5 Upgrades EVERY HVAC System SHOULD Have!
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- There's all kinds of products out there. HVAC has become a multibillion-dollar industry with new technologies coming out every year. That said, what products are must-haves? Every HVAC system should have these 5 upgrades!
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Featured products:
HVAC UV Air Cleaner - amzn.to/3qyTYcX
Whole-House Home Filter - amzn.to/36wVg10
Ionizer - amzn.to/3NoCMAK
Humidifier - amzn.to/3NhQHbF
Surge Protection - amzn.to/3urIOYv
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Parts of this video:
0:00 5 Upgrades Intro
1:16 First Upgrade - UV Lights
3:31 Second Upgrade - Whole House Home Filter
5:47 Third Upgrade - Ionizer
6:38 Fourth Upgrade - Humidity Control
7:44 Fifth Upgrade - Surge/Brown Out Protection
9:10 We'd love to earn your business! - Навчання та стиль
1. Uv light
2. Filter
3. Humidifier
4. Ionizer
5. Surge protection
I have used a washable filter for many years. One residence has split systems and has cooling, heat and humidity controls on each unit. I now prefer the splits to central air. Surge protection is a good idea, brown outs can ruin things and we recently had to go to scheduled black outs to protect things in the United States. I do not have one the HVAC but do have on refrigerator. Thanks for the idea.
Thank you, thank you thank you sooooo much for the information you are sharing with us homeowners. We recently had an HVAC rep to come to our home to service our HVAC system. The system is only about 4 yrs, old, although us that it was out of warranty. He told us that the system was working well. The house was a new home but had not sold. He also told us that the warranty started when the house was completed. The home was on the market before we purchased it. The prices he shared with us for the surge protector, 240V AG3000 the IWAVE-R Whole Home Ionization and the At Home REME Halo Purification system, the prices were outrageous. I went online to check the cost of each item and was shocked to see what the costs were as opposed to what was quoted to us. We will purchase the recommended items and find a good word of mouth installer. Again, thank you for your honesty, we have learned a great deal from this short video. I wished more were like you.
Regards,
Thank you for your kind words! I wish you good luck! There's plenty of good ones out there!
I have had a couple of “Air Genius” air cleaners in my house for the past few years. They have permanent submersible filters that I periodically wash with soapy water. They really keep my overall house dust-free so they certainly help the HVAC.
Electrician here. Thanks for the video. With so many electronics in things, surge protection is a great addition to almost anything. At the furnace, I'd recommend any decent plug-strip-style surge device. Try to get the furnace on a dedicated circuit. Put the furnace on a cord and plug it in with any other furnace related 120v devices like condensation pumps, UV lights, and ionizers. Yes, the cord connection meets the NEC requirement for a disconnect. Make sure the surge device has an indicator for it being 'Grounded'.
At the heat pump and or AC unit add the Intermatic Compressor Defender.
These steps should be taken even if the home has a whole home surge protection at the main electrical panel.
Hi from Southern California. I just found your channel as I was trying to see what the pros say about having a rector seal emergency safety switch for a rooftop hvac (still looking). I'm going to mention your suggestions to my service person but wanted to put my 2 cents in on the surge protector.
I replaced my rooftop hvac in 2018 and it cost me a bit over $9,000. Two story building so a crane was required. A year or so later my service person recommended a surge protector (they are quoting it for all their customers) and I of course said yes. We have fairly frequent power outages due to high winds and I was concerned about surges damaging my investment. I have surge protector strips on all my appliances and my computer so it sure makes sense to have one on the most expensive piece of equipment in (on) my home.
Hope you're doing well, and I enjoyed your talk.
What a great video! We have daughter who was chronically ill with Lyme disease and later was exposed to mold. AtmosAir units (ionizers) installed in our HVAC system really helped her. We are moving to Colorado and we will follow your advice on all three upgrades. ERVs also look interesting. Saw your Daikin shirt: I have worked is Asia for many years where Daikin is the 'Rolls Royce' of HVAC systems. Their split units are especially awesome, So few people in the US are familiar with Daikin.
Smart and simple recommendations. Thx for sharing!
Great info .I find it amazing people making comments saying they think a UV light is no good and other things
Surge suppression is cheap. I used ICM controls units. I have a class 1 before the main cutoff at the panel and a type 2 installed at the Ac cutoff outside. 150.00 in parts, I did myself. Call your power company to have meter pulled before attempting to work on live wires to ensure a proper lock out/tag out.
I'm just outside of your area in Stafford near Quantico, but have been gleaning good information from your videos, thanks! I'm curious what do you think about the REME HALO Whole Home In-Duct Air Purifier? Should I use this or something similar with 4" media? I'm having a new system installed at my home and just want to make the right choices.
I’m into it. Like I always say while building race car safety structures, “overkill never killed anybody”.
I have the CERV Equinox Air Exchanger/Cleaner Brainiac machine which has a UV light! It has filters for both intake and return air. It has a basic humidity control but for a large home you need a larger purpose built one (like aprilaire products). For Surge protection do you mean, at the CB for the device, OR a whole house Surge protector??
I am installing my unit this week.
I am thinking about an Iwave R4900 Unit.
also adding humidifier by honey well for the whole house .
Would they make any difference ?
Thinking about getting Daikin Furnace with AC/heat pump my contractor wanted to add a surge protector but when I got my generator installed I had a whole house surge protector install, I assume this is good enough and I don’t need the additional surge protector
I want to add a whole-house air purifier (with the 4" filter) to my 5-ton heat pump system but my air handler in the attic has two return plenums/boxes. Is that abnormal? Does it mean I need to buy and install two separate whole-house purifiers? Thinking about the Aprilaire filter or the Infinity air purifier maybe. Love your videos by the way, thanks!
I installed 2 Eaton #CHSPT2ULTRA whole house surge protectors on my 2 200 amp panels. Easy to do.
U can add whole house surge protection at your main breaker panel, it plugs in and maybe you have a neutral wire to connect manually.
Good advice Brother, Thanks!
What are your thoughts on negative charges air filters?
If you install a higher Kilowatt heat unit will it make it hotter when the heat is on?
I appreciate the valuable insight you provided here. These are things I've been wanting to research for a while. Now you gave me the motivation and now justification to pitch to the wife :D
Surge does not protect brown outs. Surge is only good for when voltages goes high. Brown outs happen when voltage drops and for that you need a UPS to level the voltage out, typically with batteries.
Are you familiar with zener diodes and voltage clamping?
Can uv bulbs tolerate the heat from furnace ? Supply side over the coil?
I purchased a unit but not sure where to put it. Since the evap coils are mounted on top of the furnace, Will the lamps overheat in the winter when the burners are on? Also, my service guy said that I have fiberboard connecting the furnace to the main duct so the UV will deteriorate that board. Is he right?
I have one of those 4 inch air filters on my amana furnace. is that what you mean by hole house air filter?
we have an old oil burner that we cant even use because the burner is not safe and is rusting. we want to switch to natural gas, but I havent got a clue where to even begin. any tips?
Okay, my searches aren't bringing up any useful answers. How do I put a media filter on my furnace? Can it be retrofitted, or do I have to buy a new furnace? Our existing unit sits in a closet in the middle of the house. The filter is in a tray on the bottom. I'm not aware of any return ducts, just three vents-- two at the bottom of two of the walls of the closet and one at the top of a third wall. Would I need filters in all of these?
What do you think about Belkin 1-Outlet Home Series SurgeCube - Grounded Outlet? Is that good enough for the Lennox HVAC system?
Look. just get a decent filter (merv 8) and change often (every month). This will give you the req'd airflow to keep your system running efficiently and keep the air quality high. If your furnace has a low speed recirc fan that can run when the system isn't actively heat or cooling, keep it on 100%. I can spout my anecdotal evidence too by saying my system has been great, coils are perfectly clean and I've only done the things I've mentioned above. Also, most of the items this poster mentioned are high cost/high markup, low installer cost "upgrades" that really help a bottom line, but don't do much, unless you changing your filter regularly.
Hi , I am in the process of buying a new system, with Iwave and one uv light at coil, do I need a second uvlight , but my guy says I don’t need the 4 inch filter on the return with the Iwave unit , what do you think? Should I have him install 4 inch filter also
What media filter brand will pay to clean your coils??
Love this! Great work Ryan
I needed to listen a few times carefully to hear that at 2:19 you didn't want to use the 'M' word for mold. Thanks for the informative video!
What is the general consensus about MR COOL whole house systems using their 4/5T heat exchangers....? Has anyone had experience with these units operating for more than 3 yrs problem free?
One more note about cleanliness: A well outfitted HVAC system will help keep your home dust free, germ free and preserve your furnishings. I have seen mold show up under tables, inside furniture legs and along drafty air leaks. If you have a wood burning fireplace installing closable glass doors will prevent HVAC system returns from pulling contaminants into the room in winter and summer - including the smell of creosote from the chimney.
I mean a whole home surge protector seems like a good idea but do they really do any unless its something crazy expensive that is checking the voltage thousands of times a second and can actually cut power on the peak not just at the zero crossing i just don't think some matel oxide veristors are going to do a lot
I’ve been using a metal air filter the last 4 years. It never needs to be replaced just cleaned. Seems like there’s less dust in the house.
This guy would make a great customer because he will buy anything
If I have 3 different units can I have one surge protector a one Whole house Air filter?? Thanks
thanks for all the info, now show us how to do it. please do a sequence of operation , thanks
I have an older HVAC system that is only rated for MERV 4 filters. Does this mean that I can't do a media filter type approach because as I understand it, those are substantially higher MERV ratings and risks starving the system.
Great infomation thanks
In NC dehumidifiers have made a world of difference on comfort levels
Where did all that stuff go that was black? Does it end up in the duct work?
My wigwam has heap big UV lite, steam hummerfier, filter box w/4in pleated filter, whole house surge protector, inverter communicating hp system.
If keep air at 40-50% humidity, and have fan always on to purify air, is uv light really necessary?
Considering how locked down the HVAC industry rolls, I always figured surge protection wasn't offered because the profit of replacing things when there is an electrical event
There are probably companies that feel that way. Plenty of bad apples out there.
I have an upflow coil with a furnace below. I am assuming the UV light would have to be installed at the return side? Would the UV light help at all if it’s not shining directly on the coil?
They can be installed in several places. Have a pro take a look!
As a service tech, I totally agree with 4 out of 5. Not a grand uv light guy. Sorry. But I personally upgraded my system to the Lennox XP25 surge protected with the healthy climate rack and the HALO-led. That covers 4 out of the 5. And those 4 (not manufacturer specific) are truly the only upgrades I morally feel comfortable with pitching to customers outside of necessary parts for repair. Good job sir.
Did you use a SquareD whole house?
Thanks pal. Which one is not moral?
@@NewHVACGuide none that you’ve mentioned. I am not personally premeditating sales pitches in general. And when customers mention Uv lighting I tend to pitch the RGF REME Halo LED or the I-wave in-duct devices. A bit more expensive (twice the price). However those components (as other similar devices) provide whole house purification. So when I do deter from the reasoning I’ve been invited into their home (service calls) I feel morally responsible to be honest. But, if a light is what they want, who am I to wish otherwise. Nothing wrong with them
Gotcha. I’m the same way. I think UV lights are the bare minimum but there are certainly better things out there
@@NewHVACGuide what sort of proof is there that this thing works? I’m not being a smart add I’m actually scheduled to have the halo LED this coming Monday. Just having a hard time buying into it and considering cancelling service.
I was wondering- what do you think about Trane Cleaneffects?
Whats your opinion on the DustFree Active air Purifier? Too fancy? We're recently identified my wife has a dust mite allergy, so looking at effective ways to reduce that. I heard the high MERV filters can clog easily or cause strain on the system or restrict airflow. Also curious what your opinion is on electrostatic filters.
Surge protection. Don't leave home without it. A lightning strike costs me about $500 to replace the electric control module in my A/C.
It also took out my TV and Garage door opener..
My HVAC guy hates the humidifier I have installed, and ever since it broke down he refuses to fix it stating that humidifiers destroy the HVAC system because it causes moisture to build up in there And when the fan turns off it has nowhere to drop but down. Down into the system, which effectively destroys it and will become a huge headache for me. Any advice or input on his POV? cuz I'd really like to not have to rely on the smaller portable ones in the winter time. It's annoying to constantly refill. But I'll stick with it if that's the widely accepted view on them
If I'm not mistaken, both the 2020 and 2023 National Electrical Code require whole house surge protection devices. Now, here's a question for you: I didn't see professional electrostatic filters among your list of filter devices. Where among the filter devices does a professional electrostatic filter belong?
I have worked in documenting Pharma HVAC to FDA standards since 1979. it's just my experience but I've never seen air UV or deionizers.
USP or DI water, oh yes.
HEPA filters are required to be certified regularly.
CO2 air handling adjustment may be specified for high occupancy rooms.
What's the min OA exchange or space changes per hour rate in your well-insulated and sealed home?
I am not seeing anyone in the comments reporting instrument measurements or performance recording, let alone a controlled experimental study.
There are many self-funded subjective opinions on which to base your install and maintenance investments. Enjoy.
I am a preventative technician I like your videos
After watching project farm review filters I switched to the 3M filtrete 1900 and couldn't be happier. The filter catches more, lasts for 3 months and my house cools better because the static pressure is lower then cheap filters even after filtering many particles.
Same here. Saw the video and got a better brand with a higher merv.
Static pressure being higher doesn't make your house cool better. It slows the air down. If you had too much airflow to begin with, then this will improve dehumidification which makes it feel colder even though the unit is still maintaining the same temperature in the space.
High static pressure means you will soon be replacing your blower motor.
@@fitybux4664 just rewatched the project farm video. The filtrete 1900 has low static pressure and maintains it even after filtering many particles and does an amazing job filtering the particles at the same time.
Do you recommend these five things on a heat pump?
Sup Josh! Here's what I did, thirty years ago before any of this was mainstream. I put a laboratory short wave UV tube in my return duct. It doesn't shine on the coil but it does sterilize the air to some degree and also ionizes to some degree. I put stacks of filters on every return register and I'll mist em with WD 40 now and then. I also have foam filters right at the suction side of the blower. They take years to get any accumulation and I'll just wash and re-oil. For humidity control I run a dehumidifier on the lowest level partially underground where the water processing equipment is with my homemade controller that assures my set humidity window and makes sure the coil doesn't freeze. For winter I put in an industrial heat exchanging air ventilator to bring in dry outdoor air when the indoor air exceeds 55%. I wired it to come on only when the heat is heating.
All those things have worked really great and I designed/installed my whole system with heat pump, gas furnace, and wood stove. Cheers!
Wow that’s impressive!
@@NewHVACGuide
Thanks man! I'm happy. Virginia power lent me a set of manuals which I digested, I believe it was "H" which was most instrumental to proper sizing of units and ducts to keep air velocity under 400'/min, stuff like that. I have all four stories on one system and temps are very consistent. I'm an engineer (VT) and previously a mechanic so I can design and implement. I've worked as a control box engineer for industrial chillers but that was later after I built. Which I also did my own plumbing, electrical, framing, finishing, etc and designed the whole structure from my imagination. Not something I will repeat but it was great! The local building office worked admirably with me. We're in agricultural territory so I feel that helped a lot to allow my autonomy. Cheers Josh, God bless you!
Not knocking you, but the UV bulb does virtually nothing to stuff in the air flying by it, there just isn't enough exposure time.
I also would not recommend anyone ever use WD40, or any petroleum product on an air filter due to the VOCs that it releases into the air stream.
@@markbeiser
Thanks for your input. And not to knock you for offering your educated, experienced, and well informed opinion on something you haven't seen nor have details of, but, resisting further sarcasm, suffice it to say it's worked quite well for thirty years. Ducts are clean, we've all been blessed with great health, and we're comfortable. The proof is in the pudding, as an old saying goes.
Concentration of VOCs from spritzing air filters with WD 40 before bringing them in to filter return air at the registers is of no concern to me. I get why you might be concerned yourself knowing only they may be present and have fear of the unknown. I never "recommend" anyone outside my family to do anything I do. I'm an advocate of personal responsibility. I make my choices and you make yours. If you want to study science and engineering, research, experiment, and measure things then we can talk and you may influence me on related matters. If you want to paint pictures, make music, write and/or talk to people as your life's calling, be a driver, a tradesman, utility worker... If you didn't study science and its application then don't be surprised when I dismiss your technical concerns as ill informed. Doesn't mean you're wrong with your guesses, necessarily, just that you have no basis for your claims.
@@elgringoec You're right, nearly 30 years of experience performance testing HVAC systems, building diagnostics, and solving IAQ problems, maintaining certifications, and keeping up with the relevant research gives me no basis for having an opinion on the subject, all just pure guesswork.
Carry on.
BTW i got in to an internet argument with a guy once about surge protectors. turns out he was motorola or similar company engineer and, i learned surge protection is only as good as the grounding and code is only to save lives not electronics. it's debated to upgrade to a lower ohm resistance
People complain about the ozone from Ionizers, but many have options to turn down the power. I had one installed and the ac company had it on high. I have it low now and can't even smell it.
Viruses are below .1 micron. I have seen dentists office ( each room) with portable units that do go down to .1 micron. These units are size of small refrigerator. Concerning viruses do not travel far if your using home unit ( heat,air) blower viruses never get there to be filtered. Disposable filters that keep dust away are fine for cleanliness. Get units for each room if your worried
I added a thermometer on guess it's called the return & discharge bent a few feet from furnace to check temperature spread when running central air conditioning. Have a 50 amp meter along with box and 50 to 5 current transformer that I want to run one of the condenser unit wires thru transformer donut to read ampere draw. Was thinking of installing a mister on AC condenser coil. Nice vid.
Hello Mr. Griffin. I've been watching a lot of your videos, but I haven't seen one on my issue. Do you have a site for general questions? I purchased a home with a basement utility room with no fresh air coming in, and none of the walls have access to an exterior wall. How do I ventilate that area so I get regular fresh air coming in? Love your channels.
Get a pro to look at it for options. Perhaps an ERV could be an option?
IF you put in ductless splits or any variable refrigerant flow, variable air flow (inverter boards & rectifiers/control boards), you will need SURGE and Brownout protection. These are expensive boards and sensitive to transients. Imperative as the near future will increase power difficulties Nationwide.
What do you think of the electronic / polarized filters?
ua-cam.com/video/aDNgQxRz8VA/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
What's your thoughts on installing an easy soft start for the compressor. Not really needing it for running on a generator but just for the life of compressor and peaking LRA on start up every time. I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you for your information
You're welcome!
What do you think about the wave
ir?
I bought a 2800 sq. Ft. NW Arkansas house recently and with this cold snap the natural gas furnace does not heat properly according to the 3 service companies I had look at it all stated the air ducting is not sized right for a 5 ton furnace causing it to not heat enough and run on blowing cold air till I reset it, they want right at $40k to put in either a premium Trane or Daikon furnace. Coil, A/C compressor and all new ducting in attic to the rooms cleaning up a mess of flexible duct . I am having a heart attack over this cost, lowest price would be about $6k lower with 1speed blower and still replacing the duct. Seller said “new” HVAC in 2019, but the furnace and A/C unit do not match and there was never a permit pulled for this work that I checked on with the city. The duct work alone is around $10k, Are those prices in line?
I like to know where I get that for 12 months a filter that be nice I'll change mine every 30 days
I have an Aprilaire 5000 installed since 2012. It works amazingly well. A good friend installed my Goodman furnace in 2014, and every time I change the Aprilaire filter, I take a pic of the blower motor fan on the other side, and send him the pic. It looks brand new with NO dust, and I have my blower motor on 24/7. I was changing the filter every year but decided to stretch it to 18 months last few years, with the same results.
Wow! That’s a good testimonial
Would you buy it again and would you care to tell me roughly what something like this cost? TIA
Same here, love my AprilAire Dehumidifier and humidifier, and the Goodman HVAC, no issues here, and if there are... Parts are pretty much universal and readily available. With regular maintanece, I see this unit lasting many many years. And it did not cost an arm and a leg.
I put an Aprilaire 5000 in my own system, works great, just remember to clean the control electrode(expanded metal looking thing before the filter) and the ionizing wires a couple of times a year, and you will continue to enjoy many more years of a clean system, and near HEPA levels of virus size particle removal.
When sealed correctly so there is no air leakage between the filter cabinet and air handler/furnace, even the non electronic Aprilaire filters will keep the unit looking virtually new inside for the life of the equipment.
A good friend would not put junk in your house like a Goodman that's not a good friend
I have a question if anyone can help me. When I use a more restrictive filter my energy consumption/cost goes down. When I use a less restrictive my consumption/cost goes up. I’m baffled by the results. I’ve tracked it for over a month and the results don’t make sense
I've been looking at whole home purifiers/central air purifiers and noticed there's 4 types. Is there an all in one or one that is really good? I have a medical conditon called Systemic Mastocitosis which is the worst allergy related medical conditon you can have. Most of us are allergic many many food, environmental, medication allergies etc. Have to carry an Epi pen at all times, have very high inflamation levels because we literally are in an allergic reaction of some degree at all times and the condition can cause us to over produce mast cells resulting in mast cell leukemia and death. With that bring said, I've been swearing for years that my house is making me sick and been blaming it on other medical conditons I have. I recently spent just over 2 weeks in the hospital. I had always noticed that for some strange reason I always felt better when ever I was hospitalized. But after this longer stay I was convinced that I wasn't just crazy and there was something about simply being in the hospiral that made me feel better and I think that someting is the hospital air system. My lips were splitting, my nose was bleeding and my skin was so dry my knuckles were cracking but I felt the best I've felt in several years. Do you know if there's a central air purifyer that can get our air quality to that of a hospiral? We have carpet... Of course, and now two new puppies to add to our existing dog. All three are hypoallergenic mixes (cavachons) as I'm allergic to a lot of dog breeds and as the two puppies get older they should develop that undercoat where they will shed vary little bit out hours already seems to have akt if tiny hairs everywhere. A house where you can't wear black no matter how much you vaccume. I used to own my own place before I got so sick my hearth issues got worse and I was paralized and told I can no longer live alone. I was a minimalist so had very few extra things sitting around my house. My parents grew up poor so really like 'stuff' and hate getting rid of anything. I tell them they are borderline hoarders but they don't believe me and it just makes them mad. My grandma and now diceased uncle who dies from the same trifecta of medical conditions me and my mom has are/were both hoarders. We also have carpet in over half of our house so lots of dust and hair floating around in the air. I just don't know what to do because after being in a hospital where the air was so clean and my inflammation on my blood tests stopped signifigantly, my main decreased, my energy levels increased and I just felt so much better. I was in their mental health ward because my chronic intractable pains was so high I was continplating suicide so didnt recieve steroids or any medications to lower my inflamation so the blood tests proofed to me that it really must be our house. I get my blood tested every three months and while there, they ran blood tests daily. Almost the entire second week I was there the inflamitory markers in my blood were lower than they gave been in AT LEAST 8 years. 8 years ago, when I was paralized I was hospitalized for, I believe 10 days and I went back and looked at the patient portal at those blood tests and noticed my inflamitory factors steadely decreased when I was there for that as well. Are there any HVAC upgrades to make out air similar in purity to a hospiral? We have a regular furnace and air conditons with in floor air ducts, not the kind older houses have. We are all electric, my dad is really handy. He's Autistic and one of his but skills is being able to fix just about anything. He does the electrical, plumbing etc so I think may be able to hook up most things himself. We're far from rich and I'm disabled so I know it he does it it will cut back on cost signifigant. Oh. I forgot to add. We live in an area of Ohio known to have dangerously high levels of Radon, the highest in the state. I highly doubt an HVAC system or upgrade can do anyting about that but wanted to mention it just in case. What type of central air purifier is best? Are there any that combine all four types? I've read America care 350 Air Wash + VOC,1200 Better Air Probiotic Home and Commercial Automator Air Duct Purifier and, Lenyx Pure Air Purification System are the best but that's just from googling it. I really have no idea what I'm doing. Links to products would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I 2nd the surge protector thing had a new system installed 5 years ago and they didn't put a new surge protector on it got hit by a lightning couple of months ago and it fried my entire system the heat pump literally caught on fire and burned still making payments on the first system and have to replace the entire thing again because there was no surge protector in place. luckily I have great insurance that fortunately covered about 98% of the cost to replace the entire system that got fried.
I like my Aprilaire filter but wish it was stocked locally. None of the hardware stores or department stores carry it.
Any tips on how to clean a pressure relief valve?
buy a new one can try to flush but their cheap.
I may take exception to ionizers. Ozone production has very negative health concerns.
Hi there, have you ever seen anyone hook up a space heater (infrared or similar) to the hvac return grille? Would that distribute warmer air throughout the house? I can see that being useful to supplement heating in the winter and avoid running gas all the time.
What is the reasoning behind a 4" filter? They tend to be very restrictive, i tell my cusyto go with a low merv (2-4) or a polarized media to not kill your airflow and blower motor
Certainly would add a smart thermostat to your list. An easy DYI upgrade.
What an ionizer does is charge the particles and makes them want to stick to metal or it weights it out of the air and makes the particles want to stick to things like furniture the walls the floor etc...... I can prove to you ionizers don't kill mold in your hvac. I do think they are a good idea but I'm not sure I would sell it as a mold killer.
If I get a UV light installed, how should I protect the wiring from damage? Would automotive style split loom wrap work? I just recently got a new unit, it's a packaged unit with a flat evap core, the unit I just replaced had a UV light installed in it and after one summer it had faded the wiring to the point where the colors were barely visible and the insulation soon became brittle and flakey.
You should only install them in specific areas where it won't damage anything.
Where do i put the light on my window unit
Thanks for all the info!
How and where do i install the whole home air filter that you linked? Or should i hire someone?
Most of them require some sort of ductwork fabrication. You would most likely want to hire someone to make sure it's done properly.
Dangers of Air Ionizers
The most common air ionizer dangers include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections.
Would you happen to know the difference between the Daikin 3MXL24RMVJU and the 3MXL24RMVJUA outdoor units. The submittal sheets for each seem to be exactly the same…
Same product. Usually when the letter is different at the end, it's just a different generation of product. Doesn't make it different, worse, or better, just a different generation. Sort of like if you see a car with different style headlights from one year to the next
@@NewHVACGuide ok thanks!
To each their own, but I disagree with ionizers, UVC lights are ok given they don't produce ozone and actually shine on the coil. Most contractors don't install enough of them or sell them as a magic bullet when customers lack some if not all of the 3 pillars of IAQ, which are filtration, fresh air (which was not mentioned), and humidity control. None of the leading IAQ specialists recognize ionizers as a valid option, all their studies were paid and are not in real world environments. Contractors install them because they are un-educated and just wanna make a quick buck. IAQ solutions are not plug-n-play! My $0.02.
Ionizers are intended to reduce particulate below PM2.5
UVC is intended for biological growth (mold, mildew, viruses and bacterias).
They both have intended purposes and when I hear people say "I believe in one and not the other" it shows me a lack of understanding of the fundamentals behind each technology.
As hvac tech. I totally agree with you. It's a gimmick.
2¢
Are you referring to things like the Remy systems? And maybe you can answer my question regarding the whole house humidifier. It gets very dry in the winter and I'm forced to rely on the portable ones bc my HVAC guy believes that whole house humidifiers cause havoc inside the HVAC system bc the condensation build up of water eventually drops back down into the unit effectively destroying it. I'll take your 2 cents ☺️
Contractors sell ionizers to win a yeti cooler. Installing them only benefits the contractors pocket and can harm the customer.
I would add a hard start for the compressor
Dude your awesome!
This is one of the most educational, customer oriented videos about HVAC thank you
Excellent sir
Two things I did, installed an AprilAire E100 wholehouse dehumidifier and a soft start on my condenser. Easy to do both. And fixed more than a few installer screw ups, and really made our Goodman system work more efficiently. The thermostat is set at 72, even on the hottest days, was in the 90's here for a couple of days, with 80% humidity, no issues. Humidity in the house was holding in the 50% range and the AC was only turning on every few hours, if that. Very comfortable in here.
Did you do that yourself? I'm very interested in reducing humidity. It's basically soup in Alabama for at least 4 months.
Turning on “every few hours?” And it in the 90s outside with your register at 72? Gimme a break. Lol
@@jak30341 Yep, not buying that. Total BS.
@@billycox475 Yep, pretty simple install. Tin snips, a collar and the 10" flex line. Took maybe half an hour? I did have to run a new electrical circuit, no plug in the area, so that took around two hours to run and install conduit, box and plug.
@@jak30341 Whatever, just telling you my experience. You don't like it, file a complaint with someone who gives a shit.
Excellent video
Agree on the 4” media filter, I put them on every job at no additional cost. Pad humidifiers suck, steam humidifiers suck because you have to have a RO system to filter the water. UV lights will eat up filters, wires on the blower motors and anything not uv resistant. It is a good way to get back in the home every year for a $200 bulb. I always like when they talk the customer into a 18 seer or geo because in 20 it will have paid for itself. In 11 years when the compressor is out and they guy telling you it’s 5k and your better off replacing the system due to its age.
I had an exprecience recently with some contractor when I was shopping around for a new system quote me around $9500. I told him that I could go online and purchase a new 3.5 ton package heat pump, have it shipped to me with the freight charges and it wouln't even be half of his quote. When I asked him why so high, he said things like as of Jan 1 the DOE won't allow the sale of anything less than an 18 SEER 2, two stage systems (total BS, the new minimum requirements for my area are 15 SEER 2 and single stage is fine). He also said it needed a pad under the unit (more BS, my unit sits on a raised masonry platform that's 30 inches above grade, I don't live in a flood zone, why would it need a pad? Every unit before for the last 38 years sat on this platform w/o any issues.). The next thing he said was the wiring was inadequate and I needed a new cutoff (more total BS, the code only calls for #6 wires and a 60 amp breaker, I have an 80 amp breaker with #4 going from the main panel to the cut off panel next to the unit mainly because of the nealry 50 ft run, the cut off panel has a 40 amp breaker feeding the contactor, and a 45 amp breaker feeding the 10 KW strips). Last thing he said it needed was that the DOE regulations requires a smart thermostat, he tried to include an Ecobee. I told him that the Castaways had a hit back in the 60's called "Liar, Liar". I did actually find an honest contractor that didn't try an upsell anything I didn't actually need or that wasn't required, the final bill was around $5k.
@@fldave612 that’s why I will never make it in the business I don’t up sale and crook people. I price plan Jane stuff and warn people if they have buy parts out of warranty on a variable speed high end unit. Now honestly you can get equipment off line cheaper than what I can pay for it at a local supply house. But here is the problem you run in to with off line equipment is that no supply house that will cover the warranty. Take your 5k add in labor, permits, gas, federal, state and local taxes. That’s not a bad price to have someone else do it if they provide good service after the sale. Never heard the smart thermostat one lol, the programmable one is required. I don’t even recommend running a set back program because your not just cooling or heating air. You have to recondition all the thermal mass in your home.
@@fldave612 What brand of heat pump did you go with? We’ve received several quotes to replace our 20 year old 3.5 ton 12 Seer rooftop package heat pump and the lowest being 6.7k. I thought about buying the heat pump and looking for a licensed HVAC tech to install it but that may be easier said than done.
My neighbor just had a new outdoor unit installed last year.
Flooding is not a issue but they still sold her a plastic pad that was just put on top of the perfectly good concrete pad that she already had.
@@900stx7 yea a lot of the cheap stuff they dangle in front of you as free to get the sale. I do prefer the plastic vs a concrete pad on a heat pump because of the defrost cycle in the winter. I will remove the old pad if possible.
Glad you like Aprilaire as much as I do 😉
+JC Forward haha. There might be someone better out there but I’m not aware of them if there is. Aprilaire is definitely the best at doing certain things.
Re: Item #4 to control humidity will a ERV take the place of a humidifier / de-humidifier to control the percent of Humidity? What is the BEST brand you like for an ERV (what is the difference between Panasonic 100 and 200 models? - seems to be the digital functions fro what I saw?)
Hello, this question may have been meant for the the guy making this video but I thought I’d add a few points. 1) ERV/HRV is not a humidifier/dehumidifier. These devices are part of the ‘air cleaning’ side of your system. They take air from outside and exchange it with air inside. They are better than simple exhaust/make-up air systems in that they ‘recover’ heat/humidity making the new incoming air have about as much heat and humidity as the air leaving. But that’s it. They won’t change the existing humidity in your home. 2) Depending on where you live, you ‘may’ need a dedicated humidity control system to get your home to the magical 45-55% relative humidity. For example, I live in southwest Florida (balls humid). I have a 70 pint Santa Fe Dehumidifier in addition to my Aprilaire ERV. Hope this helps.
@@DarenSpinelle thanks Daren I wasn’t sure if I could understand what he meant about the humidity thus my question
I was so close to having a UV light installed by our HVAC professional but i backed out because of the price, 1600 dollars each. I have two units. It is musky smelling and some mold but the smell goes away as we use the AC more. Do you think it is necessary to have a UV light? Is this something I can do myself and not pay 1600 a light!!!???
Not sure what they were installing, but that certainly sounds high. Below is a link of the ones we used to install. They tie into the low-voltage wiring and lasted years. Link: amzn.to/4aXDEqO