Air conditioner grills

[Sai T.]

It’s a old unit and I can not find the model number. Where can I buy the top cover and net/grill.

Thank you for your feedback

[Matt R.]

Did you get an inspection when you bought the house?  Sometimes the inspector's report will have the model and serial numbers on it.

Did you look all over for the data plate?  Get a really bright light and look.  It might be down in the corner by where the Freon lines come in, right next to the ground.  Sometimes it's a sticker and it really did fall off, or the print on it faded, but sometimes it's stamped and you can still make out the numbers, or put a piece of paper against it and rub a pencil on the paper, or similar.

If none of that works, SHUT OFF THE POWER, and then open up that curved panel on the side (on the right in the second photo - closest to the flowers).  There is often a wiring diagram pasted to the inside of that panel or folded up in an envelope stuck to that panel.  Usually the wiring diagram has the model number on it, or a range of model numbers it applies to.  If it's a range, you have to do a little detective work to figure out which one is yours - sometimes, the model number will be like "AC4567__00", where the "__" is "12" for a one-ton unit, "24" for a two-ton unit, etc.  This is important, because the outside housings for the different cooling capacities are probably different sizes.

Once you have a model number, hit up Google.  For some brands, you can find a parts diagram with part numbers; other brands keep these secret.  Once you have a part number, Google that, and see if anyone will sell you one.  The newer the A/C is, the more luck you will have.

If you can't find a new part online, you might be able to get one off of an old unit.  The trouble here is that most of the old units are owned by HVAC companies, and they'd much rather sell you a $2,000 new A/C than a $20 part off of an old one.  :)  Don't ask the HVAC company that has billboards all over town and a fleet of brand-new trucks; they won't be able to help you.  Ask the smaller ones.  Look on Craigslist.  If there is a used appliance store around, see if they deal in A/C or furnace parts.

If none of that works... then you've got to sand and paint, as has been discussed.  If you take it apart for this, expect some of those rusty screws to strip out or break.  99% of the time, you can replace these with hardware-store parts - use stainless steel, if you're feeling really generous.  :)  Sanding the side grill and the top fan grill will be somewhat of a pain in the butt... maybe ask around to see if any auto body shops or powder-coating shops would be willing to sandblast everything and paint or powder-coat it grey. (Or, ask them to just sand-blast it, and paint it yourself with spray cans.)  You have to take all of the electrical parts off of anything that you want to get sandblasted or painted or powder-coated; they won't do it for you.