Is this normal? HVAC ducts have studs going through them!
Ashley
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Mark Bischak, Architect
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAshley thanked Mark Bischak, ArchitectAshley
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Cleaning HVAC ducts before moving in
Comments (3)more custom than developer but not 100% custom; no, don't think there's anything in the contract unfortunately. I asked builder directly and response was will clean up until the (1st) elbow....See MoreSawdust/Wood smell from HVAC ducts after cleaning outside coils
Comments (11)The condensate collects inside the air handler where the evaporator coils are, you should have seen the pan and any tubing. There must be a pump that takes the water outside? The only connection between the outdoor coils and the indoor air handler are the refrigerant lines, and they are sealed, with liquid/gas refrigerant inside. Nothing for you to smell there unless there is a leak, and then your AC would not be working. I’m guessing as to the configuration of your system, outside condensing unit (heat pump?) and indoor air handler with duct work that goes to various rooms. Using my imagination, I have no idea what you actually have there. How did the AC guy clean the coils? Did he use some kind of chemical that you might be smelling? Maybe close to the garage wall? Hosed it off? If he used a chemical, can you ask to smell it? Does the upstairs system that you don’t use have it’s own condensing unit and air handler? I’m not an expert on this, I just used to work for an HVAC company many years ago, not as a technician though. Maybe someone with another idea will chime in....See MoreMax HVAC duct length? Vendor said there is no benefit to run ducts
Comments (13)I had posted my plan a while back. Here is the part of the plan that shows the older space and the dropped ceiling area in the addition is the shaded. Currently, the HVAC guys propose one supply vent on each side of the fireplace and no ducts leading to the other side of the space. There are no soffits or closets in the older space. Those shadowed vertical bars you see on the right side are the exposed beams and they show how far the eaves extend. Thanks...See MoreHave you switched from traditional HVAC to Geothermal HVAC?
Comments (19)I'm disappointed that what had at first seemed a very balanced comment was followed by what seems to be misinformation and misdirection. People buy ground source heat pump equipment because they want to and can afford it. Or decide they need to in their locations. They're hugely more expensive than alternatives, which is why they're still not very common. "When’s the payback on a Tesla? People still choose to buy them for reasons other than the ‘bottom line’." Not a comparable. A false analogy. "I would not choose natural gas or propane for reasons relating to the environment, safety, IAQ & paying for yet another utility hookup for an energy source that might not even be used for months on end during the year." What effect having a gas furnace has on indoor air quality. Another hookup? Most people prefer gas cooking appliances and besides, the OP is talking about an existing home, he either has gas service or he doesn't. "Rather than spending perhaps tens of thousands of dollars on a Solar Array, I would sooner invest that same money, hopefully less, in a ground loop for a Geothermal system." Sure you would, that's the business you're in. The ground source heat pump market is not growing as expected by those in the industry, which suggests that your opinion isn't widely held or easily sellable. In many parts of the country, solar panels can have a quick payback. Not so ground source heat pumps. "I often hear about Solar Panels when geothermal is mentioned, as an alternative way to save money by creating energy." In a place like Texas, where electricity is cheap (other than during cold weather crises as they just experienced) there's likely no payback from a solar panel installation. People do it as a personal statement, call it for environmental or other personal reasons. Like buying the Tesla, not a financial decision. An HVAC system blows warm air when it's cold, cool air when it's hot. It's one of those things people don't care about - either it works or it doesn't work. Spending extra money for an exotic system doesn't equate to extra payback when the home is sold. Neither owners, nor visitors, nor people passing by, nor anyone else, concern themselves with what's doing the work. It's equipment that doesn't produce an experience for someone in the house if it's working. In the US, there are vast areas where electricity is cheap. It will remain so for some time. People don't spend money today to potentially save money 10 years out when market conditions may or may be different. I suspect you could build a house with mahogany or teak framing. Or you could paint the framing bright colors. Why bother, you can spend less money and effort and get something else that will do the same job. "We almost never use setbacks at our home - even when going on vacation for weeks on end with no one home, our geothermal just runs." You're combining two different things to produce confusion. Thermostats that have a setback feature ALL are set up to provide lower overnight temperatures to have more comfortable sleeping conditions and then a recovery in the morning before wakeup time. As sleep specialists recommend. That in demand comfort features isn't possible with ground source heat pumps because the warm up period from a setback is too slow to be convenient to use, absent triggering a secondary heating source (like a furnace) to help. THAT'S why you don't "believe" in setbacks with a heat pump - they don't work. Turning down a thermostat during heating season when the home will be unoccupied is not a "setback" as that word is most commonly used. It's done to save money, why heat a vacant house? No setback thermostat is needed, even a dumb 50 year old analog thermostat can be turned down....See Morefsq4cw
2 years agoAshley
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoA Fox
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAshley
2 years agoAshley
2 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
2 years agoRTHawk
2 years agoJeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
2 years agoAshley
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAshley
2 years agoAshley
2 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
2 years agoAshley
2 years agoBT
2 years agoGN Builders L.L.C
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoJoseph Corlett, LLC
2 years agoworthy
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAshley
2 years ago
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