[farmhouselady]

HELP! I am breaking my already-ruined back, trying to straighten out a real mess of bent, smushed fins that happened when my cats decided to use the surface as a bed the last time I was putting this a/c unit away. I had positioned it in a way I thought they would not be able to do this for overnight, had taken front off so I could clean it up before storage, but.... those little devils thought it was just the cat's meow as a bed!

I got a set of fin straightener comb type thingies but there must be something I don't understand, because they seem to just rip and further damage the very delicate fins! I tried table knife, but so far, the thing I started with still seems to work best, a credit card! But this is going to take me till my dying day, doing it this way! And this is a real painful task for me.

Am I doing something wrong with the fin combs? How do you use them properly, can't find info on the web. Also, how straight and perfect do they have to be, to not seriously affect the cooling? Right now I have all sorts of little torn "ears" where I was trying to use the combs last night, and seems I will have to just trim them off? Yes? This is vexing me greatly and the painkillers I have to take to enable me to work hunched over is making me so drowsy and dopey I'm probably not doing such a great job anyhow. But this unit is "new", only used one season, and I want to restore it as best as I can.

Opinions please??

[woodchuck]

The important thing is that the air can flow between the fins and not be blocked by them. The little tears will not hurt. Just straighten them enough so the air can get between them. I don't think there is a fast and less tedious way to do it.

[farmhouselady]

thanks so much for the response, pretty encouraging at this stage of the game and this hour of the night... I worked probably total of more than 8 hrs and not done yet but almost, another hour or so... and i may never stand upright again.it ain't exactly a pretty sight but i made sure there is an air passage, however TINY, alongside each fin for the air to pass. why dont they make the *#^%$# fins out of some material that doesnt self destruct if you even look in its direction!! i had an older a/c unit not that long ago, remember cleaning it and the fins were nice and stiff. you could clean them! this stuff is so flimsy i think just vacuuming it with the softest brush there is, would have done the same damage to it! MADE IN CHINA....

speaking of made in china... i have another a/c, a GE, that also got unfunctionable after one season use (thats about 2 months at less than half time). was working great, next time it appeared normal but would not cool! i swear... i mean, i SWORE... reading thru the forums, i am suspecting the condenser went kaflooey but going to try to do some more checking before decide what to do next. not sure if it still under warranty,cant find receipt. it seems lately, NOTHING i have bought new WORKS. and 100% of it is made in china and i think it ougnta be put on a slow boat BACK THERE... iit doesnt matter how much something costs. i guess the us companies dont bother to check what they are buying,until some kid dies or gets poisoned from toys or whatever. theres got to be a better way.

sorry for the rant. just frustrated because it seems we dont have a choice these days, either buy us made or china. it's china or go without it. i just cant deal with EVERTHING being junk. things I need to be workable! I'm not well and like to tinker, but it has gotten so ridiculous lately.
again, sorry for the whining and THANKS for the expert opinion!

[Icehouse]

Originally Posted by farmhouselady

HELP! I am breaking my already-ruined back, trying to straighten out a real mess of bent, smushed fins that happened when my cats decided to use the surface as a bed the last time I was putting this a/c unit away. I had positioned it in a way I thought they would not be able to do this for overnight, had taken front off so I could clean it up before storage, but.... those little devils thought it was just the cat's meow as a bed!

I got a set of fin straightener comb type thingies but there must be something I don't understand, because they seem to just rip and further damage the very delicate fins! I tried table knife, but so far, the thing I started with still seems to work best, a credit card! But this is going to take me till my dying day, doing it this way! And this is a real painful task for me.

Am I doing something wrong with the fin combs? How do you use them properly, can't find info on the web. Also, how straight and perfect do they have to be, to not seriously affect the cooling? Right now I have all sorts of little torn "ears" where I was trying to use the combs last night, and seems I will have to just trim them off? Yes? This is vexing me greatly and the painkillers I have to take to enable me to work hunched over is making me so drowsy and dopey I'm probably not doing such a great job anyhow. But this unit is "new", only used one season, and I want to restore it as best as I can.

Opinions please??

Fin combs have to be used slowly, and it is not going to restore them 100%. As long as air can pass through it should be alright.