AC works when driving, but fails when idling too long
mrsig
17 years ago
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mikie_gw
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agojemdandy
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
When do you put in the Heat/AC?
Comments (10)I had a geothermal system installed on my new home that we just moved into and the duct work (rough in) was done prior to drywall going in. If you are concerned about dust getting into the vents - then cover them up. I can understand that the small registers in the floor could be done after drywall - but the return air ducts are usually higher up and in the walls - at least ours are that way. Maybe your house design would allow the return ducts to be done later - but it seems out of order to me. I would also be worried about the plumbers and electricians putting their stuff in and then having to move it to make room for ducts. In my house - HVAC ducts went in first - then plumber- then electrician. I asked about this sequence and the builder told me that it is much easier to route plumbing and wire around ducts then the other way around. Seems to make sense. The GT heat pumps did not get connected and turned on until after the drywall was finished. We were at that point mid summer and provided AC to make working inside more pleasant - but even that is not necessary. But you must have the HVAC system running before the hardwood flooring goes in. If you don't, you might have warping issues. In my other house, they drywalled in the winter and used propane heaters to keep the place warm. If you have foam insulation, they can make the place nice and toasty. I think these heaters are safe - they are routinely used for your conditions. Otherwise - the construction industry would would just stop in the winter where it is too cold. Here are some other tid bits I learned about my GT system. Maybe these might help you out. One thing you should watch out for with the geothermal system is something I learned the hard way. Every sub in there - once the heat got turned on - thought they should turn up the heat to 78 so they could run around in T shirts. I routinely had to cut the heat back to 68 degrees - which is even too warm for me - but the max I wanted them to run it at. I recommend putting the thermostats inside lock boxes so that only you and the building supervisor can control the heat. There are times when more heat is needed (like when the hardwood is stained and finished) but all other times nobody should mess with the stinkin T stats. One of the other issues we had was subs who kept leaving doors and windows open. GT heat systems are great - but they do not work well with a wide open door and freezing air coming in all night. Svereal times I showed up to the house in the morning and found this and the auxiliary heat on which is essentially a giant toatser and money pouring down the drain. So visit the site often and make sure that things are buttoned up each night. Another thing we just discovered. With these recent extreme cold conditions (we live in the Blue Ridge Mtns in VA) where outside night temps were at or below zero, we found that one of the 3 heat pumps kept kicking on the auxilary heat. Turned out that the guys who installed the system (during the summer) forgot to add enough antifreeze to the mixture running in the loop field pipes. So the water mixture was turning to slush and not geeting a good heat exchange. After adding about 30 more gallons of glycol to the mixture - system is operating great. My system has 2 pumps to push the water through the loop field. When the system was first installed, the electrician wired it up so that both pumps were running continuously. So I thought both pumps had to be on. Then we founnd out - after 3 months - that one of the pumps is a backup and we need only one pump running. This cut the electric draw for the GT pump system in half - and that means lower bills. I also learned that with GT systems, it is best to keep the thermostats on a constant temp. They are not efficient when you crank up or down the heat/cooling by more than 2 or 3 degrees. Tstat timers - which we used on our other home with natural gas heat - are not a good idea with GT systems. If you try to drive a GT system to crank up the temp too much - the AUX heat will come on - and you don't want that to happen. Finally - I installed humidifiers on 2 of the 3 heat pump units. My HVAC contractor told me that it is best to use warm water for the humidifier supply with a multi-stage GT heat pumps. After installing the units I can see why. You must hook up the humidifier air intake to the return air side of the heat pump - just after the emergency heat packs. This return air supply is sucked into the humidifier unit, passes through the filter, and then on into the supply side. If you run cold water through the humidifier filter - then you are taking hot air and cooling it down - so th eprocess is not as efficient as it could be with warm/hot water. If you are planning to install humidifiers - I recommend having the plumbers put in hot water supplies near the HVAC heat pumps sp that you you can feed the humidifiers warm/hot water. Best of luck....See MoreBuick Century dies when idling
Comments (17)Hi John. Nice to hear from you. Keeping busy ? What i should have said is if the car is still under warranty there was no way in hell we would release that info. Things change i guess. Anyway the bottom line seems that the average garage can't afford the up dates or doesn't want to spend the money. I glance through this forum from time to time. Not often. I have better things to do. That didn't sound right but i'm sure you will figure it out. I can't believe half of these people are still alive after what they try to do with a 4000 lb. chunk of iron. Most of it sounds like what " you " hear and i do from time to time. " I need this fixed but i don't want to spend any money and i don't need any new parts ". Where have i heard that before ? No offence to the D.Y.I.'s. If you don't try you don't learn. Money is tight. Do what you have to. Have a good weekend to all. Be carefull out there....See MoreOut of curiousity, what happens when AC compressor runs w/o fan?
Comments (2)Update: After running for 8 days w/o the condenser fan, I hear it no more, so I think the compressor finally locked up. It was sounding really ragged near the end, kinda like a small engine running with no oil. Whereas I would never intentionally destroy anyone else's property, having that old earsore of an air conditioner finally bite the dust through someone else's negligence isn't going to make me shed any tears. In any case, there was a huge yellowjacket's nest inside that electrical disconnect box, and I wasn't going anywhere near it, I'm allergic to wasps. Dave...See MoreWhat to say when words fail you??
Comments (12)Are there comforting words possible; that's a complex question and depends on the people in the situation. If there were things that 'should have been said' and your husband has the feeling or thinking that there were; ask him what they were. It's maybe something he kept himself from saying, which he could have said or wanted to say. When words fail a person, they fail a person. People will then, quite naturally usually act or react based on 'instinct' or intuition. If your natural reaction was that words failed, so a hug ensued... that's just the nature of reality as far as you in that situation. By definition it was your best possible response it sounds like. Your friend may not have known how she felt if she only just got a major medical diagnosis, and all kinds of sudden imposed change on her life and any plans she may have had. You could offer literally anything they need, or if they need to talk... if there is anything you could do, ever to help them (that sort of thing). Also make sure their nears and dears know of your offer too because sometimes there are indirect needs; or needs that won't be mentioned but which would be really really appreciated. when words fail there can be no speech; whatever else happens would have to be nonverbal and a hug-- simple human contact and touch-- is not only as good as it may get, but it may also have been better than words could have been at the time...See Moremrsig
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agogary__
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agojohn_g
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agomrsig
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agomikie_gw
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agojohn_g
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoTejpal Kahlon
8 years agoJohn Day
8 years agoChamila Talwatta
8 years agoJose Guerra
7 years agoNeville Lobo
6 years agoAnthony Jordan
6 years ago
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