Plumbing question

[SexyMF]

This evaporator.



Cut in half and at one end (as to get a template and u-bends)
Leaving me with a preplumbed segment and a totally unplumbed chunk





I'd like to replumb like this:



Anyone see any problems?



For the other segment I've made up side plates and will plumb it like the bottom of the preplumbed bit. 3 rows.

[SexyMF]

The reason of cutting was to get 2 units at a little over 120mm each. This seems to be an adequate size.

[wdrzal]

By the time you buy 2 sets of U bends, about 40+, enough rod to do 80+ joints.2 to a U bend, the gas to braze with, you could have purchased 2 condensors the correct size. that doesn't count your time, leak testing, hope you can braze well.

[SexyMF]

By the time you buy 2 sets of U bends, about 40+, enough rod to do 80+ joints.2 to a U bend, the gas to braze with, you could have purchased 2 condensors the correct size. that doesn't count your time, leak testing, hope you can braze well.

I have ample u-bends from a another wrecked condensor and it will only take at most 2 rods to braze. My time is free. Leak testing is free and brazing isn't any different from any other joint.

It only requires 16 bends.

[gclg2000]

By the time you buy 2 sets of U bends, about 40+, enough rod to do 80+ joints.2 to a U bend, the gas to braze with, you could have purchased 2 condensors the correct size. that doesn't count your time, leak testing, hope you can braze well.

i agree.

[SexyMF]

Well, best tell me the local shop in New Zealand which will sell me a appropriate size condensor then.

Oh wait there are none.

[[XC] gomeler]

Nice job sexymf, goodluck with that, I was considering doing the same since I can't find a cheap source of 120mm triple row condensors and I live in Atlanta, USA. Not exactly a "normal" sized condensor, or so one of my hvac guys said to me.

[runmc]

I wish you success with the rebuild. Make sure you clean all the metal pieces out of the tubes really well or they will wind up in your captube.

[wdrzal]

You did do a nice job on halfing it, What did you use to make the cut??????

[SexyMF]

@wdrzal : I cut it by hand with a good'ol hacksaw. Slowly.

Well, I replumbed it. Put my lips onto one end and blocked the other. No major leakage. It's a good start.

Will obviously need to pressure test and thermally cycle to see how things go.

All other sized pieces are scavanged from a old A/C evaporator (damaged).

This is precleaned. I will flush out all the crap with a proper product (for free).





Crude shroud cut form a chunk of scrap metal.

[Jort]

nicely done

ps: your camera time is wrong:p

[{.bLanK} GoD]

Well, best tell me the local shop in New Zealand which will sell me a appropriate size condensor then.

Oh wait there are none.

My point exactly.
Nice work there dude.
I'm going to be needing several small chunky condensors, so I decided to also make them myself.
So far I have cut them all to size.



Peeled back the fins off two sections which will eventually be one double pass condensor.



Now the problem i have is Copper bends, and the lack of.
I have 2 different schematics of how to route the bends
This is the first one I came up with.


and the second schematic.


My plan was to use the first schematic, but I can't quite bend 1/4" copper pipe, 180°, with an 8mm radius.
So thats when I came up with the second schematic. It should still work as good as the first one, but I will only mostly need 10.5mm radius bends, which I will be able to make up myself.
Can anybody see any problem with this idea before I go ahead and make a hundred of these little 180° bends?

[SexyMF]

I struck the same issue - that the bend was to tight. So I did schematic #2. The parallel paths seem to work fine. I think this is mainly because it is mostly gas.

[Brettbeck]

Nice job .

Now all you could do with is one of those condenser comb things to straighten all the aluminium. I think NoL mentioned them once.