Ok, finally. Here is the dBs for Abbaka 1400 remote blower with silencer. Vent pipe is 10”. Vents out to ceiling about 30’ from stove top. I used the Decibel X app as recommended. On high: Under stove top, 64.1 10 feet away, 53.7 30’ away, under silencer in ceiling 51.7 On Low: Under stovetop 54.2 10’ 41.6 30’ 39.8 We really like it. Probably the most important feature we put in our kitchen! Can’t stand kitchen smells of garlic and onions and dislike a lot of noise. Thank you all for your input. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you with numbers. I blame the 7 slabs of granite that cracked, broke or were not advertised size. Thanks again for all of the input. Debbie

Wow! I never would have guessed this. One can only imagine why the HVAC contractor did it this way. Typically this is how fur down unit would be installed. They install the fur down unit inside the plenum or return if you will. However, this unit is not a fur down unit. It could work, but noise will probably be a factor to some degree because it appears to me the return is not large enough. So why did they do this? Maybe there were no better options? I noticed from the original post there is an optional tray ceilings. Do you have the tray ceilings? If you do have the tray ceilings an attic install would be more difficult to put hvac in attic. The closet where this sits is off to the far side of the home maybe for whatever reason there is not enough room to run a return back up thru the ceiling in this closet due to roof joists. Looking at the picture they put a small return grill in that closet off center. The contractor may have been forced to do it that way... no room equals no room. Architects really mess things up by not thinking. It can work this way, but it's not ideal... because air is stupid. When that unit kicks on it will draw air from where ever it can. Thru cracks and crevices in that door leading out. It's common knowledge that doors leak. If you put a louver on that door, then there is no filtered protection to that coil (unless they put a filter at the coil it's a poor way to do it. Plus then you create a wind tunnel, every time the unit kicks on there's this rush of air going to the laundry closet and on into the HVAC closet. What makes it even worse is the garage directly behind the unit. If there are cracks at the base of the wall / thru electrical plugs you have the potential of sucking carbon monoxide into the home if a vehicle is running. It would be prudent to check this. The filter you show out in the hall is big, the one in the closet is small it is likely these two are connected... that is your return. Problem is the return in the room of the unit is in the shape of a funnel (goose neck) the system will never have enough air because of that. The contractor either messed up or the architect or a combination of the two. Certainly they will tell you any alterations will void the warranty, because many in this business do not understand simple things let alone the more complex things like the design of your system. A year goes by pretty fast though, if you still have too much noise I would keep complaining. The noise tells you a problem exists, don't let them tell you otherwise.

You have a few problems working against you. 1. Package equipment is best suited for commercial roof top or along side of building with duct lead off thru the walls or roof top. 2. When it comes to rooftop installations Commercial roof tops can be 30 feet tall / noise typically doesn't matter as much. (you're not there to sleep.) So these problems could be the reason for it. Package units tend to be a bit noisy. Quiet is a non describable term in HVAC world, because any unit while running will make 'some' noise. Soft blow versus hard blow can be a combination of duct work and blower speed up to including the size of the unit. (A larger unit requires more air.) Your 3.5 ton needs about 1400 CFM of air. If your duct system can not handle this air flow this can cause not only noises but also detrimental system problems. (Excessive Static Pressure). Can cause the unit to shake, in some cases violently depending on how bad the problem is. Mounting the package unit to the roof. Anything that vibrates will cause noise. If this noise (vibration) comes in contact with various structure related parts it will travel the lengths of these structure parts and more or less have an echo type effect through out the structure in the worst cases.

Elmer's inquiry deserved more of a answer than your chest-thumping, self-promoting, California-bashing commercial. The climate around Katy, Texas is certainly not "one in a million." It's similar... Just "similar" but not exact... meaning different. Me and Mr. Fudd's disagreements are well documented on this board the story continually evolves from duck to rabbit season and back again. One in a million is a generalized comment... a saying. But you Mr. Ross love to find something to argue about for the sake of arguing. Distinctly different? That's rich. I find it humorous to what people like to nit pick over. It doesn't change anything. I don't change anything about the comment I made. You can disagree if you want, I still say Katy, Texas is indeed "one in a million"... at least. Ray is a one-person company. He lives in the replacement contractor world. When someone is without heat, air conditioning or hot water, it's often the first replacement contractor to arrive that "wins." Not hot water... I am not a plumber. Texas licensed for AC and heat only (HVAC). Yes essentially that is the "service" I offer as well as the part of the world I live in. Air conditioning and Furnace repair service in Katy, Texas area. When I say "service" I mean it. Every day, including summer holidays, weekends. Repairs also include equipment replacement. I myself install all new equipment I sell. I don't sub out work to sub contractors unless the contract specifies that (which is extremely rare situation). If you don't like the way I do things you're free to look elsewhere. I'm not here to tell you what your ears are aching to hear, I am here to tell you like it is. (Firmly and exponentially based on experience.) You don't have to like what I say, most of the time it's not pleasant due to a variety of reasons. In some aspects similar to the confrontational aspects of this forum boards conversations. Anyone who has viewed my posts know I come thick skinned. Disagreements do not phase me. If you want a gimmick, chase a gimmick. I could not offer the service I offer if my approach didn't work after all these years. I'd be running back around chasing my tail. You'd never get thru when you try to call me. Seriously? Think about it. Chest pounding: If you want to call it that it's your opinion. You're free to have it. My experience is my experience. 26 years. Easily verified. 13 years running my own company. Again easily verified facts. Essentially it's an advertisement. I am not paid to be here. I am here drinking my morning coffee filling in that time. If this isn't advertising my business what purpose would I have to be here? I don't come here to argue with the metamucil fan club that propetuates this board. Ha, ha... you know who you are. People search for me. All I have to do is leave bread crumbs so people can find me. AC repair service Katy, Texas area. Everyday. When I say something I mean it. Not a spam service. Don't sell your info. Don't pester you. You initiate the service you want. It's not that difficult when you know what you're doing. If you want a 20 something or 30 something coming to your home, you have to ask yourself how much experience does this guy really have? If that's what you want go for it. I've worked for companies like that... having to go back behind some newbie over and over and over. Used in not very fun ways. Follow my rules. I've been doing this longer than some of you have been alive. My methods work. Experience. What is it worth? Who else on this board in all the world listed as a pro HVAC service provider has my work ethic? Name one besides me. (beside the mini split warehouse spammer) Truth is stranger than fiction. There are people out there who read these threads and never post due to this kind of argumentative climate so frequent here. How could I know such a thing? I service the Katy, Texas area.