Cutting an access to my internal AC pan

[Jsf721]

Is this a good or bad idea. The unit was opened, which is a big production based on how it was installed. Wile it was opened we clean out whatever junk was in there (not too much). If I cut a hole in the right spot, I could feed drain pan pills and close the hole with HVAC tape. Good idea? Bad Idea ? Necessary or not?

thanks

 

[fitter30]

If the condensate tablets don't touch the water they won't help. Usually the slime builds up in the drain piping. Most coil enclosure are insulated cutting a hole in the cabinet would compromise the insulation and might start sweating. Plus i wouldn't take a chance unless pulling the coil to cut a hole my luck it would start to hiss.

 

[bonneyman]

I thought about doing something like that on regular maintenance jobs. Remove the panel, use a Greenlee punch to make a nice hole, and use a chrome metal hole plug to close it. Can be popped off whenever necessary to drop in a tablet then snapped right back on. The plugs come in standard sizes so finding the right one shouldn't be too difficult.

https://www.lowes.com/pl/specialty-hardware/hole-plugs/chrome/4294711044-4294820010

 

[Wrench97]

First step is to go find the idiot that installed so the door won't come off and hang him from the nearest tree........

 

[bonneyman]

First step is to go find the idiot that installed so the door won't come off and hang him from the nearest tree........

That is very common practice. Installers are not service techs. They don' think that way - they look at the job from the point of how to get it in the quickest and with the least amount of hassle. Because the bosses are screaming at them to hurry up all the time.
I worked for this service company which also had a large installation department. Regularly they'd install units up against a wall where a service guy couldn't get in there to remove the panel and effect repairs. I complained about one job that was like this. What did they do? They sent the installers back out....and they punched a 2 foot by 4 foot hole in the wall to allow access to the control panel!

 

[Jsf721]

First step is to go find the idiot that installed so the door won't come off and hang him from the nearest tree........

Basically did that not really but we’re no longer on speaking terms.

 

[Codyboy]

That is very common practice. Installers are not service techs. They don' think that way - they look at the job from the point of how to get it in the quickest and with the least amount of hassle. Because the bosses are screaming at them to hurry up all the time.
I worked for this service company which also had a large installation department. Regularly they'd install units up against a wall where a service guy couldn't get in there to remove the panel and effect repairs. I complained about one job that was like this. What did they do? They sent the installers back out....and they punched a 2 foot by 4 foot hole in the wall to allow access to the control panel!

It seems like the installer would install it for the easiest to access . I mean don't they have to access all the doors and panels for electrical, linesets or whatever?

Maybe they did and another trade came in and added a wall by request of the GC or homeowner.
If the non existing wall at the time was on the plan and just not built yet then yeah thats on the installer for not looking at the plans.

 

[Jsf721]

It seems like the installer would install it for the easiest to access . I mean don't they have to access all the doors and panels for electrical, linesets or whatever?

Maybe they did and another trade came in and added a wall by request of the GC or homeowner.
If the non existing wall at the time was on the plan and just not built yet then yeah thats on the installer for not looking at the plans.

Nope- Unit was installed after the house was built as is.

 

[bonneyman]

It seems like the installer would install it for the easiest to access . I mean don't they have to access all the doors and panels for electrical, linesets or whatever?

Maybe they did and another trade came in and added a wall by request of the GC or homeowner.
If the non existing wall at the time was on the plan and just not built yet then yeah thats on the installer for not looking at the plans.

IIRC the wall was there when they did the install. They were replacing and old unit and the newer, high efficiency unit was probably dimensionally larger. So, in order to keep the ductwork costs down, they crammed it in the original spot so the supply and return would line up. That left it 6 inches form the wall. Being installers they never have to so service work, so, no problem for them.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

First step is to go find the idiot that installed so the door won't come off and hang him from the nearest tree........

Reminds me of a job I inspected 15 years ago and failed.
Roof top commercial unit was installed next to a parapet wall (24” away) and you couldn’t open the hinged door fully to change the fuses…….. This "jackass HVAC contractor" argued with me for a month until I held firm on the failure until he moved the unit away from the wall so you could open the door 90*.

BTW! Sadly, this was a "big job" to move the unit and repair the roof.

 

[toplessHO]

Reminds me of a job I inspected 15 years ago and failed.
Roof top commercial unit was installed next to a parapet wall (24” away) and you couldn’t open the hinged door fully to change the fuses…….. This "jackass HVAC contractor" argued with me for a month until I held firm on the failure until he moved the unit away from the wall so you could open the door 90*.

BTW! Sadly, this was a "big job" to move the unit and repair the roof.

not to mention proper working space clearances by NEC