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PromethiumX posted:At least the hillbilly would know what R22 is. That's like going to an engine mechanic and having to tell him that your cars engine needs oil to run. Do you service for less than a nickel
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Feb 27, 2017 13:15
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Just got some quotes for a ductless split system. I live in a Cape Cod with a steam boiler, so it's really the only option, and I'm fine with that. Guy quoted me: FUJITSU CONDENSER AOU36RLXFZ 4 head units for downstairs (there's four rooms) and a smaller condenser and one unit for upstairs since it's one largish finished room: FUJITSU CONDENSER M# AOU18RLXFW Any comments about these units? He said he also can quote Daikon unit for the same price, but since the Fujitsu distributor is like ten miles away it's faster to get service and parts. The whole deal is 12k, it's inline with all the other quotes I've gotten (I've gotten several and they are all +/- 1k).
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Feb 28, 2017 21:40
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Natural gas furnace: ICP H9MPD100J14C2 Nest Gen 3 Thermostat I'm getting a "pressure valve open when should be closed" intermittent diagnostic code. I went ahead and replaced the pressure valve since it was cheap and easy to rule out. I've also eliminated the Nest, as it occurs with the original stat. I've checked the condensate lines, nothing appears clogged. The exhaust lines, from what I can access, are clear and there's what appears to be a healthy amount of flow when the inducer is running. I've only been in this house for a few months, so I can't say for sure how long this has been happening, but I noticed it about 2 weeks ago. Basically, the furnace will sometimes run for days without issue. Other times, it will shut itself off very quickly after firing up, throw the code, restart itself, etc. Sometimes it will run for 20 minutes, then throw the code. It's sporadic, and making me crazy. What's next on my list of things to check?
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Mar 2, 2017 04:23
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Did you clean the condensate trap (the white plastic block the lines run through)? Those things get full of junk all the time. pull the tubes off, usually there's two screws on the back, and flush that thing both ways in the sink.
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Mar 2, 2017 04:37
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Jerk McJerkface posted:Just got some quotes for a ductless split system. I live in a Cape Cod with a steam boiler, so it's really the only option, and I'm fine with that. Fujitsu's minisplits are great, I'd take them over daikin, even though daikin I think might be a bigger brand now.
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Mar 2, 2017 16:00
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MRC48B posted:Did you clean the condensate trap (the white plastic block the lines run through)? Cleaned it out tonight, and so far so good. If that's all it took, you're my hero. Thanks.
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Mar 3, 2017 05:13
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So let's talk window shakers for a moment. 750ish square foot apartment with a 2.5 ton ac (top floor in Texas). I like it cool to cold when I sleep. But running the ac for the entire place while I sleep seems... expensive. Plus there's days where it just can't keep up (if it's over 100 outside, it's not going to get below 78 inside.. 110 outside? 85 inside) Bedroom is about 220 sq ft. I know a 5000 BTU unit is good for 150 sq ft. However, that window is never exposed to sunlight (faces north + overhang + trees outside), and the rest of the apartment should stay at or below 80F while it's running. Anytime it's running, the bedroom door would be closed. Am I right in thinking a 5k unit will probably be fine for this application? It'd be a supplemental source of cooling, not a primary, and only used at night. I'm also limited in the whole "has to fit in a standard size window with no permanent modifications" and "has to be able to run off of a 15 amp 120V circuit" bit. The jump in price to 7-8k is a little hard to swallow, same with the power requirements, hence why I'm asking.
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Mar 18, 2017 11:12
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I had a 5000BTU unit for a ~120sq foot bedroom apartment, with similar shading, also used at night in a place with only a swamp cooler. It was able to drop the room from close to 90 into the 70s over 2 hours then maintain it so I think you'll probably be fine. 7,500BTU units also just run on 115V, and only draw 8-9A so you could upsize a little to add some headroom.
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Mar 19, 2017 00:15
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Thanks to improvements in efficiency you have a LOT more headroom on 120V with Energy Star models. You can get 8,000 BTU models that draw only ~6A, or go even higher while keeping reasonable load.
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Mar 19, 2017 00:41
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You may want to check with the leasing office before you put a window unit in. I had a roommate once that refused to put the AC below 85. And the thermostat was downstairs near where he sat while my bedroom was upstairs with west facing windows. Long story short, no window units allowed but portable ACs were ok.
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Mar 19, 2017 03:59
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Already checked my lease. I haven't asked the leasing office specifically, but they're anal about sticking very close to the lease, even if the (now former) property manager emailed you something else. There's absolutely nothing about window units in the lease, and I've seen a few apartments around the property with them since I moved in last year. My bedroom window happens to look out on my back patio, and I'm on the 3rd floor, so it's not super obvious from the ground anyway - the apartments I've seen with them hanging out obviously from a window had no patio nearby, so mine probably wouldn't get noticed for quite awhile (so long as it was good at slinging water at the coils instead of dripping... I'd have to use a bucket if it did drip, to avoid pissing off my downstairs neighbor). Oddly, they don't mention car repairs on the property either; they just mention they'll tow cars that are obviously inoperable or abandoned. Since I've lived here (almost a year), I've only seen one car get towed, and it was an obviously stolen/stripped car that got dumped. I do my own oil changes, brake jobs, etc in the parking lot, and nobody has ever said anything bad to me - I've had a few neighbors ask if I wanted help. Alereon posted:Thanks to improvements in efficiency you have a LOT more headroom on 120V with Energy Star models. You can get 8,000 BTU models that draw only ~6A, or go even higher while keeping reasonable load. That's very good to know. The wiring here doesn't seem to be the best to begin with - complete with early 80s FPE breakers (mostly.. they dropped in a no-name that's for a different panel for my ac when it kept tripping... 30 amps on 12 gauge in a panel not meant for that breaker?? sure why not). The outlet by the window is on a 15 amp circuit, and that breaker seems to power 3 of 5 outlets in the bedroom, the hall light, bedroom light. hall smoke detector, and one living room outlet. Plus the outlet on my patio. Those lights are all LED, the only thing on the living room outlet is a small fan, and the outside outlet only gets used if I'm chilling on the patio with my laptop. Qwijib0 posted:I had a 5000BTU unit for a ~120sq foot bedroom apartment, with similar shading, also used at night in a place with only a swamp cooler. It was able to drop the room from close to 90 into the 70s over 2 hours then maintain it so I think you'll probably be fine. 7,500BTU units also just run on 115V, and only draw 8-9A so you could upsize a little to add some headroom. I've lived in areas with swamp coolers before. It's too humid here for them to do anything except make you sweat. I was more trying to go cheap, but it sounds like I should probably look into a ~7000 BTU unit; if nothing else, so I can use it as a supplemental unit on the hottest days (~105 - when the apt-wide ac can't get it below 80 inside). randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Mar 19, 2017 |
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Mar 19, 2017 11:11
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There's also portable ac units, which also would be even less obtrusive, you probably couldn't see the window kit from downstairs at all, and no dripping on your neighbor.
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Mar 19, 2017 15:48
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Portable units are much less efficient and effective though, since it's so much harder to duct out warm air effectively. That portable AC has an Energy Efficiency Ratio of about 9, versus around 12 for a current Energy Star window unit, or around 10-11 for cheap low-efficiency models. Also, for what its worth there is less dripping from high-efficiency window units now because they spray the condensate over the condenser coils, there are little scoops on the tips of the fan blades that dip into the condensate pool. The evaporation improves cooling, and while there can be some spray out the back it's not like the dribbling from older units.
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Mar 19, 2017 17:40
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I should have mentioned, I have a portable one now. It's WAY too loud to sleep with it running (the fan alone is insanely loud, compressor is even worse), and the condensation pump died a long time ago - so I have to empty it anytime it fills up. The design it has is it's supposed to spray the condensation out through the exhaust, but it never has done that properly (the pump would make loud grinding noises once it got some water in it, and while it would run longer without emptying than it does now, it still had to be emptied at least twice a day). To drain it I have to roll it out on the porch, or lift it into the bathtub, and uncork the drain. You also can't change the fan speed without the remote (wut), but even on the lowest it sounds like the condenser fan on my outside unit. It's also a lovely single hose unit, so it blows some of the conditioned air out.... and the fan runs non-stop, even if the compressor isn't running, so anytime it's not actively cooling, it's blowing a bunch of cool air out. Even the loudest 70s window units I've heard have nothing on this thing in terms of noise.
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Mar 19, 2017 20:40
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So question on UV lamps: We bought a house last year and it has a 2 zone system. The downstairs unit is a gas pack, and the upstairs unit is a separate gas furnace and A/C unit. They're all Trane units installed in 2013. After we moved in we got a local HVAC company to come out for maintenance, since we had no idea what the previous owners did. They were all fine, except the tech recommended we install a UV lamp in the coil chamber for the gas pack. He said there was a lot of mold growing in it, and this is just going to be the way it is unless we clean it out every month. We're in North Carolina, so humidity is definitely an issue...so I'm not surprised. I've done some research and I'm not sure what the right answer is. The pros are it's hands off and it should never get out of control. The cons are that it costs money to install, adds an expensive bulb we need to replace occasionally, and the biggest problem I read is that the UV will destroy any plastic within that chamber, so it's possible we can make things worse. I honestly haven't looked in there yet, so I don't know if there is anything in there that will be affected by UV light or not. Is a UV lamp the way to go? If not, what's the best way to keep the mold at bay?
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Mar 31, 2017 19:48
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I have a Honeywell 8148E whose relay switch was giving me some trouble a few weeks back (though it's working fine now?). I don't want to be caught without heat, so I am replacing it with a Aquasmart 7600B (based on some research). Most of the swap seems pretty straightforward. However, I have a damper that I need to connect to the aquasmart. Right now, the damper has a 6 pin connector on it, which plugs into a wiring harness that has four wires coming out connecting to various things on the 8148: White is connected to Z Black is connected to B2 Blue goes to the flue spill switch, which then goes to B1 Red goes to the gas valve spill switch, which connects to the valve then comes back to B2 (so there are two wires on B2 right now) When I plug that 6 pin into the aquasmart, I'll be left with the red and blue spill switch wires to do something with. Would these just connect to a common screw on the aquasmart? Basically, how do I connect the gas valve and flue spill switches to the Aquasmart? I have pictures and can provide a lot more detail if needed. Thanks for your help!
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Apr 2, 2017 16:06
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DaveSauce posted:So question on UV lamps: As far as UV light stuff goes, it makes an incredible difference. We use them in a couple 20 ton units that had some bad issues, and within a month they were totally clean. They really don't use much power either, and the bulbs last for quite c some time, you really only have to replace them once a year. As far as plastic goes, there's not really a lot of plastic parts inside the coil area, so that's not much of an issue.
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Apr 6, 2017 01:41
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The drain pan on most a-coils is plastic. Not that it should dissuade you. I have heard good things about UV setups, but no firsthand experience.
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Apr 6, 2017 01:47
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Don't those UV sterilizers produce toxic levels of ozone?
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Apr 6, 2017 01:58
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Alereon posted:Don't those UV sterilizers produce toxic levels of ozone? I don't have firsthand experience with them but my filter guy does installs in hospitals and pharmaceutical facilities so either their don't or it can be mitigated enough to not affect the most sensitive people/equipment. If the UV isn't a workable option, which I couldn't say, the traditional fix is to cut access so that you can clean the coil easily enough to do it regularly.
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Apr 6, 2017 02:23
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Alereon posted:Don't those UV sterilizers produce toxic levels of ozone? No? I'm pretty sure you'd have a lot more trouble buying them if everyone who used one was dropping dead. Now, if you go sticking any UV bulb in there, like ones used for pools or what have you, you will have Ozone generation, but that's why you use UV-C lights.
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Apr 6, 2017 02:24
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Alereon posted:Don't those UV sterilizers produce toxic levels of ozone? No. And even if they did OP's mold problem will kill him quicker than the ozone will.
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Apr 6, 2017 03:41
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ExplodingSims posted:No? I'm pretty sure you'd have a lot more trouble buying them if everyone who used one was dropping dead.
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Apr 6, 2017 04:43
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I've researched this on-and-off for the past year, but only now have I been able to find a "trustworthy" source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-08/documents/residential_air_cleaning_devices.pdf Page 18 is where they talk about UV lights. The ozone issue doesn't seem to be a major deal, and they cite 2 sources, but it's good to know that I need to watch out for what type of bulb to purchase. If I don't go the route of a UV light, what's the best way to clean it off? I'm thinking more short term while we decide if we want to purchase a UV light or not. I know there are spray-can coil cleaners. Will these clean off mold, or just dust/dirt/grease/grime? Can I get good cleaners at a hardware store, or do I need to buy specialty cleaners online or something?
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Apr 7, 2017 14:34
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Regular no-rinse evap coil cleaner has always worked fine where I've been working, but they do make specialty mold products. I'd try a non-acid no-rise evaporator coil cleaner first and see what kind of results you get. I'm not sure what is available in regular hardware stores, but I don't think it would be too difficult or expensive to track down something on the internet if you don't have anything local. Just abide the MSDS warnings as they are usually moderate alkaline.
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Apr 7, 2017 14:51
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Those aerosol cleaners are pure garbage and do nothing. You need to buy a concentrate cleaner and a pump sprayer and wash it out with that. Granted, if you're having actual mold growth this is only a temporary fix. While you should periodically clean your coils, a UV light I'd the best option.
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Apr 7, 2017 15:09
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Just for my own curiosity's sake: How common is mold on the coils? The tech seemed extremely nonchalant about it. It's a gas pack in the south...so I guess it must be a regional thing? I just want to make sure there isn't some underlying problem I need to fix, or if this is just the way it's going to be.
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Apr 7, 2017 20:40
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It's fairly normal. You just get a lot of dirt, and dust and everything else that gets sucked into the unit all kinda congealing in that one spot, so it's not a big shocker to see it there. It's not like it's gonna be a toxic mold farm in there, but you'll probably see some flecks on the sides and stuff.
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Apr 7, 2017 21:10
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It also happens more in warmer climates where you don't get enough gas cycles in the winter that effectively sterilize the coil with heat for several months.
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Apr 7, 2017 22:30
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So recently found out that my electric co-op is offering a $500 credit for installing a "dual-fuel" electric and gas hvac unit. The ones that are basically an electric heat pump, but instead of heat strips they have gas for backup heat/2nd stage. I dunno how new these are, but I've been out of the loop or uninformed about them until recently. I was planning to install a gas pack anyhow, because my heat pump is pretty ineffective when we have an actual cold snap for an extended period (SC, so mild winter with swings to cold) My house is only 1980's level insulated, and two vaulted ceilings to lose heat in. I figured the higher vent temps would help the comfort level. Then when I have a propane tank, I'll also install a gas backup generator. Anyhow, this dual fuel sounds ideal for me. Cheap electric heat pump to handle 90% of our mild winter, and gas for the other 10%. Do they work as well as I'm imagining?
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Apr 7, 2017 23:22
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angryrobots posted:So recently found out that my electric co-op is offering a $500 credit for installing a "dual-fuel" electric and gas hvac unit. The ones that are basically an electric heat pump, but instead of heat strips they have gas for backup heat/2nd stage. I dunno how new these are, but I've been out of the loop or uninformed about them until recently. Dual fuel is pretty much standard in Arizona, there's no real downside. Heat pumps are only slightly more expensive than straight cool, and you get the benefit of choosing your fuel.
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Apr 9, 2017 04:53
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angryrobots posted:The ones that are basically an electric heat pump, but instead of heat strips they have gas for backup heat/2nd stage. I dunno how new these are, but I've been out of the loop or uninformed about them until recently. FWIW, my parents house (built in 1994) originally had this exact setup. Heat pump with a gas furnace for backup. It's nothing new, and much of their neighborhood was built like this. They're even making water heaters that use a heat pump now.
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Apr 9, 2017 08:34
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So how essential IS it to clean the evaporator unit on a reverse cycle AC? Our unit is 2yrs old now and has the standard intake filter, but im wondering if i need to climb into the ceiling cavity, pull the cover off the unit and clean out the evaporator unit. We've got cats, the intake is in the living room area with a wood fire and the open plan kitchen, so im sure its inhaled a fair bit of cooking fumes and wood smoke/ash over the last two years.
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Apr 9, 2017 10:22
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Yu-Gi-Ho! posted:They're even making water heaters that use a heat pump now. What can I say, sc lags behind everybody else. Thanks for the info, I'll plan on budgeting for it.
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Apr 9, 2017 14:25
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Ferremit posted:So how essential IS it to clean the evaporator unit on a reverse cycle AC? Our unit is 2yrs old now and has the standard intake filter, but im wondering if i need to climb into the ceiling cavity, pull the cover off the unit and clean out the evaporator unit. We've got cats, the intake is in the living room area with a wood fire and the open plan kitchen, so im sure its inhaled a fair bit of cooking fumes and wood smoke/ash over the last two years. Even with a proper filter there's still going to be a lot of crap that makes it past it and gets caught in the evap. If you have pets it can get really bad. It mostly depends on how often you use it, but checking it out maybe like once a year or so isn't a bad idea. But if you've got a 2yo unit that you've regularly been changing filters on it shouldn't be bad at all
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Apr 9, 2017 17:00
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My house blower has stopped working, Lennox g40uh. I hear a click when I turn it on but no air is moving. I can hear a slight noise coming out of the unit and am afraid the motor has burned out. Is there anything else it could be? Capacitor, wheel, just dirty? Anything that could help before I open it up tomorrow.
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Apr 10, 2017 03:06
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JEEVES420 posted:My house blower has stopped working, Lennox g40uh. I hear a click when I turn it on but no air is moving. I can hear a slight noise coming out of the unit and am afraid the motor has burned out. Is there anything else it could be? Capacitor, wheel, just dirty? Anything that could help before I open it up tomorrow. Well that good news is, if you're hearing it click, it means the relay is pulling in. I'm not really familiar with that unit, but Googling the wiring diagram, it looks like it has a capacitor for the blower motor. I'd check that out first, but if it's not that, then yeah, it's most likely the motor.
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Apr 10, 2017 03:14
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angryrobots posted:So recently found out that my electric co-op is offering a $500 credit for installing a "dual-fuel" electric and gas hvac unit. The ones that are basically an electric heat pump, but instead of heat strips they have gas for backup heat/2nd stage. I dunno how new these are, but I've been out of the loop or uninformed about them until recently. I had a heat pump put on top of my propane furnace. Sort of the opposite of your situation but the same end result. It's probably saved 200 gallons of propane since it was installed in January. The house stays comfortable enough and the electric increase was only $30 a month or so. Well worth it. For reference house is 2000sq ft, early 1900s construction, no insulation. Normal usage was 600 gallons of propane per year.
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Apr 10, 2017 14:33
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rdb posted:I had a heat pump put on top of my propane furnace. Sort of the opposite of your situation but the same end result. That's an incredible drop in propane usage, I can't imagine the level of relief you feel knowing you don't have to refill your tank as frequently. Not sure about your area but where I am propane isn't exactly cheap. I just read through this thread for the first time in awhile and the before/after pics of your system was one of the first posts I saw. Lmao at the before shot.
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Apr 13, 2017 10:26
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Why doesn't my thermostat allow me to disable the fan? I have my thermostat set to 70f and that what the house is at and the fan turns out and blows air which feels rather cold
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Apr 14, 2017 07:29
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