Installing a mini-split heat pump to heat and cool a 500 sq ft room above garage. The compresser unit will be sitting on a platform mounted to the outside wall. We had to do that because the manufacturer says do not have the inside blower unit any more than 25 feet from the outside compresser unit. We are afraid of vibration making the windows rattle, plus the sound of it, so have been discussing how to prevent it. What we are looking for is some of those rubber/metal bolt thingys and we don’t know what they’re called or where to shop for them. Have searched internet for anti-vibration bolt, vibration isolators, etc, but just come up with British manufacturers and I don’t really know where to go from there. I was hoping to come up with a how-to article written by someone who solved the same problem. Do any of you have experience with this? By the way, this thing is pretty small since it’s only for 500 sq ft space, so it’s the size and shape of a suitcase and weighs about 40 pounds.
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Dont know the particulars of the building, but could you make a free standing platform instead ? Might not look quite as pretty but would keep the unit away from the wall.
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Try WW Graingers
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml
Military and Aerospace use a vibration isolating mount. We always called them "Barry Mounts". Probably the manufacturer's name ?? They're used to protect delicate electronic equipment from shock and vibration - - and they do work. You might find what you need at the local military surplus store.
The Mitsubishi "Mr. Slim" is very quiet and is normally mounted on the ground, so there is no vibrations
Normally you might make a shelf and place the unit on top of it, to isolate it make a shelf and suspend the unit from it. Another way to isolate it is to suspend it from the rafters of the eaves. Paint in the window tracks will make them tighter and keep the windows from rattling.
McMaster-Carr has quite a selection of them. Go to http://www.mcmaster.com, and in their search box type "vibration mount".
The McMaster Carr lead was the best one. I checked the Grainger website and did not find it user friendly, even thought they definitely had the product I was looking for. On the McMaster Carr website it was easy to find what I need. Now, if I wanted to find these vibration damping mounts as they are called, at a local business instead of online, can anyone suggest the type of business I would try? A rubber supply store? A machinery store? This is the type of stuff guys know about, and since I'm not a guy I need help. If anyone does know, I'm going to try to buy it locally because I would rather go out and buy them Monday morning than wait a week for an online order.
I doubt you'd be able to find these locally. I made an order at McMaster-Carr and had it delvered less than 6 hours later once. They had a courier running a part to a loc near me and put mine with it, but then they have a warehouse not too far from here. The courier told I could've had it qucker (!) if I was ina hurry for it. You could probably get it delivered on Tuesday if you ordered right now. Or you could search around town trying to find and maybe find it next Friday.
Good luck.
They are also call Lord mounts.http://www.lord.com/Default.aspx?tabid=784The trouble is Lord makes so many that it is hard to pick one out."I'm going to try to buy it locally because I would rather go out and buy them Monday morning than wait a week for an online order."The type of of supply houses that would have these is are Millwright, Industrial, and Power Transmission (bearings and v-belts). HVAC supply houses also have these. Attic units are often have them.BTW, Granger's has outlets in many cities.
Edited 8/27/2006 9:03 am by BillHartmann
Oh Lord won't you buy me a resiliant mount ...
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Oh Lord won't you buy me a resilient mount
I'll get it at Graingers, and charge Your account
The well of vibration is an eternal fount
so Lord won't you buy me a resilient mount"...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
Read the "about vibration damping mounts" discussion at McMaster Carr, at that page I sent you to. It gives you two selection criteria. First, determine the load per mount by dividing the weight of your unit by the number of mounting points. Second, look at deflection ratings; larger deflection generally gives better isolation than smaller. Of course, you want to select a mount intended for the way you want to fasten it to your A/C unit and to your wall or platform or whatever.
First thing you've got to do is stiffen the wall somehow.
I've used a few mini splits... I hung mine vs let'n em sit on a wall bracket... same type wall bracket but mounted above the unit and the unit hung by 4 pc of 3/8 all thread (i used smooth rod) 4 small eyebolts up top... 4 springs up top from eye bolts to 4 holes drilled in the 3/8 rod/ all thread...
this gets you down to less than 1/4" sq contact point total and thats 4 springs... normal hardware store stuff and less than $20
as light as these units are... it's have to be a very soft rubber mount to have much effect at all... total weight... maybe 70lbs max? 4 points... 17.5lbs each... you are talk'n carwash sponge material...
p
Edited 8/27/2006 4:32 pm ET by ponytl
Vubration mounts come in all sizes.Commonly used on aircraft electronics for much smaller weights.I think that the one of the ways that they adjust the design is the shape of the rubber.Some have a thin corregrated cross section sorta like a bellows.
i'm sure they are there but in electronics.. you are deal'n with small low weight/mass stuff mounted with 1/8" or so screws/bolts? are they in the weather?
guess it'd require some engineering :) we'd need alot of information before we could even start... or for $20 you can hang it from 4 springs and be done... which i'm sure has the exact same effect as mounting it on 4 springs but then you have to retain/contain the springs in some way... which can lead to spring bind... and a much larger contact area required...
p