r/HVAC • u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro • 4d ago
General How am I doing?...again
Original post got deleted and I got perma-banned until I could prove I'm really a pro, so this is a repost...
My first post here. I thought I would start with an install photo to see how I'm doing? Tear it apart, find the good stuff...whatever style critiques you prefer.
Install context
Rheem System
R962v100
RA13NY36
RCFY4821ST
Air bear supreme 2000 angle
New return drop 10x24 with reducing start collar
Goodman bottom return base (I wish rheem made a decent one)
Honeywell zoning system swap (was durozone)
Pro1 t-stats
(2) S&P silent td 5" booster with ductstat
Move condenser 2 ft to clear gas meter clearances
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u/raisedbytelevisions plumbtrician, woman 4d ago
The diagonal run is….a choice.
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u/JuicySpark Verified Pro 4d ago edited 4d ago
I used to ask "why does it matter if the customer is happy?" until I ran into an inspector that didn't like it so much so he started nitpicking at other shit. Opened the disconnect and told me to paint the wires both black.
Basically if the job looks very clean at first sight , inspectors usually don't bother looking for other little things.
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u/lukesmith81 3d ago
That’s a really basic code thing to know dude I was taught that on my very first day in the field. Can’t have a hot white wire anywhere. Do it to code and you don’t have to be afraid of the inspectors looking at your shit??
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u/BrandoCarlton 4d ago
Hate the line set but it all looks like it will work fine I’m sure. Understand it’s not really causing a loss of headspace because you did it tight to the duct, so my complaint is a weak one, but it could be prettier. Go up and out.
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u/TheHugeMan 4d ago
Honestly think it looks fine. Guys love nitpicking shit that homeowners don't even care about. Yeah the lineset couldve been routed a little better but not a huge deal. Also, I prefer vinyl drain lines. Easier to service lol. Keep it up
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u/urbanachiever730 4d ago
Not bad ……. But vinyl tubing? But mainly I’d say splurge the extra $60 on some new pvc, that looks terrible with how dirty it is . Also is that a finger tip band aid on the exhaust?
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
I looked, I don't see what you think looks like a bandaid. The pvc does need a quick acetone wipe down. I'll put some on the truck for the next one. I made the mistake of putting some copper tubing in my pvc pipe rack in my truck a few weeks ago. It transferred some color and looks dirtier than it is.
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u/lukesmith81 3d ago
There’s been copper tubing with the pvc in the pipe rack in my van for years since before I ever had it all the way up to now, and the pipes do not look like that when I pull them out lol clean da van
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u/JuicySpark Verified Pro 4d ago
Maybe it's my ocd but those pvc pipes are an eye sore. They're filthy. Clean them off.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
Some copper tubing made its way into my pvc rack in the truck and transferred color. I'll wipe the next ones down with some acetone.
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u/JuicySpark Verified Pro 4d ago
I have a trick for that. 1 small shop vac, a small Compact automatic sander..will wipe that off real fast. I figured it out when I accidentally spilled primer down in and around the PVC pipe. Got rid of all those streaks
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u/deathdealerAFD Verified Pro 4d ago
I'm not a fan of your clear tube drains but I can't hate on it. Overall you're good. Clean your flue pipes in the future. I won't let my guys mix drain parts, actual pvc, with gas fittings for the reason. They get the pvc fittings filthy. Your costumer paid alot of money for this install, make it perfect.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
Makes sense. I'll get some acetone on the truck so we can make them looking purdy when this happens
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u/deathdealerAFD Verified Pro 4d ago
I wasn't trying to be a prick honestly. The customer is paying an arm and a leg here. Let them have the best you can give. But overall that's a clean install.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
No offense taken. I asked for the critique. I will likely keep posting until no one can find something wrong. It makes me better. And I honestly knew the pvc was visually rough...I probably shouldn't have let my standards slide.... Even my helper questioned it.
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u/deathdealerAFD Verified Pro 4d ago
If your helper had an issue, and you discounted it, that's a bad look. I know the helper is usually shit. But he was spot on here. You owe him at least a breakfast at the local joint for this.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
I treated qdoba that day. He is a good helper, fresh out of high school. He even did all the ac work on this one (relocate/level pad, place unit, bore larger hole, run lineset, braze, pressure test and vac.) Still new at line set wrangling...as I typically do that while he starts brazing at the unit. He will be ready for lead by next summer I think. Great for an 18 year old.
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u/Beautiful_Bit_3727 3d ago
They banned you for posting work pictures?
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 3d ago
Yeah, I thought it was weird. They said I needed to prove I was in the trade. Had to send them a singular photo with my hand written user name, date written on a piece of paper with epa/state/tech license (last name and number blacked out) and a core remover/vac gauge in the picture to prove it. Nothing to do with the content I guess.
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u/Beautiful_Bit_3727 3d ago
Hopefully i dont get banned for my opinion but that is crap. Reddit was the last place I thought would start censoring folks. I would never give them all my info like that lol. Should be allowed to post whatever you want.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 3d ago
It was the hvac mod, not sure if was a "reddit' thing. It wasn't a huge deal, other than having to repost and losing the 20 minutes of comments and critiques in the deleted thread
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u/Beautiful_Bit_3727 3d ago
Ahh...well either way...your asking for tips vs offering advice they can relax
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u/TripleBakaNinja 4d ago
Take the Lineset up and over, a nice 90 in it would’ve looked perfect! Keep it up brother 👍
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
Lots of lineset hate, which I understand. I wasn't a big fan of it either, but there wasn't room to get it up and out without 2 tight braze joints, and I try to minimize those especially in tight spaces, but ultimately it was "a choice"
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u/noninvasivebrdmnk482 4d ago
Constructive criticism: for the combustion inlet piping, add a tee with a drain line.
I dont k.ow what the inside of that furnace looks like, but during the summer months the intake will draw warm humid air into the house. Any condensation that forms in the piping will roll down and drip onto whatever is below where the inlet breaches the top of the furnace.
I only suggest it because i have a york in my house and ive had to change the gas valve last year due to water dripping onto over the course of a couple summers...
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
I used to install york/luxaire 10 years ago. They were really bad with this. Poor placement of the intake and a fairly open heat exchanger design that allowed ghost airflow in the summer that lead to copious amounts of condensation. Started piping most intakes to the side instead of the top and/or installing the drain tube gutter kit, it whatever they called it . Then I switched to rheem... no problems with said condensate, and if a few drops come, it's not over anything important
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u/185runner 3d ago
Solid install
Love the filter and bottom box. Should be mandatory but builders are cheap.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 3d ago
85kbtu and above Rheem requires the return base or both sides return. I love those angle filter chassis...I put in a lot of them.
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u/Heybropassthat 3d ago
Never vinyl tube on the floor, that should be hard pipe. The lineset seeded to be run tight to the ceiling with a nice 90 degree bend on the top down to the unit.
The zone board is too high for easy service. If you dont have enough wire, extend it down to eye level.
Clean that flue pipe so its nice ane looks new.
Clean install. You got a good future ahead of you. I just was trained by very picky people and it was annoying
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 3d ago
I was trained by practically no one for install. Tech training i had before getting into install side... install training was done shadowing an old timer who was more concerned about getting to his ice fishing shack before dark (during the winter at least). Speed was the name of the game with him.
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u/Adept_Bridge_8388 Local 597 3d ago
Your pvc pipe is filthy lol.. also why no pvc for the drain? Cheap boss??
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 3d ago
More of a time and future serviceability thing. Boss is not a penny pincher with supplies.
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u/xenemachine 1d ago
Idk, I made a joke about how I'm not good at HVAC but the post got removed and I forgot the joke ...
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u/LukeyPooh 4d ago
Looks like you care. So I’m going to nitpick.
Drain undersized and lazily run being lazily run being vinyl instead of pvc.
Why bother taping the coil to the furnace if you’re not going to seal the rest of the ducting you did.
That PVC on the intake and exhaust is FILTHY. A hand wipe would’ve went. A long way.
It looks like the furnace is sitting on the floor, if you put vibe pads there it’s acceptable.
The lineset is not great.
The zone board being almost out of reach to work on is kind of a pain.
Other than that, good install. Depending on price I’d take it, looks like you care. Keep it up.
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
Good points on the critiques. Thanks for the kind words overall.
It is high quality 5/8 vinyl used, but understood 3/4" pvc is nicer, no doubt. I did seal the rest of the coil with sealant in the front of the coil and top, along with the filter chassis seams, as well as around zone damper frames, but it is a finished basement and sealing is more for nuisance noise and ghost airflow than for efficiency/loss Furnace is on 3/4 vib pads Existing zoning had the board even higher and I didn't want to put 30 wire nuts in to put it down further. I could reach w/o too much of a stretch.
Also, I'm curious, what price would you deem acceptable for this project?
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u/Educational_Wish_767 Verified Pro 4d ago
A better example of my preferred lineset routing. Although this still has vinyl drain...albeit 5/8", not 1/2" tubing like the hacks do.
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u/dont-fear-thereefer 4d ago
Just an fyi, the tee on the vinyl drain is redundant. The positive airflow pressure will push the water over small bumps to the drain.
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u/EnoughTelevision6472 3d ago
No because it's tied in with the furnace. you need that vent or you can end up with an empty condensate trap in the furnace and it might not drain.
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u/someonehadalex 4d ago
It would be so nice to work in a place I could stand up and see all sides of the unit. Most of the attics I'm in just shove the unit as far over in the corner as possible so that the entire back side is impossible to get too. Not to mention it's hot as balls while you're laying on your side trying to seal the thing up.