PennSilverTaco's HVAC BS MegaThread!

York gas-packs at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum...

 

It was VERY HUMID today!

 

@6 gearT444E
@ABA180
@BkerChuck
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@RustyGreen
@shakerhood
@StandardTaco
@steelcity2
@Stitchgirl90
@Taco critter
@TnShooter
@wilcam47

I immediately peppered the sales associate with questions about the HVAC system in the models. Like pretty much every new home being built in my area (I live in Central Bucks, and this neighborhood was literally just over the county line in Montgomery County, specifically Hatboro/Horsham), these new carriage homes have central air and natural gas heat; I was dismayed to find out that true dual-zone (2 separate HVAC systems for upstairs and downstairs) is not available, but a damping system with two thermostats is available for five grand. However, one cool standard feature in the whole neighborhood is a Rinnai gas-fired tankless water heater; I've heard mixed reviews on tankless water heaters versus conventional, but this is a pretty cool feature in my opinion...

 

What does the plug go to?
A fan?

 

@6 gearT444E

In 2007, my parents paid $6,000 extra for a true dual-zone system in their brand new townhouse, which they bought before it was framed it out. It consisted of a 2-ton Carrier 13 SEER A/C unit and a 92% AFUE Carrier 40,000 BTU gas furnace for the 1st floor and 2nd floor. Both furnaces were located in a mechanical closet in the basement, which they shared with a gas water heater. The air-conditioners were located on the rear corner of the house. Our neighbors had the exact same floorplan as us, albeit reversed, and they only had one system.

One day, with permission from the neighbors, I did a comparison of cooling capacity. Our house has dual 2-ton units, for a combined total of 48,000 BTUs. One unit did the 1st floor and basement, while the other only did the 2nd floor. The A/C in our old house kicked some serious ass!

The neighbors had a lone 3.5-ton (42,000 BTU) Carrier air-conditioner that I presume was matched with a 70,000-80,000 BTU gas furnace (I was only comparing air-conditioner sizes in the YouTube video and didn't bother checking out the furnace). The neighbors reported uneven cooling and noticeably warmer temperatures on the second floor, especially on hot days. In my opinion, their house should have had a 4-ton (48,000 BTU) unit. All of the homes in the Pulte development have builder-grade 13 SEER air-conditioners matched with 96% AFUE gas furnaces...

 

I honestly have no idea; I'm guessing the water heater requires some sort of electric power, and they don't want it hooked up while the house is being used as a model to cut down on wear and tear. After all, you don't need hot water to flush the toilet or wash your hands...

 

One particularly annoying thing about both systems in our townhouse was that the furnace cabinets had to be partially disassembled in order to access the air filters, because the morons who installed them didn't do an external filter insert like the Pulte homes both had (seen here)...

 

I honestly think that US$5,000 for a damping system, which as far as I know only consists of electronically-controlled dampers in the ductwork to separate the different levels and a second thermostat, is too damn much! I would still pay for this upgrade if I was buying one of these houses...



Because I have lived in enough 2-story homes with only one unzoned HVAC system to tell anybody who asks that it fucking sucks!

 

My opinion of Lennox residential HVAC equipment is neutral; I would rather have builder-grade Lennox equipment in my house than the Goodman crap it came with. Older Lennox stuff was great, and the newer base model stuff like this is okay, but it is my opinion and the opinion of people I know in the HVAC community, that high-end Lennox equipment is overpriced and overly complex junk; I still do not know enough about tankless water heaters to form an opinion...

 

I added a plug like that to my furnace so during a power outage l can plug it into my generator, possibly they did something similar.

 

Lennox air-conditioner at the Faraday; I believe it is a 3-ton or 3.5-ton unit...

 

Both decorated models were equipped with the $5,000 zoning system, and this is the 2nd floor thermostat in the Faraday...

 

Lennox air-conditioner at the Northbrook decorated model...

 

Lennox 96% AFUE gas furnace at the Northbrook model...

 

@6 gearT444E
@ABA180
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@RustyGreen
@shakerhood
@Taco critter

Carrier air-conditioner at one of the Toll Brothers models that @Stitchgirl90 and I looked at today. Like most new homes being built in my area, all of the houses in this neighborhood have a straight-cool central A/C with a gas furnace. The Toll houses have STANDARD zoned A/C with dampers in the ducts and up to three thermostats; Pulte charges five grand for this upgrade!

 

One of two thermostats in this house...

 

Carrier A/C at the middle unit...

 

Carrier gas furnace in the basement of the middle unit..