[freonguy]

Compressor on the roof

Nonepepsi:

I hope you can appreciate why the established members of this forum are a bit touchy about giving out info; I watched this thread since last week - and no, you have not explained the situation fully. I will add a few facts and some questions for you to ask a pro or 2 or 3 who can come to your site and look at the big picture.

1) The equipment that goes outside ( or in your case, perhaps on the roof ) is called a condensing unit and contains the compressor and condenser,

2) The unit is rated in '' tons '' of capacity, and one ton = 12,000 btu/hr.,

3) A 5 ton condensing unit would weigh about 300 - 400 pounds and must be installed correctly so it does not sink into the roof,

4) As for noise, the new equipment can be very quiet if installed properly; that being said, someone who is reputable and can communicate effectively with both the restaurant owner and the building owner has to look at the big picture.

Questions -

A) Why does the condensing unit have to be on the roof? Where is the rest of the heating and ventilating equipment for the kitchen presently? In my opinion, putting a condensing unit 50 + feet higher than the evaporator is asking for trouble ( oil return for one ).

B) Is the so called 5 ton unit the right size for the application - has a proper heat load calculation been done ( to account for equipment and building load )?

C) Does the roof have the capacity to have a 400 pound load sitting on it? Will there be proper curbs installed ? Does an engineer have to be consulted?

If you aren't paying for this, make sure there is something in writing to answer your concerns - a reputable company can give peace of mind. These are just a start to the questions that need to be asked - Good Luck!