When I first purchased the system earlier this year, I new nothing except that the upstairs was 12 degrees hotter than the downstairs when the AC was running. I found some HVAC sites similar to this one and learned how to solve the problem. During that process it was suggested by some seasoned pro's that I have my static pressure checked since it impacts air flow. My first response was "what the hell is static pressure?".... I learned quickly that static pressure can be viewed as "back pressure" on the blower fan. The more "back pressure" the harder the fan has to work to move the air. It is easier to push air through a large pipe versus a small one. Imagine blowing air throug a typical soda pop straw....then imagine trying to blow the same amount of air through one of those small red coffee stirrer staws. It is much harder to get the same amount or air through. If the ducts are grossly too small then the fan can't work hard enough to move the required air. While the fan is trying, it is burning much more electricity than what the salesman sold us on when he said it uses the wattage of a 75 watt light bulb. Also it is hard or the fan motor which could shorten it's life. It is very easy to check static pressure. I own a Dwyer Magnehelic gauge which could be bought off the internet (amazon.com charges ~$100 but it can be had for as low as ~$60). It is a simple gauge that you connect a small rubber tube to....and take measurments while the unit is running. Knowing your static is very useful especially with new HVAC systems because they come with tables that relate airflow, wattage-used, and temp-rise, to static pressure. It helps trouble shoot problemms and pinpoint duct issues. Static pressure issues are independent of the manufacturer. If the system is to large for your ducts then the large blower is going to have to work hard to try and move the air through the too small ducts.... I can go on and on but this post is already to long :) Key1

âÂÂCurious of what a system like this would cost in your area.â Our models (in Canada) are not always exactly the same as yours, that depends on the series but something comparable would cost about about $12,800 - before tax, which is about 15.5%. Now howâÂÂs that for sticker shock! I donâÂÂt think you can buy a Goodman system here for $5450 even if you installed it yourself! DoesnâÂÂt that make it easier for you to sign? I would still want the Carrier âÂÂEdgeâ TP-PRH01 thermostat. SR

Did you install the Nest thermostat? In some cases the Nest thermostat requires a connection to the C (ground) terminal. But in many cases that wire does not exist in an old system set up. An easy work around is to use the G (fan) wire as the the C connection. The drawback of this is you give up turning on the fan independently of heating or cooling. This may have been done with your thermostat. Remove the cover and see if a wire is connected to the G terminal. If there is no wire than you are not going to be able to turn the fan on.

I don't think I've ever came across any literature from a manufacturer that recommends one type of filter from another. If they would recommend anything it would be the 4" media filter because they make larger profits selling those enclosures to house the filter. (Some brands will require you to use their filter as there are notches or groves built into the enclosure and the filter itself requiring you to buy a more expensive 4" pleated filter from a manufacturer -- as a typical 4" filter from the hardware store will not fit the enclosure.) But: most often these 4" filters are placed before the equipment and in many cases you will have longer returns that are then not filtered. Over times these ducts leading up to the equipment become very dirty. It's easy to forget to change them because they tend to last around 6 months and in some cases up to a year. To say that fiberglass filters cause this or that or leads to help selling replacement systems is a long stretch of the imagination. HVAC equipment lasts in the realm of 15 years from a national standpoint. No brand is immune to that time clock. Certainly with proper maintenance and good repair practices you might extend that clock a few years farther out. The thing you have to realize is that force air heating and cooling systems operate by the flow of air. If you impede this air flow, the problems that can ensue due to the impeding of air flow (not the filter you choose) can have disastrous consequences for your HVAC system. No two homes are alike. No two duct systems are alike. No two returns / filtration grills are alike. No two homes dust generation is alike. So the filtration system, what ever method is chosen has to be up to the arduous task of filtering the air, without causing system debilitating problems like high static pressure within the HVAC system. Fiberglass filters are fine for a low dust environment, certainly they will allow more dust thru to the furnace and indoor coil. But as long as those filters are changed religiously and the dust environment is low it's not likely to matter much. Air flow: if the filter restricts the air flow, because the filter is restrictive is no different if the air flow is restricted at the coil, because the coil is dirty from using cheaper filtration in a dusty / dirty environment. (Think pets that shed, carpeting in the home, chain smoker, lots of people moving about within the structure 'stirs up dust'.) Even a clean home 'that looks clean' can be proven to be filthy by looking at the return grill where the filter sits. Looks can be deceiving. To see if your filter is overly restricted there should be no inward bulge, it should be drawn into the filter grill and easy to remove with the system blower on. My preference would be to have multiple ducted returns and use a low end pleated filter. The $7 for 3 is more than sufficient. The number of ducted returns depends on size of the structure, size of the system and possibly the number of hot spots within the home. The thought with this kind of design: because I live in a hot, humid climate: is to place returns strategically. A hot spot could be near a door way leading to outside as an example. Your air conditioner doesn't provide cool air, your air conditioner takes hot air and places it outside. Cool air is the result of the heat removed. So if you feed hotter air thru the HVAC system you make the air conditioner perform better without trapping hot air within your home. The less hot air you trap (usually by building methods, design of the HVAC system, design of the structure etc.) The more comfortable you will be. With that said, my recommend design methods aren't always possible due to constraints or architectural designs of the structure. I can't let a structure defeat me, but you have to be realistic as well. I service the Katy, Texas area.