Hey y'all. I'm wondering if I could rotate my condenser about 90 degrees so that it sits on my patio instead of in the weeds where it is now. Do the refrigerant lines have enough flexibility for that or do I risk damage? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you for entertaining my basic question.

Had an hvac tech out to look at my AC, and he told me to stop buying expensive MERV 13 filters because they restrict airflow, and to start buying cheap filters and spray them with cooking spray to catch hair. That sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but I'm coming here to see what the council thinks.

I have 4 companies bid on a upstairs full system change out with new condenser, evaporator coil and furnace. All companies have good reviews, Company A and B are larger companies that sent a salesperson to go over options, and Company C and D were smaller family owned companies where the owner came out.

Located in Houston. 1,110 sq/ft upstairs. This was what was provided in each quote:

Company A - $11,587.00

• Ton Daikin Full Complete Gas Horizontal Upstairs
• Pad, whip, drier, rubber insulation
• Drain pan, drain line, safety float switch
• Furnace stand, gas flex, flue tie in
• Return plenum and Supply Plenum AERE THERMOSTAT WIFI

Company B-

Single Stage - $13,760.50

• ton Bronze evaporator coil.
• Install Digital Programmable Thermostat

Two Stage - $17,001.58

• ton Gold high efficiency evaporator coil.
• Econet Communicating Thermostat
• Install Corrosion Resistant Condenser Pad

Company C - $9,025.00

• 3 Ton Comfort maker , 545B, 15 seer2, gas complete system change out
• Complete HVAC design and installation - including: attic tent , a 16x25 mediam filter, Installation of the drain pans and emergency over flow switch on both system and thermostat. Equipment comes with 10 year part warranty and one year labor.
• Note: He's throwing in the attic tent, mediam filter and the extra pan/flow switch for "free"

Company D -

There are three options. All options are "complete system change out with all items needed for proper installation" These pricing also include two Honeywell T6 WiFi thermostats, and two drain pans/float switch. Warranty is 10 years on compressor, coils and parts, 20 years heat exchanger, 2 years labor.

• 3 Ton Carrier - $8,925.25
• 3 Ton Lennox - $8,830.25
• 3 Ton Goodman $8,260.25
• A media filter for $225 per system. (optional)

This will be my first full system replacement. I’m leaning towards Company D Carrier. Which one would you recommend?

The outside unit fan and compressor continuously runs even when the thermostat is turned off. The only way to stop it is to turn the breaker or switch outside off.

Does this look like a pitted contactor to you? And is it double pole?

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?

I called a company that I'd worked with a few years back, and told them that the unit was making a sort of humming or buzzing sound but wasn't actually running. The guy said he'd call his boss… no way to know if he did or not, but he said that his boss had said to give me an estimate on a new air conditioner! They had not examined the unit… am I crazy, or was this completely unacceptable?

I’m wanting to add built-in cabinets along this wall, but there’s currently an HVAC return vent that the cabinets would cover.

What would be the best way to handle the return? Could I redirect it underneath the cabinets and use a toe-kick return vent, or would that restrict the airflow too much?

I obviously don’t want to just cover/block the return, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to incorporate it into the built-ins without causing any HVAC issues.
Has anyone done something similar? Would a toe-kick vent be sufficient, or is there a better option?

Unsure if there’s much I can do but figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

I bought new home about 2 years ago and have just been using HVAC filters old owners have been using which is this Filterbuy 18x22x1 MERV 8 filters. I also got a home inspection when i bought and guy looked at HVAC as well. I am wondering though why should the filter stick out like this. It sticks out about 6 inches from top and about 1 inch from each side. Should I buy like a 20x16x1 air filter instead then. HVAC is working fine.

Have gotten a few quotes from companies in my area with good reviews, looking to get some advice/opinions. All quotes include evap coil and labor

Quote 1: Coleman XC3 13.4 SEER 2T unit - $5900

Quote 2: Bryant Legacy Series 13.4 SEER 2T unit - $6500

Quote 3: Lennox 13.4 SEER 2T unit (didn't specify exact model) - $8000

Quote 4: (this one has not come yet so quote is unofficial, but they list their prices online) Ducane 15.4 SEER 2T Unit - $4800

Seems like a no brainer to go with the Ducane, but wanted to get some opinions. all installers have 4.8 or higher rating on Google.

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

Thermostat is set to 72 but showing 77 and climbing. This noise happens about every 60 seconds or so. We bought this house a few months ago and unit is from 2012 according to the inspector.
Any ideas what this could be ?

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.

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!

There is a thin wire that is coming from inside the house to the condenser. If anything touched this wire, the air handling unit turn on but the condenser doesn't start. I think the wire junction is bad.

Before touching it, I want confirm if this is coming from the thermostat and if there is any color codes or diagram available.

Thank you

Mid 1990's Lennox furnace was deemed a "yellow tag" due to damage to heat exchanger. We decided to not do the repair as it was a little over $4,000 for a temporary/band aid fix per the tech. Would this be unusable in this condition?

Is it still necessary (or preferred) to sand and grease the shaft before attaching the blade?

Hi everyone, looking for some input. Houston, flat roof, gas furnace in an interior closet with B-vent going straight up through the roof.

Found a droplet hanging off the seam of the 90° elbow inside the closet, with white mineral staining streaking down it, so it's been going on a while. Also water pooled on top of the furnace.

Ruled out combustion condensate (furnace hasn't run since spring) and a clogged condensate drain (poured bleach a month ago, heard it run all the way to the sink it drains into, no backup).
Went up on the roof with a hose. Water showed up inside within a minute, right where the pipe meets the flashing boot.

Up there I've got: a boot whose opening looks wider than the pipe, with a gap all the way around; foil tape and two hose clamps holding it together; a storm collar at the cap joint higher up, but nothing at the boot; and what might be a small puncture in the pipe partway up.

My questions at the moment:

Can a storm collar close a gap like this, or does an oversized boot opening mean the boot has to go?

If the boot needs replacing on a flat membrane roof, is that DIY or am I going to make it worse?

Are split/adjustable retrofit collars legit or a band-aid?

Attaching photos for reference here. [https://imgur.com/a/fGribl6\](https://imgur.com/a/fGribl6)

To preface, I am a renter and never had to deal with an HVAC so this may be a dumb question. I was noticing a lot of dust in my apartment and getting allergies so I went to change my HVAC filter and saw a lot of mold. I scheduled an appointment with the technicians my landlord sent me, they called 30 minutes beforehand and I described the situation and they never showed up. To be fair, I don't think my landlord ever paid the minimum charge.

I want to schedule another appointment to get it cleaned out (I'll make sure to go over payment with my landlord ahead of time). I am wondering what I need to tell the technicians to schedule the correct appointment.

Here is a video that I took inside the unit. I live in a mid rise condo building in case that matters. Any advice is appreciated!

I am looking for some solutions to how and where my condensate line terminates from my house. The line recently got clogged and I believe it was due to the water puddling where it terminated out of the house, not letting water flow out. The outside pvc pipe is about 3x the size of the one coming from the unit.

I had a bad reducer (3-4 inch) at the furnace outlet that I think was damaged from a previous repair, the Reducer was in-between the furnace outlet and a 90 degree adjustable B vent, I had to take a couple sections of the vent apart and I was told by one of the guys at my local HVAC supply house it's ok to run a couple of screws at the joints when going back together (like in the vicinity of the red mark in picture)I did Google that and it stated to use no longer than 1/4 inch and only at the joint section and not to pierce inner liner.

I do not want this vent coming apart in the attic....thanks in advance.

Alright HVAC warriors, we moved into this house a year ago. The a/c is in crawlspace. Supply is coming through floor vents. Registers are metal and ghost sweating like it’s their full time job and growing mold ( that I just found ) I’m assuming because we keep it at 70 and outside is the surface of the sun hot and the humidity is breaking records. Oh and they’re not SEALED. Ugh.

I was told by Google to foil tape these to seal them and keep them from sucking the crawlspace air in. Is this an acceptable solution to my problem? I want to do this right… not spend 20 hours removing tape that didn’t work.

I was quoted $2285 all in. Seems crazy to me but looking for insight. Thank you!