plenzmd1 Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Know majority on here smarter than me. My daughters room, which is above the garage, is just not getting the heat it needs. Garage is insulated BTW, and we have a separate, 8 year old heat pump system just for the second floor. My first thought is maybe it is the ducts that are clogged/dirty as her room is furthest away. There is a highly rated service on Angie List will do an inspection for $20. Or should i just call in an HVAC company. I do not have anyone i use regularly in Richmond for HVAC. Any suggestions welcomed. Edited November 13, 2013 by plenzmd1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Know majority on here smarter than me. My daughters room, which is above the garage, is just not getting the heat it needs. Garage is insulated BTW, and we have a separate, 8 year old heat pump system just for the second floor. My first thought is maybe it is the ducts that are clogged/dirty as her room is furthest away. There is a highly rated service on Angie List will do an inspection for $20. Or should i just call in an HVAC company. I do not have anyone i use regularly in Richmond for HVAC. Any suggestions welcomed. We had the same issue in our last house. We found out the ductwork was completely disconnected from the vent. I have no idea how that happened but it was an easy fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theesir Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 I would not expect that the ducts being dirty would cause reduced airflow to that degree. Ducts don't get clogged like arteries, the dirt is really just on the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Just wondering - do you not have a service contract with an HVAC company? All of the HVAC service companies in Texas have service contracts that you can buy for $150 per year. For that price they will come out twice a year to replace filters, check coolant and inspect the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) I know two people that do HVAC for a living. One who teaches residential heating and cooling and another who is a commercial installer of heating, cooling and refrigeration. They have both told me that duct cleaning is pointless and a waste of money. Hire a real HVAC person in your home to diagnose your problem. Edited November 13, 2013 by BuffaloBillsForever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 I wouldn't say duct cleaning is a pointless waste of money. Perhaps if you're starting anew and change your filters regularly it could be pointless. But for pre-existing ductwork and an unknown furnace maintenance history, I think a good duct cleaning would likely remove a lot of dust/allergens. However ... as it relates to plenzmd1's scenario, I, too would recommend getting an HVAC professional to find the real issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share Posted November 13, 2013 Thx gents..no service contracts, good to know on the duct stuff. Have an HVAC person coming tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) Thx gents..no service contracts, good to know on the duct stuff. Have an HVAC person coming tomorrow! I'm sure if there was something rotting in the ducts or you knew for sure you had an actual blockage it would be useful. But yeah its best to get an HVAC professional to inspect the equipment, ductwork and the actual install. I wouldn't be surprised if the problem is from a poorly designed install issue. Edited November 13, 2013 by BuffaloBillsForever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Thx gents..no service contracts, good to know on the duct stuff. Have an HVAC person coming tomorrow! They should be able to cut down flow into other areas of the house and increase it to your daughter's room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 How did you make out with re directing the heat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Are you getting airflow through the ducts when its on? That will tell you if its an airflow issue or something else. Also how long has this been an issue? has the room always been cold or is it something your just noticing now? How long have you been in the house? The room above garages are notorious for always having cold floors, just because theres insulation, it doesn't mean its properly done and enough to keep things warm. The best way to insulate the ceiling in a garage below a room is to have it spray foamed. If your getting airflow through the vent but weak heat, it could be a bunch of things, weak system, disconnected or not properly sealed duct work, ducts may not be insulated properly if running in an exterior wall or in the floor of the room above the garage. Definitely call an HVAC guy to come check it out, doubt its just dirty duct work, but could be a clogged/dirty filter though, have you changed that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 If all else fails, you could try one of these: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 If all else fails, you could try one of these: I am not a HVAC guy... But I fumble around my furnace,A/C forced air combo unit... Do all the work myself, outside of a recharge... Yet, in 15 years, it never needed a recharge. (it shouldn't in theory, it is a sealed system). Nanker... Like your video you posted, we have a similar system @ work... But it is made by Daikin. The heat pump is fine when it doesn't get that cold... 45 or above... YET, we need the boiler system to keep up when it starts to dip below 45. I know plenz is in the south... But still. The Daikin in heat pump mode needs the themostat to be cranked up high for it to work well. I am under the impression that a heat pump is just an a/c in reverse, right? Or close? plenz... What is the temp out and what are you trying to heat to? Are the coils cleaned, fins, condenser, etc... Has it been cooling in her room in the summer? How's the refrigerant? Age of the unit? What about filters and such? Have you ever cleaned your A-coil and condenser? The A-coil is ususally sealed in the duct work above the furnace (which you may not have being in the south). You can cut/snip an access panel to get to it for cleaning. I snipped mine and fabricated a panel that can be removed. Like I said, if you are looking to heat when the air temp outside is below 40 or so... It is best you get a real heating system to augment it on the cold days... Do you have a furnace? You said it was forced air... Remember, in the summer, that A-coil is cold and the blower blows over it giving your ducts cold air... In the winter and heat pump mode, it is in reverse, those pipes are then warm or hot, just like your outside compressor is in the summer. If that A-coil is all funkified, you may not be getting the efficiency you want!? Again, is it cooling in the summer? How's the blower/squirrel cage? Is that clean... Get right up into the blower w/a vac and clean that out too! Changer your filters every 300-400 hours. You may even have a valve problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 We have whats called a plus one system..heat pump with a gas furnace when temp gets below 42. Been getting into the mid 20's here at night. Had to reschedule due to my schedule, gent will be here on Monday. Till then, extra blankets!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 We have whats called a plus one system..heat pump with a gas furnace when temp gets below 42. Been getting into the mid 20's here at night. Had to reschedule due to my schedule, gent will be here on Monday. Till then, extra blankets!! Thanks for the update... So even the furnace isn't keeping up heating the room above the garage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Thanks for the update... So even the furnace isn't keeping up heating the room above the garage? correct! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 (edited) correct! Is it cooling okay in that bedroom above the garage? Do you have cold (opposite for summer) air returns? Are they blocked? I keep thinking the garage proximity is troubling... You can't have returns in the garage for obvious reasons (CO)... Is the garage heated? You did have better heat in previous years, right? Something is dirty or not running right w/your system! ?? Edited November 15, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share Posted November 19, 2013 So get this..guess she has been putting up with this longer than i have known LOL. Tough kid Two falls ago we had a huge oak go through the roof above her room during one of the hurricanes. Guess there was a duct that for whatever reason looked okay from the most likely angle it was viewed, but was actually crushed and he estimated 90% closed! They coming on Friday to fix, $110 He did through review of all systems, said everything looked great..said some of the joints or something like that were allowing some air to escape but it was minor......$245 to fix..., I asked if he would do...he said ROI would be like 4 years and he would not get it done if it was his house....honesty and integrity are not dead!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 So get this..guess she has been putting up with this longer than i have known LOL. Tough kid Two falls ago we had a huge oak go through the roof above her room during one of the hurricanes. Guess there was a duct that for whatever reason looked okay from the most likely angle it was viewed, but was actually crushed and he estimated 90% closed! They coming on Friday to fix, $110 He did through review of all systems, said everything looked great..said some of the joints or something like that were allowing some air to escape but it was minor......$245 to fix..., I asked if he would do...he said ROI would be like 4 years and he would not get it done if it was his house....honesty and integrity are not dead!!! Awesome, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 So get this..guess she has been putting up with this longer than i have known LOL. Tough kid Two falls ago we had a huge oak go through the roof above her room during one of the hurricanes. Guess there was a duct that for whatever reason looked okay from the most likely angle it was viewed, but was actually crushed and he estimated 90% closed! They coming on Friday to fix, $110 He did through review of all systems, said everything looked great..said some of the joints or something like that were allowing some air to escape but it was minor......$245 to fix..., I asked if he would do...he said ROI would be like 4 years and he would not get it done if it was his house....honesty and integrity are not dead!!! Use a groupon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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