You need to build a bigger house and find some other locations! Just a humorous thought, that architects think when seeing situations like this.

Seriously, one has to have access to the air handler for changing filters every 3-4 months, and ultimately replacing the coil. The current design doesn't leave much room for either.

Is the master closet the best location for a washer and dryer?

For that matter, is the master closet the best location for the air handling unit?

Thanks janniecone and Virgil. I dont know where else we can put it. It will only cool the master wing. What do people do when putting in additions for heating/cooling? The HVAC engineer has seen the plans and done all the calculations.

I’m good with the w/d in the master closet. My parents have them in the closet and love it. The contractor also does. Definitely this is not the best place for the handler, but this is where the architect put it and I dont know where else it can go. :(

Maybe you should talk to your architect? It's gonna cut down on the clothes storage by close to 50%. Plus you will have to move clothes each time you need to access the air handler (at least quarterly). What happens if the washer overflows?

I protested when I first saw the AC location but he insisted there was no place else to put it.

As it’s set up, I shouldn’t have to move clothes. I guess it’s like the ac handler is in it’s own utility room. It is a very large closet (16x13). I highlighted in red the areas for clothes and in blue w/d. I dont know why the ac handler cant just have a door that opens into the closet?

Or I could move the AC to the bottom left:

In my (current) house - the air handler is in a closet / room downstairs. It butts up against a wall and on the "room" side of the wall there is the return and the filter. Inside the closet - the air gets sucked into the bottom of the air handler (through the wall / returns) processed through the unit (another filter that pulls out horizontally 90 degrees from the other filter) and then goes out as the supply through the top. It's HUGE.

The fixed return cannot be blocked and can't be done through a door. So in your drawing, the red clothes would need to be pushed way back on the right side. (I GUESS you could put the door on the right side, but that's weird.)

The size / space needed for an air handler is more than the unit itself, it has to have space around it for proper airflow - and you need to be able to access it on a couple of sides, at least. So it takes more effective space than just the dimensions. it's a system that need to be fed and needs breathing room.

Thanks Janniecone. I will speak to the contractor about it. In my 2500 sq. foot townhouse that I rent out, the AC unit is also in a closet, facing a hallway. I know this plan was reviewed by an AC engineer and signed off by the city, but it sounds like I need to make sure I am not compromising the capability of the unit.

Is this a second W/D, with the other just down the hall?

Yes, the second w/d is on the other side of the house.

Have you considered minisplits? Is there area below or above for the air handler?

I am first wondering about returns which has been alluded to here but I haven't seen an answer. Often times a closet based handler uses a vented door. My concern here would be about air flow into the closet. I am guessing by the layout that return ducts are being used.

I am thinking minisplits is your best answer. Shoehorning an air handler into a master closet just seems like a bad idea. The other option is just adding on to the main house system. Most units are oversized and can handle a modern code addition of this size. Often the addition adds very little load since you are removing one crappy wall from the load and adding 3 great walls. It would seem to me that beefing up another area of the original house could be done at the same time if needed.

Thank you jln33! Sorry for the late reply. I dont know why we didnt do ductless AC but I think we discussed it. It is too late to change now. Everything is signed off by the city. There are returns in the ceiling/roof.

I have two units currently for a 4000 sq. Foot home. I believe a new unit is definitely needed for an additional 900 sq. Feet.

I guess I dont understand why the handler cant go in the closet? My current handlers are tucked in a small laundry room. My condo has the air handler in a closet. My father’s vacation home also has the air handler in a closet. I think I am not understanding the issue?

They can go in a closet. They just need clearance for ductwork and maintenance. In my area, the closet models are typically done without return ducts. That creates a problem in an internal closet. You might have different standards and certainly your reno has separate returns. In my rental townhouse, the handler is in a hall closet with venting above the door but it also has a return downstairs (one unit zoned for 2 floors). In a beach house we have a louvered door and it is in a hall closet - no additional returns.

So the closet is fine but you need to get air in there - either through ducts which can take up room or vents which might not do well in a isolated closet.

If both your returns and supply are in the ceiling, then you need room for the turn around in the closet. Air handlers take in typically from the bottom and exhaust to the top. So if your returns are in the ceiling, it is either upside down (no big deal) or the ducts need room to make 180 degree turn.

In my area, they typically sit on their side in a large area - attic/basement/crawl. When you go in a closet, this isn't a good option.

900 ft onto 4000 in a typical scenario could be done without an additional unit. Average units are about 30% oversized and 900 new feet does not equal a corresponding percentage increase in load. I realize that ship has sailed for you but for other readers. I am fairly convinced that HVAC contractors have no business doing load calculations - there is an economic conflict and their motivation is to oversize. I put them on par with congress for credibility.