Lets talk Dampers!

[MrSpeed]

What is the best way to tackle this? I have a friend, professional AC guy that will do the connections for me and rework my AC ducks, but I am not sure how the dampers are integrated. Do they get wired directly to the panel? What type dampers should I get?

 

[pete_c]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

 

[MrSpeed]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

Thanks for the reply, gives me some ideas, but still confused whether I need HVAC Controller or if the HAI system performs that function. Also how it would be installed on the omnipro.


Thanks

 

[Ultrastructures]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

Thanks for the reply, gives me some ideas, but still confused whether I need HVAC Controller or if the HAI system performs that function. Also how it would be installed on the omnipro.


Thanks

I'm using my Omnipro controller with a relay board to control the zones in my house, works great just requires a little programming to make everything function properly, I also put a damper in my return air system that opens to pull fresh air in from outside every day at a specific time i've set, If the furnace isn't running when that time comes it's programmed to automatically turn on the furnace fan and exchange the air. The possibilities are endless with your HAI system.

 

[MrSpeed]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

Thanks for the reply, gives me some ideas, but still confused whether I need HVAC Controller or if the HAI system performs that function. Also how it would be installed on the omnipro.


Thanks

I'm using my Omnipro controller with a relay board to control the zones in my house, works great just requires a little programming to make everything function properly, I also put a damper in my return air system that opens to pull fresh air in from outside every day at a specific time i've set, If the furnace isn't running when that time comes it's programmed to automatically turn on the furnace fan and exchange the air. The possibilities are endless with your HAI system.

So the relay board goes wired directly to the damper? Does the relay board provides the power, please forgive me if the questions are dumb. I am a visual kind of guy, once i see something I cn figure it out. But I have not seen a damper installed and in action, my ac guy tells me that it needs a control board but I thought that was what the HAI would do.

 

[Ultrastructures]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

Thanks for the reply, gives me some ideas, but still confused whether I need HVAC Controller or if the HAI system performs that function. Also how it would be installed on the omnipro.


Thanks

I'm using my Omnipro controller with a relay board to control the zones in my house, works great just requires a little programming to make everything function properly, I also put a damper in my return air system that opens to pull fresh air in from outside every day at a specific time i've set, If the furnace isn't running when that time comes it's programmed to automatically turn on the furnace fan and exchange the air. The possibilities are endless with your HAI system.

So the relay board goes wired directly to the damper? Does the relay board provides the power, please forgive me if the questions are dumb. I am a visual kind of guy, once i see something I cn figure it out. But I have not seen a damper installed and in action, my ac guy tells me that it needs a control board but I thought that was what the HAI would do.

You can mount the relay board anywhere, mine happens to be in the structured wiring panel next to the HAI controller, the 24v transformer is also in the panel. What I have is 24v coming from the transformer to the relays on the relay board then wire pairs from the relays to the individual dampers I want to control - The HAI board and compatible t-stats do the rest. You just need to program the zones and automation statements to open / close the relays per your t-stat user inputs. Your HVAC guy doesn't understand what the Omnipro actually is or does or he would know that it's capabilities are far superior to any HVAC zone control board that's on the market.

 

[signal15]

I am not an expert and not an HVAC person. I have a friend building a home (its been three years) and I checked out his new HVAC system and I was impressed. His home is divided into 4 zones. The basement is set up for hot water heat. The three other zones are using the forced air heat. He wanted the most efficient / effective system for his home. His house is on a farm in the middle of nowhere. (only three other houses there - family).

I looked at his setup and noticed that the electronic dampers are right off of his furnace. Each damper is connected to a different thermostat or so it appeared to me. The duct to the outside of the house is made of PVC and it barely gets warm. (Heat pump).

I have manual dampers on all of my ducts near the furnace. My HVAC guru told me to leave them alone. He recommended instead I block my returns on the first or second floor depending on the season. It kind of works ok but not as effective as electronically controlling the dampers.

On a commercial level (server room) my HVAC person used tools to measure (balance) the flow of air both in the supply and return. He also used another tool / device which he would cover the supply and returns to measure the CFM of the air. With this information the dampers were optimally balanced. I wanted a good balance and actually documented all of this in the as built of said completed endeavor.

Thanks for the reply, gives me some ideas, but still confused whether I need HVAC Controller or if the HAI system performs that function. Also how it would be installed on the omnipro.


Thanks

I'm using my Omnipro controller with a relay board to control the zones in my house, works great just requires a little programming to make everything function properly, I also put a damper in my return air system that opens to pull fresh air in from outside every day at a specific time i've set, If the furnace isn't running when that time comes it's programmed to automatically turn on the furnace fan and exchange the air. The possibilities are endless with your HAI system.

So the relay board goes wired directly to the damper? Does the relay board provides the power, please forgive me if the questions are dumb. I am a visual kind of guy, once i see something I cn figure it out. But I have not seen a damper installed and in action, my ac guy tells me that it needs a control board but I thought that was what the HAI would do.

You can mount the relay board anywhere, mine happens to be in the structured wiring panel next to the HAI controller, the 24v transformer is also in the panel. What I have is 24v coming from the transformer to the relays on the relay board then wire pairs from the relays to the individual dampers I want to control - The HAI board and compatible t-stats do the rest. You just need to program the zones and automation statements to open / close the relays per your t-stat user inputs. Your HVAC guy doesn't understand what the Omnipro actually is or does or he would know that it's capabilities are far superior to any HVAC zone control board that's on the market.

Also keep in mind that you cannot just put in automatic dampers and expect good results. You also need to put in a bypass so if only one zone is calling for heat that you don't increase the static pressure too high and burn out your fan over time. I am planning on also putting in automatic dampers and zoning my forced air (I have in floor heat also in parts of the house), but the amount of stuff you need to know to do it properly is dizzying.

I picked up a copy of this book:
http://www.amazon.com/HVAC-Equations-Data-...b/dp/0071482423

But I haven't had a chance to check on how much zoning content is in it. The ASHRAE HVAC books probably have some good content also, but they are considerably more expensive. If you do a search for "diy-zoning" you'll find the DIY Zoning project that has a bunch of info regarding bypass and other things to take into account.

 

[pete_c]

MrSpeed -

How are you integrating your dampers? Are you thinking of installing them at the source?

I guess I am also looking to zone my HVAC some. I am currently just playing with the returns by covering either the main floor returns or second floor returns. Problem I have is that I have a large open area between the first and second floor. There is a second floor balcony of sorts which overlooks the first floor. Getting even pressure / air flow thruout would my my concerns.

 

[MrSpeed]

MrSpeed -

How are you integrating your dampers? Are you thinking of installing them at the source?

I guess I am also looking to zone my HVAC some. I am currently just playing with the returns by covering either the main floor returns or second floor returns. Problem I have is that I have a large open area between the first and second floor. There is a second floor balcony of sorts which overlooks the first floor. Getting even pressure / air flow thruout would my my concerns.

I was thinking about having them installed where the connections branch out of the box. My guy will be in today to look at the job. I am planning on having a bypass to prevent frying the equipment.

 

[nexus99]

It would be cool if HAI found a partner for aftermarket damper products/integration.

I know that upgrading my HVAC system to have 3 or 4 zones is definately on my list and I would love to integrate my HAI controller and some HAI therms in the equation.