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Or the condenser has a fan down, or the coils are dirty, or a liquid line restriction, or an electrical problem of some kind. The possibility list is long, and your system is not a standard residential split unit. You need a professional to troubleshoot.
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Jun 14, 2021 05:02
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H110Hawk posted:Tell them one of their compressors is showing a lockout fault. "I asked an hvac friend of mine what that meant and he rambled on then realized it was over my head and said it means it's refusing to turn on because it's broken."  If they have to produce a technician to say "actually no it's fine," that technician will instead agree with us. And yeah, I hella want a professional doing the work on anything commercial. So many energy sources, such destructive potential.
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Jun 14, 2021 05:39
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Toshimo posted:The owner of my condo rental cheaped out on a number of things and 1 was mounting the HVAC unit. It's in its own closet sorta half-exterior to the unit, but it's mounted on a cheap piece of plywood and the noise and vibration from it are unimaginably loud. Through the wall in the next room over, it's like a plane taking off (and I've lived near an airport). It wreaks havoc on my voice/video chats. I've got my half-year inspection from the management company coming through next week. Is this something I can push them on? Are there simple solutions? If I can't get them to budge, can I make a dent in this myself? Still looking for any suggestions on this. Took a pic of the offending unit:  Measured it today when it kicked on and the room went from ~30db to almost 70db. Got the inspector coming tomorrow, so any thoughts would be appreciated.
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Jun 14, 2021 18:18
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Toshimo posted:Still looking for any suggestions on this. Took a pic of the offending unit: I don't have any specific suggestions, but is it sucking noise or rattling like it's off balance or just flat motor roar? Can you record a video? You've checked the filter right? The lovely condo we were in it turned out there was a chunk of filter that had gotten sucked up into the unit that caused it to be loud and have poor flow.
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Jun 15, 2021 00:16
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H110Hawk posted:I don't have any specific suggestions, but is it sucking noise or rattling like it's off balance or just flat motor roar? Can you record a video? You've checked the filter right? The lovely condo we were in it turned out there was a chunk of filter that had gotten sucked up into the unit that caused it to be loud and have poor flow. I know basically zero, but I'll try and look/do things as needed. Here's a video of how loud it is when it kicks on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMcFvUwC7qI It basically just vibrates through that plywood into the surrounding walls. It might even be louder in the next room through the wall. You can feel it through the floor/wall (vents/ducts are in the ceiling, though). Here's some pics of the filter: It's gross and wet and kinda wedged in there, so I guess I'll have to go out to Home Depot and grab a fresh one. That one looks years old. It's also just kinda wedged in there because the left clasp is broken.   In case it's hard to tell, that filter and the evaporator coils are at a 45 degree angle in there. Toshimo fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Jun 15, 2021 |
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Jun 15, 2021 01:08
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https://www.amazon.com/Diversitech-MP4-V-Anti-Vibration-Pack/dp/B00BVEMLR4/ also, is there a noise reduction connector on the discharge? (metal duct > cloth connector > more metal duct) It looks like you got another quality install from the Lowest Possible Bidder.
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Jun 15, 2021 01:53
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MRC48B posted:also, is there a noise reduction connector on the discharge? (metal duct > cloth connector > more metal duct) Can you tell me how to ID this part?
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Jun 15, 2021 02:02
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Maybe some of this? That PVC piping runs down from the unit above, collects from mine, and pipes down to the unit below.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:07
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it looks like this, kinda: if you don't see a cloth section on the duct coming out of the top of the unit before it goes into the wall you don't have one.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:07
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Toshimo posted:Maybe some of this? No p-trap, nice structural zip ties. That whole install is a poo poo show.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:10
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MRC48B posted:if you don't see a cloth section on the duct coming out of the top of the unit before it goes into the wall you don't have one. No. I don't see anything like that. Here's some shots of the top/duct:   
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Jun 15, 2021 02:12
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Motronic posted:That whole install is a poo poo show.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:18
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You might try insulating the door to that whole area. That would probably be your easiest solution. I had a super noisy AC in an apartment I lived in and I was able to substantially help it by putting some foam insulating on the inside of the door. Just make sure not to block any air vents or anything.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:25
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SpartanIvy posted:You might try insulating the door to that whole area. That would probably be your easiest solution. I had a super noisy AC in an apartment I lived in and I was able to substantially help it by putting some foam insulating on the inside of the door. Just make sure not to block any air vents or anything. Yeah, the door is an issue I'm going to bring up because it's so far off plumb that you can't latch it, but it's louder through the wall than it is through the door, so I don't know if that's going to be a comprehensive solution.
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Jun 15, 2021 02:27
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it's your blower motor have your landlord have someone come out and check the amps and capacitor on it, if they're a good tech they'll also tape it up with silver tape which should cut down on the noise, or you can do it yourself silver tape is pretty cheap you just put it over all the seams of the panels and cracks
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Jun 15, 2021 07:45
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I would like to bodge together a simple air-to-air heat exchanger so I can make more efficient use of my portable AC unit. I only use it for at most a couple weeks per year, and the exchanger would only need to last a couple of summers before I get proper mini-splits. Other than this guy seeming like a bit of a wanker, does this seem like a reasonable approach? He's doing the opposite in that he's using PC fans as the primary airflow source from the room to make heating more efficient, whereas I just need to cool down already-flowing AC exhaust. https://www.loudawson.com/17884/how-to-build-air-cross-flow-heat-exchanger/ I already have a bunch of spare 4" PVC piping, and PC fans if needed (I guess for keeping air flowing on the outdoor side?). These parts seem more readily available than e.g. something with fins. If you can't tell I have no idea what I'm doing, though I understand the principle involved.
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Jun 16, 2021 12:07
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I don't understand what you're asking for here.
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Jun 17, 2021 04:13
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MRC48B posted:I don't understand what you're asking for here. Alright, so, I have a portable AC unit, which works by expelling hot air through a window or whatever. That's less efficient than a fixed/window system because in doing so it's pulling warm outdoor air into the house from somewhere else. I'd like to have a go at knocking something together that can transfer the heat of that exhaust air outside without having to vent the actual air. I believe the right tool for this is an air-to-air heat exchanger. Actual heat exchangers are very expensive, and my initial thought of "find some radiator fins and blow air over them" is a little hard to source parts for, and I found this dude attempting something similar (in reverse) using a length aluminium ducting as the exchange medium. I guess what I'm asking is, does this make sense? Am I even in the right ballpark of doing the right thing for what I want? Is this guy's approach feasible? Is there a simpler/cheaper way of doing what I'm after that I've missed? Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 10:11 on Jun 17, 2021 |
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Jun 17, 2021 10:09
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Except that even with the best air to air heat exchanger, the minimum possible temperature of the air coming out of the "indoor" side of the HX is going to be the dry bulb temperature of the air outside. You're not really saving anything unless you have a large latent heat load coming from outside (high humidity), in addition, this portable isn't designed to run with whatever airflow restriction you're putting on discharge with your cobbled together heat exchanger, so you're losing efficiency there too. this is a pointless waste of your time, unless you live in a swamp or something. see diagram. 
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Jun 17, 2021 23:51
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That said, if you want to gently caress around with it as a project, knock yourself out. post a thread with pics,  link it here and we will give you (un)Helpful suggestions. get some temp and humidity measuring equipment and see for yourself how poo poo these units and your attempts to improve them are. physics is neat. projects are fun. just don't expect to actually save any meaningful energy.
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Jun 17, 2021 23:58
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Signed the contract to replace my old system with a shiny new heat pump + mini split one  It's a Carrier system, 24k BTU heat pump with three indoor units/zones: one for upstairs mostly the master bed, one for downstairs for the study & living room and one downstairs especially for the guest room since I've got family that will visit a lot so I anticipate a never ending stream of picky guests. For reference the heat pump has a stated SEER of 24 and an HSPF of 10.3, but I understand those to be ideal-condition numbers and not what happens in the real world. The old gas furnace it's replacing from the early 2000's is rated at 80% efficiency, not sure what the actual efficiency is at these days or when the last time it got serviced at all was. The whole shebang including getting rid of the old payne gas furnace and all the ducting for $13k. Seems like a decent deal to me but I'm no expert there, important thing is that it's well within the budget so no gut wrenching "oh god what have I done" moments when I open YNAB later. Really looking foward to having actual cooling and a system that doesn't sound like an 18 wheeler is idling in the basement whenever it's on. For cost comparisons, I'm paying 14.7¢/kwh for electric and 9¢/therm for natural gas here in Oregon. Hard to really compare costs since I don't know the actual state of the current furnace and it's not a 1:1 replacement since there will be cooling now.
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Jun 18, 2021 00:42
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I'm getting a 30k BTU 3-zone unit with two 12k BTU heads plus adding a sub panel (no room in the main panel) for $12k. So, at least sounds in line with what I'm paying.
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Jun 18, 2021 00:57
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FISHMANPET posted:I'm getting a 30k BTU 3-zone unit with two 12k BTU heads plus adding a sub panel (no room in the main panel) for $12k. So, at least sounds in line with what I'm paying. Ya the dismantling of the old system is $1k so that tracks. I wonder if there's a way to DIY a little arduino thingy or something to pull data from the units and geek out over the numbers, just really go to town with unnecessary system janitoring.
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Jun 18, 2021 01:27
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I saw Matthias messing around with something like that hahah https://youtu.be/wfOWOre-RYE
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Jun 18, 2021 02:14
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MRC48B posted:That said, if you want to gently caress around with it as a project, knock yourself out. post a thread with pics, Nah the goal was actual improvement, so if that's a fool's errand I'll just keep dumping air outside until I get a proper fixed unit. Thanks for the heads up!
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Jun 18, 2021 02:56
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Fortaleza posted:Ya the dismantling of the old system is $1k so that tracks. You can install a Sense energy monitor in your panel and it will detect your HVAC and other appliances and let you monitor them. I have one and it's pretty nice.
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Jun 18, 2021 03:37
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Fortaleza posted:Ya the dismantling of the old system is $1k so that tracks. I could buy the wifi adapters for $150 a piece and get the heads hooked up to Mitsubishi's kumo cloud, and someone reverse engineered the protocol so you can interface with it directly if you want.
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Jun 18, 2021 06:31
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FISHMANPET posted:I could buy the wifi adapters for $150 a piece and get the heads hooked up to Mitsubishi's kumo cloud, and someone reverse engineered the protocol so you can interface with it directly if you want. Oh yeah, I think I saw the GitHub project for what you’re talking about. Mine will be a Carrier system rather than Mitsubishi so I don’t think that specific thing will work but carrier also has their own absurdly priced adapters so I’m thinking it’s possible to crack that nut with some time and effort.
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Jun 18, 2021 06:49
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Fortaleza posted:Oh yeah, I think I saw the GitHub project for what you’re talking about. Mine will be a Carrier system rather than Mitsubishi so I don’t think that specific thing will work but carrier also has their own absurdly priced adapters so I’m thinking it’s possible to crack that nut with some time and effort. Pretty sure carrier mini split heat pumps are rebadged Mitsubishi units.
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Jun 18, 2021 06:54
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H110Hawk posted:Pretty sure carrier mini split heat pumps are rebadged Mitsubishi units. After some googling they appear to be rebadged Midea.
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Jun 18, 2021 07:11
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Fortaleza posted:After some googling they appear to be rebadged Midea. Oops. Someone in the USA rebadges Mitsubishi iirc. Either way good luck.
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Jun 18, 2021 14:56
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MRC48B posted:Except that even with the best air to air heat exchanger, the minimum possible temperature of the air coming out of the "indoor" side of the HX is going to be the dry bulb temperature of the air outside. I was happy to go on your word but I realised today why this is the case, i.e. if the best you can get from an exchanger is the temp from outside then it doesn't matter if you're pulling in air instead, unless you're also dragging in warm water vapour, makes sense to me. Raises the question though, if that's the case, why are minisplits and window units more efficient? What voodoo do they do?
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Jun 18, 2021 18:08
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For awhile now, I've been smelling cigarette smoke in my house, and I don't smoke. As far as I can tell, there's no external source (can't smell it when I go outside, neighbors don't smoke). My house is a 1.5 story, and I only really notice the smell on the main level. The smell doesn't really seem any stronger when I get down near an outlet vent while the blower and AC are running. I've noticed it in the winter when the furnace is running and in the summer when the AC is on. I change my furnace filters every 2 months. The smell doesn't seem to get any more or less strong when I put a brand new filter in. Should I have my HVAC system inspected? If so, what kind of business or contractor would I call to setup an appointment? I assume just a general HVAC contractor, but I've never called one before. What about vent cleaning? I've read that vent cleaning generally doesn't do much, but I'm willing to try anything at this point. mekyabetsu fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Jun 18, 2021 |
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Jun 18, 2021 18:13
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Jaded Burnout posted:I was happy to go on your word but I realised today why this is the case, i.e. if the best you can get from an exchanger is the temp from outside then it doesn't matter if you're pulling in air instead, unless you're also dragging in warm water vapour, makes sense to me. They are using the outside air directly on the condenser of the refrigeration system. The refrigeration cycle is the voodoo. It uses the latent heat of evaporation/condensation to move heat. If you had a portable system that had two pipes to the outside, it would draw in outside air directly to the condenser and then send it out.
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Jun 18, 2021 18:19
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Jaded Burnout posted:Raises the question though, if that's the case, why are minisplits and window units more efficient? What voodoo do they do? They don't pull in outside air. They do phase change of gas then dump the heat outside. Minisplits specifically are so efficient because of their variable speed everything. Any unit with that amount of variability will be efficient. The minis further benefit from being able to control their local climate precisely - no hot or cold spots to compensate for by forcing air around. They lack good filtration though, and you have to run a ton more lineset.
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Jun 18, 2021 18:21
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Guy Axlerod posted:If you had a portable system that had two pipes to the outside, it would draw in outside air directly to the condenser and then send it out. Oh. Well I could probably manage that.
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Jun 18, 2021 18:43
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Jaded Burnout posted:Oh. Well I could probably manage that. The problem is that your unit is not set up like a commercial one like we use in the datacenters (almost definitely, can't be 100% sur of course). The way those are made puts the condenser coil in it's own sub-enclosure with it's own fan and two hoses, then the evap has it's own fan to circulate room air across it. The few home ones I've had apart had no real way of doing this outside of literally cutting the condenser out and extending the lineset because of how the units are packaged and that they are designed to share a single fan for both the condenser and the evap.
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Jun 18, 2021 18:48
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Motronic posted:The problem is that your unit is not set up like a commercial one like we use in the datacenters (almost definitely, can't be 100% sur of course). The way those are made puts the condenser coil in it's own sub-enclosure with it's own fan and two hoses, then the evap has it's own fan to circulate room air across it. The few home ones I've had apart had no real way of doing this outside of literally cutting the condenser out and extending the lineset because of how the units are packaged and that they are designed to share a single fan for both the condenser and the evap. It's a decent one but yeah I doubt it's industrial-fancy rather than residential-fancy. Alright I'll stop poking the Cold Bear.
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Jun 18, 2021 18:51
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Jaded Burnout posted:It's a decent one but yeah I doubt it's industrial-fancy rather than residential-fancy. Alright I'll stop poking the Cold Bear. Make model? Only way to be sure.
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Jun 18, 2021 19:10
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H110Hawk posted:Make model? Only way to be sure. https://www.aeg.co.uk/vacuums-home-comfort/air-comfort/air-conditioners/portable-air-conditioner/axp26u338cw/
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Jun 18, 2021 19:19
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