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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170 |
Clean condenser coil...from the back to the front. Check refrigerant level. You should then be good to go. powdr Clean condenser coil?? How will that help with air flow through the duct? To the OP, invest in a higher MERV rating filter and make sure little to no air bypasses it. Jim If the condenser coil is dirty it does not transfer heat as well, the condenser does just as the name says it does, it condenses a high temp, high pressure gas into a liquid. The system needs a steady supply of liquid sent through the smaller pipe down to the air handler unit (the A coil and some of them are not shaped that way anymore)when it passes through a metering device (small hole) it boils, like on your stove but at about -20 degrees. Investing in a higher MERV filter can actually make the problem worse. There is a lack of airflow somewhere, if the filter has been changed on a regular basis, my guess is on the outside unit, and washing the coil outside would be my first step. From there I would look inside the home, I would look at cleaning the "A-Coil" or it may be as simple as someone trying to save energy by closing off the registers in most of the house, because they do not use those rooms anyway. These systems need to move a certain amount of air, and if they can't it makes them unhappy. Skip the duct cleaning for now, and if you decide to have it done it should cost more than 400, done correctly it is a very labor ($$$) intensive job. How does a dirty condenser coil affect airflow through the duct? I know a dirty condenser will cause high head and the unit to work harder to displace the heat. But it has nothing to do with airflow through the duct system. I also disagree about using a higher MERV rated filter. Once the blower wheel and evap coil are cleaned. Seal the return and supply ducts with mastic, not duct tape. Eliminate any leakage in the duct work and make sure no air is bypassing the filter.Then use at least a MERV 8 filter. Jim
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 10,002 Likes: 3
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 10,002 Likes: 3 |
How does a dirty condenser coil affect airflow through the duct? I know a dirty condenser will cause high head and the unit to work harder to displace the heat. But it has nothing to do with airflow through the duct system.
I also disagree about using a higher MERV rated filter. Once the blower wheel and evap coil are cleaned. Seal the return and supply ducts with mastic, not duct tape. Eliminate any leakage in the duct work and make sure no air is bypassing the filter.Then use at least a MERV 8 filter.
Jim
I think he meant a dirty expansion coil. The one that is on the inside of the house and not on the outside unit.
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170 |
How does a dirty condenser coil affect airflow through the duct? I know a dirty condenser will cause high head and the unit to work harder to displace the heat. But it has nothing to do with airflow through the duct system.
I also disagree about using a higher MERV rated filter. Once the blower wheel and evap coil are cleaned. Seal the return and supply ducts with mastic, not duct tape. Eliminate any leakage in the duct work and make sure no air is bypassing the filter.Then use at least a MERV 8 filter.
Jim
I think he meant a dirty expansion coil. The one that is on the inside of the house and not on the outside unit. I think he meant the evaporator coil. Usually referred to the indoor coil, unless you're dealing with a package unit. Jim
Last edited by JAP; 05/31/13.
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,215 Likes: 41
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,215 Likes: 41 |
Take it apart and clean it your damn self. Jayzuz H, burn a Saturday and tackle it. It won't kill you. Fire your wife up there on a piece of cardboard and tell her to cut all the tape loose, you zip out the screws, swab it with a mop and lysol. Zip it back together. She can retape it.
some of you would hire help to wipe your ass if it was listed in Angie's List.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,494
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,494 |
Wonder how much flex duct you could buy for 450... and a monkey can replace flex
I agree with others too though, its coils that are dirty rather than ducts.
6 years old.... doesnt' need anything probably other than unit maintenance and check the freon.
We try to wash our exterior coils off with a water hose and clean the leaves out of that unit every year. Probably should do it twice a year.
Same as dirty coils under the fridge/freezer... clean em good and efficiency comes right back.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170 |
Take it apart and clean it your damn self. Jayzuz H, burn a Saturday and tackle it. It won't kill you. Fire your wife up there on a piece of cardboard and tell her to cut all the tape loose, you zip out the screws, swab it with a mop and lysol. Zip it back together. She can retape it.
some of you would hire help to wipe your ass if it was listed in Angie's List.
I'm all for it. It's the homeowners who attempt to make their own repairs, that keep me in business.
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 19,722
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 19,722 |
I think the duct cleaning is going to be a waste of money. Better way to spend your money would be to get you HVAC unit checked out. Clean filters, clean coils, good charge, squirrel cage clean and not full of gunk. Also that all of your ductwork is sealed. If you have any flex connections, they are notorious for popping off.
I balance air and hydronic systems, and dirty duct is almost never the problem. What he said. I've worked in large computing facilities most of my life they never clean ducts they look for the real problem. Now if you were talking allergy issues we might have another thing to think about for sure.
Last edited by 17ACKLEYBEE; 05/31/13.
NRA Lifetime Member
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 26,538 Likes: 3
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 26,538 Likes: 3 |
Take it apart and clean it your damn self. Jayzuz H, burn a Saturday and tackle it. It won't kill you. Fire your wife up there on a piece of cardboard and tell her to cut all the tape loose, you zip out the screws, swab it with a mop and lysol. Zip it back together. She can retape it.
some of you would hire help to wipe your ass if it was listed in Angie's List.
I'm all for it. It's the homeowners who attempt to make their own repairs, that keep me in business. "Cleaning" ducts is considered a repair??
FJB & FJT
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 170 |
Take it apart and clean it your damn self. Jayzuz H, burn a Saturday and tackle it. It won't kill you. Fire your wife up there on a piece of cardboard and tell her to cut all the tape loose, you zip out the screws, swab it with a mop and lysol. Zip it back together. She can retape it.
some of you would hire help to wipe your ass if it was listed in Angie's List.
I'm all for it. It's the homeowners who attempt to make their own repairs, that keep me in business. "Cleaning" ducts is considered a repair?? It comes under PM's. Tearing apart a coil case and removing panels to clean an A coil, messing with distributor tubes a lot can happen that leads to a repair. Jim
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,215 Likes: 41
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 67,215 Likes: 41 |
Does't take a genius to wrap tape around a duct pipe, throw in a panduit strap plus a zip screw if you wanna feel like Stephen Hawking.
I know stoners who smoke themselves half-retarded every morning on hydro that install HVAC and they do just fine.
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