Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation 1 Oct 22, 2008 1:08 am I have just acquired 2x 3.5HP split system reverse cycle units. One I want to go into the living room (haven't decided where to put the other yet). I have an existing old rectangular type reverse cycle unit already in the living room. I think the new one will be on the same wall but further across.
Question number one - are there companies who just come and remove the old one ? How else would I get it out and what do you do with these things? It is working fine just ugly, noisy and so I want to replace it. Not the sort of thing you can just chuck in the bin come next rubbish day though. Question number two, that leaves me with a dirty great hole in the wall (double brick and plaster external wall) so what sort of trade fills that in etc? Sounds dumb I know but how would it be filled in , just re bricked up then plastered over or would plastering not be necessary or what? Also the timing would be a bit crucial wouldn't it? I really don't want a hole in the wall for long and certainly not overnight, so how would you go about that ? Question number three I will put in another post when I can draw up some sort of diagram because I am not sure where to put the other unit. I am a bit cart before the horse I know because I bought both units at a good price and thought I would decide where to put it afterwards! What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Removal of aircon unit 2Oct 29, 2008 9:53 am Well, I have answered my own question! Firstly I have disposed of the old air conditioner via Freecycle and secondly I rang a guy who had done an excellent job of some plastering in my bathroom and he is happy to time it closely with the people who are taking the air con. He will be there, trowel and bricks in hand to brick up the hole as soon as the unit is removed and then plaster over the wall inside. Obvious I suppose but not to someone new at all this as I am!
I have had a few downers with tradies but now have latched onto a really good plasterer and cabinetmaker and am finding that once you can find one good one then they tend to know or have contacts with people in other trades who work to similar standards etc. This is turning out to be a very "interesting" experience! What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Removal of aircon unit 3Oct 29, 2008 12:55 pm sorry no advice here but i also have one of those really old wall aircons and was wondering how taking it out would go ahead - i'm a bit of a newbie too
i was just wondering how yours will look from the outside after they brick it up? I take it they match the bricks but wouldn't it look like an obvious square patch? I don't even know if they can match the bricks here as this house was built 26 years ago. Was also wondering if you don't mind sharing the total cost you have paid or will pay to remove the aircon and patch the wall etc? The aircon we have is dangerous, I turned it on once after we moved in to try it out and the plug in the wall got so hot I could hardly touch it, and the power point switch wouldn't turn off until it cooled down, I would switch it off but it wouldn't click off and would just move back to the on position - odd hey Re: Removal of aircon unit 4Nov 01, 2008 9:11 am Information so far, although I am still waiting for the final details. Getting rid of the air con was fairly easy as it is still going and I advertised it on Freecycle. For units not working however I sold my former one by advertising on Freecycle and Gumtree and then I think I ended up with someone who advertised in our community paper. Apparently some people take them for the parts. It isn't easy getting rid of them ie you can't just dump them on your verge because of the stuff inside (refrigerant?) Anyway there are laws about it similar to disposing of old fridges. I contacted my local council and also http://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/ which gives you local information about how to safely dispose of various items.
re bricking up the hole. My house is 70's so that boring old salmon pink/beige brickwork and although old probably fairly easy to find matching or similar bricks from a salvage yard or again by posting a photo on Gumtree and seeing whether people have odd ones tucked away somewhere down their backyard. The other options that the plasterer (he is doing the brickwork and the inside replastering) is thinking about is getting different but toning bricks or rendering that outside patch or using it as the placement site for the new unit or putting some structure over it - he's coming to look to think about ideas. It is on a side wall so I am not terribly fussed anyway. re cost. This plasterer charges a standard $200 for "small jobs" (he also replastered a patch about 2 metres across in my bathroom for $200) so although he hasn't put in a final quote yet I imagine it would be about that plus cost of bricks unless I can find some myself and plus a bit extra for the bricking up. I will know more in a week or so. Removing the old unit is a tricky job but the people taking this one will do that whilst the plasterer will come straight after so that the hole isn't a hole for too long. The previous one was taken out also by the people that took it. It involved a bit of manoeuvering with one person inside and one outside and a certain amount of grunting and foul language but wasn't too difficult really. Hope that helps - I will post again when I have more information. What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Removal of aircon unit 5Nov 03, 2008 5:28 pm Here's what the process looks like.
Mine was blowing dust and dirt and wasn't cold. Oh, it was super ugly too. Friday night I dragged it out and by sunday arvo I had filled it completely. What you can't really see here is that in order to put the new piece of plaster board into the hole you are best to: - cut the existing plasterboard along the edge of the studs - then run some strips of timber up the edge of the studs but longer than the height of the hole to give the plaster sheet edge some support This also stops the plaster being squeezed through the wall. Similar timber strips should be used across the top and bottom of the hole but only to stop the plaster bog from going straight through. The new air con goes in this friday. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Removal of aircon unit 6Nov 03, 2008 5:34 pm Is that going to work with a double brick house though? What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! Re: Removal of aircon unit 8Nov 03, 2008 5:58 pm Hi Lillian,
There is a poster in Perth called Sas ( something)...she posted in the kitchen thread, asking , What colour benchtop ? Is there any chance you could pass your cabinetmakers details on to her?? Not sure if you are in the same area, but she's after a quote for a new kitchen maybe, (small unit).. prolly would help her out alot xx thanks xx Re: Removal of aircon unit 9Nov 03, 2008 7:17 pm I certainly will. I bags him first though!!
He is coming back to me this week because (yes, it is a silly and not cost effective sentimental idea but. . .) he is remodelling my existing vanity. In between times he is doing some other general cabinet making and also some odd jobs because although he is qualified in cabinetmaking he isn't above doing other bits and pieces at the same time - which suits me fine. He knows that the kitchen is the last job and he seems good in that I am not being pressured into something whizz bang (hey I hardly spend any time in the kitchen!) but gets it that I just want it to be tarted up a bit to make it more efficient - fashionable etc just doesn't matter to me much at my age. I also have a great plumber, (Chas fromTap Doctor) and an electrician, a young bloke who has justed started up on his own as an electrician and who did such a good job with a few other smaller things that I am getting him back for the bigger work. So. . . . I feel truly blessed! I will pass on all the details if anyone wants to get in touch. What's wrong with acting like an ostrich and burying your head in the sand sometimes? Some days it can stop you from having to look at the lemmings! The unit normally clips into a metal plate screwed to the wall, either plate is not flush, or unit not hooked in and could be hanging from the pipes partly, either might… 2 15771 retail its around double the price of a similar sized actron/dakin system from memory, They are excellent systems though. But with how builder gouge on AC/heating, you… 4 13693 I had an old shower unit that broke on me and when I took it off, there were only 2 water pipes, instead of the normal 2 water pipes and a shower head pipe. S o I… 0 36934 |