How to store window A/Cs?

[Don Wiss]

I have a couple of Panasonic window air conditioners that I have stored for several years with the front panels facing upwards. I switched to central air a few years ago and I'm trying to get rid of them. I found one fellow interested, but he and his brother claim that the way I have stored them has caused irreparable damage. Something about the refrigerant eating through the tubing and could cause leaking. This is new info to me! The units are about six years old, and are the ones with the electronic controls in the CW-XC series.

Is there any basis to their claim?

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[barry]

Nope. Pure bs. You could be distorting the elastic mounts that isolate the compressor from the frame, though.

HTH, J

[udarrell]

What he claims is not making sense to me. He could be simply trying to get you to reduce the price. - udarrell

[dpb]

Not on that basis, no...charitably, they're extrapolating from something the once heard about orientation and startup pressures, etc., and maybe some old ammonia-based systems lore/legend. Realistically, it's probably a little of that and a whole lot of attempt to get the price down as someone else noted.

Ask 'em what keeps the refrigerant from eating through the same tubes when it's being circulated. :)

You would want them oriented properly and set there for a while before operating, though. And I suspect if asked, the manufacturer would recommend storing in horizontal, upright position. But I don't think likely to have caused permanent damage.

[scott21230]

How does the owners manual say to store them?

[jah213]

If the OP's owners manuals are anything like the ones that came with my window a/c's, it doesn't say. There seems to be an assumption that once you put them in the windows, they'll stay there forever.

Jo Ann

[e-mail] wrote:

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Sort of in some circumstances.

If you move a refrigerator on its side in a pickup truck, you can have problems and a room AC is just a smaller version. There is plenty of info on this on the internet from reliable sources.

No, it will not eat away at the tubing. What can happen is the oil in the system can run out of the compressor and get into the coils. Standing in the proper position for a time will usually correct the problem. Since you have done this for several years, it evidently in not a big deal with the particular design of your units.

I Lay the Refrigerator on its Side? Avoid laying a refrigerator on its side. The oil in the compressor can flow into the cooling lines when the refrigerator is tipped onto its side. When returned to an upright position, there is a risk that the oil will not completely drain from the cooling lines and the refrigerator will not cool.

[PrecisionMachinisT]

These should always be stored with the compressor upside turned down--this will keep the oil from all settling to the bottom due to gravity.

[George E. Cawthon]

Probably not. But storing them with the front panel up also makes no sense. Should be store in the position that they would run.

I think the guys were just trying to get them extra cheap.

[Charles Schuler]

Yes. Storing refrigeration units in the wrong orientation can cause problems. However, they can often be salvaged by restoring them to a normal orientation and then waiting a week BEFORE powering them up.

[Don Wiss]

I looked through the manual and found nothing. It seems they expect you to leave them in the window once installed. When I was using them I did take them out every winter and stored them with the panels facing up. This way they take up less space, and are easy to carry around. Then after putting them back in they always worked fine.

I doubt he's trying to get the price down. I'm practically giving them away. There isn't much market for used air conditioners. Low-end units are so cheap these days that you can't sell used high-end units for much of anything.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[dpb]

Don Wiss wrote: ...

...

Is here, at least in mid-summer! :)

In that case, might consider getting in touch w/ some of the local relief agencies or similar. A tax write-off to a charitable organization might be worth more than you're trying to sell them for.

[Tim Fischer]

I don't think it will cause problems. As others pointed out, they should be returned to a normal configuraton for awhile (a week sounds long, but I'd wait a few days) before running).

There's no reason anyone has to know they were ever in this position. Just put them 'right' and what you don't say doesn't matter. I don't think you're misleading anyone since this shouldn't be a problem, but why cause unnecessary questions?

-Tim

[Al Moran]

He's interested yet says that the freon ate through the lines? You do the math dumbshit.

[Don Wiss]

In this case he has already seen them on end. He's my electrician, and he was here doing a job.

I could give (his sister?) a 5-year warranty. If they die within five years I'll give them their money back.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Power's Mechanical]

To answer your question, no the refrigerant will not eat throught the lines. What can happen though is depending on the location of the compressor suction and discharge lines, oil can drain out of the compressor and into the system. That can be a bad thing.

[Stormin Mormon]

I had a couple friends who did that. The weight mashed the fins on back of the unit, and was a PIA to get em straightened out. Bad storage technique.

I admit, they don't stack very well. Have to put a board on the top, back, to make em stack fairly level.

[Stormin Mormon]

What do you suggest?

[gofish]

that says it all in a nutshell some present company excluded....

[daytona]

HUUUUUHH...replace the elastic straps with new Velcro/elastic, so they can be changed faster next time.....right boss......right boss HUUHH HUUHH