terzaghi
06-26-2012, 09:31 PM
We bought a house in September of last year. I had no problems with heating over the winter, but winter was very mild and we like it relatively cool. The AC is not performing to my satisfaction so far in these 100+ degree days.
The house is 10 years old, 1850-1900 SF. The house is serviced by a 3 ton AC unit, unsure of brand- some builders model I am sure. The house has all duct work and vents in the attic/ceiling. There is one return register in the ceiling that is 14x30. There appears to be a problem with air flow- the ducts just don't push out much air. I had been using a 1 inch pleated filter and I could tell that it was really making the problems worse (would bow up and make a slight noise of choking air flow when I put in the pleated filter). I finally switched to a standard fiberglass filter (30 minutes ago) so am not certain how it will impact things. It appear to block substantially less air flow so We will see tomorrow.
In any event, the house has 12 or14 foot ceilings in the living room, 12 foot ceiling in the office, and 12 foot tray style ceiling in the master bedroom. In the living room, the top 4 feet of the walls on two sides connect directly to the attic, and in the office the top 2-3 feet of one wall connects directly to the attic. These walls have standard paper back insulation inserts between bear studs. The insulation in the attic over the ceiling consist of white cotton-y looking stuff dumped in. The insulation is mounded pretty high on the vaulted ceilings. Windows are builders grade- double pane aluminum. We have thick "energy saver" curtains in the office now which seem to be helping.
In any event, we plan on upgrading things to our home such as AC, windows, etc.
any advice on what may be the main culprit? Undersized AC? Bad duct configuration? poor insulation? all of the above?
What would be the best place to start and where should our money go towards? Are there any recommendations for contractors in the area that provide a good evaluation of the HVAC system as a whole?
I'm an engineer (not mechanical or HVAC related) but am interested in learning the ins and outs to make an informed decision, and definitely want a qualified people helping me pick the path forward.
On 100 degree days the thermostat struggles to get below 78 in many rooms, even with ceiling fans running, etc.
Sorry for the long post, and I appreciate any feedback.
The house is 10 years old, 1850-1900 SF. The house is serviced by a 3 ton AC unit, unsure of brand- some builders model I am sure. The house has all duct work and vents in the attic/ceiling. There is one return register in the ceiling that is 14x30. There appears to be a problem with air flow- the ducts just don't push out much air. I had been using a 1 inch pleated filter and I could tell that it was really making the problems worse (would bow up and make a slight noise of choking air flow when I put in the pleated filter). I finally switched to a standard fiberglass filter (30 minutes ago) so am not certain how it will impact things. It appear to block substantially less air flow so We will see tomorrow.
In any event, the house has 12 or14 foot ceilings in the living room, 12 foot ceiling in the office, and 12 foot tray style ceiling in the master bedroom. In the living room, the top 4 feet of the walls on two sides connect directly to the attic, and in the office the top 2-3 feet of one wall connects directly to the attic. These walls have standard paper back insulation inserts between bear studs. The insulation in the attic over the ceiling consist of white cotton-y looking stuff dumped in. The insulation is mounded pretty high on the vaulted ceilings. Windows are builders grade- double pane aluminum. We have thick "energy saver" curtains in the office now which seem to be helping.
In any event, we plan on upgrading things to our home such as AC, windows, etc.
any advice on what may be the main culprit? Undersized AC? Bad duct configuration? poor insulation? all of the above?
What would be the best place to start and where should our money go towards? Are there any recommendations for contractors in the area that provide a good evaluation of the HVAC system as a whole?
I'm an engineer (not mechanical or HVAC related) but am interested in learning the ins and outs to make an informed decision, and definitely want a qualified people helping me pick the path forward.
On 100 degree days the thermostat struggles to get below 78 in many rooms, even with ceiling fans running, etc.
Sorry for the long post, and I appreciate any feedback.