navyjoe
12-23-2008, 10:50 PM
Bare with me here, I am tring to explain all as best I can. Its a long post but I need help and I am tring to give all the information I can.
I am building a house in east Tennessee near Johnson city where I am relocating to. The house is very tight and well insulated, 6" walls and 10" ceilings insulated with open cell foam, windows are Anderson 400 series, tyvec warped etc. 1st floor is ~1150 sq feet with mater beedroom, 2nd floor is 2 bedrooms with approximately 800 square feet for visiting guest, all over a full basement.
I requested a trane XL16I which was highly recomended by some installers where my existing house is. I had planned in using the XL16 for the first floor and standalone LG mini-split units for 2nd floor. the 1st floor is occupied full time by my wife and me.
The contractor and the Trane dealer convenced me to use zoning. I now have a 3 ton xl16 with 3 zones (1st floor, 2nd floor, and basement for future den) using a honeywell zone controller and trane xr402 thermostats. 1st floor has a 160 inches of return duct in the master bedroom of about 470 sq feet, and about 280 inches of return in the hall for the remaining 1500 square feet of 1st floor and 2nd floor. Basement zone is sealed off for now. There is a barmetric bypass between supply and return.
It was 11 degees a few nights ago. the house stayed at setpoint of 68.
However, the fan noise is very high on the return ducts. I finally had to use earplugs.
The supply air only runs about 3 degees warmer than room temp on stage 1 (at 11 degees outside) to 10 degees warmer on stage 2 with Aux heat strips on.
At 50 degrees outside the supply temp will run at most 5 degrees warmer than room temp on stage 1.
Finally my questions, thanks for bearing with me this far.
I have read that the XL16i is not recomended for Zoning. Is that correct?
The noise is uncomfortably high. I've always felt that AC should be felt and not heard. The reqister in the hall is the worst. If I shut the bedroom door the air volume through those registers increased greatly. I feel this is wrong. Am I correct?
The supply air with the xl16 seems too cool. My existing home has an XL14 and the supply temp is 95 to 98 degees. Isn't a 2 to 3 degee supply increase VERY low?
The air handler always ramps up to and then runs on full speed. Is that normal?
I feel the installer has screwed up. Can you give me any facts to support getting this fixed?
I am building a house in east Tennessee near Johnson city where I am relocating to. The house is very tight and well insulated, 6" walls and 10" ceilings insulated with open cell foam, windows are Anderson 400 series, tyvec warped etc. 1st floor is ~1150 sq feet with mater beedroom, 2nd floor is 2 bedrooms with approximately 800 square feet for visiting guest, all over a full basement.
I requested a trane XL16I which was highly recomended by some installers where my existing house is. I had planned in using the XL16 for the first floor and standalone LG mini-split units for 2nd floor. the 1st floor is occupied full time by my wife and me.
The contractor and the Trane dealer convenced me to use zoning. I now have a 3 ton xl16 with 3 zones (1st floor, 2nd floor, and basement for future den) using a honeywell zone controller and trane xr402 thermostats. 1st floor has a 160 inches of return duct in the master bedroom of about 470 sq feet, and about 280 inches of return in the hall for the remaining 1500 square feet of 1st floor and 2nd floor. Basement zone is sealed off for now. There is a barmetric bypass between supply and return.
It was 11 degees a few nights ago. the house stayed at setpoint of 68.
However, the fan noise is very high on the return ducts. I finally had to use earplugs.
The supply air only runs about 3 degees warmer than room temp on stage 1 (at 11 degees outside) to 10 degees warmer on stage 2 with Aux heat strips on.
At 50 degrees outside the supply temp will run at most 5 degrees warmer than room temp on stage 1.
Finally my questions, thanks for bearing with me this far.
I have read that the XL16i is not recomended for Zoning. Is that correct?
The noise is uncomfortably high. I've always felt that AC should be felt and not heard. The reqister in the hall is the worst. If I shut the bedroom door the air volume through those registers increased greatly. I feel this is wrong. Am I correct?
The supply air with the xl16 seems too cool. My existing home has an XL14 and the supply temp is 95 to 98 degees. Isn't a 2 to 3 degee supply increase VERY low?
The air handler always ramps up to and then runs on full speed. Is that normal?
I feel the installer has screwed up. Can you give me any facts to support getting this fixed?