HVAC crane lifts in Wittmann, AZ

Wittmann is one of the nearest rural communities to our Surprise base, about 15 miles up US 60. That puts it close enough for an easy run and far enough out that the jobs look different from a subdivision change-out. There is no tract layout to count on. Every property has its own drive, its own buildings and its own mix of equipment.

Don and his son Bryce run the crane together, and Don is a crane operator with heart. On HVAC jobs he has been known to get up on the roof to help a crew line up a package unit, or lend a hand in the attic when he sees techs struggling.

Every lift is different. Call with the weight of the item, how far it needs to go and where the truck can park, and Don will confirm the lift.

Acreage around Wittmann often means more than one building with heating and cooling. A single service call can turn into several lifts:

• The main house. Rooftop package units and evaporative coolers, including old coolers coming down when an owner switches to refrigerated air.
• Metal shops and garages. Units on a shop roof or wall stand, often set back from the drive behind a gravel yard.
• Casitas and guest quarters. Smaller units that still have to go over a fence, a garden or a patio.
• Ground-set equipment. Condensers and packs on pads behind the house, where a trailer would have to cross soft yard, septic areas or landscaping to reach them. The crane can set them over the top instead.

Tell us every building on the job up front, so Don can plan the truck position for each one and the order of the lifts.

On a Wittmann job, the question is usually not "can the boom reach" but "where can the truck stand." Most properties are on dirt or gravel, and that ground can be anything from hard-packed to soft sand.

• Dirt and gravel drives usually work when they are firm and dry. Tell us about soft spots, recent rain or areas that hold water.
• Septic tanks and leach fields are common on rural homes. Mark where yours are so the truck and outriggers stay well clear.
• Gates, cattle guards and turns. Measure gate openings and note low branches or tight corners on the way in.
• Room to turn around so the truck does not have to back down a long drive.

OSHA requires crane setups on ground that is firm, drained and graded enough to support the equipment, and the site controller should point out hazards like septic tanks and buried utilities (29 CFR 1926.1402).

On acreage, power often runs overhead from the road to the house and then on to the shop, the well and the barn. Those lines can cross right over the best truck spot. OSHA's crane rule requires at least 20 feet of clearance from lines up to 350 kV unless specific procedures are followed (29 CFR 1926.1408). Point out every line between the road and the unit.

Wittmann is open country, and wind moves through it with nothing to slow it down. Monsoon season, June 15 through September 30 per the National Weather Service, can bring sudden gusts and dust. A package unit is a big flat surface, so we will hold a lift when the wind makes it unsafe. Morning starts usually give more room.

Wittmann is unincorporated Maricopa County, so there is no city hall to call. Many acreage parcels have no HOA, but some subdivisions do, so check your deed or HOA if you are not sure. If the truck has to sit on a public road rather than your property, check with Maricopa County first.

Then text these to 623-258-8361, or call 602-615-0712 to schedule:

• The property address and a pin or directions if it is hard to find
• Each building on the job and the old and new unit weights
• Roof type for each: shingle, foam, tile or metal
• Photos of the drive, the setup area, the roof and any overhead lines
• Where the septic system is, if it is near the house or shop

See our HVAC crane lifts page for how a change-out works, and for HVAC contractors for scheduling with your crew.