Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 It gets hot here. Summer and well into fall daily temperatures are almost always over 100°, and often over 110°. I don't care who you are, that's warm. Also, we have the most expensive electricity in the land - many people pay uphill of $500 - $750 per month just to maintain; even those who aren't charging their Prius. Or Prii for the multiple Prius households. On the plus side, it truly IS a "dry" heat! And this is a good thing, because for those who can stand it, evaporative coolers work quite well at a fraction of the cost of powering a central air conditioning system. I am one of those fortunate souls. For many years I have survived the summer heat with my Australian made Bonaire Durango window cooler. It's VERY efficient, and easily keeps my indoor temp up to thirty degrees below the outside Hint of Hell. Well, dadgummit, the trusty ol' window box failed on Sunday evening. Rattled and stopped. So, I have a choice. Pay outrageous amounts of money to the power company to fire up the central air; buy a new Durango for about $725 with tax; buy a replacement motor for $169 - $340 plus tax and shipping... or... replace the motor bearings for about five bucks. Guess which route I chose? I tore the old motor out and apart, and removed the shot bearings. Read the clearly stamped number on the old ones, and ordered up replacements from Amazon. They arrived promptly - like, the next day! Set out to install 'em this afternoon. No joy. Same number stamped on the bearings as the original... but the $*%&^ inner race is 285 hundred-thousandths smaller than the original! Damn near three-thousandths too small! Blasted things will NOT fit the rotor shaft! Doh!! Needin' a 32mm x 13mm x 10mm. The ones shipped are 32mm x 12mm x 10mm. Amazon sez they got the correct one ~ but "out of stock," natcherly. Even Grainger doesn't list 'em. So I gotta try a local search.... Wonderin' how long it would take me to Dremel grind out three-thousands of hardened inner bearing race.... Phooey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffield, SASS #23454 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Polishing .003" off the shafts comes to mind, but you may not want to go down that rabbit hole. Drink lots of water and take electrolyte replacements hile you search for those bearings. Tw, has the rest of the unit started to rust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Sorry to hear about your cooler, Hardpan. You probably need to do what I did once you get your unit running or replaced. Buy a backup unit. Even if it’s only one of those stand-alone room AC units you may be able to find for around $400. Dont get me started on the costs of electricity there. I ran my central air nearly every day. My average electric bill was $250-$300 last year. SoCal Edison started sending us these little reminders that our household was using too much electricity. Last summer I called them and basically told them “Hey, I pay my bill. What is the problem? You sell me electricity to make money correct? Then take my money and shut the hell up!” A few months back we got these neat little reminders that “they” had a new Tier System that was going to save us money and reduce power consumption if we followed their plan. My energy bill doubled. I guess the tier plan was to join the brainwashed city-heads, those with CA Stockholm Syndrome, or pay double for not falling in line with the party directives. My last bill from them was just under $600. Sorry for the rant. Believe it or not I edited down…a lot! By the way, unless you have a machine shop that you can remove .003” easily I would come up with another plan…Why? Something else will go wrong and add days to your torture. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 I might be able to help you out. Is it a flange bearing? Could you post a picture of the old bearing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 A industrial bearing supplier should have them. Replace both while you are have it apart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Is it possible that it's a press fit? Maybe need to freeze the shaft and warm the bearing. .003 does seem a bit however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderRiverCowboy Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Most of the time on those are installed by Liquid nitrogen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 6 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: Sorry to hear about your cooler, Hardpan. You probably need to do what I did once you get your unit running or replaced. Buy a backup unit. Even if it’s only one of those stand-alone room AC units you may be able to find for around $400. Dont get me started on the costs of electricity there. I ran my central air nearly every day. My average electric bill was $250-$300 last year. SoCal Edison started sending us these little reminders that our household was using too much electricity. Last summer I called them and basically told them “Hey, I pay my bill. What is the problem? You sell me electricity to make money correct? Then take my money and shut the hell up!” A few months back we got these neat little reminders that “they” had a new Tier System that was going to save us money and reduce power consumption if we followed their plan. My energy bill doubled. I guess the tier plan was to join the brainwashed city-heads, those with CA Stockholm Syndrome, or pay double for not falling in line with the party directives. My last bill from them was just under $600. Sorry for the rant. Believe it or not I edited down…a lot! By the way, unless you have a machine shop that you can remove .003” easily I would come up with another plan…Why? Something else will go wrong and add days to your torture. My 2 cents. We recently went to the “tiered” system. Most expensive time….. 4:00pm till 10:00 pm. They have a running graph of our usage ytd. Our overall usage has gone down nearly 20% but our bill has slightly more than doubled. Apparently power used during the time you are most likely to be home is the most valuable and you should be sitting outside with a hand fan or something! Can’t wait for winter! Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Joker Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Sandpaper. Run motor, check often. Get bearing on shaft. Unbreak it for 2 months so you don't die of heat prostration. If everything works : GREAT! If it runs for 2 months and breaks ... heats done for the year buy new motor at off season prices, maybe get a backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Some industrial applications will have to put the motor in a freezer to shrink the shaft, while boiling the bearing to expand it enough to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 25, 2022 Author Share Posted August 25, 2022 Got 'em! Local bearing and hydraulic shop had three of 'em in stock. Still "Hecho in China." And instead of four for eight bucks on Amazon, they were $12 each. But that's okay... they had 'em and now I got 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 2 hours ago, Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life said: We recently went to the “tiered” system. Most expensive time….. 4:00pm till 10:00 pm. They have a running graph of our usage ytd. Our overall usage has gone down nearly 20% but our bill has slightly more than doubled. Apparently power used during the time you are most likely to be home is the most valuable and you should be sitting outside with a hand fan or something! Can’t wait for winter! Regards Gateway Kid That’s what happened with us. They announced it so cheerily…then put the screws to us. Oh well, they can’t screw me any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 9 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: ... SoCal Edison ...... ............. well, ...... Edison wasn't exactly the "pinnacle of integrity", even when he was alive ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said: ............. well, ...... Edison wasn't exactly the "pinnacle of integrity", even when he was alive ....... He insisted on DC so much that Downtown Chicago remained on it until sometime in the '50's. Nick Tesla finally won out, and they switched to AC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 11 minutes ago, Trailrider #896 said: He insisted on DC so much that Downtown Chicago remained on it until sometime in the '50's. Nick Tesla finally won out, and they switched to AC. I understand that Mr. Westinghouse was the right man-for-the-job and did a great job, ..... but Edison was who he was, and so it came about. Mr. Tesla was, to this day, THE genius .... One of the best things Mr. Westinghouse did, and he did a lot, was to employ Mr. Tesla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 They are probably made slightly undersize, intending to be installed by heating the races. An induction electric bearing heating cone costs about the same as the replacement cooler, but you can also heat them in an oven, barbeque or forge (I know you have a forge) 500 degrees will expand a 2" bearing race by a couple thousandths. Don't exceed 650 deg, or you will alter the tempering. Just laying them out on the hot sidewalk might even expand them by the tiny bit you need; especially if you chill the motor shaft and have a good press all set up and ready. Just thoughts. If you decide to try grinding, do it in a mill or lathe, so as not to increase the run-out on the shaft. Use a friable green abrasive wheel. 1750 rpm will generate an audible vibration with even a hundredth or two run-out. I know you are an incurable DIYer like me, but the Electric Motor Shop in Fresno will press on the bearings for you for less than you would think. And if yours are not the right size, I bet they will have a size that works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Gator SASS #29736 Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 We live in the valley south of Redding. Equally hot. We also are in that small percentage using evaporative coolers. One in the living room and one at the other end of the house in my hobby room. All of our heating is from a good wood stove. Propane for water heater and stove/rangetop. My wife was talking yesterday to our new neighbors who last year bought their home after being burned out in the big Paradise fire. Of course they have central air, bill was $1100 last month. Ours was $220, highest it's ever been. We do fill the propane tank maybe 2 to 3 time every 2 years. I buy 1 or two cords of firewood each year depending on how much was remaining from the previous year. We love the woodstove. In the winter electric has been $50 to $75 a month but will probably be more this winter. We have three acres, big garden and animals. Couple of years ago I built a nice outside shower that we cool off in when working out back. My wife goes out and uses it before going to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Mosby Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 We generally get hit with $400+ per month during the summer because our AC runs almost 24/7. Both the wife and I have medical issues when the temp gets above 85°. Our elec company said we could apply for a discount if we had a letter from the doctor. I got said letter, submitted it, and they deducted a whooping $15 per month from our bill. I have a portable AC unit as back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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