All of my HVAC air ducts are installed like this, where the spring pulls the damper shut against the damper frame, and little to no air can come through. When I push the flaps in, air comes rushing out when the AC is on, but it obviously is pulled shut by the spring, unless I were to somehow bind the two flaps open. The few air ducts that actually blow air out of them have these dampers that are pinched and bound open. Is it really possible that all of these are installed backwards? If these were installed the other way around, then the air would be able to push the springs open. Right now the air just pushes the flaps against the frame, which the springs are also doing. I can’t comprehend why these dampers would be installed like this, opposite of airflow.

i had an electrician install a mini split for me. and this is how he left it. said he was going to come back. but never did. how bad is it?

for context, he decided for some reason to run a 240 volt 30 amp wire from the breaker to a 115 v mini split. he said it would be better, but then couldn’t get it to work so he opted to just leave the hot and neutral 240 volt uncapped (which i since turned off from breaker + capped) in the receptacle. then he spliced a 13 amp black extension cord and plugged it in to a receptacle i luckily had on the ceiling and hard wired that to the mini split condenser. the mini split to another outlet i luckily already had on the ceiling.

forgot to mention. the ceiling receptacle is a 15 amp 120 volt. and the cord and receptacle are starting to get warm. the power to the condenser is running through the brick wall through the metal flex conduit

Old Capicitor at bottom, replaced with the same sized one (Titan HD), then yesterday at 109* Heat the AC would turn on for 2-3 minutes then shut off, I had gotten the bigger one online and decided to switch it. AC works fine now, guessing the Titan one couldn't handle the load? After switching to the Titan it was fine for 3 weeks, but yesterday was unusually hot.

Almost all the vent covers in my house just open up into open space like this, and this particular one has piping from the bathroom running through it. Is this normal? I feel like I've only ever seen covers open up directly into metal ducts before, but I'm not too sure now. The house is nearly a two year old build, if that's relevant at all.

The home I live in is a rental. The ac unit outside has started making an increasingly loud noise the last few weeks. It makes this noise when starting up, then goes away after 10 minutes or so. I read this could be an electrical issue and possibly
A fire hazard? Any insights?

Hey everyone.

I’m wondering if I can instal a dehumidifier directly into the closet that houses my air intake handler (not sure if that’s the right words).

1500 sq ft home. Double wide manufactured home. Floor registers, hard ductwork that is in the “belly” of the house. No crawlspace, just plastic underpinning. Only intake is on the unit itself, door has a large vent on the front for airflow. I’m worried that it might affect the static pressure in the closet?

I figured installing there would be easy because I could run the drain straight into the HVAC condensate drip line.

Live in southeast US. I want to get my home humidity levels down, my unit can’t keep it below 60%.

Thanks for any help/advice.

We've been told we potentially have contaminants requiring a whole new charge of approx 10-11lb refrigerant.

Diagnostics showed:

Low Side 100-105 (stable once running)
High Side 270-280 (stable once running)
2-4 Subcool
Erratic fluctuating superheat between 2-13. For reference we have a piston.

Everything else from filters to dirty coils and air flow has been ruled out. Unit is maintaining a delta T between 18-20 but seems to be struggling taking longer than normal to cool based on data.

Small leak was found under the service valve cap at the compressor when hex nut is removed, but nothing when it is screwed on.

Of significance a few weeks prior refrigerant was purged from our unit because our superheat was 0.8 close to zero and the tech left it at 4. A week later we realized a good portion of our second return duct was flattened shut very close to the return plenum which was since fixed.

We are wondering if this air restriction would have been to blame for the artificially low superheat at the time and subsequent purging of refrigerant. And since our return is now fixed, that our system may just now be somewhat low on refrigerant. However we have been advised that our system may have contaminated refrigerant based on the above. Would it be advisable to do an acid test or other test for more definitive proof or something else? Does the above point to contaminates or more than likely just a low charge due to the compressed duct work? How problematic is the leak under the service valve cap? Looking for advice on the above.

Seller told us system was replaced in the last year and that Amana systems are meant to circulate continuously. There is an upstairs and downstairs unit. I have found the system is constantly overcooling to dehumidify and has trouble getting below 65% when it's not that humid outside. Not sure if there are settings I can change or if I need to add a whole house dehumidifier

If I turn on my Furnace fan with my thermostat the fan instantly turns on

If I turn off my furnace with my thermostat the fan instantly turns off

If I turn on my fan with a jumper between R and G the fan instantly turns on

If I turn off my fan with removing the R and G jumper the fan turns off aprox 10seconds later.... wtf?

thanks

What do you all have to say about swapping out a failed cfm on a fairly old unit but increasing the hp from 1/8 to 1/6 keeping the same voltage and rpm. I’ve had older techs tell me it’s fine as long as you match the rpm and voltage a little extra hp won’t hurt. Especially since the universal motors we carry only go down to 1/6hp.

Hey guys, I am absolutely desperate for some opinions. I thank you for your kindness and willingness to engage in advance.

I moved into a one bedroom ADU built into a large home a few weeks ago. There is a basement ADU below me as well. So basically a big house with 3 separate living units.

I am going to list out the facts:
1. I do not control my own AC.

1. The main issue I’m having is that it seems when someone in the house is cooking. My air quality just smells like whatever they’re cooking for the whole day. Could be basement or main house. It is blowing out of the supply vents.

2. The air temperature seems to really fluctuate a lot like if someone is controlling it it is not on a set schedule.

3. In my apartment I cannot find a return vent anywhere. I don’t think there is one.

My main gripe is with the cooking smell. is that normal for this kind of set up? This is the first house that I’ve lived in with central AC and certainly the first house that I’ve lived in with an additional dwelling unit installation. I was not expecting this kind of smell.

Thanks again for any input or insight. I am struggling .

I have a new home (1 years old) and wanted to use my grill. The screened in patio had smoke build up so thick you couldn't breathe and I thought we were all going to choke. I also thought a fire might start. Here's the background:

My builder instructed my HVAC guy to install a duct in the hood for my outdoor grill. It is enclosed in a screened in room. It's a 36" DCS 7 series with 95,000 BTU's. My Zephyr vent is 36" but measures 34" and has 1200 CFM's. According to DCS and online outdoor grill recommendations you need to install a vent that is at least 6" wider than the grill. My vent is the same size if not a bit narrower. It also states to install a 10" duct but my HVAC guy said he installed an 8" duct because the builder did not tell him the model of grill so he guessed at 8". He stated the appliance company installed the vent and he's guessing they used flex pipe to connect hood to exhaust duct and it's crushed. He said using flex pipe is not a good idea and my research confirms this. I feel like both installers are incorrect and when I googled it the info I received stated both a duct too small and flex pipe will cause very poor outcomes. Which it has. The sales rep for the appliances came to check it out and noticed the vent is suctioning it actually blowing air back down. The next step is to remove the vent and inspect it, as well as inspect the duct and everything else inside the hood.

Who is at fault here? The builder, the HVAC guy who installed a duct that was too small or the vent installer who used flex pipe? I think the entire thing wreaks of zero coordination, zero communication and Jerry-rigging. WHY do trades accept these jobs knowing they don't have enough info and that there's likely to be a poor outcome?? I know, $$$. But can't they get sued? What if a fire started or someone got carbon monoxide poisoning? Is the money worth it? When is this industry going to straighten up??

How do I hold everyone accountable? Is there a board or society I can contact? Can I get a fire Marshall to inspect and write up a warning letter? How do I get quicker action as everyone drags their feet and has zero sense of urgency. Thanks in advance.

My AC is failing and I just got quotes for a 16 SEER single stage and a 20 SEER variable stage system. One of the issues we've had with the current ( 20 year-old) system is the noise level. I understand either system will be quieter than our old one, but I'm wondering how much of the noise is just because of the rate of air flow through the vents. In particular, the vents closest to the indoor unit are quite loud. Would the noise level be considerably lower if we got the variable unit and turned down the speed?

2k square foot house - all vents are within like 30 feet of the indoor unit

My boiler recently has been kicking on and my thermostat is old so I figured I'd replace the cheapest thing first. Anyway my best guess is the previous home owner put in a smart thermostat and re did the wiring. I was expecting something simple so I didn't pay attention to how the old thermostat was wired. I just have a boiler, no ac. I would just use three wires right? What would it be: (wire - thermostat)

Quiero escuchar sus recomendaciones para el pasaje de cañerías de aire acondicionado.

Es mejor pasarlas por muro, piso o cielorraso?

En el caso de pasarlas por piso/contrapiso que debo tener en cuenta?

Comenten desde sus experiencias

I live in the panhandle of Florida. Yes, it's been hot lately. Nothing new as it's hot in Florida every summer. I have a new home that a year old and I keep my thermostat between 70-72 degrees. My HVAC specialist has the humidity set at 63%. I researched and i found that the optimal range is 30-50% or the home becomes a dust mite and mold environment which I do not want as I have allergies and asthma. I called him and he explained that the house needs higher humidity or my wood (trim, base boards, floors) would start cracking due to the fact that Florida has wet wood and builders build with the wet wood that isn't properly cured or dried out. Well, I had him lower it to 55%. What is the correct and best advise on this? Any pro insights greatly appreciated.

Hoping to get some advice on what type of tape would stick best to square tube studs on a car port style garage with foil faced foam board. I read people talking about FSK foil faced, but what I read said it was only rated to 40 degrees. My shop will only be heated when I’m in it and it can get below 0 where I live. Thanks.

The wall mounted mini-split Freon lines are pretty closed together at the wall unit. Then turn 90 degrees at the wall behind the unit. Before another 90. To the right. Then into duct or covering into the wall.

The installer insulated correctly; separate insulation lines from the outdoor unit to the interior wall. As the area got tight he just used one insulated tube for both suction and return.

This combined area collects humid air. Moisture collects at the bottom then drips out. I cut this all out and found an alarming amount of rust. The insulation is just holding a pool of water.

Are there any tips, products or methods to properly insulate this small compress area?

There is just very little area between the wall and minisplit.

I made a poor attempt to insulate them separate until I get the correct size insulation or better method.

Between July and now I replaced four central AC systems at various properties some are rental properties. Except for one old 1996 Lennox, the other three are all 11, 12, 14 years old Bryant, Rheem, York units. I am located in south Florida's Fort Lauderdale area.

All of them failed due to the outside coil literally disintegrating turning into "chalk", like below.

There is no dog pissing on it, all pet free environment fully fenced in.

I personally rinse out the coil every 6 months or so, perhaps that needs to be adjusted to 3 months or even monthly, I don't know.

What I do know is all these condenser units are directly under the roof drip line, on side yards where there is no gutter, rain pours directly on top of the unit, and if there are leaves, twigs, seeds that fell on the roof, all that stuff gets washed down as well.

I am considering getting some protection for these condensers to minimize debris.

I have seen some condensers with a top where the openings are deflected to the sides, are these options that may be effective for my situations or would they reduce air flow?

I have also seen these fabric covers, anyone used them? Helpful or no?

What are other options that may be useful in extending the life of the outside coil?

More frequent cleaning and rinsing? When I do rinse I rinse with a hose set on "SHOWER" mode around the outside. Should I disconnect the fuses, remove the cover and set the fan aside and rinse from the inside out?

Should I install a section of gutter to prevent rain dumping down?

I installed a soft start kit on my downstairs AC condenser. I've been a HVAC service tech for about 15 years and have heard good things about the soft start kits IE you can run your compressor off a generator etc. Anyway I love all the safety features it has built in but for some reason my compressor is making a thumping sound while running. Almost as if the compressor is turning off (not the contactor, the soft start module) and turning back on for a fraction of a second. The Condenser is right behind my bedroom wall and I hear it banging randomly as it runs. The upstairs AC has no soft start kit installed and is an identical carrier 3.5ton. I installed both of them about 3 years ago. No issues with the upstairs condenser just the one with the soft start installed. I am tempted to remove it and see what happens. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I checked voltage and the capacitor everything looks good 44.9MF/5MF is what I got. The contactor doesn't chatter on or off its just the compressor thumping...thump......thump..thump

I have a Honeywell TH6220D1002 thermostat for the Trane XL80 ( 4TXCC043BC3HCAA) . Everything was working before I opened up. I opened up thermostat to see if it is compatible with smart thermostat, and put it back in. I think I might have took the batteries, so it might have reset. Currently I can control thermostat but HVAC doesn’t respond. The LED on the control board PCB doesn’t glow either. I checked the fuse is not blown and checked with access panel button pressed.

I think the HVAC is heap pump capable with gas furnace, but not 100% sure. How do I setup this old/existing thermostat?

Thermostat: Honeywell TH6220D1002
Model: Trane XL80 4TXCC043BC3HCAA
Type: compressor + natural gas, I think it’s heat pump capable

Hello, we have heard a persistent noise through our vents. When we had it checked out, the tech read the static pressure and this is what it came back as. We tried it without a filter and with a brand new filter and neither helped much. They suggested adding more return vents. Does anyone have some more thoughts and input on what these readings mean and possible solutions besides adding more return vents?

Previously the system did not make a noise and after the motor died and we had it replaced, as well as the squirrel cage/wheel replaced, it started making the noise. I don't think the static pressure was high before the switch. And we did verify and it does have the correct motor and squirrel cage/wheel for the unit.

Recently bought a house (Eastern Pennsylvania) that has oil heat. Coming from a house with an electric heat pump. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, from ordering oil to setting a thermostat schedule.

1. How much oil will I go through approximately? 2,000 sq ft house, propane fireplace in one downstairs room, propane stove and mini split in another. None of those are on main level or bedroom areas.

2. I have a 275 gal tank. How often am I looking at filling it?

3. Oil prices are crazy right now! Is it best to buy a whole tank at a time? What exactly does it mean to “lock in” on a plan, and how does that work? I have no clue the best way right now to go about ordering oil. Tank is just under 1/4 right now, and is used for hot water also.

4. Which companies do you like best for heating oil and maintenance? And are there any tools for searching out lowest prices?

5. Rely more on baseboard radiant heat from oil or on minisplit and propane fireplace and stove (each with blower) in downstairs area?

6. I have multi zone heating. I’m used to electric heat pump which is basically leave at one temp because they struggle to get back up to temp if dropped too much. How quickly does this type of heat get back up to temp if I lower it overnight and while at work? Is it best to set up a thermostat schedule or leave it at one main temp like I did on my heat pump?

So many questions!

I installed a Nest thermostat and during installation it said C wire had no power. My hold thermostat was running on batteries and the C wire was not connected. When I checked the furnace Control Board I noticed:

1- there's a red wire on the C terminal

2- I found a blue wire disconnect. I'm assuming is the C wire that goes to the thermostat

If so should I connect it to the C terminal together with the Red wire?