All Questions
Tagged with heating air-conditioning
54 questions
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is the best way to add a vent over this door?
I would like to add a vent above the door to my laundry room because it gets fairly warm in there when the door is left closed for any significant amount of time. All that's there is a single layer of ...
- 309
1
vote
1
answer
82
views
First finishing project: Attic or Basement for office/studio? [closed]
First time homeowner here, 100 year-old brick bungalo in Chicago where we have very cold Winters and hot Summers. I have my choice of an unfinished basement or unfinished attic to build my home office/...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
2k
views
Is it okay to have an air handler in an uninsulated attic or will the air handler have to work harder?
We live in CT -- so cold winters. I don't know all the right/technical terms, but this is our situation:
Split level ranch (two floors plus attic)
Gas furnace and gas water heater in the basement
Air ...
- 259
0
votes
0
answers
49
views
Can I reconfigure two 5" ducts into a single line & what size should they be?
I am trying to move a floor register location. Currently I have two 5" HVAC ducts being fed from a 6" x 10" rectangular trunk. The one 5" run has the register in the middle of ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
8k
views
Do Air Exchangers increase Heating Costs in Winter and Cooling Costs in Summer?
I live on the east coast of Canada, where we get cold winters, and warm summers. Humidity swings are common in all seasons. The house was built in the 1990s, is heated with electric baseboard heat, ...
- 619
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is it a good idea to go all ductless? [closed]
I have a 2000 sq ft house in somewhat warm region(mostly air-conditioning is used, winter is mild) and the house has 2 trane gas furnace for heating(both 25+ yrs old) that need to be replaced, one 25+ ...
user149101
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is it more efficient to heat a room using an air conditioner (heat pump) when the windows are open?
In general, using an air-conditioner for heating is more efficient than a standard electric heater or radiator. But in our home, we keep the windows open all the time, in order to decrease the chance ...
0
votes
0
answers
54
views
How to get good HVAC quotes?
My natural gas furnace and air conditioner are 20 years old. I plan to gather quotes to replace them both. What do I need to do so that I get good quotes?
I've heard HVAC contractors talk in an online ...
- 407
1
vote
4
answers
357
views
Heating and cooling for insulated shed [closed]
I have a 120 sq. Foot shed. That I’d like to insulate and put climate control in.
The walls are full height, and it would have an attic area after insulation/drywall installation with the 30 degree ...
- 111
0
votes
0
answers
182
views
Why is the aux indicator on my HVAC system lighting up when A/C is called for?
HVAC novice. New professionally installed heat pump (Goodman) and air handler. Old thermostat from the early 90’s. No aux heater installed. My assumption is the landlord wanted to save money and in CA ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
119
views
Return air balancing
I have a 3 level townhouse, there is a damper controlling flow to each floor. My main concern is the number of vents on my upper level. One master bedroom (with bath), 2 smaller bedrooms, and another ...
- 51
4
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Should I add air ducts when finishing my basement or rely on space heaters?
I am going have a finished basement of 1000 sq/ft which includes a theater room of 12X16. Currently I am in process of planning in stalling duct work to my basement.
I am thinking of not putting duct ...
- 796
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Two zone hvac on single compressor [closed]
I have a two zone HVAC system with two compressors (A and B). When I run the heat on Zone 1, it uses compressor A and when I run the heat on Zone 2, it also uses compressor A. When I run the A/C, it ...
- 379
0
votes
3
answers
2k
views
AC not shutting of automatically
I recently had new HVAC installed. I am noticing it being little louder than what I had previously. The new system is American Standard 80% efficiency with ECM blower motor. My question is
Can I ...
- 79
1
vote
1
answer
203
views
Just got quoted $5000 to service my HVAC system. Is this reasonable? [closed]
I have a 15 year-old York heat pump that gave out at some point during the winter (not sure exactly when as it's a dual-fuel system and nobody noticed until higher than normal gas bills started ...
- 133
1
vote
2
answers
4k
views
Sound proofing bedroom doors, what to do about air flow?
We recently replaced all the carpet in our home with hard floors, dramatically increasing the amount of noise transmission between bedrooms and the hallway. I've been researching the best ways to ...
- 159
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
Should I COMPRESS fiberglass OR use foam insulation?
I have a room made of hollowed concrete blocks that I framed by mounting 2x4s, wide side against the wall. This gives me a 1.5in depth cavity to fill with insulation.
Should I use an r19 fiberglass ...
- 1,070
0
votes
0
answers
220
views
Is it ok to seal the the outside rail of an in-wall AC/heater in the winter?
I have an Amana in-wall AC/Heater. In the winter I feel that it creates a draft and allows cool air to sneak in. I'm thinking of taking some heavy duty plastic to the outside rail. Would this impact ...
- 173
1
vote
3
answers
2k
views
Heat pump not working after rain
A couple weeks ago, I had a Goodman 3 ton heat pump split system put in. At 5pm hours today, I was outside near the heat pump and noticed that it was functioning properly. At about 6pm, there was a ...
- 618
2
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Running AC/Heater when washing a cleanable filter
I have a heat pump/AC system with a washable air filter. I was told to clean the filter out and run water through it once a month.
He told me to let the filter dry for 3 hours before replacing it. I ...
- 49
0
votes
1
answer
101
views
My 2.5 ton HVAC unit
We put in a new 2.5 ton Trane HVAC unit, and when it hits 90 outside, it won’t hold 74 degrees inside. (1400-1500 sq. Ft). Will it help to put in a 3 ton unit, or will it do more harm than good?
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
890
views
Intelligently Controlling 5 PTAC Units
I recently purchased a new apartment which comes with GE zoneline PTAC units that control both heating and air conditioning electrically. There are a total of 5 in my apartment, 1 for each bedroom and ...
0
votes
1
answer
580
views
Is hydro air more efficient than gas/oil?
I have heard different things about hydro air systems.
I am considering getting one because it is a 5000 SF house and a 1500+ SF addition is planned and I heard that it is easier to expand a hydro ...
- 6,923
0
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Why does my Goodman a/c blower motor randomly not work?
My blower motor stops working almost every night! I have no issues during the day. If the motor kicks on it works fine but when the thermostat reaches temperature and shuts the unit off it’s a 50/50 ...
0
votes
1
answer
78
views
central air and high efficiency furnace
When the central air is running, cold air blows outside through the intake and exhaust pipes from the HE furnace. Is this normal? Can I block/seal off these pipes for the summer and uncover them ...
- 34
2
votes
1
answer
136
views
What kind of air conditioner system do I have?
I know this site says 'DIY', but if this question belongs somewhere else, let me know which site is appropriate for this question. Thank you.
At the beginning of this month, I had a Coleman air ...
0
votes
1
answer
115
views
Where can I find replacement covers for these vents from 1969? [closed]
I recently bought a house built in 1969. After moving in I attempted to close and open vents to direct AC and heat into the rooms that needed it. I quickly experience these vents are hard to open and ...
- 45
0
votes
2
answers
557
views
Must a 4 ton variable speed air handler use a 4 ton heat pump?
This is an air conditioning question:
Must a 4 ton variable speed air handler use a 4 ton heat pump or can a 3.5 ton heat pump or smaller size heat pump be used instead?
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
305
views
Remove Urine from Amana In-Wall Heating/Air-conditioning Unit
I just moved into a new apartment and noticed that when I turn the fan up high on the in-wall heating/ac unit there is a strong smell of urine. I swear that someone peed in it. Is there some way to ...
- 101
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Ductless Mini Split heat pump not cooling / heating outside of room
I have a wall mounted mini split (Fujitsu 9,000 BTU) installed in my bedroom over my bed, intended to heat and cool my upstairs (there has no suitable location in the hallway). It is a standard sized ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
27k
views
Figure out if I have gas or electric heating
I have a year 2000 house in Bay Area California. The Honeywell RTH2520 thermostat that came with the house doesn't work anymore because the metal things on the side of the AA batteries became aqua ...
- 449
1
vote
1
answer
590
views
How to winterize window AC unit from inside?
I have a bunch of AC units in my house that I can't remove during the summer. The windows are too high up for me to access from outside the house. What can I use to seal the window unit - including ...
- 111
1
vote
1
answer
660
views
What type of air filters are these? Are they any good?
I'm pretty sure these air filters have been in the house for 30+ years.
I'm not sure what type of filters they are. Are they disposable or can you clean them?
Are they efficient at all?
- 1,396
0
votes
0
answers
132
views
Will a modern AC automatically switch between cooling and heating?
Say I set the temp to 23C on a hot day but the weather turns cold eventually. Will it detect later that autumn came and heating is needed? I'm talking about a Panasonic inverter AC.
0
votes
1
answer
814
views
Should I add a return or another supply to a large room with only one supply?
I just moved into a new house and I have that one room that always seems to be hot. It's on the 2nd floor of the house with the attic over it. The other 2 rooms on the 2nd floor are always a nice ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
104
views
How can I improve my ventilation throughout my house?
I just bought my house and it stays rather cool. However I've found while painting that the flow of air through the house is limited. My vents are all on the base board/wall if you can imagine. Not ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
4k
views
Why would a blower motor work with A/C, but burn out with furnace?
I've gone through 2 blower motors since I purchased the home 3 yrs ago. I never have an issue with the blower when the AC runs; but it keeps dying in the winter with the furnace. I've had 2 HVAC ...
- 51
0
votes
0
answers
65
views
Keep finding thermostat on heat
On multiple occasions now, I have noticed odd things going on with my HVAC system, only to go to the thermostat and find that it has been set to heat! This happened once in the middle of summer, when ...
- 341
0
votes
1
answer
64
views
Is this pipe layout acceptable?
We recently had our heater and air conditioner replaced, and now the drainage pipe is installed on the floor of the basement. It's quite annoying and it wasn't like that before (it was on the walls ...
- 105
4
votes
4
answers
97k
views
What to do about different rooms in the house being a completely different temperature?
I moved into a 30 year old home last December. There is a problem with the HVAC.
I have included a very crude drawing of the floor plan
The problem is that I can't maintain a comfortable ...
- 483
0
votes
0
answers
185
views
Are wall air vents a potential problem?
A house I'm looking at has A/C vents in the walls, rather than in the ceiling or floor. I've never lived in a house with air ducts in the walls. Can I expect to have problems?
The house was built in ...
1
vote
2
answers
339
views
Hot water heating system: Renew or replace?
Our home was built around 1963 and has Gas powered Hot water based heating, some portion of the house is floor heated and some with radiators emitting heat from hot water. The heater may be 10-12 ...
- 155
1
vote
2
answers
58k
views
When should HVAC returns be opened and closed?
My Pennsylvania house was built in the early 90s, has central heat (natural gas) and central A/C, and most rooms have pairs of closable air returns on the wall near the floor and ceiling.
I've been ...
- 225
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
180º/gooseneck/u-shaped cold air return?
I am in the planning stages of moving a cold air return from an inconvenient spot in the floor to a nearby wall. The basic plan is to open up the wall on both sides (cutting one stud and framing in a ...
- 131
0
votes
7
answers
41k
views
How do I eliminate the cold drafts coming from my air conditioning vents during winter?
I have a forced hot water (baseboard) heating system in my home and added central air conditioning about 10 years ago. The cooling system's air handler is in my attic, and duct work was added for the ...
- 333
2
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Can I replace this Airwell thermostat?
I am in market to replace my simple A/C control unit with one that integrates with home my z-wave based home automation system. However, before I make the splash and buy a compatible thermostat, I ...
- 295
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What to use to funnel floor air vent in cabinent for proper air flow
I ripped the "floor" of the kitchen cabinet out to reveal that all along, my vent was funneling air like this, an open hole. The circular opening is about 6 inches across both ways. I need to funnel ...
- 265
1
vote
2
answers
12k
views
Does reverse-cycle airconditioning in heating mode dry the air?
I understand that when cooling, an AC unit condenses water vapour from the room, and results in dehumidified or drier air than outside. When in heating mode, I would expect this not to happen, as the ...
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
6k
views
How can I prevent heat loss through heater/air conditioner wall units?
HVAC experts out there...
I live in Wisconsin and it gets mighty cold here! I have a condo with 2 wall units that are used for both air conditioning and heat. My heat bill in the cold winter months ...
- 207
1
vote
1
answer
4k
views
Why is my outdoor air conditioner unit making a screeching/squeeling sound?
During the winter time when I have my heat on, my outdoor air conditioner unit randomly makes this awful-sounding squealing/screeching sound. It lasts for about 15-30 seconds at a time, stops, and ...
- 5,912