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INTERNET research is showing me that those taco zone controllers do not play nice with Nest thermostats without a third wire connected to C. If you don't have a third wire going to that stat, you may want to have your electrician run you a new thermostat cable. There is a C on the taco controller, but you may want to find someone locally to hook it up for you if using a voltmeter is not your speed.
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Feb 25, 2018 21:28
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MRC48B posted:INTERNET research is showing me that those taco zone controllers do not play nice with Nest thermostats without a third wire connected to C. Wow thanks for going the extra mile with the research there! Appreciate it! Got an electrician handy so I should be good to go shortly. Scored a sweet deal on that Nest model on eBay too, so I'm stoked and ready to go!
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Feb 28, 2018 19:41
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Client, me "Hey, we're doing renovation. What is the heat produced at our small server room?" "Appropriate for 2.5 tons, if that much"Later "Your systems keep coming down but we haven't seen problem tickets. You guys good?" "Yeah, that's just our 5 ton unit short cycling so often it's breaking, so we have to shut servers down to avoid overheat"
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Mar 4, 2018 19:01
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But but.....more bigger number is more better, right?
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Mar 4, 2018 21:06
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The IT guys should just spin up 6kw worth of crypto mining rigs as a base load.
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Mar 4, 2018 21:15
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I've got an oooooooold in-wall air conditioner that works fine on a functional level. However, strong winds will cause it to make loud farting noises when it's not in use. Like lately there's this nor'easter going on, and the thing just farts loudly all night, it's terrible. I even removed the front cover and stuffed some foam inside the vent, to keep the wheel thing from moving, but it's not that because the farting noise continues. Ever hear of anything like this?? It sound like some moving component is to blame. I know the best solution is "get a new unit" but that's $500 I'd rather not spend when the thing still cools just fine.
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Mar 7, 2018 15:03
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Minidust posted:I've got an oooooooold in-wall air conditioner that works fine on a functional level. However, strong winds will cause it to make loud farting noises when it's not in use. Like lately there's this nor'easter going on, and the thing just farts loudly all night, it's terrible. I even removed the front cover and stuffed some foam inside the vent, to keep the wheel thing from moving, but it's not that because the farting noise continues. Ever hear of anything like this?? It sound like some moving component is to blame. I know the best solution is "get a new unit" but that's $500 I'd rather not spend when the thing still cools just fine. Get a dog. Blame it on the dog. Problem solved. This is just AC, right? Couldn't you just wrap the thing in a tarp?
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Mar 7, 2018 22:20
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Minidust posted:I've got an oooooooold in-wall air conditioner that works fine on a functional level. However, strong winds will cause it to make loud farting noises when it's not in use. Like lately there's this nor'easter going on, and the thing just farts loudly all night, it's terrible. I even removed the front cover and stuffed some foam inside the vent, to keep the wheel thing from moving, but it's not that because the farting noise continues. Ever hear of anything like this?? It sound like some moving component is to blame. I know the best solution is "get a new unit" but that's $500 I'd rather not spend when the thing still cools just fine. You probably have a small leak in the gasket surrounding the unit. Wind blowing in or out makes it vibrate.
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Mar 10, 2018 17:44
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Last fall, my furnace blower motor wouldn't start. If I spun it by hand it would keep going. I replaced the start capacitor and all was fine for roughly one month, then it stopped starting on it's own again. I did what any sensible person who needs their furnace to work every day and is too cheap to call in a pro does: spun it by hand and set my thermostat to on so it ran 24/7 for past 4 or so months. I assumed the blower motor was bad, and had planned to pull it out this week so I could order a replacement, but on a whim I tested the start capacitor with my multimeter. It does not count toward infinity! What are the odds that two would fail, and is it possible that my motor really is bad and killed the cap?
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May 4, 2018 01:14
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Internet Diagnostic: Your start cap died, but then a month later your start winding also went. A lot of blower motors are PSC motors that are wired like this:  Replace the motor. If you can spare the cash and your furnace is newer (you won't be replacing it in a few years) ECM motors are more energy efficient, and have nifty features like an always-on air circulation mode.
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May 4, 2018 01:40
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MRC48B posted:Replace the motor.
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May 4, 2018 01:47
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Yeah don't bother with the ECM then. They sell universal PSC motors. Just read the nameplate on your old one and try to match the numbers.
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May 4, 2018 01:51
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US Motors has their Rescue brand line for rare and hard to find replacements for old systems if you cant find a universal replacement for yours
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May 4, 2018 02:36
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Luckily mine seems to be pretty common as a number of online retailers carry it.
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May 4, 2018 03:07
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MRC48B posted:You probably have a small leak in the gasket surrounding the unit. Wind blowing in or out makes it vibrate. So thanks once again, for saving us some $$$ and for a good night's sleep!!!!!
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May 4, 2018 19:26
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Does anyone here know a lot about cleaning home AC systems? My allergies have gotten worse after sleeping in one of the bedrooms and looking closely at the vent, I noticed a black and spotty buildup. Looked it up and I think it's mold. My parents' house is quite old (built in the 60s I think but bought recently) so I think think the HVAC system never had a professional cleaning in at least the last decade or so and this is in Florida where high outdoor humidity is practically a given.  This is inside of the offending vent with the grill plate removed. I don't know what that black stuff is.  This isn't the same vent, but it's pretty representative of the level of buildup that's on the surface of the grill. (Edit: I can try and get a better resolution pic if necessary) So how bad is it really and what should be done outside of getting professional help? As a side note, there's other issues with the AC system. One of the units (there's two, one for each floor). Something in the AC unit is leaking water into the garage. It's possibly the condenser leaking water and not draining out properly based on the last two visits from the AC people (this is basically an annual issue). We have a shop vac now and we're trying to suck out any potential clog or build up with it, but it's a no go, either because the shop vac is too high for the outlet pipe outside or because of some other issue. Apparently, sucking out the clog with their own vacuum is the AC people did on their previous visits, but IDK. Please halp.
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May 24, 2018 00:00
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Is this an ok thread to ask about getting into the service -side of HVAC as a career, or is the A/T forum better suited?
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May 25, 2018 00:10
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Dandywalken posted:Is this an ok thread to ask about getting into the service -side of HVAC as a career, or is the A/T forum better suited? Fire away
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May 25, 2018 01:59
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What's the best way to go about starting a career in the field? I know that you need certification from the EPA to handle and dispose of refridgerant. Trade school I assume is the best way to get formal training. Is it too late to get into that at 33 years old? Is it possible to go straight into diagnostic and residential servicing, or do you generally need to spend a few years doing installation and duct work? If the latter, would that time spent count towards my apprenticeship's four years so I can progress to a Journeyman position?
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May 25, 2018 02:12
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1: Union apprenticeship. I did trade school on my own dime, at the time the locals weren't taking anybody. Now they are waking up to the fact that all their guys are retiring soon. 2: it's not a hard test. 3: depends on the trade school. some have better programs than others. ask the larger contractors in your area which ones they like to see. the smart companies will have reps on the program board, and will be scouting for talent and guiding the curriculum. 4: no. take care of yourself. a lot of guys in the trades with broke rear end bodies. 5: Construction sperience helps with the "how did this system get like this", when you are trying to figure out if it's a broken piece of poo poo due to: Neglect Incorrect Install Incorrect Engineering Assumptions All of the Above 6: Time is time, afaik. Have to ask your local.
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May 25, 2018 02:35
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Awesome, appreciate the replies. Looks like the local union is an hour out in Harrisburg, PA. I'll look into contacting them soon.
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May 25, 2018 03:14
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Seconding the Union apprenticeship, I got a ton of knowledge out of mine. Depending on your location relative to harrisburg, the philly local is huge and has plenty of work. Some trade school or community college courses will look good on your application, but as was already said, the UA is realizing that a lot of guys are retiring in the next 10 years with not enough techs coming in to replace them so a big hiring push is coming.
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May 25, 2018 16:10
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My father was an HVAC tech from when he got out of the Army after doing a tour in Vietnam until he retired. When he built our family's first "real" house (we'd previously lived in a singlewide trailer on the same lot) in the late '80s, he put valves to hook up the guages/bottle in the laundry room, because gently caress humping that poo poo around back of the house outside in the rain/heat. I'm reminded because my uncle (dad's baby brother, whole also worked at their big brother's A/C shop his whole carreer, and is semi-retired but still does HVAC work for friends and family), just came over to poke at the new condenser he installed a month or two ago and top off the Freon. The one Dad put in when he built the house had a catastophic failure of the compressor. Edit for topicality: for getting into any trade, nepotism always helps. Like I said, my uncle ran the company that my father and younger uncle worked for, and I unofficially apprenticed with Dad in high school, so I probably could've easily got my foot in the door with another company and got them to pay for my locensing (I was just muscle when I went to work with Dad) when Dad and his older brother retired and shut their business down. (I ended up going to work with my mom instead, rearranging grocery stores, which is its own weird specialized trade.) Chillbro Baggins fucked around with this message at 01:09 on May 26, 2018 |
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May 26, 2018 00:59
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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I have a T in my duct work, one going upstairs and the other going to feed downstairs. It looks and feels like there’s a manual damper on the T. My upstairs is super hot and my downstairs is super cold. I read that my original installer should have marked where to set for summer vs winter but I don’t have that. Is this just a guessing game and put it on full force up stairs or somewhere in the middle?
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May 28, 2018 03:39
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Welp, my AC unit is dying. I've been getting water buildup inside the furnace and my AHS contractor just declared the evap coil and drain pan dead. Since the unit's 25+ years old I'm not crying too much, but it's not worth it to replace 6 lbs of R-22 on a 25 year old condensor. While I'm in there I'll get the furnace updated for something made this century as well. Anything I should be looking out for on residential AC/furnaces? CR has some brand reliability guidelines but it's pretty thin indeed on what to actually look for. Is there a minimum SEER and AFUE floor? Brands I should be avoiding? The original contractor recommended a 3.5 ton replacement Goodman unit, SEER 14, AFUE 85. Meh. My house is wood frame circa '92, 2000 ft^2, two floors in SE PA. Anyone in the know want to ballpark a price so I don't get screwed?
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May 31, 2018 17:52
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A quality install is really what you need to be looking for, as that will affect the lifespan and general condition of the equipment in general. That being said, my personal recemmondations for brands is Lennox or Trane. They seem to make some of the best equipment, and service is a breeze on those. Goodman is pretty middle of the road. They can be good, but since they'll sell to anyone you tend to get a lot of lovely installs. 13 SEER is the minimum allowed by law, but you can go up to like 21 or so, but that gets pretty pricey. Most places seems to offer decent prices on 14-16 SEER stuff. As far as pricing goes, I'd be shopping around for quotes. Get like 3-4. Probably going to be at least $6-8k or so.
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Jun 1, 2018 02:07
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DkHelmet posted:Welp, my AC unit is dying. I've been getting water buildup inside the furnace and my AHS contractor just declared the evap coil and drain pan dead. Since the unit's 25+ years old I'm not crying too much, but it's not worth it to replace 6 lbs of R-22 on a 25 year old condensor. While I'm in there I'll get the furnace updated for something made this century as well. Ours is a Lennox, installed last year by Horizon. I don't actually know the SEER, and I'm guessing mid-July is too late to get back to you on it. The home inspector was impressed though. My parents bought a place with a year old Trane system in the attic, it seems really nice, but I was more focused on fixing broken things there, as opposed to appreciating stuff that worked.
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Jun 1, 2018 02:33
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DkHelmet posted:Welp, my AC unit is dying. I've been getting water buildup inside the furnace and my AHS contractor just declared the evap coil and drain pan dead. Since the unit's 25+ years old I'm not crying too much, but it's not worth it to replace 6 lbs of R-22 on a 25 year old condensor. While I'm in there I'll get the furnace updated for something made this century as well. I personally do not like goodman units and prefer to go with the ICP (Carrier) offbrands. Arcoaire is a really good unit for the price. I put one in my parents house (3 ton) last summer and came in just under $3000 for parts (did not charge them labor.) I'm going to go ahead and ballpark that you were given a price of $9500 if it was a big name, a bit less for a smaller local contractor. Whatever you have installed, I recommend you have them add a low pressure cutoff safety if the unit doesn't have one. They cost like $15 and take 3 extra minutes to install, and if all your refrigerant leaks out the compressor doesn't run till it dies as well. Many residential units don't come with them. If you want to PM me pictures of estimates I can look them over. iForge fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Jun 1, 2018 |
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Jun 1, 2018 03:00
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Quick question: My home office gets stupidly hot because it's tiny (10'x7') and has the only real heat sources outside the oven and dryer. It's got both a vent and return, but the rest of the house stays cool so well that it just ends up heating up between cycles of the AC. It does get cool just fine when the AC runs. The house is new construction ('12) with whatever the minimum insulation rating was at the time (because builders are awful), with a forced air HVAC. HOA prevents me from putting in a windowshaker, so I was thinking of a micro-split system. Are there water-based systems? I've looked into splits but it looks like they all use refrigerant lines, which takes it way beyond a DIY project. As an alternate maybe a vent blower that's not ridiculously loud, just to maintain constant air circulation in the one room without having to run the main fan 24/7?
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Jun 1, 2018 17:25
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as loving awesome as a minisplit that used water as the working fluid between indoor and outdoor units would be, I don't believe those are a thing. the First thing you should do is set your thermostat to Fan Always On mode, to help circulate the air through the problem room. If this room has attic space above it, make sure it is insulated. Large windows? check for infiltration and heat gain. as far as fans go, an exhaust fan or something probably wouldn't hurt either. edit: holy poo poo they do make chillers in minisplit sizes. still Do Not recommend it for hvac purposes though.
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Jun 2, 2018 00:07
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MRC48B posted:as loving awesome as a minisplit that used water as the working fluid between indoor and outdoor units would be, I don't believe those are a thing. I'll try leaving the fan on for 24 hours to see how it works out. I've got a nest on it so maybe I can interface a thermostat in the office with it somehow to make it more on-demand. Thanks! MRC48B posted:edit: holy poo poo they do make chillers in minisplit sizes. still Do Not recommend it for hvac purposes though. Cool find! Definitely not what I need but maybe someone will put 2+2 together and make a DIY install chilled water system for places where a windowshaker isn't an option.
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Jun 2, 2018 02:28
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There's also the portable AC unit option. They aren't super effective, but may work well as additional cooling in such a small space LG LP0817WSR 115V Portable Air Conditioner with Remote Control in White for Rooms up to 150-Sq. Ft. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBF75QJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fWSeBbWRYZYK4
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Jun 2, 2018 17:59
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The Costco Lennox guy just quoted me $9850 for a 80% Merit furnace and 16 SEER AC unit. 
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Jun 11, 2018 18:42
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Lol I just got comparable Lennox equipment with variable speed included for 5k
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Jun 14, 2018 17:06
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Harik posted:I'm 99% sure it's not external heat, since it's worst after sunset when the rest of the house is cool enough the AC barely runs. I think it's as simple as "Two computers and monitors in a small, well insulated room and the AC is on a completely different cycle". I know this is an older post, but you can set the Nest to run the fan for <x> minutes per hour (I think it's 15, 30, and 45, but my Nest crapped out awhile back) during certain hours. Setting it to do this from, say, 7pm until you typically go to bed, will probably help the heat in that room considerably, without hitting the electric bill quite as hard as just keeping the fan on 24/7. You can do this from either the Nest itself or from the app.
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Jun 18, 2018 08:21
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I'm coming down to making a decision between Lennox (not the goddamn Costco guy) and Carrier, both of which have comparable prices and equipment features. I've heard that Lennox is poo poo, fails, and never has parts. I've heard that Carrier's heat exchangers rust into oblivion and the internals are generally lovely. I've heard that both are also God's gift to HVAC and we should be appreciative that they deign to give us the gift of cooler/warmer air. The internet is loving rotten with paid reviews and comparisons. Is there any reason why I should pick one over the other? Both installers are rock solid. Lennox XC16-036 AC, EL296UH090XV60C furnace, unknown Lennox coil, unknown AHRI Carrier 24ACB736A003 AC, 59TP6A080E17 furnace, CNPVP4217ALA coil, AHRI 10360026
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Jun 22, 2018 22:49
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DkHelmet posted:I'm coming down to making a decision between Lennox (not the goddamn Costco guy) and Carrier, both of which have comparable prices and equipment features. I've heard that Lennox is poo poo, fails, and never has parts. I've heard that Carrier's heat exchangers rust into oblivion and the internals are generally lovely. I've heard that both are also God's gift to HVAC and we should be appreciative that they deign to give us the gift of cooler/warmer air. The internet is loving rotten with paid reviews and comparisons. Have you considered Trane/American Standard?
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Jun 22, 2018 22:57
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Unhelpful post: Lennox got better after they stopped trying to make Pulse furnaces work in residential applications. Pulse boilers in large commercial buildings work OK if you tear them down and inspect/replace the seals yearly. Not so much when joe homeowner neglects them for years on end. They also "special snowflake" compared to everything else on the market, so you really needed to RTFM or get training to work on them. None of that has anything to do with your situation. Really, there is very little difference with the design of modern residential equipment these days. They are all condensing, natural gas burning, forced draft, hot surface ignition, with aluminum coated steel heat exchangers. The major thing is if your installing contractor doesn't cut any corners and follows the manufacturer installation rules, and local building codes. I would pick the brand/installer that has better warranty guarantees.
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Jun 22, 2018 23:36
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EngineerJoe posted:Have you considered Trane/American Standard? Yes, but I couldn’t find a solid contractor in the timeframe. What I got is what I got.
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Jun 23, 2018 11:50
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I'd recommend Lennox over Carrier. I find that Lennox has better build quality and parts are generally pretty easy to get. Plus Lennox seems to be designed around being serviced, so you'll spend less in labor.
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Jun 23, 2018 19:45
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