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Smackdillion posted:99% of people are not willing to pay for the amount of time it takes to dial a system in on a service call. So much of doing hvac properly is "hurry up and wait". People don't generally like to pay anyone they don't view as having worked furiously for the entirety of the service call. It's a combination of this and also the fact that dispatch is more than willing to try and overload a tech with calls. So you end up with guys trying to rush and get calls done so they can get home at a decent time. There are lovely techs out there. A lot actually, but not everything that goes wrong is just from lazy techs.
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Nov 3, 2019 00:36
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Smackdillion posted:When you buy the ultra high-efficiency (anything more than a 2 stage compressor) residential split-systems you have decided the following: I can honestly say that I didn’t care about “extra” energy savings by going with variable speed. If there’s been a SEER 14 or 16-level unit with inverter duty, I would have gladly gone with that. As it is, I felt like the XV18 was a decent approach since it’s variable speed but “only” SEER 18. The main benefit for going variable speed to me was that the outdoor condenser is right next to our bedroom outside and the furnace/blower is in the attic above the hallway that’s right outside our bedroom doors (including the original main, undersized return). So going variable speed helped to alleviate noise significantly. Phoenix is also large enough that I’m not too worried replacement parts, and I knew going in the any replacement parts will cost significantly more than for simpler systems, but that’s the price to pay for improved quality of life noise-wise. And thankfully whether it’d been SEER 14 constant speed or higher SEER variable speed, we’ll see a large improvement in cost regardless since we’re coming from 25-year old builder grade units. I won’t see the ROI going up to the variable speed unit but I didn’t plan to. Canned Sunshine fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Nov 5, 2019 |
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Nov 5, 2019 16:22
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Edit - double post
Canned Sunshine fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Nov 5, 2019 |
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Nov 5, 2019 16:41
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Gang tag contest! https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3903115
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Nov 5, 2019 18:39
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SourKraut posted:I can honestly say that I didn’t care about “extra” energy savings by going with variable speed. If there’s been a SEER 14 or 16-level unit with inverter duty, I would have gladly gone with that. As it is, I felt like the XR18 was a decent approach since it’s variable speed but “only” SEER 18. I am in a very similar setup as you are and just had a new SEER 14 Trane unit installed. The compressor unit, which is directly behind the headboard of our bed, is almost totally inaudible when it starts/stops. However the furnace (located in the hallway attic right outside our bedroom too) does indeed have some noise associated with it. Just sounds like tons of air being moved. Anyway no real input. Just some real world anecdotal stuff. BonoMan fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Nov 5, 2019 |
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Nov 5, 2019 19:41
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Smackdillion posted:When you buy the ultra high-efficiency (anything more than a 2 stage compressor) residential split-systems you have decided the following: 1) Did not want the energy savings over a 16 or 18 dual stage, I wanted the thing to run silently most of the time and not hear it turn on or off 2) Variables are not bespoke, artisanal devices at this point 3) Depends on the contractor I guess-- Mine sent the whole team to training when I chose it, and most of them participated in the install based on the number of guys I saw that week. The person that comes twice a year as part of the service agreement always seems to know what he's doing. 4) No issues so far in the past 6 years beyond a control board recall which I was proactively contacted about by them. tl;dr as always, choosing the right contractor is critical.
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Nov 5, 2019 20:02
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i taste salt
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Nov 5, 2019 23:06
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to give you this shitty icon and give Lowtax his cyborg spine parts
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 End of late last winter I posted about the building’s heating vents blowing a shitload of gross dust and clumps into my apartment after the heater + its blower got upgraded. I told the landlords and they said it would stop after some time of running the heat, but it’s been on for two days straight and I’m still getting that gross poo poo seen above, caking my apartment in a layer of black dust. Should I bother trying out home remedies for this? Or just skip to telling the landlords to clean the vents?
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Nov 9, 2019 21:53
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Pollyanna posted:
Yeah, I remember this post. And with the picture I'm now gonna go with "there are no filters on that system and you have intake air coming from some nasty rear end dirty neighbors" as another potential problem. Is there a return in your unit? Does it have a filter or a spot for one? They could be per return and/or central. Really depends on the system.
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Nov 9, 2019 22:30
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There are a few returns in the apartment. The system doesn’t seem to be connected to any of my neighbors. The clumps are coming out of the main, non-return vents. I was told there were filters in the heater machine, so that should be with filters...that implies there’s crap in the vents themselves, maybe. I can get pictures if you need them. Should I harangue my landlords into fixing it?
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Nov 10, 2019 02:46
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Pollyanna posted:Should I harangue my landlords into fixing it? Regardless of the issue......YES. This is the benefit of renting.
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Nov 10, 2019 03:36
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Sounds good to me. In the meantime, is it worth it to buy some sort of filters for those vent covers to try and intercept the dust and the large clumps? Or are they not useful in this situation? All the return vents are just plain grating, basically holes in the ground. Should I try and get them replaced with something else? I can take pictures if that helps. Is it worth it to put filters on the return vents as well? It sucks that I've basically had to do administration and maintenance myself for this apartment  (e.g. raising poo poo about the useless and stuck blinds, get the landlords to actually fix a broken window, the heating, etc.).
Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Nov 10, 2019 |
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Nov 10, 2019 19:05
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I think I mentioned the last time around that you can TRY filters on the supply grates (it's a thing you can find at a big box store...potentially in the size you need) but you may cut your airflow to the point where you aren't getting the heat you want.
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Nov 10, 2019 21:54
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Yeah, that sounds about right. Most of them except the one in the picture (and one other) are something closer to registers than grating, though, so I don't think I can put filters on most of them. It'd be on the return vents, though if there's filtering in the heater itself, there's not much point. Could I possibly ask them to replace the supply vents/grating with more complex registers or something? Or is that not worth it? Can supply pictures if needed. I'll fire off that email.
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Nov 10, 2019 22:05
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I mean.....you can ask for whatever you want. But rather than trying to ask for a specific solution I'd keep it to a specific OUTCOME (I want clean air from the heater in my apartment).
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Nov 10, 2019 22:26
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I mean I could do that, but there's a pretty high chance that they'll implement a completely bullshit solution that doesn't actually fix the problem and I'd rather get it right the first time by doing the research myself  Up to them now.
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Nov 10, 2019 23:03
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Is there such a thing as a window-based heat exchanger unit that you can hook the exhaust of a mobile unit to?
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Nov 11, 2019 13:19
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What you are asking for does not make sense. Why would you want the waste heat from a mobile unit?
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Nov 11, 2019 18:16
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MRC48B posted:What you are asking for does not make sense. Why would you want the waste heat from a mobile unit? Perhaps I'm phrasing this poorly. I have a mobile unit which I bought before learning why fixed units are typically more effective, because they transfer just the heat outside through heat pipes rather than blasting the air out, and it seems to me that you could theoretically improve the performance of them by taking the hot air from the mobile unit and passing it over a heat sink which then transfers the heat outside in a similar way to window-mounted units. So the point would not be to keep the waste heat from a mobile unit, but to get rid of the heat without blasting the air out of a window or w/e.
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Nov 11, 2019 19:37
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I'm back with more heating questions. I know I should leave this stuff up to the landlords, but they're super lovely and unresponsive. (No idea how to get them to change, and they won't.) Aside from the dust, the hot air seems okay, though it can still get a bit chilly in the apartment. I know that windows can be potential sources of cold leak, but mine seem pretty well tightened. Is that all I need to worry about with them? Should I still put those air bags on them? What other things could potentially contribute to a cold apartment? I noticed that the floor is kinda cold compared to the air itself, is that usually insulated? Any tips to conserve heat in an apartment with crappy heating? Is there maybe some efficiency changes I can make with the vents themselves? They installed a new heater, but I suspect that there's some inefficiencies or leakage with the delivery system itself. Mostly cause it looks like this:  and I can't imagine a couple of steel boxes duct-taped together are particularly efficient. Also, should I be worried about this? There’s some water leaking from something-or-other. https://i.imgur.com/7yo6prF.mp4 Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Nov 13, 2019 |
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Nov 13, 2019 02:47
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That's your water heater leaking it looks like, and leaking a LOT. Turn that poo poo off right now and get it inspected/replace it ASAP.
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Nov 13, 2019 03:06
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It's somebody's water heater, not sure if it's mine. Better not be mine. At what point should I raise a big enough stink that the people in charge of landlords 'n poo poo have to get involved? I feel like there's hella negligence here, considering how in-disrepair this loving dump is.
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Nov 13, 2019 03:37
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The real answer here is: move.
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Nov 13, 2019 04:54
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Yeah I would just find a better slum Lord at this point. I've never had luck getting management/landlords to fix stuff even in the nicer places I rented. You can complain but as long as you're contractually obligated to pay them already they won't give a gently caress.
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Nov 13, 2019 05:30
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Motronic posted:The real answer here is: move. Iirc, Pollyanna is in NYC and the rent is
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Nov 13, 2019 05:30
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Alarbus posted:Iirc, Pollyanna is in NYC and the rent is If this is the real story.....then you decide to either move or deal with it. If the rent is extremely favorable in any desirable area of NYC they are rent controlled and the property owner is bringing their own dryer lint to inject into this heating unit in order to drive out rent controlled tenants. And that's the least of what they will do.
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Nov 13, 2019 06:52
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Rent control? In Boston, Massachusetts?  No, it’s just a dump. I fully believe that the landlords have it out for us, but the place is spacious and near transportation and >$350 less per month than any other comparable apartment in the area, so I jumped for it. My long-term plan is to stockpile enough money to buy a house (if possible) then never deal with idiot landlords again. I consider this all training for house ownership.
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Nov 13, 2019 14:42
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Well definitely at least tell your landlords that there is a water heater about to fall apart. If they really aren't responsive, you need to start looking up some tenant's rights organizations in Boston and start making calls. An apartment losing hot water is definitely going to get someone's attention though. As for your heating questions, does that furnace only serve your unit, or multiple units? If your floor is directly above the basement, then it's probably going to be cold all the time because the basement is going to be 10-20 degrees cooler than your unit. Yes, you are losing heat to the basement. Should your floor be insulated? Probably, but 99% of landlords are not going to put in insulation for something like that because there is zero return for them. Plastic over the windows will help if you have especially old windows. If you can feel a draft around the edges, then definitely put plastic up. Last thing, make sure you change the air filter on the furnace every 3 months at a minimum. It's probably the responsibility of your landlord, but we know that won't happen. They're like $5 each, and will help a little bit with your dust issue, and improve the performance of your furnace.
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Nov 13, 2019 15:28
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I mean you could perhaps tap that a few times to shift the rust and make it a immediate concern. I would make sure it's not set to scalding temperatures first. Or don't you live your best life.
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Nov 13, 2019 16:05
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Guess what? It is in fact my apartment’s water heater. And that’s not all! Check this poo poo out! https://i.imgur.com/ueHHvBa.mp4   In case you can’t see the video: the top of the water heater is so rusted and pitted that hot-rear end water is sprinkling out of the top. Yeah. Bird in a Blender posted:Well definitely at least tell your landlords that there is a water heater about to fall apart. If they really aren't responsive, you need to start looking up some tenant's rights organizations in Boston and start making calls. An apartment losing hot water is definitely going to get someone's attention though. Yep, gonna take more pics+video of the damage and forward it to them. This is unacceptable. That said, renters truly have little to no power in Boston, because this place is a capitalistic NIMBY hellhole. I wouldn’t expect the law to help me here. quote:As for your heating questions, does that furnace only serve your unit, or multiple units? If your floor is directly above the basement, then it's probably going to be cold all the time because the basement is going to be 10-20 degrees cooler than your unit. Yes, you are losing heat to the basement. Should your floor be insulated? Probably, but 99% of landlords are not going to put in insulation for something like that because there is zero return for them. Just me. I’m guess I’m not that surprised that I’m losing heat to the basement. Is there something I can do about that besides insulating the floor, or am I hosed? quote:Plastic over the windows will help if you have especially old windows. If you can feel a draft around the edges, then definitely put plastic up. I have no faith in the windows, so I guess it couldn’t hurt. They’re definitely cold to the touch, though I dunno if they radiate cold. Worth a try. quote:Last thing, make sure you change the air filter on the furnace every 3 months at a minimum. It's probably the responsibility of your landlord, but we know that won't happen. They're like $5 each, and will help a little bit with your dust issue, and improve the performance of your furnace. It’s an Airtemp non-condensing 80% AFUE upflow gas heater. Bottom of the line, apparently. I think I have to unscrew the front(?) panels to get at the filters I think, but I need to make sure it’s turned off first. All I have to go on to make that happen is this dodgy looking switch next to it:  I have no idea what that switch does. Maybe it turns the heater off, or maybe I’ll die. I don’t wanna loving touch that thing and I don’t wanna touch the heater without being 100% sure I’ve cut the power. I suspect there are no filters, because it doesn’t come with any according to the poor neglected manual covered in rat(?) poo poo next to it. I hope home ownership isn’t this awful. H110Hawk posted:I mean you could perhaps tap that a few times to shift the rust and make it a immediate concern. I would make sure it's not set to scalding temperatures first. Or don't you live your best life. I’d rather not die. Okay, that’s a lie - I’d rather not suffer, and I have a cat to take care of before I can die in peace.
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Nov 13, 2019 17:35
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RIP.
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Nov 13, 2019 17:40
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No seriously what the gently caress  I assume that the top of a water heater rusting so badly that it's leaking is rather critical???????????? Am I overreacting?????????
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Nov 13, 2019 17:41
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Pollyanna posted:No seriously what the gently caress I am no expert but I might say you're underreacting. I personally would not be stood that close to it and might be considering staying at a friend's for a bit. I don't know how much actual danger it is, I just know that pressure vessel + rust = bang, usually. Edit: though, that said, usually they're at, what, a couple PSI. So maybe it's not that big of a deal?
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Nov 13, 2019 17:44
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Okay well gently caress emails then, I'm walking to their office.
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Nov 13, 2019 17:44
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At the very least I'd be concerned it's ready to split open and flood the place for reals.
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Nov 13, 2019 17:46
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Jaded Burnout posted:At the very least I'd be concerned it's ready to split open and flood the place for reals. This is what I was suggesting might happen.
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Nov 13, 2019 17:54
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Pollyanna posted:I have no idea what that switch does. Maybe it turns the heater off, or maybe I’ll die. I don’t wanna loving touch that thing and I don’t wanna touch the heater without being 100% sure I’ve cut the power. It turns the unit off - standard disconnect on one of those. Pollyanna posted:I suspect there are no filters, because it doesn’t come with any according to the poor neglected manual covered in rat(?) poo poo next to it. Get pics around the unit. Probably down low there should be a trunk for the return. That's a typical location for a filter. If there isn't one, it's probably partially open and dragging poo poo up from the basement. You can measure to figure out what size filter you need and likely fix the bulk of those problems for about $2. Although you'll probably want to swap the filter every few days/weeks as it catches all the poo poo currently in the ducts. Good luck. And no, this isn't what homeownership looks like unless you buy a place like this or let your house go to poo poo.
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Nov 13, 2019 18:04
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Walked to their office, got them to verbally (but not in writing) agree to replace the water heater and check out the furnace and vents tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. Direct action gets the goods, my friends.  Motronic posted:It turns the unit off - standard disconnect on one of those. It's an upflow gas furnace, yeah - it really probably is getting dust and poo poo from the floor of the basement. The place is loving disgusting. For the return, I think there's one big box that both the inflow and return vents connect to, and which connects to the heater itself in some unknown way. At least, I think that's the case. It's very much a black box, and I have no insight into how it works. Hopefully the inspection and cleaning tomorrow resolves the majority of these issues, but I'll keep an eye out for anything they miss. quote:Good luck. Thanks. And that's good to hear, boy do I not want to deal with this kinda poo poo.
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Nov 13, 2019 18:37
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Luckily (I guess???) water doesn't compress much with pressure like air does so an explosion like in the movies isn't going to happen. It would suddenly burst and dump a poo poo load of scalding hot water everywhere but as long as you're not in that room you'd be okay I think. The only real cause of a water heater exploding would be if steam was building up inside of it, and since you have a sizable hole on the top I doubt that's possible. Also it's leaking so much I bet it's lowering the temperature of the water significantly from whatever the thermostat is trying to reach.
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Nov 13, 2019 18:39
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I don't think there's any danger of that water tank becoming a pressure vessel, lmao
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Nov 13, 2019 19:12
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