Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Where to buy an AC compressor?

tnhrbtnhb - 18-1-2007 at 15:30

I posted http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=7423&a... and some people responded with some excellent posts, so thanks! I think an air conditioner compressor looks like my best bet, to boil about a cup of water out of some stuff..... I checked out the aspirators at nalgeneware.com but they don't pump below 38 torr or so (need <17) and the diaphragm pumps are very low volume and I don't need that low a vacuum, or corrosion resistance.

So, sorry if this is a bit OT, I asked this on an HVAC forum first, but didn't get any useful replies :-| : Where do you buy an AC compressor? Just what should I look for in the yellow pages sort of thing. There appears to be no such thing as as HVAC shop.

I checked ebay, but the shipping is killer.
I could cannabalize an AC unit, but I want to avoid the accumulated gunk that comes with a used unit. I'm using it for a food-involving thing.

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]

Magpie - 18-1-2007 at 16:25

By "AC compressor" do you mean vacuum pump used by AC technicians to evacuate AC cooling coils? If so, and you live in the US, Grainger (see website) is a likely source. Again you may have to pay freight. I don't know if Grainger will sell to the public. Call and ask. I couldn't buy a blower from them but an HVAC vendor bought it for me from Grainger and then sold it to me at no markup. :D

McMaster-Carr is another supplier of just about any kind of hardware. They have a website where you can access their full catalog. Again you will have to pay freight, however.

In my locality there is a business that supplies the AC technicians and doesn't normally sell to the public, although it will. I can't find it in the yellow pages. Ask your AC technician friend where he would by his supplies.

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by Magpie]

bio2 - 18-1-2007 at 17:55

A small rotary vane vacuum pump like the 1.2CFM Robinair
unit is less than $200 which is probably less than a new air-conditioning compressor which won't last long anyway.

Chemist514 - 30-1-2007 at 08:43

Quote:
Originally posted by tnhrbtnhb
I posted http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=7423&a... and some people responded with some excellent posts, so thanks! I think an air conditioner compressor looks like my best bet, to boil about a cup of water out of some stuff..... I checked out the aspirators at nalgeneware.com but they don't pump below 38 torr or so (need <17) and the diaphragm pumps are very low volume and I don't need that low a vacuum, or corrosion resistance.

So, sorry if this is a bit OT, I asked this on an HVAC forum first, but didn't get any useful replies :-| : Where do you buy an AC compressor? Just what should I look for in the yellow pages sort of thing. There appears to be no such thing as as HVAC shop.

I checked ebay, but the shipping is killer.
I could cannabalize an AC unit, but I want to avoid the accumulated gunk that comes with a used unit. I'm using it for a food-involving thing.

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]

[Edited on 19-1-2007 by tnhrbtnhb]


Find a local shop that does aplliance repair and ask there, I have found several usefull things at those shops..
infinity switches, jets, burners, insulating materials etc..
All the best sir!

EllisDTripp - 5-2-2007 at 18:22

Quote:
Originally posted by tnhrbtnhb

I could cannabalize an AC unit, but I want to avoid the accumulated gunk that comes with a used unit. I'm using it for a food-involving thing.


You may have a problem here. Hermetic compressors are cooled and lubricated by a quantity of oil which circulates through the system along with the refrigerant gas. When using one open to the atmosphere (as a vacuum pump), you need to keep a constant amount of oil in the compressor crankcase to keep from burning it up. Refrigeration oils are NOT suitable for food contact.