Vandalized & Beaten AC Compressor - Has anyone seen this before?

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lukekb

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We live in a 5 unit condo. Each unit has a separate HVAC system and the compressors for 3 of the units are out back in an alley. Last week someone tipped over all 3 units onto their sides and it looks like they beat them with a bat or jumped on them. No copper was stolen and it doesn't look like they were trying to open them.

The police came out to file a report, and they haven't seen this before... and Washington DC is a pretty crazy. Has anyone else seen anything like this before?

Our unit is the American Standard in the middle. We are having someone come out to take a look at it. It doesn't look like the lines are broken and there is no oil leaking. The exterior housing is bent, the fins look crushed, but the coil does not look bent. What are the chance that we will be able to stand it up right and get it going again?
 

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Thatguy

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We live in a 5 unit condo. Each unit has a separate HVAC system and the compressors for 3 of the units are out back in an alley. Last week someone tipped over all 3 units onto their sides and it looks like they beat them with a bat or jumped on them. No copper was stolen and it doesn't look like they were trying to open them.

The police came out to file a report, and they haven't seen this before... and Washington DC is a pretty crazy. Has anyone else seen anything like this before?
A vendetta against a tenant or against the building owner?
 

Jadnashua

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Why do people push over tombstones? Because they can...somebody probably just dared someone to do it, and it happened. Stupid, senseless, but it happens. You'd think people would get a life, but who knows...
 

Gary Swart

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It would be folly to guess what the repair problems might be. You will need an A/C serviceman to completely check the units and see what can be repaired and what can not be. Maybe you should have a cyclone fence enclosure for them.
 

lukekb

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Update!

So we had a tech come look at the system 3 weeks ago. I had turned the unit upright and unbent some of the side panels. I didn't turn on the system though.
When the tech came he turned the system to heat and tested the pressure and things looked good. However we have had the system running and it has been running a lot. According to our thermostat the system was running 17 out of 24 hours yesterday. We are in DC and it wasn't that cold out, my 35-40 and we have our thermostat set at 66F.

I measured the temperature of the pipe coming from the heat pump, after being on for about 15 minutes the outside of the pipe is about 115 degrees. The temperature at vents is about 15-20 degrees above room temeperature after the system has bee running for a bit, but it doesn't put out warm air right away. Last night the system was running for about 20 minutes and then would be off for 10 minutes before starting up again. This seems like a lot more than it used to.

Is it possible there was a small leak in the system that didn't start leaking since the system wasn't running? If there is a small leak, will it leak even if there system isn't on? Is it worth having them come back out and look at it?
 

Jimbo

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Sorry I didn't mention this before: An AC unit like that which has been over on its side may NEVER be right. But as a bare minimum, it needs to be upright for at LEAST 24 hours....maybe more.....before any attempt to charge it or run it. All the oil and liquid refrigerent has gone to the wrong places!
 

lukekb

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Icing

Thanks! I had it upright for about 5 days before the tech came to look at it and we started it up.

It is 39 out now and it is icing up a little on the bottom two rows of fins.
 
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