doing well wish you came down to Trane in Canonsburg when they had their grand opening on the addition. They had 3 1/2 ton condenser scratch and dent’s for $100. Insane!!! Good luck on that leak search hope to meet up with you soon I am moving to Florida by December.

[@kenb1918]

Thank you! This unit might turn into another case of idk why this thing was very low on gas…. I’ve had like 3 that hold pressure for a week strait and pass a vacuum test! Man wish I had known about! I’d have bought them all! And yea find me on Facebook and we could try to link up!

[@hvacexplained9341]

@@kenb1918 Heyyyy I see you responded to this 18 minutes ago aren’t you supposed to be at work right now? Lmao.

[@hvacexplained9341]

@@kenb1918 Believe it or not I found a majority of times random refrigerant leaks are from none other than the Schrader. And typical window units there are no Schrader’s as you can see. But yes they are extremely small leaks and sometimes best to just add gas once per year and be done with it. I know technically that’s not the right way but sometimes it’s not worth your time. But once again it makes you a better technician going as far as you do with the equipment especially older stuff. I hate throwing away something that could be used again

[@hvacexplained9341]

@@kenb1918 I got kicked off Facebook again last night for the third or fourth time so I’m currently banned. 😂😂😂 I do post videos on TikTok under the same screen name and icon.

[@kenb1918]

@@hvacexplained9341 I plead the 5th

[@willthetrill4849]

Recip swap time. I know you don’t want to have the unit use more than 10 amps but just as Russ said, a recip will sound nicer

[@kenb1918]

I’m kinda dead set on not giving up on the rotary. It was running fine, just getting rusty lol. I’m probably being over cautious and need to just set it out in the yard and put some real pressure to it.