Sorry, House HVAC question

[Ch3No2]

I know this is a Garage Forum but I am bewildered and apologize.
First, 4300 sq ft house, 12 years old, split system, 5 ton downstairs and 3 upstairs.
Second, Downstairs is hardly blowing air, filters changed yearly and I remember it blew a lot more.
My question is could anything in the attic FAU be restricting airflow?
Someone said the Fan Coils could be needing combed or cleaned?
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!

 

[justinjoyal]

4300 sq ft per floor or 4300 sq ft total ? 8 tons of cooling is a lot. I mean, A LOT.

Do you have flexible ducts ? If so, did you check to see if it was in good condition ?

 

[Ch3No2]

4300 sq ft per floor or 4300 sq ft total ? 8 tons of cooling is a lot. I mean, A LOT.

Do you have flexible ducts ? If so, did you check to see if it was in good condition ?

4300 total and yes flex ducts in the attic...above the downstairs filter is about a 20" return and I don't feel much air movement.
Where I am has a temp balance of 90 degrees...could be 25 degrees to 115 degrees
I figured being 12 years old it "should" be in ok shape but before I venture in the attic I thought I would pose the question to see what to look for.
Thanks

 

[u3b3rg33k]

flex duct - did you check and make sure it's still connected/no rips in the side?

 

[justinjoyal]

I would bet you are waaaaaay oversized, 1st.

2nd, if the filter is clean, have the coil and ductwork checked. Test the fan motor too.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

"Filters changed yearly". I bet the evaporator needs a good cleaning.

Tommy

 

[justinjoyal]

"Filters changed yearly". I bet the evaporator needs a good cleaning.

Tommy

I had missed that !

Hopefully they're good filters !

 

[99LeCouch]

What kind of filters, the 4" thick ones? Those are yearly filters, IIRC.

The downstairs air handler is in the attic? And done with flex duct? First, check that there isn't a filter in the return air duct that is now clogged. Next, put on some nasty clothes along with a face mask, and go get dirty in the attic. Check the flex duct for rips/tears, sagging, or places it bends sharply. Flex duct needs to be as straight as possible to flow well. Also check to make sure the duct is securely fitting onto the air handler and any supply registers.

 

[justinjoyal]

No filter is a yearly filter in a normal residential environnement.

 

[aunsafe2015]

No filter is a yearly filter in a normal residential environnement.

How often do you recommend changing the 4-5 inch thick media filters like aprilaire 2310 style? Aprilaire itself recommends yearly, I think, though I'm certainly open to the idea that they are wrong [emoji23]

 

[justinjoyal]

How often do you recommend changing the 4-5 inch thick media filters like aprilaire 2310 style? Aprilaire itself recommends yearly, I think, though I'm certainly open to the idea that they are wrong [emoji23]

« Up to 1 year. »

Considering most ducts are improper to begin with and already put a burden on the fan motor, a dirty filter won’t help.

It’s common sense depending on usage and environment but twice a year is a starting point IMO.

 

[aunsafe2015]

« Up to 1 year. »

Considering most ducts are improper to begin with and already put a burden on the fan motor, a dirty filter won’t help.

It’s common sense depending on usage and environment but twice a year is a starting point IMO.

Ok, thanks for the advice.

 

[bobbyjean]

downstairs unit is in attic? ok...make the checks mentioned above...if that checks out,check fan-amp draw if possible..maybe a run capacitor

 

[u3b3rg33k]

How often do you recommend changing the 4-5 inch thick media filters like aprilaire 2310 style? Aprilaire itself recommends yearly, I think, though I'm certainly open to the idea that they are wrong [emoji23]

my 2200 measures about 6" deep, and has a lot more pleats than the "equivalent" filter that is sold as a replacement. I did the maths one time and I think it's got 2-3x the surface area of the one that comes in shrink wrap.

 

[DC73]

No filter is a yearly filter in a normal residential environnement.

I easily got a year per filter out of the AprilAire system in my previous home. I installed the filter system on the day I moved into the newly built house. 26 years later, I finally replaced the system only because of refrigerant leaks. The installer of the new system commented that I must be meticulous with maintenance because of how clean the coils, blower, etc looked on the old system. Nope, the filter is that good when properly installed.

DC

 

[banging away]

Do you do wood working in your basement? Or anything dusty?

Out of interest I installed a pressure difference gauge in the air ducts
measuring the pressure drop across my filter. I record the pressure
daily. I don't do wood work often but when I did the pressure drop
doubled in one day.

How often you change your filter should depend on how much dust
you make.

 

[justinjoyal]

I easily got a year per filter out of the AprilAire system in my previous home. I installed the filter system on the day I moved into the newly built house. 26 years later, I finally replaced the system only because of refrigerant leaks. The installer of the new system commented that I must be meticulous with maintenance because of how clean the coils, blower, etc looked on the old system. Nope, the filter is that good when properly installed.



DC

What was the pressure drop from day 1 to day 365 ?

There is always an exception to the rule.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

What was the pressure drop from day 1 to day 365 ?

There is always an exception to the rule.

Some guy on another forum (rhymes with snakevac-chalk) said that a year old 2200 measures less pressure drop than a new 1" merv 11 filter.

here's one with that quote for 6mo (https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?1820741-Aprilaire-2410-and-2210&p=21479111#post21479111)
terms and conditions apply, no doubt, yadda yadda.

 

[DC73]

What was the pressure drop from day 1 to day 365 ?

Don't know. Don't care. I got 26 years out of mid-grade HVAC system and never had to clean the coils or blower (checked once per year). System worked perfectly up until the day I lost refrigerant due to a leak. Leak turned out to be a failed solder (brazed) joint on the indoor coil. Probably could have fixed it but the new units were so much more energy efficient by that time that it made sense to replace.

And, the filter didn't just keep the unit clean. I had very little dust to deal with in my house.

The 2" MERV 12 filter in my current house doesn't work nearly as well.

DC