Stupid fucking heat

3/5/2009 2:16:21 AM

I know it is expensive to replace, and that every few years they come up with some new regulations such that you simply can't buy just the outside unit or just the inside unit when only one is in disrepair. You have to buy both, because your old outside unit can't interface with the new inside unit.

Heat pumps suck in the winter anyway. Get a HVAC guy out there, you might just be low on freon (or whatever gas they use nowadays).

3/5/2009 8:16:17 AM

Quote :

"Heat pumps suck in the winter anyway."

actually, no; they are pretty good for this area

3/5/2009 9:47:20 AM

what about hvac?

3/5/2009 11:09:29 AM

furnace wont light... Exhast fan runs.

3/5/2009 11:26:06 AM

gas? is the pilot light out?

3/5/2009 11:49:03 AM

It has a poliot light starter, but the starter dosnt seem to be starting. Ive checked the ignition unit and it dosnt seem to be getting power. Righ tnow with the help of my rooamte we are thinking control board either the transformer or the rectifier that steps the 115 to 24.

Also the damned light switch that controls the thing broke. How screwy is that.

3/5/2009 12:10:42 PM

The transformer should be easy to test with a multimeter. I mean, it should have 117 on one side and 24 on the other. If it's 117 on one side and 0 on the other then you've found the problem. If it is 0 on both sides then the problem is somewhere earlier. Those things usually stink to high heaven when they burn out though. When the transformer for my furnace's blower motor burned out it was pretty obvious as soon as you opened the box where the problem was. You could have just as easily found the problem with your nose as you could with a multimeter.

P.S., if you need a new transformer you'll want to pull the old one out and take it to "D&L" on Atlantic Ave across the street from Creative Acoustics Car Audio. They stock replacements in just about every size.

[Edited on March 5, 2009 at 3:05 PM. Reason : l]

3/5/2009 3:04:01 PM

Quote :

"You have to buy both, because your old outside unit can't interface with the new inside unit."

Shoot, don't tell my setup that. This is the second heat pump since the initial install and the inside unit is about 23 years old now.

3/5/2009 3:13:26 PM

Quote :

"actually, no; they are pretty good for this area"

i agree. my next house will have a hybrid unit.

3/5/2009 3:31:51 PM

I just got my quote for my "Hybrid Unit" - Heat Pump with Gas back up was 15k.

This was for everything to be pulled and replaced - unit/ducts and moving returns to make more efficient. This is 2 units with a gas backup for when it gets down in the 30's.

House is 2400 feet. I am beginning to think I lika da gas heat now.

3/5/2009 5:45:37 PM

jesus man really?

when i get ready to build a house, $15k is big chunk of change. good in the long run though. expensive as hell to fix i bet.

gas be good in that case. it doesn't get below 30 all that often, but my gas heat is the shit (other than the $300+ bill i got for 2 months).

3/5/2009 8:44:38 PM

i've had the same problem (fan runs, wont light). they (the 1st hvac repairman) replaced the wrong switch. the 2nd guy replaced one of the limit switches and it works fine now. 15 mins and $75 later and it was done.

3/5/2009 8:50:32 PM

15k sounds like a ripoff to me.

I nerded out and blew some money on a Rinai water heater and tied it into a "furnace" that works like a radiator (apollo style but not apollo brand)... Even with buying a fully new water heater and air handler, the total turnkey price was around 7k.

If you think some handman dudes are gonna come up with a "more efficient" return placement think again... You're lucky if they've even taken a BS class at tech. school, much less understand a damn thing about the engineering behind return/vent placement.

They're just trying to convince you to let them do a full re-install

3/5/2009 10:24:35 PM

They came in and did a load test and heat loss assessment. My main cost is the fact that I want two units. The duct work is just around 3k.

3/6/2009 11:31:26 AM

Replacing existing duct work is very expensive because of the labor involved.

3/6/2009 2:23:23 PM

I may cut my cost by tearing it out myself.

I'm all for saving a dollar - I may change my mind half way through - but I will finish

3/6/2009 3:44:27 PM

ripping out and installing is actually very easy.

3/6/2009 10:29:49 PM

^ You've obviously never even touched steel pipe duct work with in-wall returns .

3/9/2009 12:30:39 PM

no joke! - that's what my house has and man has it has been fun! I ended up just getting some shears and cutting most of that crap out into manageable pieces and then pulling it out of the crawlspace.

3/9/2009 1:44:47 PM

Well,

Turned out one of the limit switches needed to be reset.

3/9/2009 4:08:01 PM

Quote :

"^ You've obviously never even touched steel pipe duct work with in-wall returns ."

Actually, I have. I've removed it but never installed. Just lay on your back and kick the crap out of the ducts until they bend and the screws come loose. Then drag it out from under the house... We always put the flex duct in its place though.... no need to replace with pipes again!

3/9/2009 7:00:23 PM

Quote :

"know anythign about HVAC shit"

everything i need to know i learned from HVAC workers:

1. Shit rolls downhill
2. Bossman's an asshole
3. Payday's on friday


also, you should not shit in the HVAC registers.


what other shit you wanna know?

3/18/2009 11:42:24 PM