New house problems

[fordracing19]

I know some of this isnt hvac but hvac techs know plumbing too.

I am still fighting to get a correct Man J on the house. Yesterday the plumber cut a post tension cable while fixing his 3 different missed stubs by 21 inches.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0285.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0285.jpg)

I feel attic ventilation isn't enough. House is 3850 under roof. The did a 6" soffit all the way around the house except for 50' across the back that is 12". That soffit has 12 16x8" vents that the holes are not even cut all the way out for. On the roof is 7 vent caps.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0302.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0302.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0303.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0303.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0304.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0304.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0305.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0305.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0306.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0306.jpg)

Also plumbing related he plumbed for 2 50gal water heaters when told I want one 85gal Marathon so I have 4 overflow out the wall. Can the TPR drain into the pan and the pan drain into the garage? Could my A/C drain pan also drain into the garage as well?
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0295.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0295.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0296.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0296.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0298.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0298.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0299.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0299.jpg)
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0300.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/?action=view&current=IMAG0300.jpg)

I'm sure everyone will say talk to the plumber and hvac guy but only spanish speaking installers have came to the house and my builder will not put me in contact with the companys.

[Gib's Son]

Sounds like you need a new plumber. Anyway, no, the TPR must terminate above a floor drain per IPC and UPC.

On second thought, I think you need a new builder. I don't remember how many sqft of ridge vent is required. If you don't get load calcs I would be threatening to call a code official or firing the builder.

[fordracing19]

Sounds like you need a new plumber. Anyway, no, the TPR must terminate above a floor drain per IPC and UPC.

Or to the outside of the house?

[Gib's Son]

As long as it is terminated in a safe manner where personal harm will not occur. Usually within 6" of finished grade.

[DLZ Dan]

if you are the one paying for this, insist on getting these things immediately and issue a stop work order to the contractor. If they cant communicate with you, the customer, you need to look elsewhere.

[surenuff]

Give us a little more info on the type of vents being used. Is it a ridge vent, powered or not, and does your ceiling have a vapor barrier or not. Then we can tell you for sure what the amount needed is. One example is one square foot of roof vent area and one half foot of soffit vent "free area" for every 300 sqare foot of under attic ceiling area.

[fordracing19]

All 7 vent caps on top look like this. Not sure on hole size but not powered. Just a vent cap. Not sure on the vapor barrier.
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[fordracing19]

One of our wants was energy efficiency and to meet energy star ratings.

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[dan sw fl]

The builder Shall adhere to your drawings and specs.
If you do not have specs, How does the builder know your requirements?

Manual J should be completed about 5 months before breaking ground, so the HVAC design can be perfromed and specified.

[skibme]

This is gonna get good.

[fordracing19]

Oh, its all a big mess. Waiting to hear from the builder.
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[skibme]

You might want to look for a lawyer.These situations can get ugly.

[Shophound]

One of our wants was energy efficiency and to meet energy star ratings.

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I would not even consider starting construction on a house, with the goal you've stated above in mind, without clear language in the construction documents specifying how the energy star goals are to be achieved.

Meaning, first off, in my mind if you want better energy efficiency, forget ventilated attics, period. Insulate the underside of the roof deck. Make your attic air conditioned space. I also live in North Texas and were I building a house this would be the first requirement.

If you have radiant barrier on the underside of the roof decking, as I thought I saw in one of your photos, that's considerably better, but I'm still not fond of ventilated attics. Why? Because everyone wants to poke the ceiling full of holes below this attic. Between your HVAC ducts and the "can" lights that seem to go into every house built these days, and all the wiring and plumbing chases, the house is hard to achieve an acceptable level of tightness in respect to energy efficiency and comfort goals.

If the attic is made as airtight and is insulated as well as the rest of the house is, you wipe out a lot of energy and comfort robbing problems in one swoop.

Of course, in your case, I'm probably speaking in terms of hindsight. Since you're worried about having enough attic ventilation, no specification going in regarding your house was given for a sealed attic, apparently. All I'm doing is offering my opinion on energy efficiency, and why we so often shoot ourselves in the foot with residential construction, falling far short of meeting these goals.

Onto other matters, I'd be wanting to speak to a structural engineer about the cut tensioning rod in the slab. I would NOT let the plumber pour mud back around where he broke up the slab until you have this investigated. As for why the slab had to be broken up to begin with, are you saying the plumbing stub-outs were out from the walls that badly? Meaning there was some lack of coordination between the plumbing layout and the wall layout? Looks that way.

And folks think residential construction can be done by almost anyone. Well, it can, but getting it done correctly is another matter entirely. That takes thought, skill, and experience in doing things correctly.

[wahoo]

Did you say there is no one on site who speaks english?? Who the heck is this GC hiring? I've been around new construction enough to see some non-english speaking workers, but ALL? I'd be really upset to find the entire site filled with non-english workers. You can bet if they can't speak english, then nobody will have any insurance or permits or licenses either!!!:gah:

[energy_rater_La]

hey shophound...road trip!

op,
your energy rating also should have
been in planning stages. its hard
to make it right mid construction.

best of luck.

[fordracing19]

I agree there should of been a lot more planning. The builder bid my plans and I told him what we wanted and then he went to work once we got power and water to location. They are not going to be on the job this week while they try to get everyone straight and we have a meeting. Our guy are wiring the electrical in this week though so something will be done.
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[Shophound]

Builders go with what they know. If they do not have direct experience building energy efficient housing, nor have a passion for delivering such a product, you get what they already know how to do. That is what I see you getting in your photos.

How often does your builder actually visit your project and check on the pace and quality of the construction?

[energy_rater_La]

I looked at some of your pictures.
one of the things that bothered me was
brick ties attached to osb
no vapor barrier..tyvek, or blue
board foam sheating like in other pics
being used in this area..maybe pic 85..
can't remember.. exactly which picture

also keep in mind that before cladding is
installed that all penetrations through
the walls should be sealed.
best to do these things now..even if
you have to diy..than to get cladding
in place & cover it up.

best of luck

[dan sw fl]

You might want to look for a lawyer.These situations can get ugly.


:whistle:
Satisfaction is going to cost $$,$$$.

[tipsrfine]

Give us a little more info on the type of vents being used. Is it a ridge vent, powered or not, and does your ceiling have a vapor barrier or not. Then we can tell you for sure what the amount needed is. One example is one square foot of roof vent area and one half foot of soffit vent "free area" for every 300 sqare foot of under attic ceiling area.

I believe you're right about this being code, but they have it wrong. You want more soffit venting than roof venting. If you have more air exiting the roof than what the soffits can supply, the attic will make up for it by getting it from air leaks to the conditioned area.

[fordracing19]

I looked at some of your pictures.
one of the things that bothered me was
brick ties attached to osb
no vapor barrier..tyvek, or blue
board foam sheating like in other pics
being used in this area..maybe pic 85..
can't remember.. exactly which picture

also keep in mind that before cladding is
installed that all penetrations through
the walls should be sealed.
best to do these things now..even if
you have to diy..than to get cladding
in place & cover it up.

best of luck
No osb. Just thermaply then the 3/4 foam. I requested the foam. Should of been 1" but he said they couldn't find it.


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[Shophound]

No osb. Just thermaply then the 3/4 foam. I requested the foam. Should of been 1" but he said they couldn't find it.


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LA is probably talking about this photo:

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q224/fordracing19/1601%20LoneStar/th_IMAG0295.jpg

That's OSB and there's a brick tie also in the photo, to the left. If the brick tie is nailed into a stud through the OSB, no problem. If it's nailed in the field, that is a problem.

[fordracing19]

Ok gotcha.

[fordracing19]

Does a vertical unit not get an overflow pan?

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[DLZ Dan]

Some codes will say a pan is necessary if the unit is over a living space. But what's up with the smurf droppings all over the pipe?

[Shophound]

Looks like a closet install to me, which means no drain pan could go there, since the space below the closet serves as the return air chamber.

Keep the filter and coil clean, and as long as your airflow is otherwise good you should not have overflow or dripping condensation worries with this system as it is installed.

The blue smurf droppings are likely PVC primer, since inspectors like to see that primer was used on all the joints.

[DLZ Dan]

The blue smurf droppings are likely PVC primer, since inspectors like to see that primer was used on all the joints.

I get that but it's sloppy as hell. Look at the fingerprints.

[wahoo]

If we have to put an air handler or furnace where we cannot install a back-up drip pan then we install a moisture switch (hockey puck type) under indoor unit. That way it'll sense moisture and shut off unit if drain overflows and hopefully minimize the moisture damage.:.02:

[fordracing19]

A guy with the hvac came out today and questioned why I had a closet install and why the builder wanted the unit in before the closet was rocked. Hope they get this mess straightened out.
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[energy_rater_La]

does he understand why you want the closet air tight?
will he caulk the platform the unit sits on to the wall?

you'll also want to caulk the sheetrock of the walls
to the bottom of the return.

IMO closet installs trumps attic installs.
now if we could just get the ducts inside the conditioned space!

best of luck.

[dan sw fl]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoehorn

Merriam did not have the definition of " HVAC Shoehorn" but discussion above should probably be forwarded to Wiki.

[energy_rater_La]

is that mastic spread at the bottom of the return??
sorry missed the picture before I posted earlier.

[fordracing19]

is that mastic spread at the bottom of the return??
sorry missed the picture before I posted earlier.

Yes, I think so. I will take more pictures tomorrow. Today I did a bunch of sweeping and vacuuming out the walls.

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[energy_rater_La]

does the piping look off to anyone else?
shouldn't those lines be seperated?

[fordracing19]

A few more pictures.

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[fordracing19]

What side of the p trap should my condensate line be? Here is what the plumber did .

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[fordracing19]

Just got off the phone with the plumbing company asking about it. He said it doesn't matter where it ties into. Hmmm lol

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[Shophound]

Just got off the phone with the plumbing company asking about it. He said it doesn't matter where it ties into. Hmmm lol

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In both pictures, the connections are wrong. Pic #1: possible for sewer gas to be drawn into HVAC. Pic #2: air vent is on upstream side of p-trap on a draw-through coil. Wrong. Vent will suck in air and condensate pan will likely overflow, flooding the house.

[fordracing19]

Thanks bud.

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