HVAC odor ..need help ASAP
Calin Olariu
4 years ago
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DavidR
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoCalin Olariu
4 years agoRelated Discussions
new construction - help with hvac quote
Comments (8)moonsoon first and foremost, as said in my previous post, you need a load calculation in writing broken out by each zone. I believe 10.5 tons is grossly oversized. EACs refer to electronic air cleaners which I believe the GAPA is Carrier's model. You need some type of air cleaner for both systems. EACs are not a cure for asthmatics but may help. Don't know about the GAPA model but most require regular cleaning/maintenance and do produce a small amount of ozone. I would not have one personally. I have a 5" pleated media filter that I change once a year. I lean toward the KISS system(keep it simple stupid!). No offense intended. The "return" air recirculates your inside air. It has to be sized to be in balance with your "supply" air. For example, if you have a 4 ton blower, your ductwork system should be sized accordingly-1600 CFMs both supply air and return air. One large return such as listed in your original post with such a large space will give poor airflow/exchange and most likely will be noisy. That was the reason for my suggestion for another return. And definitely don't place it in a living area-they should be centrally located in your home normally in an inside hallway. again I know that electric rate is not correct but I will not beat a dead horse. I do think a homeowner should have an apprx idea of their utility rates. what are the tier electric rates? I don't have a strong opinion on UV lights. Most homes don't have them and I would think they would be better indicated for areas with high relative humidity or to focus on specific problems with your evap coil. You do want Carrier's tin plated coil not the copper models. as far as ductwork, metal main trunk lines that are insulated with flex for supply and returns would be my choice. check with county building office and see what code is for new construction. IMO...See Moreneed humidity HVAC help please (sorry,long post)
Comments (10)You posted in the plumbing rather than HVAC... but here's my $.02: First you recognize this is really odd. You have hit on the major issues: 1. Sounds like you have an oversized AC unit for the bedroom. That would tend to reduce the temperature without reducing the humidity level in the cooling season. 2. You have tested for other sources of moisture including from the floor (are you on a slab or on crawlspace / basement?) 3. You have tested for water in the walls and have a new roof. Now what about the following: 1. have you ruled out plumbing leaks? 2. have you ruled out a clogged condensation line on the A/C unit that allows water to back up into the room somehow? 3. was the master bedroom an addition or significant remodel? 4. There isn't a humidifier on the master bedroom furnace by chance is there? You need to know that you have an accurate way of measuring humidity such as a digital hygrometer. If you are using accurate test equipment and are getting a significant change in humidity from one room to the next while the AC is off for several days, you need to find out why before you do anything else....See MoreNeed help identifying sweet smell from AC / HVAC fan
Comments (7)I found the solution on another website and it worked! A couple of weeks ago I had a sweetish odor coming from my AC vents and I had no idea what it was. I thought it was a freon leak and had my handler replaced $2k. The next day I still had the sweet odor. I researched everything on the Internet. And finally several days later I ran across this solution which worked for me. Each day the odor is getting less and less. It's 95% better now. I am copying and pasting the exact language that I found on the other website. I hope everyone will share this and I hope it works for you. This is from bobvila.com: "There is more than one smell described here, but the one most often described is without a doubt hydrogen sulfide. It's a component of sewer gas (along with methane, and other nasty stuff). Some sources say it's non-toxic, but it can cause health problems like migraines. We have had the same problem, and it turned out the the p-trap for a bathtub we don't use had all of its water evaporate. That allowed the gas to collect under our home, which meant the first run of the heater made us sick. All it took to fix it was running the water in that tub. 1. Make sure your toilets have wax rings and the bolts holding them to the floor are tight. 2. Flush your toilets, run the water in your sinks, and run the water in your bathtubs. 3. Flush the gas by pouring bleach down the drain. That should clear it right up. You may want to run your blower with the windows open early in the heater season to clear out any lingering fumes and air that has been trapped since last year."...See Morehvac vent help needed asap!
Comments (16)Austin Air- Can you have a filtered return as well as a filter on your furnace/indoor unit? We do have filters on the unit itself but it seems like a filter at that spot would be good There are many ways to filter HVAC, some designs will leave the return unfiltered and have a larger 4 or 5 inch media filter right before furnace. From there (where the return(s) are sized well it proposes options of incorporating a pre-filter. (cheap see thru filter) on the returns before the larger 4 or 5 inch wide media filter. I don't suggest you incorporate a two filter set up on your own. Because of the 2 filter restriction problem will cause more problems that that type of set up will cure. The problem with the 4 or 5 inch media filter at the furnace design is that the returns will become laden with dust in time. The dustier the home (typically more foot traffic, either people or pets) it won't take long for a clean return to become filthy. Dust contains dust mites. Small little creatures that feed on that dust. The whole reason to put a filter at the return entry is to prevent that, capture the dust at the filter change monthly. The 4 or 5 inch media filter typically you get away with 1 or 2 filter changes per year. Most returns are undersized. So when you place a filter at the filter return grill and then another at the furnace the HVAC becomes choked for air. This ramps up static pressure, utility bill costs, makes the AC & furnace have to work much harder than what they would have to otherwise. AC really needs 350-400 CFM (cubic foot per minute per ton) --- if you have a 5 ton AC that's around 2000 CFM. If you only provide 1600, the 5 ton is a 4 ton... yet you are paying for 5 tons as most are single speed systems. The reason why most returns are undersized is mostly due to cost / cutting corners OR possibly over sizing equipment. This is a part of design as much as everything else. An easy way to see if your return is too small is with the system running in AC mode place your filter in the return, the filter should not be sucked in... should be loose fit with only a slight pressure draw into the return grill. An inward bulge of the filter as it becomes filled with dust is an indication to change it, not a function of how it should be the minute you put a clean filter in the return grill....See MoreCalin Olariu
4 years agoAustin Air Companie
4 years agomonicakm_gw
4 years agoCalin Olariu
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoCalin Olariu
4 years agoDavidR
4 years agoAustin Air Companie
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4 years agoCalin Olariu
4 years agomtvhike
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4 years agoRosalin Millers
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