Get Your A/C Info Here! Also applies to gas and oil heat!!!

[K6JEK]

I'm still waiting for some of those heating or air conditioning questions to pop up. That's my trade, and I'm good at it. Never seem to get one however.

Is the HVAC free advice column still open for business?   I'm pursuing a new system.  The HVAC contractor took one look at my mangled 50 year old ducts and said buddy you need new ducts.   She offered to use fancy equipment to measure the leakage but knew the answer already: new ducts.   At least they are accessible.   

This answered the question of my ducts being good enough for a heat pump.   They are going to be new ducts.   Still the folks are recommending a hybrid system not just a heat pump.   I figure out here where it rarely gets below freezing that the heat pump would suffice.   So what if the electrical heater goes on a few days a year?

But my question is about brands.   The HVAC contractor is pushing Bryant.   Being not in the business, I'd only ever heard of Carrier and Trane.  I figured a big name brand would be easier to keep going -- parts, service.   Is this really a six of one, half dozen of the other deal?  If it were you, would you hold out for Carrier?

[wa2zdy]

Good thread now that I'm a homeowner again.  Thanks for being willing to help out.

I ask this just out of curiosity.   We moved in here in May with a one year home warranty.  The house was built in 1996.   In July the AC quit blowing cold air.   The service guy showed up and in five minutes we had cold air again.   He said he had to replace the starting battery in the outside unit.   He said it was dead and that ten years or so was a reasonable life expectancy.

Why is there a battery out there?   That just doesn't add up to me.   What am I missing?

Thanks again.

[W1ATR]

Jon.

Yeah, I kind of figured that with the ductwork myself. Heat-only house's never have enough steel for a/c.

When you say 'hybrid', are you saying they want to install a gas furnace for the heat side? When I looked up the weather history for sunnyvale, it never really gets that cold there. If you have a night here and there that gets to freezing, then warms up the next day, a hp would be fine. I can't see putting in the gas furnace unless you normally go thru week below freezing like we do around here. In that situation, a hp would bite the dust and go out on defrost. That's when the coils kick in and the electric meter spins like a top.

As far as brands go, Bryant is made by Carrier. Same parts, same controls, different badges. I've installed the Bryant Evolution systems and they are identical to the Carrier Infinity line. The supply house's stock a re-badge kit in case you want a bryant and they only have a carrier, and vise-versa. (box fulla stickers )

Sizing of the system is going to be the most important thing. I would only use a contractor that is willing to do the heat loss/gain calculations as this is the only way to ensure your equipment is sized right. Don't let them use a 'rule of thumb' because everyone's thumbs are different.

Sound like your on the right track however. Talk to neighbors, unless they  get they're daily dose of vitaminRFI from you  , and see what they say, and who do they use. Take your time and shop smart.



The fine print: The advice given in this internet post is to be taken for educational use ONLY. The author assumes no liability in the event of personal property loss, injury, or death. This includes, but is not limited to destruction of your property, or your neighbors properties, loss of limbs, decapitation, maiming, burning, termination of the family pet/s, or loss of services to the XYL. Use of the information provided is entirely AT YOUR OWN RISK.

[W1ATR]

Good thread now that I'm a homeowner again.  Thanks for being willing to help out.

I ask this just out of curiosity.   We moved in here in May with a one year home warranty.  The house was built in 1996.   In July the AC quit blowing cold air.   The service guy showed up and in five minutes we had cold air again.   He said he had to replace the starting battery in the outside unit.   He said it was dead and that ten years or so was a reasonable life expectancy.

Why is there a battery out there?   That just doesn't add up to me.   What am I missing?

Thanks again.

Nice, lmao. He changed the start/run capacitor for the compressor. He just doesn't know the difference between a cap and a battery. They usually only last around 10 years, so he's right about that.

On a side note: You gotta watch out for some of these guys. In our biz, they're called "Run cap bandits"...Doesn't matter whats wrong, all they know how to do is change the cap. Asking to see a license isn't a bad idea either.

If you want to, and I would suggest it, go out there and pull the electrical disconnect, open the service panel and look at how he put the cap in,(If there's two, it'll be the bigger one), just to make sure it's not ty-wrapped to the wiring or dangling around in there looking to short out something else.



The fine print: The advice given in this internet post is to be taken for educational use ONLY. The author assumes no liability in the event of personal property loss, injury, or death. This includes, but is not limited to destruction of your property, or your neighbors properties, loss of limbs, decapitation, maiming, burning, termination of the family pet/s, or loss of services to the XYL. Use of the information provided is entirely AT YOUR OWN RISK.

[K6JEK]

Thanks, Jared

[wa2zdy]

Thanks for that info Jared.  That thought had crossed my mind as we all know capacitors are known, in theoretical terms, as batteries.  But, I know diddly about AC, so . . .

As for going out to look at it, that is probably out of the question.  I'll have to see if the wife can drag me in my chair across the grass, but . . .  I'm pretty well at the mercy of others for stuff like this now.  Same way I just paid a place $60 to run a #8 wire from the battery in the van to the rear for my wheelchair lift.  That grates on me because I used to be the one being paid for that stuff when I was installing radios in police cars and fire apparatus.

Oh well, thanks again!

[W3SLK]

Jared said:

On a side note: You gotta watch out for some of these guys. In our biz, they're called "Run cap bandits"...Doesn't matter whats wrong, all they know how to do is change the cap. Asking to see a license isn't a bad idea either

Don't forget the 'clixit'!

[W1ATR]

Bump.

This thread can go right into gas and oil heat too guys.

[WBear2GCR]

Ok, I'm in...

I just got - believe it or not- a 45 ft trailer, refrigerated type for storage use. It is 30 years old. It's got a small diesel engine mounted up there in front of the trailer, and has a exchanger coil w/fins inside and out, of considerable size (as one might expect).

I'm thinking of hijacking that nice little diesel engine out of there, discarding the compressor and using the engine for other duties to be named at a later date...

But, what about the "freon" in the thing?
How do I recapture it (if there is any still in it), and/or sell it to someone who desperately needs this rare and wonderful material.
Rather than just vent it out into the ratmosfphere??

               _-_-bear

[W1ATR]

Hi Bear

Considering the age, the refrigerant is probably R12. Those refer boxes generally have about 5-8lb's in them and it would need to be removed with a refrigerant reclaimer and pumped into a recovery tank.

It would need to be decontaminated, and filtered to be re-used and the value of the used/dirty stuff is nil, so I wouldn't plan any vacations just yet.

You can check if there is anything in there by pushing one of the service port depressors with a sturdy piece of wire bent in an 'L' while standing off to the side. If you only get a clear gas coming out, that's what's considered trace gas and not subject to EPA release standards. (This means the system is already empty and that's just the remaining pressure. If you get a white fog, that's liquid, and it should be reclaimed by a pro.

[N0WVA]

Best thing to do with the R12 is line them up on a fence rail and plink them with the .22 . Might as well help Greenland along with the big thaw.....