# Ants in Condenser?



## ThunderCow

Have any of you ran into ants in outdoor condensers? I had this happen to my most important customer: ME. 

They converged on the electronics and got into the solenoid...weird.


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## Nathan

Welcome to HVAC site Thundercow. Where are you located?


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## Tonyb

We have bugs called earwigs that love to get into the contactor. We install covers on the contactor to protect the points.


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## Yuri

I had ants build a huge nest/hill of dirt inside a unit once. GROSS. Got the customer to throw ant powder he gets from an exterminator in there. Mice are bad where I am, chew up insulation and die when they land on the contactor.


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## Airductlady

*Airductlady*

My pest control guy just told me today that a shot of Raid will take care of that. Also will take care of fleas in the bag-less vacuum cleaner if you have fleas in the house. Sounds like it was too late to save your components, you must have had something tasty on them!


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## RoBoTeq

The heat from the electrical current attracts many bugs. I have seen ant nests, individual earwigs, spiders etc and bee nests in many outdoor units.

Whenever I hear of a frozen indoor coil in the Spring, the first thing I think to look for is a stuck condensor/heat pump contactor with a sticky, squeeshed bug holding the contacts together after the indoor blower has stopped.


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## G 71

Tonyb said:


> We have bugs called earwigs that love to get into the contactor. We install covers on the contactor to protect the points.


 Get them all the time here too.


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## beenthere

I think Nathan scared him away.

2 days and he hasn't posted back. LOL


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## Nathan

beenthere said:


> I think Nathan scared him away.
> 
> 2 days and he hasn't posted back. LOL


Well, now he added his signature to his post which makes my question seem pretty stupid ... maybe that's why he left :laughing:


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## beenthere

He'll forgive. LOL


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## scooter

Tony B 
Where did you get the contactor covers? are you talking about the little black contact covers like on the seimens contactors or is this like a whole contactor cover?
We have big problems with all the above mentioned critters.
Scooter


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## tobaker

Hi,
Consult a qualified technician. Where did the ants get an outlet to enter? Any damage done? Get it repaired asap.


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## RoBoTeq

tobaker said:


> Hi,
> Consult a qualified technician. Where did the ants get an outlet to enter? Any damage done? Get it repaired asap.


You sure he doesn't need a qualified exterminator?:laughing:


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## hvaclover

RoBoTeq said:


> You sure he doesn't need a qualified exterminator?:laughing:


lol:thumbsup:


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## supercool

this whole topic bugs me !


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## mechanicalDvr

tobaker said:


> Hi,
> Consult a qualified technician. Where did the ants get an outlet to enter? Any damage done? Get it repaired asap.


 
If mice have no issues getting into a condenser do you really think ants would find it hard???


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## RoBoTeq

mechanicalDvr said:


> If mice have no issues getting into a condenser do you really think ants would find it hard???


I had to clean a 6' black snake from the control section of a Rheem heat pump and pull a squirrel out from a blower section of a furnace. So, yea, ants got no problems getting in there.


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## hvaclover

RoBoTeq said:


> I had to clean a 6' black snake from the control section of a Rheem heat pump and pull a squirrel out from a blower section of a furnace. So, yea, ants got no problems getting in there.


Whatta ya bitchin' about? Why do you think the call it a "squirrel cage"?:shifty:


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## RoBoTeq

hvaclover said:


> Whatta ya bitchin' about? Why do you think the call it a "squirrel cage"?:shifty:


I am being dead serious with this; The owner of the home was an elderly Russian woman who had been in the United States long enough to have a very good grasp of English, but not of American humor.

The initial call was due to very loud noises in her furnace. She was standing near me, watching me work when I was looking into the blower compartment. The first thing I noticed was a 3" hole in the filter on the side of the furnace. When I got further into the blower compartment and found the culprit, I started laughing. 

The lady asked what was so funny. I briefly explained; "Well ma'am, the fan housing is what we call a squirrel cage fan. Then I produced the squirrel and added; "The problem with your furnace is that your squirrel died."

Well; I am now on the floor in tears laughing and this woman is looking at me like she is concerned about letting me into her home. So, I got myself together and explained that it looked as though the squirrel had gotten into her attic and from there chewed it's way into the return ducting eventually making it's way to the blower section where it got caught in the blower wheel, which is what made all of the noise she called about.


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## mechanicalDvr

RoBoTeq said:


> I had to clean a 6' black snake from the control section of a Rheem heat pump and pull a squirrel out from a blower section of a furnace. So, yea, ants got no problems getting in there.


 
The absolute worst thing I have ever done was pull kittens out of an old Whirlpool tabletop condenser fan when I was a kid (16-17) during the summer when they were full of maggots. When I asked the HO for a garbage bag she thought I was joking, she gagged when I handed her the bag. The installer left a fair sized hole around the lineset entrance to the cabinet, but it didn't look big enough for kittens to me.


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## scooter

Im on the floor laughing right now. 
HEY LADY YOUR SQUIRRELS DEAD!!!!!!
OMG!!


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## hvaclover

Imagine what her poor husband is thinking! Now who's gonna crack his nuts:sad:


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## scooter

STOP!
My stomach hurts!
Shes standing there with "that look"
Is EVERYBODY in this country crazy.
Whats a squirrel?


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## RoBoTeq

Well, you guys definitely got the gist of the scene that day:laughing:

She must not have thought too badly about me because she had me install her cooling system that same year.

Next time you get ants, spiders or earwigs wrecking having with a unit, after you have resolved the problem and the customer asks what was wrong, just tell them you had to "get the bugs out of the system".


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## RoBoTeq

mechanicalDvr said:


> The absolute worst thing I have ever done was pull kittens out of an old Whirlpool tabletop condenser fan when I was a kid (16-17) during the summer when they were full of maggots. When I asked the HO for a garbage bag she thought I was joking, she gagged when I handed her the bag. The installer left a fair sized hole around the lineset entrance to the cabinet, but it didn't look big enough for kittens to me.


Yuck. That one might have bothered me too. The snake just ticked me off because he made such a mess. Looked like he hit the high voltage wires on the contactor on the way out and just fried in place and started rotting on all of the electrical components. I cleaned up his bones and strung them on a thread to where as a double wrap snake bone ornament on an Indiana Jones hat I used to wear. Hoping you didn't do anything similar with the kitten bones.


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## mechanicalDvr

RoBoTeq said:


> Yuck. That one might have bothered me too. The snake just ticked me off because he made such a mess. Looked like he hit the high voltage wires on the contactor on the way out and just fried in place and started rotting on all of the electrical components. I cleaned up his bones and strung them on a thread to where as a double wrap snake bone ornament on an Indiana Jones hat I used to wear. Hoping you didn't do anything similar with the kitten bones.


 
Nope no necklace, just bagged em and handed them to the none believer.


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## RoBoTeq

mechanicalDvr said:


> Nope no necklace, just bagged em and handed them to the none believer.


So, when you handed them the bag, did you mention that there unit is now in "purr"fectly "mew" condition?:lol:


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## hvaclover

RoBoTeq said:


> So, when you handed them the bag, did you mention that there unit is now in "purr"fectly "mew" condition?:lol:


Better watch out Robin! Those kittens have friends!


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## mechanicalDvr

RoBoTeq said:


> So, when you handed them the bag, did you mention that there unit is now in "purr"fectly "mew" condition?:lol:


Nope, I missed the chance at pussy humor.


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## RoBoTeq

mechanicalDvr said:


> Nope, I missed the chance at pussy humor.


OUch! I do believe I've just been b!tch slapped:001_unsure:


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## Yuri

I had a red squirrel do a flying kamikaze routine from a tree and went down an unlined 8" masonry chimney. Got stuck in the vent pipe on the furnace. Unfortunate part was it was in a group home for mentally handicaped kids and I had to carefully hide and remove it and hand it to the case worker without upsetting everyone. Not too smart them squirrels:bangin:

Told the customer to get a chimney liner installed with a bird proof screen after that.


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## mechanicalDvr

Yuri said:


> I had a red squirrel do a flying kamikaze routine from a tree and went down an unlined 8" masonry chimney. Got stuck in the vent pipe on the furnace. Unfortunate part was it was in a group home for mentally handicaped kids and I had to carefully hide and remove it and hand it to the case worker without upsetting everyone. Not too smart them squirrels:bangin:
> 
> Told the customer to get a chimney liner installed with a bird proof screen after that.


 
I have seen two squirrels stuck in a 3" water heater vent where one tried to eat his way through the other.


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## RoBoTeq

mechanicalDvr said:


> I have seen two squirrels stuck in a 3" water heater vent where one tried to eat his way through the other.


OK, now we are just trying to see who can come up with the most gross story

Reminds me of Richard Pryor talking about eating his way through someone blocking a fire exit.


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## hvactech

The only dead animals I have found were birds in the draft inducer assembly and had to pluck them out one piece at a time! Gross!


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## hvaclover

I pulled a dead homeless guy from inside a monster make up air. Would have ried giving him CPR but his head was burned off.:sad:


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## mechanicalDvr

hvaclover said:


> I pulled a dead homeless guy from inside a monster make up air. Would have ried giving him CPR but his head was burned off.:sad:


 
Haven't come across a dead one yet (even though they smell like they might be), I have seen them living in the fresh air shafts and basements of some larger Verizon COs.


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## RoBoTeq

hvaclover said:


> I pulled a dead homeless guy from inside a monster make up air. Would have ried giving him CPR but his head was burned off.:sad:


Nice. Now I really want to visit Detroit:no:


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## damien_f

scooter said:


> Tony B
> Where did you get the contactor covers? are you talking about the little black contact covers like on the seimens contactors or is this like a whole contactor cover?
> We have big problems with all the above mentioned critters.
> Scooter


Why not use a fully enclosed contactor? I'm not sure about Seimens but I know ABB has some contactors with NEMA rated enclosures for outdoor use.

http://www.clrwtr.com/ABB-Controls-Contactors.htm


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## RoBoTeq

damien_f said:


> Why not use a fully enclosed contactor? I'm not sure about Seimens but I know ABB has some contactors with NEMA rated enclosures for outdoor use.
> 
> http://www.clrwtr.com/ABB-Controls-Contactors.htm


The reason is cost. Plus, critters seem to find ways around our enclosures.


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## jvegas

RoBoTeq said:


> The reason is cost. Plus, critters seem to find ways around our enclosures.


 Plus some of thoses criters make for good eats (taste like chicken) :laughing:


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## milk man

We had a furnace in the dressing room at a strip club. Pulled a dead bird from the inducer housing. One of the peepers said they smelled something and thought one of the other girls costume was getting rank. She said it smelled like rotten (you know).

I bet it was. I pulled a lot of birds out of Carriers and could never smell them before I opened the housing.

BTW, the office ladies where just besides themselves when we had to go there during hour of operation. I tried to explain that if I wanted to see them naked I'd have to watch them on stage. They where just touching up their makeup in the dressing room. The ladies just could not understand what I was telling them.

I mostly just ate the pie there. :laughing: Pecan pie that is. The chef knew how to cook.


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## psycho212

i've cleaned out earwigs, ants, a small chipmunk, mice (live or dead) and once a dead garden snake that had crawled into a cond. unit trying to get to 2 live mice and also pulled 2 dead mice from the same unit. talk about stinky. the oddest thing i've seen was a dead possum in the blower compartment. i had to poke it with a stick to make sure it was truly dead and not just faking.


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## beenthere

psycho212 said:


> the oddest thing i've seen was a dead possum in the blower compartment. i had to poke it with a stick to make sure it was truly dead and not just faking.


Yep, those buggers will tear into you if you whiz them off.


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