You guys rock, the most helpful bunch of people on any of the chat rooms that I have been on, thank you very much. Here are some answers to your questions. The 2 main feeds are the one for the 1st floor/basement and one for the 2nd floor, the return is also right there. As far as access to the bedroom duct above the garage, I will have access to the branch off the main when I remove the ceiling in the garage to add more insulation. I guess it would be wise to install an access hatch for the damper just in case. Thanks for the 3rd zone idea in the bedroom. Thanks for the heads up on the garage door and opener, I have 2 doors, 1 that is broken and the other that sounds like a 747 and wakes up the entire house. I have 1 furnace and 1 a/c unit, the specs for the furnace are 65,000 BTU 1st stage, 100,000 Btu 2nd stage and the a/c unit is a 3 ton unit. As far as zoning the basement seperately my problem is that 1 main feeds both floors, the basement vents are cut directly into the main and the 1st floor has 6 different branches off the main which would mean (correct me if I'm wrong) 6 more dampers. I'm not trying to go cheap or dodge work but what if I bought a 4 zone controller, just kept the basement vents closed and used the 3 zones ( 1st floor, 2nd floor and master bedroom) for now and I could always zone the basement down the road. Has anyone with good basic construction skills and good low voltage skills( I install automatic doors and elect locks so I deal with motors relays and trans. on a daily basis) done any work like this? I'm never afraid to take on any project as long as I do my homework and with the help of this web site makes it so much better. I have also heard that installing a system like this lessens your furnace and a/c life, is that true? Thanks again for the support.
answers to your hvac zoning questions
- Thread starter broadway
- Start date
I recently installed a new central heating/air system in my house (about a year ago). It was alot of work but not nothing a above average mechanically inclined person could not do.
When you start messing with zoning you cut air flow. This can be bad for your system. This is why the real guys get paid the good money. They do all the correct caculations. I've searched around and found alot of good information on installing yourself, but I didn't save them.
When you start messing with zoning you cut air flow. This can be bad for your system. This is why the real guys get paid the good money. They do all the correct caculations. I've searched around and found alot of good information on installing yourself, but I didn't save them.
broadway~
I like to return all the help I get (when I have the knowledge to be helpful
)
. . . been working the commercial side of HVAC for over 18yrs . . . mostly installation and drafting (CAD) . . . but my current employer does alot of residential as well, and the 'old timers' here have a lot of knowledge . . .
. . . I would venture to guess that the furnace and a/c units are suffcient (but would need more specifics to be sure). . . are they keeping the space comfortable now? . . . it will only get better with added insulation, zoning, and wrapping the duct (and maybe sealing the seams and joints (don't dare use 'duct tape', I recommend aluminum tape (easy&clean) or a solvent based caulk (stinky&messy)) . . .
. . . most issues with wearing out the equipment (blower only) come from the increased pressure when people just start limiting the airflow (your 2-stage unit mitigates this) . . . but a 'zoned' system might cycle on/off more frequently which will shorten mean time between failure . . .
. . . you might want to look at those 'controlable registers' some people here have mentioned for your basement . . . or just let it run with the 1st floor zone . . . during the winter letting a little hot air into the basement will help dehumidify the area, and there is relativly little loss to the outside (as long as it's mostly below grade), during the summer it will stay cool, but a dehumidifer might be in order . . .
. . . and maybe a ceiling fan for that high ceiling area over your tv/family room . . .
. . . while your at it, after all the modifications are done, balancing the system would be a good idea . . . basically, you put a thermometer in each room, run the system and then open/close manual dampers (if you have them in each branch duct) or the registers to maintain even temp throughout . . . it takes a while, but isn't hard, and ensures your getting peak performance . . .
. . . I've rambled long enough on this one, let me know if you need any further assistance . . .
Pete C
I like to return all the help I get (when I have the knowledge to be helpful
). . . been working the commercial side of HVAC for over 18yrs . . . mostly installation and drafting (CAD) . . . but my current employer does alot of residential as well, and the 'old timers' here have a lot of knowledge . . .
. . . I would venture to guess that the furnace and a/c units are suffcient (but would need more specifics to be sure). . . are they keeping the space comfortable now? . . . it will only get better with added insulation, zoning, and wrapping the duct (and maybe sealing the seams and joints (don't dare use 'duct tape', I recommend aluminum tape (easy&clean) or a solvent based caulk (stinky&messy)) . . .
. . . most issues with wearing out the equipment (blower only) come from the increased pressure when people just start limiting the airflow (your 2-stage unit mitigates this) . . . but a 'zoned' system might cycle on/off more frequently which will shorten mean time between failure . . .
. . . you might want to look at those 'controlable registers' some people here have mentioned for your basement . . . or just let it run with the 1st floor zone . . . during the winter letting a little hot air into the basement will help dehumidify the area, and there is relativly little loss to the outside (as long as it's mostly below grade), during the summer it will stay cool, but a dehumidifer might be in order . . .
. . . and maybe a ceiling fan for that high ceiling area over your tv/family room . . .
. . . while your at it, after all the modifications are done, balancing the system would be a good idea . . . basically, you put a thermometer in each room, run the system and then open/close manual dampers (if you have them in each branch duct) or the registers to maintain even temp throughout . . . it takes a while, but isn't hard, and ensures your getting peak performance . . .
. . . I've rambled long enough on this one, let me know if you need any further assistance . . .
Pete C
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