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Mutar posted:My wife and I are looking to take down a non load bearing wall to expand our kitchen/dining space, and we've got a few things that are running through the wall we need to remove/reroute. One is an electrical outlet I'm hoping we can either just remove entirely or move to one side of the room, I don't think that'll be too big a deal, might need to get a permit/inspection before sealing everything up as a guess. Secondly there is a cold air return vent - currently that is located in the wall we're taking down, I'm hoping it isn't a big deal to make it an in floor return vent? Seems like it wouldn't be a biggie, but I don't know enough to say. Lastly there is the exhaust vent stack from the hot water heater in the basement that runs pretty much right up the middle of the wall to be removed and vents straight out the roof - is that something I can/should reroute? Not sure if the rules are that those exhaust vent stacks have to be a straight shot or what. Located in Minneapolis, but I'm thinking code/best practices stuff should be fairly standardized? Sounds ambitious but if you’re handy it should be doable, aside from any potential code issues. You will definitely need to get everything inspected based on your description. With regard to that, I’ve completed a couple remodels in Edina and my experience with the inspectors was great. They’re usually pretty excited that a homeowner is doing their own stuff and because of that they’re probably more patient than if you were a contractor. Basically for $30 per visit the electrical inspector will come out to inspect/advise as many times as you need/want (expect at least twice - once for rough in, once for finish). Electrical is inspected by the state here, the rest is inspected based on city. Minneapolis building inspectors may be different but the ones I’ve dealt with here in Edina have been helpful and if you have any code questions you can call the inspections office usually or also pay for them to come out to inspect/advise for a reasonable amount. I think Minneapolis has a pretty good building code website too that I’ve looked at from time to time.
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Apr 3, 2019 15:03
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devicenull posted:Ecobee3 comes with this: https://support.ecobee.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009155051-Installing-your-ecobee-thermostat-with-the-Power-Extender-Kit-no-C-wire- I have no access to the control board itself (getting to it would require some hefty disassembly), but there's 5 wires hanging out of the side of the air handler. 4 are wire nutted to the wires going to the thermostat, the last one (I assume it's C, but it's brown, not black) is just chilling, bare ended (stripped, even), in the ceiling space. I thought the PEK required its own power supply? Did that change, or am I thinking of something else? There's a regular socket pretty close to the thermostat - it seems like an option would be to wire a 24VAC wall wart to the Rh and C terminals on an Ecobee or Honeywell? The Nest we have is the E version, so it only has a single R terminal.
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Apr 4, 2019 07:03
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Mutar posted:My wife and I are looking to take down a non load bearing wall to expand our kitchen/dining space, and we've got a few things that are running through the wall we need to remove/reroute. One is an electrical outlet I'm hoping we can either just remove entirely or move to one side of the room, I don't think that'll be too big a deal, might need to get a permit/inspection before sealing everything up as a guess. Secondly there is a cold air return vent - currently that is located in the wall we're taking down, I'm hoping it isn't a big deal to make it an in floor return vent? Seems like it wouldn't be a biggie, but I don't know enough to say. Lastly there is the exhaust vent stack from the hot water heater in the basement that runs pretty much right up the middle of the wall to be removed and vents straight out the roof - is that something I can/should reroute? Not sure if the rules are that those exhaust vent stacks have to be a straight shot or what. Located in Minneapolis, but I'm thinking code/best practices stuff should be fairly standardized? The only thing here that would really concern me is the vent from your water heater. How far away are you going to reroute it, and how many elbows are you adding? I would look up the install manual for your heater, they will usually list the max distance you can run the vent, and every elbow will reduce that length by like 3'. Improper venting can cause your water heater to act up, or even worse, you could end up with CO spilling out into your house. The return duct you should be able to put right into the floor no problem, as long as you don't mind have a floor grille in what is now likely the middle of your kitchen.
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Apr 4, 2019 13:01
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Hey HVAC thread, this is my first time visiting you. I bought a 110 year old house a year ago with a pretty old AC Unit (24 yrs old) and Furnace (20 yrs old). Since moving in we found that the AC does not cool the upstairs well enough in the winter. I suspect this is mostly because there is no return vent pulling air from upstairs and recirculating it, but also perhaps it is undersized at 2tons for just over 2000sqft - internet resources seem to suggest 2.5tons. I have no complaints for how well it cools the downstairs. I've saved up enough money to upgrade/fix AC issues so I'm quoting out work to some companies. My house has ~1250 sq feet on the first floor and ~750 on the second floor. Currently I have 2 regular sized vents upstairs but relied on a window AC unit last summer. Is there any rule of thumb for how much ventilation there should be for 750 sqft on a second floor? The first company quoted 3k to add a return duct from basement to 2nd floor through a closet that is barely used and 8k to replace the whole furnace/ac combo and a 1k discount if they do both. I've got 2 more companies scheduled to quote this out, but does it seem reasonable to just replace the furnace/AC due to how old the units are?
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Apr 4, 2019 20:05
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I think we would need more info, first of all, where do you live? The heat load of a house in Houston is very different from a house in Minneapolis. Also, how well is your house insulated? 2 tons for a 2,000 sf house seems undersized to me either way though. How many rooms are upstairs? If you have two vents, but four rooms, you're going to have an issue no matter what because you're just not going to get enough air movement. I honestly wouldn't worry that much about adding a return to the second floor, I would be more concerned with making sure you had even distribution of supply air. Did you tell the first company you wanted to add the return, or did they suggest it?
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Apr 4, 2019 20:36
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I'm located in Indiana and I would say my house is not insulated as well as a new build would be, but I was surprised how little heat I had to burn over the winter compared to my last 2 rentals. So the insulation is ok, but not great. We have some thick plaster walls. 4 rooms upstairs. The first company brought up just adding a return or doing mini splits. Just had another guy out last night who quoted the same as the previous but a bit cheaper and with a good($8.5k carrier comfort single stage ac, furnace), better($9.4k carrier performance dual stage furnace upgrade), best($10.7k carrier infinity inverter ac and variable furnace), budget($7.5k Payne ac/furnace) ac options. With ductwork included on all options. E: They are offering 6 year 0% interest on the Infinity and only 2 year 0% interest on the rest of the units... plugging that in to a inflation calculator really brings the prices of the infinity and performance much closer than it appears on paper... maybe only a $6-700 more in future moneys? I'm not good at the economy though, so that's just my best guess. extravadanza fucked around with this message at 13:12 on Apr 5, 2019 |
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Apr 5, 2019 11:05
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We had the first day of really needing AC here yesterday and mine felt a bit anemic compared to last year. I checked the temp at the vents and it wasn't very much lower compared to the ambient temperature except at like 1 or 2 vents that are closest to the main unit. Should I just call an HVAC guy out for a check up on the system? I already replaced the filter and checked the condenser outside. Everything seems to be functioning properly.
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Apr 5, 2019 15:48
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What's the low pressure line at the condenser feel like?
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Apr 5, 2019 19:41
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Apr 5, 2019 21:19
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It feels cold, but not freezing by any means. My lovely laser thermometer says 65-69 which I don't think is right, it feels colder. e: It is not condensing humidity on it where it is not insulated which I am reading is a bad thing, and probably means I have a leak somewhere... This unit is only 4 years old so this kind of sucks. E2: crawled into my attic and realized it was a lot cooler than I expected. Then I saw the spider webs billowing near the outlet to the vents. It was 60 degrees under the unit where there's a gap of some size. So that's probably a big part of the problem. SpartanIvy fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Apr 6, 2019 |
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Apr 5, 2019 23:48
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It doesn't necessarily mean there's a leak. I would stop trying to run the system and call for service. Edit - yeah a massive supply air leak is an issue, though I'm not entirely sure that's your only issue. I guess patch that and see how it goes?
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Apr 6, 2019 01:13
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HVAC guy came today and got me sorted out. The system was a pound low on coolant which he said was concerning, and may mean there's a leak or that it just wasn't filled properly in the past. He also cleaned out my condenser fins which looked to be a big part of the problem and I can't believe I didn't think to do myself  The venting in my attic is pretty hosed and he didn't see an easy way to fix it so he's going to draw up a quote for me to get it replaced. So tldr: clean your loving condenser cooling fins.
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Apr 7, 2019 00:53
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Exactly what is loose on your duct work? Is it not attached to the unit?
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Apr 7, 2019 03:34
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It's rigid duct work so it's made up of interconnected sheet metal which pieces of have come loose from each other and allow air to escape. The biggest issue is the part where they join to the unit seems to be 90% mastic by volume and is falling apart. The air ducting is old and seems to have been installed with skill and care originally which makes me think the latest installers from a few years ago must have manhandled it a ton to get it to "fit" the new unit before masticing it up, which is what caused all the breaks in the joints.
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Apr 7, 2019 04:35
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SpartanIvy posted:So tldr: clean your loving condenser cooling fins. Carefully, don't blast it with the hose. and turn the power off first.
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Apr 7, 2019 04:57
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SpartanIvy posted:90% mastic by volume New thread title?
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Apr 7, 2019 05:36
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So my HVAC guy sent me a quote for fixing the vent issues and he wants to replace my leaky rigid vents with flex vents which I feel is unnecessary. They're old and leaky but I bet they can be fixed with the application of even more mastic to the joints. The main unit to vent interface needs to be totally redone, but I think the vents themselves are okay. Hes also going to fix up my air intake plenum which is super janky and (at my request) install a multi media air filter box on the unit in the attic instead of the 20x20x1 filter intake vent thing in my living room. He quoted me $3200 (DFW TX, 900 sqft house, 6 outlet vents) which may be a little high but my attic is tiny which definitely raised the labor on it. Im going to ask him about keeping the rigid vents, and how much it would cost to do the other improvements if I take care of the vents myself. I think I can tackle sealing and re-insulating sheet metal tubes. Anyone have opinions or insights?
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Apr 8, 2019 17:06
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SpartanIvy posted:So my HVAC guy sent me a quote for fixing the vent issues and he wants to replace my leaky rigid vents with flex vents which I feel is unnecessary. They're old and leaky but I bet they can be fixed with the application of even more mastic to the joints. The main unit to vent interface needs to be totally redone, but I think the vents themselves are okay. Hes also going to fix up my air intake plenum which is super janky and (at my request) install a multi media air filter box on the unit in the attic instead of the 20x20x1 filter intake vent thing in my living room. Once he's up there ripping stuff apart you might find the marginal cost of having him do "everything" is fairly low - especially if anything goes wrong in the future or you break something DIY'ing stuff directly after him. If anything, do you DIY crap first. (I have no opinion on the rigid/flex vents thing)
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Apr 8, 2019 17:23
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The landlord upgraded our forced air heaters and the airflow is a lot better now (but it doesn't help much with making it warmer). Unfortunately, now there's a bunch of gross-rear end dust and clumps being blown out of the vents, and leaving the forced air heat on for a while covers everything in a layer of dust. What are my options here? Should I get vent-side filters like these and put them on the vents, or do I need to nag the landlord into cleaning the piping? If my best option is to add filters to the vents, what should I be using (best brands, how to do it right, etc.)? I figured I wouldn't have to worry about this until next winter, but it's still a bit chilly here.
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May 15, 2019 02:34
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Pollyanna posted:The landlord upgraded our forced air heaters and the airflow is a lot better now (but it doesn't help much with making it warmer). Unfortunately, now there's a bunch of gross-rear end dust and clumps being blown out of the vents, and leaving the forced air heat on for a while covers everything in a layer of dust. "upgraded" by removing the filter it sounds like. This is your landlord's problem. While it sounds like the ductwork needs to be cleaned it could be other things as well.
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May 15, 2019 20:07
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Motronic posted:"upgraded" by removing the filter it sounds like. It’s a completely new unit, I checked. I could always try mucking about with it myself. It’s possible that the ducts are leaky, that the unit is lovely, that the filters are absent, etc. I’ll see if I can’t get more info on the specific unit. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 22:32 on May 15, 2019 |
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May 15, 2019 22:28
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Pollyanna posted:It’s a completely new unit, I checked. I could always try mucking about with it myself. Assuming it was installed properly then yeah.....the ducts should have been cleaned. The old one was probably very weak and didn't have timely filter changes to the ducts are full of junk which the new and improved air velocity is ejecting. I assume it will stop at some point - maybe leave the fan running for a couple of days, change the filter and see if it stops. Then have fun cleaning the entire place top to bottom.
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May 15, 2019 22:33
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Motronic posted:Assuming it was installed properly then yeah.....the ducts should have been cleaned. The old one was probably very weak and didn't have timely filter changes to the ducts are full of junk which the new and improved air velocity is ejecting. Fun. Worth it to put some cheesecloth or filters or something over the vents, to catch whatever does come out?
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May 15, 2019 22:34
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Pollyanna posted:Fun. Worth it to put some cheesecloth or filters or something over the vents, to catch whatever does come out? I mean....maybe? But what I'm thinking here is that you're just lowering the air velocity again so will all that stuff come out? Maybe some, and then you take off your "filter", the velocity goes back up and more comes out.
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May 15, 2019 22:37
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gdi. Might as well run full blast until (if) it stops being gross. I’ll try that out and just clean up, it’s about time for spring cleaning anyway. What’s the likelihood that it will actually all get blown out, anyway? Or is it a losing battle? Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 22:45 on May 15, 2019 |
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May 15, 2019 22:40
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Pollyanna posted:gdi. Might as well run full blast until (if) it stops being gross. I’ll try that out and just clean up, it’s about time for spring cleaning anyway. I'd suspect the bulk would get blown out pretty quick. But it depends on the ductwork and - well, duct cleaning is a thing for a reason (they aren't self cleaning). It's not something you should need regularly in a properly working system, but it's still a thing.
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May 15, 2019 23:35
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I just moved into a 3 story townhouse in the DC area last week from Boston and it seems like it's way too hot in this place, namely on the third floor. When you enter the front door, you're on the main floor (or 2nd technically). Downstairs is a guest room and it's fully finished, so I don't think it's technically a basement, but it is beneath the main floor, so maybe it is. The AC unit is outside on that level and the furnace is inside on that level. The upstairs (3rd level) has the master bedroom and a 2nd bedroom. The house was built in the 90's and I'm not sure when the AC was serviced last. Right now the thermostat (which is on the main, 2nd level) is set to 73, and the upstairs is 76 degrees. It's 8:30 in the morning. The master bedroom faces west and the 2nd bedroom faces east, so I would assume the 2nd bedroom would get hotter in the morning and the master would get hotter in the evening, due to location of the sun. At night we set the thermostat to 71 degrees but the upstairs will be around 79 degrees, usually only cooling down to 75 or so by 3/4 AM. For the vents, we have the downstairs (basement) vents closed. All other vents on the 2nd/3rd floors are fully open. We can *barely* feel air movement coming from the vents on the 3rd level when the AC is on. If I open the vents in the basement, it definitely feels like cool air moving, so maybe the AC doesn't need serviced. I've heard before that being in a 3 story townhouse, it's just going to get hot on the 3rd level due to heat rising, and unless you have an AC with different zones or multiple thermostats, you're kind of stuck. Is that likely the case here? What can I do to help with this problem? I'm going to install blackout curtains on the 3rd level bedrooms to help with sunlight heating up the places as I currently just have wooden blinds installed and light still leaks through. Remember, I'm renting this place, so while I might be able to get the landlord to service the AC unit, they aren't going to do any modifications to the venting or purchase a new AC unit/multiple zones/etc. Maybe I just need to adjust the temperatures I have the thermostat set at to lower temps? Something like 68 at night and 72 in the morning/day? I have an Ecobee I'm going to install, but I don't think I'll bother with sensors, because all that is going to do is force the unit to run overtime and make the downstairs ice cold while getting the third level where I need it.
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May 26, 2019 13:45
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nwin posted:I just moved into a 3 story townhouse in the DC area last week from Boston and it seems like it's way too hot in this place, namely on the third floor. What sort of insulation is in your attic? I've found window film like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKM8EG/ helps to block a lot of the heat (and won't turn your place into a cave)
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May 26, 2019 14:35
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Airflow. Change the filter, dont' use a high merv, is the blower wheel dirty on the blades?
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May 26, 2019 14:41
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MRC48B posted:Airflow. Change the filter, dont' use a high merv, is the blower wheel dirty on the blades? Is merv basically how small the holes in the filter are? Like one designated for allergies would have a higher merv than a cheaper one? Where should I look for the blower at? Is it outside on the AC unit?
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May 26, 2019 14:43
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Yes, No, you're looking at the fan that moves air inside, because you thought it was insufficient. It would be on the unit inside.
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May 26, 2019 14:46
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devicenull posted:What sort of insulation is in your attic? I've found window film like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKM8EG/ helps to block a lot of the heat (and won't turn your place into a cave) I have no clue what kind of insulation-it’s a rental and I don’t have access to the attic from what I can tell/not sure there is one. The window film might be a good idea-I’ve used that before.
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May 26, 2019 14:50
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Just since you didn't mention it - you have checked/changed the filter at some point right?
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May 26, 2019 18:34
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angryrobots posted:Just since you didn't mention it - you have checked/changed the filter at some point right? Yes
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May 26, 2019 19:15
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Hey y'all. I'm going to perma-sticky this thread as a pro-DIY advice thread, and it needs a new name that distinguishes it from the wiring and plumbing threads. Suggestions? The pattern will be "[your suggestion here]: the HVAC thread".
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May 30, 2019 08:04
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High Voltage Alternating Current: the HVAC thread
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May 30, 2019 08:54
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Jaded Burnout posted:a new name that distinguishes it from the wiring and plumbing threads. Bad Munki posted:High Voltage Alternating Current: the HVAC thread This is going to be a long process, isn't it?
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May 30, 2019 09:38
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non comedy option: The HVAC Thread: Please change the filter
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May 30, 2019 12:44
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The HVAC Thread - It's called refrigerant
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May 30, 2019 12:56
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Qwijib0 posted:Suck and Blow: The HVAC Thread
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