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zver11

duct problems

zver11
14 years ago

A/C too weak. Also huge imbalance with huge airflow to master bedroom above HVAC unit at one end of house and little to rest of house. On further investigation house has 2.5 ton compressor with 3 ton condenser. furnace fan sized for 4 tons hooked up to duct sized for 2 tons! i.e. jury rigged fix for patching initial duct way underestimated. (contemporary house with major windows, surface area and cathedral ceilings thru most of house.) A/C professional did Manual J calculation estimating A/C required at 4 ton. Did not look at ducting. Another looked at ducting and proposed ripping up ceiling and replacing backbone duct. Others did no calculations or investigation and just proposed a bigger unit.

House built into hill so walkout finished basement with finished ceilings through most areas including over main backbone duct (9"x15"). Part of finished ceiling is over a super soundproofed area (separating lower level living room of hard of hearing person from bedroom above). Part of one side has unfinished ceiling. Thinking of running individual 6"-8" round ducts from HVAC riser (bypassing main backbone duct) to T connection supplying registers where accessible. Other side of T feeding air in reverse direction back to main backbone duct further from HVAC using the line that previously fed that register.


Will this work? Any other alternatives to ripping up ceilings?

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