air quality issue..high particles...high carbon dioxide...high humidity

[teddy bear]

If the building is occupied 24/7, controls should include a dehumidistat and ventilation on/off. If occupied on a routine schedule, suggest the DEH3000 controller for %RH and scheduled fresh air ventilation. If random occupancy, suggest DEH3000R/ CO2 which would activate fresh air when you are in the home turn fresh off when you leave.
No other fresh air ventilation will be required. Sealing attic from the home is best.
I got confused with another larger home post. Looks like you have an 1,600 home. The initial unit you picked will provide the 50-60 cfm of fresh air and maintain 50%RH.
Regards TB

[robotman2009]

teddy bear,

Would it be ok to seal the ducts from the attic first? Or wait until I can get the dehumidifier installed first? It will probably take me at least a couple of months to save up for the dehumidifier.

[robotman2009]

Six,

I checked on the fan speed. It is set to medium. This should be correct depending on what my external static pressure is. What's that?

[robotman2009]

Here is a pic of the fan speed chart in the manufacturer's booklet left on top of the unit.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/...andlerbook.png

Also, I was up looking at the unit and on the supply side of the air handler near the plenum to which all of the supply vent ducts are hooked, the hole that has the two power legs from the box going into it was just open....could that have been pulling particles into it? The hole was about two to three inches wide with no rubber grommet surrounding the cords sitting in the hole. Could this be affecting the performance of my unit? I covered it with the best tape I had.

Much thanks for all the help guys.

[energy_rater_La]

seal ductwork asap.
make sure mastic materials are used.
paint on mastic in a bucket applied with a brush
and mastic tape like hardcast brand 1402. I find these
two products wil seal all leaks.

isn't your return in the ceiling? that should also be
sealed. opening the grill and removing the filter will
allow access to 80% of area to be sealed. caulking
2x's to each other and in corners. then going into
attic to continue the sealing will minimize this
leakage site.
when you remove the filter..if there is dust on the
filter rack ..this is an indication of the leakage.
where air bypasses the filter. dust inside the
return should not be there if r/a is sealed.

attached pic is how I seal supply boxes. show
your hvac person and make sure they use the proper
mastic tape. other tapes will fail. btw..hardcast 1402
is the tape I use.

I have that dehumidifier.
its fairly quiet, but since it is
inside my conditioned space I built a box out of ductboard to
make it quiter.

I'd advise that you get someone who is familiar as to the
setup. there are several scenerios, and one perferred method.
It took a few days for me to figure out how to do perferred
install, but worth the time to get it right.

online manuals in your link explain all.

best of luck.

[Sleuth]

Another issue could be the former occupants of the house...our house was vacant for about a year before we moved in....when it started warming up, about two months after moving in, I had two visitors remark about how it smelled a little like cigarettes. So, there IS....

.

A nicotine coated evaporator is gonna be a problem.
That's like walking into a bar when you get home.
..

[teddy bear]

teddy bear,

Would it be ok to seal the ducts from the attic first? Or wait until I can get the dehumidifier installed first? It will probably take me at least a couple of months to save up for the dehumidifier.

I do not see a problem with sealing the attic asap. Any way to get controled fresh air into the home?
Regards TB

[energy_rater_La]

shs...would using foam coil cleaner get rid of the nicotine
on the coil?

[Sleuth]

shs...would using foam coil cleaner get rid of the nicotine
on the coil?

.
I doubt it.

I've cut them out before to clean them and it's still marginal. Replace IMHO. Nicotine will be
on the wheel, any liner and ....

Does OPs system have a humidifier?
..

[tinknocker service tech]

you have a 3.5 ton airhandler and by the charts you posted on the unit at low speed you are still running at 1350 cfm on a 3 ton condenser witch is again to much

at 400 per ton you are 1200 and 350 would be 1000 cfm
65 percent is to high and yes mold will start growing at some point if it hasnt already

how often do you open a few windows
how old is the furnichur and carpets
is there a crawl space also or is the house on a slab

first seal all your ducts and not just the insulation arround them
have a load calc done on your house
sorry to say this but have the proper size unit installed and a vdrive motor for better humidity control cappabilities
a fresh air may help with bringing in fresh air bit i may take heat for this but it may also increase your humidity problem on humidit days
solve the real problem first
if you can get you house down to 70 on 95gree day

oversized unit

[robotman2009]

Oh wow! Boy this sucks.

Here goes my response..

Tst...the furniture is brand new....carpets have been here since the spouse was built in 2007. I've opened some windows on occasion but it seems to make things worse as far as symptoms. House is on a slab.

Energy rater...yes my return is in the ceiling. When you say air on the filter rack, do you mean the grill in front of the filter? Or do you mean the whole filter box? Either way there is dust all over the grill and some residual dust on the inside of the box. Thanks for the picture. Am I going to need to turn off the air handler while the ductwork is sealed? If so, how long do I need to leave it off to let the ductwork seal? Can I do the same thing for the canned lighting fixtures given that I only use fluorescent bulbs? Should I get the bigger dehumidifier since my house 1600 sf is at the upper end of the 70h's range 1800 sf? Should I have the fan turned down on my unit?

Teddy ear,

No way to get controlled fresh air into the house.


I hope I didn't buy a money pit...dang inspector.

[robotman2009]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

Thanks for all your advice. You have helped me see that an extra return is probably not the way to go since the dehumidifier has a return of its own along with a fresh air return. I'm gonna try sealing the ductwork first and see where that gets me...then move on to the dehumidifier.


Any more comments about the need or lack thereof to change the unit would be welcome.

[robotman2009]

Oh yeah....I checked the temperature at the vents....it was about 58 degrees.