2) When my unit kicks on, there is a "pinging" or "rattling" noise coming from the ductwork. Can this be checked out to see if something is loose causing the ping?
Brian

If the air flowing from only one register is weak it's most likely a problem with the duct layout. This assumes of course that you ve checked the obvious like something blocking the vent or possibly falling into the duct behind the register. Whether something can be done at this point depends upon if the duct is concealed or not. Air distribution is one of the most misunderstood and unknown sciences of our industry. Many new homes are built using the lowest cost contractor available and they seldom have nor desire the knowledge of proper duct design. But, since the prospective owner doesn t "see" the ductwork, it s normally one of the least thought out issues in a new home. Too bad, once it's installed it's pretty well a done deal and few corrective measures are effective. The other issue you mention, "pinging", is referred to in our industry as  oil canning . Again, fast, cheap installation of duct work is usually not reinforced and therefore the sides of the duct flex in and out as air pressure expands the duct system. A simple preventative practice is to "cross-break" the longer expanses of duct to make the sides more rigid and less prone to "oil canning". Sometimes if the duct is exposed external braces can be attached to eliminate the problem.
Total Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

I am looking to replace my window AC unit, and wondering if any manufactures a window AC unit that doubles as an exhaust fan (fan in reverse when AC is not operating)?
Bill

Bill, while I am not aware of anyone currently that offers this feature I'm fairly sure they are available. In the past this was basically standard. But the need to cut costs in order to keep prices low has led to the elimination of non-essential functions. I'd suggest getting on the internet and doing a little research. You should be able to come up with some options.
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I rent a double wide trailer and the furnace is the original furnace over 25 years old. At times the furnace will cycle 30+ times prior to actually kicking on to run. There is no consistency to when this happens so I can't track why. I usually keep my heat between 62-68 degrees throughout the day. Does this use up extra gas/electricity while this is happening? Does something need to be fixed/replaced? Am I looking at the furnace not working in the near future?
Tom

Tom, it sounds like there is definitely something not working properly with your system. Normally gas furnaces made after 1982 have safety devices in them that shut the system down if they fail to start after 3 to 5 attempts. However, I'm not sure if you're referring to a gas or electric furnace, the actual age of yours, the make and model, etc. This problem could even be caused by a bad heat anticipator in your thermostat (assuming it has one). I think I'd contact the property owner and suggest the need for a service call by a trained professional technician.
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I have a heat pump and would like to change it out for a regular A/C unit, will this work?
Millie

You should be able too but why? If for some reason you don't like the heat pump just use it in the summer only. If the heat pump is broken when you go to replace it there should be no issue in opting for an air conditioner only. I have to wonder though, I can think of very few reasons why anyone would want to switch out a heat pump for a standard air conditioner. The biggest problem we (and most utilities) see with people not wanting a heat pump is lack of qualified heat pump installers/contractors. If this is your reason contact NATE (www.natex.org) and seek a heat pump certified contractor in your area.
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I want to install a window a-c unit in the wall of my family room. The rest of the a-c will protrude into the attached garage. That is 2 1/2cars with 2 exterior doors and 2 double hung windows. Is it wise to install the a-c this way, or will my family room be troubled by gas fumes from the one car that occupies it? Thanks
Anonymous

That is definitely a possibility for fumes and more to enter your living space. I would advise against it. Why not check out this option instead. http://us.lge.com/products/category/list/home%20appliances_air%20conditioners_single-zone.jhtml Just get on the Internet and visit the link I ve listed. A ductless mini-split system would make much more sense, be much quieter, eliminate the possibility of fumes, mice, bugs, etc getting into the home from your garage, and more. Most contractors are now aware of these systems and if you shop around a bit you can find one that s quite affordable especially if you include all the cutting, framing, drywall, painting, etc. you d have to do with the window air route.
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I live in a mobile home 16,500 sq feet. This winter one side is nice and warm and the other side cold. What's wrong?
Anonymous

I assume you mean 1650 square foot mobile home. Well most likely the problem is the crossover tube or duct underneath your home. With 1650 square feet you most likely live in a double wide home. Typically there is a single duct trunk line that goes down the center of each half of the home with registers in the floor near the center of the room. Underneath your home there is usually an insulated tube or duct that connects these two rectangular trunk lines so that air gets to both halves of the home. If this came loose it would cause the problem you're describing. If you don't mind getting underneath your home you can check for duct leakage but it's not an easy job. You have to remove the insulation that covers the bottom of the home to expose the duct work. Then have someone turn the system on and look for blowing insulation or dust. If you can't see any you'll have to go inch by inch along the system to check for leaks and repair them. If they are small enough you can use a good quality foil duct tape to repair the leaks. Large ones will require some duct patches usually made out of sheet metal. Be very careful when doing any home repair work on your own. There are potentially lethal voltages in the wiring not to mention the potential for plumbing problems, water damage, etc. when working on your mobile home. If in doubt at all please call a professional
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What size central ac unit do I need for a 1250 sq ft home? When I bought my home I had no problems with the unit. Now in the summer time it freezes up at least twice a month and I've never been able to cool the living like the back of the house. The heater works fine. Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you.
Anonymous

There are several reasons why your system may not be operating properly. 1. Plugged filter, 2. Refrigerant leak, 3. Dirty evaporator or condenser coil, bad valves in the compressor, and many more. Other than the dirty filter the rest are best left up to a qualified repair professional. The size is dependant upon more than the square footage of your home. However, if it worked fine when you bought the home its most likely sized properly and just in need of service.
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Has central air installed in my split home 12/07 worked great over the summer of 2007? Oct 07 had attic insulated rolled in and now the middle of winter noticed water in my ceiling, coming from the return side of the system, and this system is only for cold air. Could those ducts have been disturbed during install of insulation causing cold air to get in the duct and create condensation? Strange that 2 months after I had insulation rolled in we noticed water mark in ceiling 12 inches x 12 inches roughly,
Anonymous

Good question. Based upon the information you've provided my guess would be that by adding insulation you have lowered the temperature the duct system is in enough to cause the condensation problem. You don't say of the duct was insulated, above the insulation, below it??? Without knowing where you live, some construction details, etc it is difficult to be more precise. If your dates are correct you installed the insulation in October of 2007 and the AC in December of 2007. The bottom line is this; when warm and cool temperatures meet there is a probability of condensing moisture, depending upon the surrounding humidity levels. Insulating the duct work is the most common way to help alleviate this when it becomes a problem. You may need to ventilate your attic to reduce humidity levels. I've actually been in homes where there were icicles freezing to the attic ceilings inside after the owner's had added insulation with out ventilating the attic space. This can be especially true if exhaust fans are vented into the attic space instead of outside.
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Sometimes during the day the temp. Rises to 60 and up, so I turned my thermostat to 70 when it warms up. Then during the night, when it begins to get cool inside, I turn the thermostat up to about 75. When I did it tonight, there was smoke coming from an air vent located in our kitchen. The scent of the smoked lingered for a few hours. I immediately turned the unit off. This was very unusual, never happened before, and it has worried me. I also noticed that the aux. heat light came on the thermostat as well. I have noticed this light on before on the colder days/nights. Is there a reason why the smoke would have come out of an inside vent? Should we be worried? I have 4 small children, and I don't want to put them in danger. This is why I immediately turned the unit off. Any help would be appreciated!
Karin

Regardless of the cause you need to have your system checked for safety reasons. It sounds as though you have a heat pump system with electric back up or supplemental heat. It could be something as simple as a small piece of paper found its way into the heating coils of your resistance heater or perhaps an element has burned out. Either way you need to do some follow-up for the safety of your home. Typically with heat pumps you are better off finding a set temperature where you are most comfortable, rather than turning it up and down frequently. When you turn the temperature up more than 2 or 3 degrees in most applications you automatically turn your backup or Aux heat unit on. The purpose of a heat pump is to run as much as possible to keep utility costs lower. By not allowing the heat pump to automatically maintain temperature you may be defeating this purpose. I understand this is not always possible for greatest comfort but you may want to consider just raising your normal temperature a degree or two and let the machine do its thing. A little experimentation should determine the best outcome for you.
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I recently moved into a 500SF apartment with central heat & air. I live alone, have no appliances other than an electric range, a fridge, and an electric hot water heater. My first month's electric bill was over $200. I try to keep the thermostat at 72 but cold air blows unless it's set on 75. The apartment complex would be responsible for the unit's malfunction but what do I tell them is wrong?
Jenny

Jenny, I would suggest you contact your local utility supplier and ask them for the history of the electrical consumption for that address. They should be able to tell you about any dramatic changes and how usage compares to  degree days . This should give you an idea about the overall circumstances you're experiencing. If temperatures stayed about the same and usage went up dramatically it may indicate a problem with the unit. If the usage changed about the time you moved in it could indicate your particular living habits have affected the utility usage. If they have been high all along it could indicate either the building in general is not very efficient, or the system may not have been installed or serviced properly. Unfortunately, some rental owners do not worry too much about energy costs especially if the tenant is paying the utilities. Make sure you're checking the energy usage usually measured in something called kilowatt hours or kwh, not the cost of the monthly bill. As energy prices increase you're monthly bill could indicate increased energy usage but what's really happening is you're looking at increased costs while actual consumption may not have gone up.
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We have some mold in our house that forms anywhere water stands. This would include the toilets and whirlpool tub in the jets. Should I be concerned with mold in the walls?
Anonymous

Mold has become a real concern over the years. Just like any living organism it needs food & water to survive. If there are any damp areas in your home that would migrate into the walls you should be concerned. If you remove the moisture many times you will stop mold growth. However, once it has established itself there is often enough moisture in the air to sustain mold growth. At that time it is most likely necessary to call in a professional to asses the situation. I'm curious how long it takes for the mold to show up in your toilet and whirlpool? Sometimes people confuse iron bacteria (present in many water systems) with mold. Iron bacteria or actual iron minerals in water will tend to show up in these two places because the water is aerated when it comes out of the rim of the toilet and the jets on the whirlpool. The only solution to that problem is a water conditioning system. It is usually a reddish color but can take on a slimy, black appearance when combined with manganese - also found in many water systems. Most home molds that are of concern are black in appearance.
If you are at all concerned have a professional check this out without delay. Once black mold has established itself in a structure it can be difficult if not impossible to eliminate. I'm aware of one unfortunate family in my town that had to abandon their fairly new home. Their insurance had a mold exclusion (as many do now), and they essentially ended up being financially responsible for a home that no one could live in. It was a very sad situation.
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I have 2 central A/C units for my home and I want to install time delay switches on them which one of the wires coming from the thermostat to the condenser should I use.
Anonymous

Unfortunately, due to insurance and liability reasons, I can not give specific directions on system repair. If your skill level is high enough to install the time delay it should also allow you to decipher the ladder schematic on your system. These are usually on the inside of the control compartment on your air conditioner. WARNING: There are lethal voltages within the unit and the wiring going to it. Do Not Attempt any do-it-yourself repairs unless you have been fully trained on the safe handling of these components! It is always best to seek a qualified professional for this type of repair.
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Today, my heater started blowing cold air and will not shut off. It has worked fine for the last year (when I purchased the home) and I was told that it was replaced in 2003. The filter is new and the thermostat is a digital that I installed myself last year. Both heat and air have worked great until today. What could be the problem?
Tryci

The most likely problem is the thermostat you installed may not be totally compatible with the system you have. It may have worked fine till now but small issues with some thermostats (especially those found in the  big box retailers) can cause all kinds of problems. While they may have the same brand name, some have switching or software variances that can wreak havoc with sensitive solid state heating and cooling controls. There are a multitude of other possibilities, stuck contactor, bad limit switch, bad transformer or sequencer, etc that can cause this symptom. Depending upon your skill level you may want to contact the manufacturer for a trouble-shooting chart or better yet, contact a reputable contractor in your area to diagnose and repair the problem.
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My daughter's 1954 single story, 2 bdrm 1 bath house needs a new heating system as it is baseboard heat. We are thinking of an 80% gas furnace to replace it. There is a 2' crawl space and an open attic, gable roof. A contractor wants to put the furnace in the attic w/registers blowing down. The house has had a ducted heating system in the past and has floor registers in place w/aluminum ductwork under the house. There is room in the single garage to place the furnace on the floor and a small access opening thru the foundation to the crawl space. If this were your house would you go for the ceiling installation or garage installation? Thanks
Bob

Bob, the simple answer is to use the existing ductwork and put the furnace in the garage. But there may be several reasons it's not the best option. The climate conditions where you live may not be suitable for that, the existing duct system may not be able to handle the new system, and several others. I personally like to have my system in the most accessible location which in your situation sounds like the garage. However, in my opinion, find a contractor that you trust and ask them for options. Make sure they offer you guarantees of performance and if they're good they should offer to guarantee your comfort also.
Total Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

Please help. I recently installed a comfortmaker 4 ton air handler in my home. The old unit was a 4 ton arcoaire, 20 years old and the insulation inside of it was molded and coming apart and the coil were terribly stopped up. My buddy is a self proclaimed ac repairman. He got me the new air handler and we installed it with no trouble. The new unit is extremely noisy, not like a squealing noise or anything, but it sounds like it is sucking the filter through the grille. It sucks too hard and blows too hard fan speed is on low but does not sound any different on med or high. I am sick of listening to it. I have a 20x30x1 return filter. The company sent me a new motor but did no good, I tried a smaller blower wheel no good either. The unit has an 1100rpm 3/4hp motor. My brother has a 4 ton Amana with 1/3 hp motor. I do not understand why mine is so much bigger. I need help. Another service man looked at it and put some kind of gage in front of the filter grille, and it went to 790 he said that should not be over 450. I am lost. Please Help. Thank you
Josh

Well, unfortunately, it sounds like you've made the oldest mistake in consumerism. There is much more to the heating and air conditioning industry than just opening a box, hooking up some wires, and putting some duct tape on some sheet metal. I believe what has happened is that new heating & air conditioning systems are much more efficient than the 20 year old one you removed. One of the ways they were made more efficient is that larger evaporator coils are used along with more efficient blower motors and wheels. When replacing heating and cooling systems it is almost imperative that a heating and cooling load calculation be done. Most of the time, the new system can be smaller than the existing one and problems like you're experiencing are avoided. The bottom line is this, it sounds like you have a mismatched system that is too big for the duct system in your home. You may be able to make some duct modifications to help alleviate the problem. If it were me I would call a professional contractor to see what can be done to help. Don't feel bad, we see this all the time. Friends and relatives, while meaning well, often end up costing us far more than had we just invited them over to dinner to see our new professionally installed comfort system
Total Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

Can you address the differences (if any) between an attic mounted gas ducting and floor ducting? Are floor registers more efficient than ceiling registers?
Bob

Bob, for heating purposes in general floor mounted registers deliver more comfort than ceiling mounted. There are exceptions but since heat rises naturally in order to deliver even temperatures there is a tendency to increase air velocity with ceiling mounted registers to get the heat  down to floor level. Increased velocity is interpreted by the human body as  cooler air normally which has the offsetting effect of making your body feel cooler when you're trying to increase the warmth of the lower part of the room. In air conditioning mode ceiling mounted registers are typically more comfortable than floor mounted due to similar reasoning. This along with some geographical construction differences is the reason you find more ceiling registers in the southern part of the country. Hope this answers your question.
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hi i need to know if i can add a vent in my ductwork so i can get some heat in my basement. will it disrupt anything if i do add this vent? do i have to put a vent between the basement and first floor so air can circulate to air intake?
Tommy

Tommy, in almost all cases you can add a supply register (vent, as you call it) to your basement ductwork without causing any problems. That's the simple answer to your question. HOWEVER, also in almost all cases adding a single supply vent to basement ductwork does little to increase the overall comfort especially when trying to warm up a basement. Unfortunately air duct design is probably the single most mis-understood aspect of the heating and air conditioning industry. Very few (I could probably say almost none) of your average contractors ever seek training on this aspect of the industry. Next to safety though it is probably the most important when it comes to comfort, energy savings, extended life cycles, and more. It is estimated by many utilities and manufacturers that over 75% of the heating and cooling appliances out there that depend upon an air duct system to deliver conditioned air are operating well below their intended levels. This leads to far higher utility costs and much lower comfort levels than are possible. And, I might add, is the primary reason that many owners of newer heating and air conditioning products are dissatisfied with them.
So, go ahead and try it you really don't have much to lose and it may help a bit. Plus, thanks for letting me get on my soapbox, I just wish we could get more contractors to invest in the training needed to take care of their clients. PS - NEVER add a return air register in a basement or any other location where it could draw Carbon Monoxide from the furnace, water heater, woodstove, fireplace or any other device that can create Carbon Monoxide! This could be a lethal mistake. Contact your local utility or a Professional Heating Contractor if you're not sure.
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My window unit air conditioner has air and heat my problem is that my air still works good but my heat won't blow and it doesn't get hot please tell me what' s my problem
Rose

Rose, unfortunately there are far too many potential problems for me to diagnose this for you. Most likely it will end up being in the thermostat (usually built-in on window air conditioners). I would contact a professional heating and air conditioning company to take a look at it for you. If your local HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) company won't work on window air conditioners you can contact an appliance repair company possibly
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We live in a fairly new house, built in 1999, and in the past few years our air conditioning unit has not been cooling the house when it is first turned on in the summertime, and has needed servicing each time it happens for different problems. Is there anything that can be done to prevent the air conditioning unit from needing servicing again for at least a few more years?
Anonymous

The simple answer is yes, find a contractor in your area that provides an annual service or maintenance agreement program. Most service providers that offer this type of agreement will come to your home and completely inspect the unit. They will detect any problems and make you aware of them so that you can decide if something needs to be repaired, cleaned, serviced, etc. If your system passes their inspection they should be able to offer you a regularly scheduled service agreement to prevent the issues you're having or at the very least offer a discounted service price on any repairs that may need to be done in the future. We have several hundred Comfort Advantage Club Members and have proven that regularly scheduled maintenance doesn't cost - it pays... in reduced energy bills and fewer repair bills.
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I have a Window Air Condition Unit that's a few years old, it still cools good, but now I notice White Smoke coming in thru the Vents, what is the problem & how to fix it?
Shirley

First of all if you truly have smoke coming out of the unit I'd shut it off and call a technician right away. However, that being said, make sure you're seeing smoke and not frost coming out the deflectors. Many window air conditioners will actually get a confined area so cold in high humidity conditions that they begin to frost up. I've actually seen small chunks of ice come flying out of a window AC. If that is what's happening it's possible you just need to have the unit serviced. Another possibility is that you need to run the unit at a little warmer temperature and not keep the area quite as cool. Make sure you're not having a real problem with the smoke though; I think it's unlikely but better play it safe and get it checked.
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My A/C unit has to be replaced with a 13 seer unit as the coil failed. The tech. says that my copper line must also be replaced as it is 7/8" & as the run to the attic unit is around 85' it should be 1-1/8". I live in Texas so must have AC, but the cost to replace the piping is extreme. My house is 20 years old & has always had the 7/8". Do you think that this is really needed?
Anonymous

Based upon the information you gave me I would tend to agree with your technician. You may want to check around to see if there are some other brands of equipment that don't require going to 1 1/8" at 85'. There are too many variables to give you a definitive answer here. If you trust your service company I'd go with what they're telling you.
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There's a pipe in my downstairs closet that's leaking water and damaging my kitchen floor. The only it leaks is when my a c's running. Can u help me?
Donna

Donna, normally this is a simple fix. Your AC has to remove humidity from the air in order to cool it. The water that is removed from the air is typically run off thru a drain pipe or hose. At times these become clogged and can start a leak somewhere. There are other potential sources but this is the most likely. You should have your system serviced annually and when this is done the condensate drain should be cleaned as well.
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We just had a new HVAC system installed in our home (1250 sq ft ranch w/full basement). They installed a 3 ton unit. The first night we ran the A/C the lineset froze up. We called the service man and everything checked out OK. They told us we had the thermostat set to low (70). Following their advice, we tried to step down the cooling. When we set it to 71, after stepping down for 24 hours, it started to freeze again. Our old unit (40 yrs old) kept the house at 68 without freezing while running all day. Why is the new unit freezing up at 71? The old unit had a direct return on the side. They installed a new return on the main level, omitting the one in the basement. Is 72 the lowest we can set the thermostat? I also noticed the A/C did not kick off, even though it read 71 as the inside temperature. Is there any truth to the explanation that the setting was too low for the system to handle it? Temps have been in the 80,s during the day and 60,s at night. Any advice?
MP

Wow, that's a tough question to answer. I don't know where you live so I can't even guess if your air conditioner fills the "rule of thumb" guide that old time contractors used; 600 sq ft per ton. The only way to know for sure if your AC is the proper size is to have a heat gain/loss analysis done for your home. Any competent contractor can do one for you. It is in fact possible to freeze up an air conditioning system but it shouldn't happen if everything is designed and operated properly. In the Midwest the average temperature (if there is such a thing) most people keep their homes in the summer is around 74 to 76 degrees. If humidity levels are controlled these temps are more than comfortable for the average (?) homeowner. If you have to keep your temps that low (70, 71) to be comfortable I suggest one possibility is your new system is too big for your home. That would answer many of the problems you're experiencing. Other things that cause freezing are too low of refrigerant charge, not enough air flow, too low of return temperatures, and a few others. If everything is right and you still can't find an easily correctable fix have your service company look into putting a "Freeze stat" on the evaporator coil. This will shut the AC off when it approaches conditions that would cause it to freeze up. Not a perfect solution but it can work as a last resort.
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A few days ago I noticed that my A/C seemed to not be cooling. I was turning it down to below 60 to get it to a comfortable 70ish. I had a technician come out today and he changed my thermostat (got a digital)but couldn't service my A/C until next week. The new thermostat still reads 82 but it feels okay so I'm assuming it's not actually 82 in the house. It's still not cooling well though. I set it to 60 and hours later, it is actaully going up! I just checked and it now says 83. My question is, should I allow him to wait until next week or insist he come back sooner? I'm not uncomfortable, just afraid of burning up a compressor or something waiting for him to return. Maybe something is wrong with the digital read out?
Lisa

Well, I think you may have another problem. I can't think of a reason that a technician would come to your home to install a new thermostat and not have time to look at your air conditioner at the same time. This is a very poor business practice unless there were some very extenuating issues. It's not cost effective for a company to send a technician out to do partial repairs and most professional shops don't operate as you've described. I think, knowing only what you've told me, that I'd look for another company to come back and check things out. Also, I wouldn't wait a week to have the unit serviced. Little problems can beco