Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [hvac]

(Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) For questions about installing, repairing, and troubleshooting HVAC systems.

3337 questions
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How to improve HVAC system to make upstairs rooms more comfortable?

My home was built in 1985 in the US with conventional HVAC design of that time. Wooden frame house. It has central air conditioning (ducted) and we upgraded to a natural gas furnace recently. We experience both hot and cold temperature extremes in…
allquixotic
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What is an air conditioner compressor hard start kit and how does it work?

My air conditioner compressor wasn't functioning properly recently. The compressor wouldn't start when the start relay energized. A HVAC technician diagnosed the problem nebulously as "It needs a hard start kit because the compressor is getting old…
ndemarco
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What's the best tool for cutting holes into duct work?

I've cut a few supply and cold air returns into my main branches and it's been a PITA. Need to cut another 6" hole for a return, it's just standard rectangle ductwork, probably 14" wide x 10" high.
BigLake
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Is it safe to visually inspect evaporator coil myself?

I am not licensed HVAC professional. My HVAC is not blowing cold air. Last year I called one guy and he said that it was low on refrigerant, refilled it, AC started working. After a year, I have same problem. Asked few contractors, they are saying…
user2716454
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What are the pros and cons of two AC systems vs a dual zone system?

I have a Cape Cod with 1000 ft2 on the first floor and an apartment in the attic. In a few years I may get rid of the apartment and build up a second story + attic. Both the first floor and the attic currently have window AC units. The heat is…
Peter Q
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How can I improve second floor HVAC performance?

I have a forced air heating and air conditioning system that performs poorly on the second floor: It is way too warm in the summer and a little too cold in the winter. I live in a 1920s masonry row house that has one vent going to each of the three…
canzar
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Airflow too strong in one of the registers

I have a register in one of the rooms where the heat blasts at really high velocity and it gets incredibly hot in the winter (80+). My son has been complaining for years and I can’t seem to find the right way to divert the flow away from that room.…
Elijah
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Should I bypass a thermal cut-off switch on my oil furnace?

My thermal cut-off switch for my oil furnace blew and my neighbor replaced it until a tech could come out and check it when I had my cleaning. The switch blew again and the furnace tech bypassed the switch instead of installing a new one. Should a…
Pam
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Do I need to level the outdoor AC cooling unit?

I've read somewhere that the outdoor AC unit needs to be leveled. My outdoor unit is a bit slanted due to the floor not being completely flat (pic below). However, I don't see any obvious structural issues. Is this something I need to correct?…
Zoomzoom
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Is it OK to have heating registers and returns near the ceiling?

I've got a question about a new house - a friend of my mother's is buying a new place and when she did a walkthrough (before the drywall was up), she noticed that all the heating registers and returns are near the tops of the walls (on both floors…
Michael Kohne
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Why is my furnace overheating?

My furnace ductwork is getting between 200 and 230 degrees Fahrenheit and the vents are around 111 degrees. What would be the cause?
user160596
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Is an interior laundry room without an HVAC vent a code violation?

Currently looking at a home which has a nice 2nd floor laundry. Vented dryer, nice rack for hanging clothes, etc. However, it's in the center of the home and does not contain an HVAC (central air) vent. It does have a vent for the dryer. Is this…
Mike Cornell
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What is high-velocity furnace filter?

Product specification for my new Trane XV-80 furnace mentions something about its filter - its recommended type is "High Velocity". What is that? Is it related to MERV or MPR? If yes, what values of MERV/MPR make a filter "High Velocity" one?
HEKTO
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Can I run heating duct work through the attic?

Problem... (in Buffalo NY) We just about finished remodeling our master bedroom. Everything insulated, drywalled and we're living in it. Now that the winter is upon us, we're already finding this room to be colder then the rest of the bed rooms…
lsiunsuex
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How can I keep a bedroom warmer in summer?

The master bedroom in my parent's house tends to be the coolest room in the house, and my father complains it's too cold. The A/C register in the ceiling does have a flow adjustment lever, but it's difficult for my 80-year-old dad to reach and…
cjm
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