I can see another problem with the pit idea.  Some refrigerants are heavier than air and would suffocate anyone in the pit.  Sorry, I can't tell you which ones like to sink and whether they are the ones commonly used in residential AC.  

The pit would also have to be pretty big to allow decent access all around the unit for service.

Leaves that get into the pit would need to be cleared often unless you put a fine screen on the top grate.

If they didn't already have the unit in place (it sounds like they do) then they could go with an indoor compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger (condenser).  The condenser could be in a relatively shallow pit (perhaps a couple of feet) but this would not be the standard setup and so would cost more.  There isn't much to service on a condenser (just the fan or fans, the coil itself, and maybe a sensor or two, depending on the size and complexity of the system) so there wouldn't be as much need to get in the pit to service it.  I wouldn't want to go more than a couple feet deep or you get back to the problem of the chance of suffocation.  But then weren't we told as kids that you could drown in six inches (or less?) of water?

I like Dan's suggestion of geothermal although it tends to make a mess during installation.  I also like the viewpoint that old houses were designed to accomodate the heat (high ceilings, window sashes that opened top and bottom, ceiling fans, etc.) so deal with it like they did in olden days.  (In a similar vein some of the pilots I fly with say things like "if the plane didn't come with a radio then I'm not using one" refering to planes from the late-40's.  It limits where you can fly in modern times but the big airports where they require radios generally aren't as much fun as the small ones anyway.)

Bruce

-----Original Message-----
From: A man of honor pays his debts with his own money. --DeGaulle
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dan
Becker
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 10:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BP] Cool down under


On 6/29/04 8:41 PM, "Rudy Christian" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> A new topic from a customer who has an historic four gabled home and hates
> looking at his AC compressor. Is the best bet to bury the compressor system in
> a vault with a grate on top, or are their other solutions? He¹s already nixed
> the landscape (shrubs) solution.

That sounds like a really bad idea to me. It would need to be a very large
hole to ensure that there is sufficient ambient air available that is not
mixing with the exhaust air. There are requirements for clearance for the
units for service and air exchange. That would suggest a certain size for
the hole. But I don't know if those clearances take into account the fact
that the unit is in a hole without the benefit of all that ambient air just
hanging around.

Drainage is going to be an issue too.

Best bet is geothermal. No exterior compressor unit required. Or how about
going really historic and getting rid of the AC altogether and just using
the DHS windows as they were intended for ventilation. Or are they wimps
with an aesthetic bent?

D.

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To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
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