Noisy, Smoky, and Wrong New Furnace

17 years ago

We've just had a new Carier Comfort 92 propane furnace installed. It's in the crawl space below one of the bedrooms. When the blower comes on the sound is loud and annoying. Our contractor said he'd add a few more vents to lower the sound but that it's a powerful unit and probably will still be heard. We didn't have this problem with our 10 year old Goodman unit. The installlers also smoked while in the crawl and when the heat was turned on there's a very strong smoke odor coming from the vents. Installer said it's probably Linseed oil burning off, but as a former smoker I think I know the odor. Lastly, our contract was for a Carrier Performance 93 to match the Carrier Performance AC unit they installed. Didn't know that it was a different unit until after the installation and received the literature. Please don't say hire another contractor as were in the last stages of having an addition and it's too late for that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Lessie

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

bus_driver
17 years ago
Read the contract. What unit is specified in the contract? If the installed unit is not as listed on the contract, you have lots of recourse. In my case, I specified the features and performance I wanted from my system (Trane). The contract drawn by the contractor listed the manufacturers catalog number of the unit to be installed. I, trusting him, signed the contract. He installed the unit listed on the contract. It did not have the features I specified. I had no recourse. There were some problems with the installation, not code problems, and I got the Trane factory rep involved. Another contractor corrected the installation problems, the first contractor reimbursed me for those expenses and I now have a rather good system. But it is not exactly what I wanted. Get the Manufacturer's rep involved.
airsome
17 years ago
Invite several contractors to look at your system and suggest improvements. Tell them you are thinking about getting a better system (true). When they come out, take notes. Do this now, before the weather warms up.
Related Discussions
My Quote on a New Trane XV95 Furnace and XL 15i AC: OK??
Q
Comments (35)
Finally got the quote from the 2nd Trane dealer: Furnace: XV95 + Honeywell VisionPro IAQ, new air supply ducting to upstairs bedroom, new cold air return on main - $5865. Furnace Model No. TDH2B080A9V3VA This has an output of 49,400/76,000 BTUH for stage 1 and 2. My current 80% AFUE Heil is rated 75,000 BTUH input, so this XV95 has at least 25% more heating capacity. Heat Pump Option: XL15i - $5905 complete. Model No. 4TWX5036B1000A (3 ton capacity, house is 2300 sq ft, 2-story) Installed with Trane Coil, Model No. 4TXXCB036BC3HCA (other dealer quoted a 4TXCB036BC3HCA, so maybe the above is a typo?) ARI Ref# 1384223 Cooling Capacity, 34800 EER (cooling), 11.40 SEER (cooling), 13.5 Heating Capacity @ 47F, 37200 Region IV HSPF (heating), 8.3 Heating Capacity @17F, 24200 This doesn't exactly look like a very stellar system combination for the price as none of the specs on the HP/coil combo would qualify it for the $1500 tax credit. I do believe the XV95 would qualify however. The other problem is I don't think the furnace or the HP would qualify for our local utility rebate of $350 since you can't get the rebate on a 90%+ furnace if installed as a backup system with a HP, and I don't think the HP listed here would qualify on it's own. Guess I would have to install the furnace and coil 1st, claim the rebate, then install the HP or AC if I felt like it. It's all too damn confusing. Pricing from all the dealers is pretty close, but the quotes are not exactly apples to apples so it is a bit hard to judge. I thought the XL15i had much better efficiency ratings that listed above. Think I need a quote on an AC unit instead of the HP as I still don't like the idea of the 95% AFUE furnace just sitting there most of the time. Would love any input or suggestions.
...See More
Help for new homeowner - furnace/water heater/AC
Q
Comments (9)
What you are describing is called the rule of thumb for HVAC sizing. It is the wrong way to do it and results in systems that are over sized. It is a form of guessing in my opinion. This is the way HVAC contractors who are lazy and can't be bothered to spend the time to calculate the requirements of your house. Over sized systems cost more to install, are inefficient, noisy, uncomfortable, and die prematurely. The only positive is they are more profitable for the HVAC contractor. I would not install a humidifier unless I really needed it. Are you currently having low humidity problems? Low humidity is usually a sign of leaking windows and doors. The steam humidifiers are supposed to be the best.
...See More
I Can Only Do 80% Due to Flue Situation - Which Furnace?
Q
Comments (31)
Thank you Tigerdunes and Mike_home. Mike is right that I am trying to keep costs down. And a 2-stage 90KBTU new furnace will still be an improvement over what I have now. In answer to Tigerdunes' question about design temps - the contractor said it is based on maintaining 70 degrees at an outdoor temperature of 5 below zero. The contractor mentioned sealing the ducts by shooting something through them. He said it would offgas a smell like paint for about 20 minutes, which did not appeal to me. I don't want to be breathing a chemical spreading throughout my house. But perhaps I need more information. Can you give me a little insight into the sealing process? Is this a worthwhile option? A filter cabinet - the furnace is located in a small closet off a den. There is barely space for the furnace. I've been changing the filter for 7 years by bending down into that tiny space, and it's not a big deal - it takes me about 3 minutes. I will ask the contractor anyway, to see if there is any way we can fit a filter cabinet. The contractor mentioned with enthusiasm the Honeywell touchscreen thermostat (I believe, but am not certain, it is the Pro 8000, or in the 8000 series). He also mentioned the 9000, which he thought would be overkill for me. When I said I had seen some negative reviews on Amazon of touchscreen Honeywells, he said those are the DIY's you can buy on Amazon or at Home Depot, but the pro-versions won't have any problems. Do you agree/disagree?
...See More
Noisy Compressor in Geothermal Heat Pump
Q
Comments (14)
mac I have an Econar GT heat pump in a second floor closet and had noise issues that were aweful. It turned out to be improper vibration dampening when the system was installed. The scroll compessors run between 50 and 60 cycles per second. The 3 stage fan in my 3 ton GT unit runs in the 1100 to 1800 RPM range (or 18 to 30 cycles per second). The guys who did the install laid the GT unit on the floor and put a rubber mat under the base. That mat became essentailly a vibration noise amplifier. I found that rubber can isolate very high frency vibs - not the lower frequnecies. The rubber is recommended at a minimum of 45 Hz - but it really doesn't work well until you get above 60. I know this is the case becuase my loop pumps in the basement run at 60 Hz and they are on rubber mats too - no vibration noise (there is acoustical noise from the impellar spinning - but that has to be dampened by other means). My solution was to jack up the unit - get if off the floor by 5 inches or so - and put vibration isolation mounts with springs on each of the 4 corners. These springs can dampen vibs down to a few Hz and up to 60Hz - they are much more effective then rubber in the frequnecy range of the unit. That fixed the problem. You can still hear the unit for the first 3 to 5 seconds after it first turns on - but once it is in steady state, it purrs. No louder than the hum of a refrigerator. My builder and HVAC contractor were stunned - appranetly they have this same issue in other houses they built with GT where people cannot sleep (but never told me that when they sold me the GT)! I think they owe me one. Your issue sounds similar to mine. Can you describe how the unit was installed - where it is, what is it resting on? What type of floor is it on - is it in a closet? Is the closet insulated? The site I used to but these products is www.acousticalsurfaces.com. Look under Vibration Mounts and then look under Housed Spring Mounts. The product is made by Mason Industries and needs to be chosen carefully based on your units corner weight. You need to determine if the noise you are hearing is acoustic noise or vibration noise. If it is acoustic noise - then you can use sound proofing insulation. If it is vibration noise - then you need dampeners. I used both - the walls of the room have insulation to dampen acoustic noise. The springs dampen vibration noise.
...See More
bob_brown
17 years ago
I am not a smoker and do not appreciate anyone smoking inside of my house. I do not have any ash trays for smokers. They can go outside if they must smoke. With this said, when a furnace is first started, there is usually an odor. It will burn off within a few minutes. The smell dissipates within 1-2 hours. If it doesn't, than you have another problem. A smoker cannot affect the furnace more than a few seconds after it is started. It is not possible to do anything long lasting to the furnace, except screw-up the installation. As to noise, if the blower is larger; expect more noise. If using a higher speed, expect more noise. If you have a variable speed blower, expect more noise. In short, that cra*py old Goodman was probably better than the new unit, when talking about noise. I happen to like Goodman, and feel that Goodman is superior to Carrier, TRANE and Lennox. This was not always true.
mr_havac
17 years ago
lessie, how many returns do you have tied into the system and what is the distance between the closest return grill and the unit itself? You will have to measure the amount of duct work for that.
bama_dude
17 years ago
I happen to like Goodman, and feel that Goodman is superior to Carrier, TRANE and Lennox. This was not always true.

Bob, say this out loud to yourself everyday.(I AM WE TOD DED)
bob_brown
17 years ago
Anyone who stands by T**** either owns stock in the company and is trying to recoup his losses, or should repeat the listed line himself.

T**** has more problems with quality than Ca*****, but Goodman has fewer than both brands at this time. All of the goodwill given over the years, is now dying.

I know of more AC contractors that have dumped T**** recently than any other brand. Yea they still sell T****, but promote Ca***** or other brands.
bama_dude
17 years ago
T**** has more problems with quality than Ca*****, but Goodman has fewer than both brands at this time. All of the goodwill given over the years, is now dying.
Once again Bob ,you are full of sh*t.lol you are in your own little world Bob.

Noisy, Smoky, and Wrong New Furnace

Comments (7)

bus_driver

airsome

Related Discussions

bob_brown

mr_havac

bama_dude

bob_brown

bama_dude

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US