Air conditioning is very vital, especially in hot weather. But where there isn’t enough space to place the air-conditioning units outside, you’ll need to place them on the roof of the building to get it up and run.
The contractors can use a crane to lift the AC to the roof because it is usually heavy.
However, if there is no crane for you to use or you don’t want to hire a crane operator, you can still explore other options to get the AC on the roof.
If you want to hire a crane operator for our crane rental services, you can get a portable telescopic lifter or a Genie hoist to lift the AC unit onto the roof instead of hiring a crane. The portable electric lifter is ideal for lifting air-conditioning units.
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How To Lift an Air Conditioner To Roof?
There are several reasons why you may need to install your air-conditioning unit on the roof. First, maybe you don’t have enough space.
The available area is already taken up by other appliances like the power board or water heater, or the available area is too close to your property’s boundary.
While air-conditioning installation is a straightforward process, it is not simple. The operator will have to be very careful, especially if you want to keep the air-conditioning unit on the roof of the building.
That’s why it’s best to hire a skilled operator to manage the process. First of all, you have to do proper research to ensure that the roof is strong enough to support the weight of the air-conditioning unit.
You do not want your roof falling in on you from the sheer weight of the AC.
- You have to get a roofing contractor to examine the roof of your building to make sure it is in good enough condition and can accommodate the weight of the air-conditioning unit. If the contractor does not give the go-ahead, you will have to find an alternative place to put the AC.
- Make inquiries from an insurance agent to find out about the possibility of liability in the case of an accident. For instance, what could happen if the unit falls or any other equipment falls during the process and causes damage to your roof or any other part of your property or a neighbor’s property. Don’t just fly blind.
Once you’ve done the preliminaries, you can bring in the air-conditioning unit and have it installed.
- First of all, you need to hire an experienced crane operator. Or a technician to operate any tool you want to use to lift the AC to the roof. Due to the weight of an AC, lifting it to the roof of a building can be tricky, especially if the person doing it is not very experienced. So, make inquiries about a crane rental service and get an experienced crane operator.
- Make sure you place traffic cones around the area where the crane will be parked while the process is going on so that your neighbors don’t come parking there or get in the way of anything.
- There are usually two persons who are in charge of the installation of rooftop air-conditioning units. One person stands on the roof and directs where the other person places the AC. So talk to the crane operator about bringing an additional hand.
- However, if you choose to direct the installation yourself, discuss hand gestures with the operator to make communication easy. If you want to be the one on the roof directing the placement of the unit, you must use the common hand signals with the operator.
- Once all that is done, you only need direct the operator to attach the AC to the crane and then lift it to the roof. Make sure you direct them to install it in your choice.
Additionally, some other crane safety tips could be beneficial to you if you want to use a crane to lift the unit to the roof.
Even for professionals, crane accidents are not uncommon, although most are avoidable.
- Clear a large safety zone; when installing an AC, ensure the area is cleared out. Don’t get to work if there are still people around the area, parked cars, or other things that the crane or equipment can bump against low-hanging poles, power lines, and clotheslines.
- Be careful not to overload the crane. If the crane’s operational capacity is exceeded, it could be damaged and likely result in accidents.
- Please make sure all the employees know the crane’s load limits and lifting limits and strictly adhere to them.
Apart from cranes, some contractors prefer to use other tools to take up the air-conditioning unit on the roof.
Tools like micro-cranes, mini-cranes, and Genie hoists can take the place of the larger cranes in lifting the AC to the roof.
These tools get the work done without you worrying about additional costs. In addition, there are portable HVAC unit hoists that you can use to lift your AC to the roof if you’re not interested in using a crane.
Apart from hiring crane rental services, other safety hazards involve using a crane for lifting.
#1. Loads Falling Off
There is always the chance of loads Falling off the crane with overhead cranes. Unfortunately, this type of accident is one of the commonest crane accidents.
A falling crane could cause injuries to workers, damage to property and buildings, and even fatalities. And all that is in addition to the significant loss of time and money.
#2. Electrical Accidents
Electrical accidents are also prevalent with cranes. Some can also happen due to cranes coming in contact with electrical poles.
If the metal part of the crane comes in contact with an electric wire or power lines, many fatalities can be.
Usually, in such an occurrence, the people directly touching the crane are likely to be electrocuted, and other people in the vicinity are also at risk. Unsurprisingly, one accident could cause multiple fatalities.
On the flip side, using a crane to lift your AC to the roof is advised to install an air-conditioner or move the air conditioner.
But, of course, the AC is too heavy, and the roof is too high for people to attempt doing it themselves, so using a crane in the way.
Conclusion
Conclusively, there are other ways to get the AC to the roof apart from the crane. But if you decide to use a crane to do the lifting, you can explore some other options.
