Hi there,
My mom needs a new furnace & hot water heater. Both are super old and and need to be replaced. Both will be electric, she lives in a condo and doesn't have gas or propane. Can anyone recommend an electrician or HVAC company in the area? I'm checking our Sears and have a recommendation for Aire Serve from an acquaintance.
Thanks!
posted by reddot
on Feb 24, 2013 -
4 answers
My electric heat pump is
icing over something fierce, and the technicians don't really have a clue what's going on. There is one theory I'd like you to comment on, and if it makes no sense, I'd appreciate alternate theories.
[more inside]
posted by Stewriffic
on Jan 26, 2013 -
13 answers
I recently had the hardwood floors redone. The floor guy did a great job, except dropped the ball in the floor registers, now what?
[more inside]
posted by silsurf
on Aug 18, 2012 -
8 answers
Different Central air conditioner and furnace brands? When it comes to HVAC, should we go with Carrier, Goodman, York, or Lennox?
[more inside]
posted by exhilaration
on Jun 7, 2012 -
15 answers
I bought a new (to us) house; the 2-zoned A/C worked very well for a week of very hot weather. Starting this weekend, it was having trouble cooling. The evaporator is not iced; the thermostat seems okay. What to look for?
[more inside]
posted by ftm
on May 29, 2012 -
7 answers
Think my central AC has blown a fuse but I have no fuse puller--hardware store out. Is there some other tool I could use or should I wait til I can get one? It is New Orleans and real hot.
posted by liketitanic
on May 5, 2012 -
6 answers
Plumbing/Science Equipmentfilter: I have a process air heater that I bought from Omega but I have no idea how to connect the 4in non-threaded duct and the 1in threaded pipe outlet from my blower. Help please!
[more inside]
posted by wuzandfuzz
on Feb 22, 2012 -
8 answers
What are the major benefits of a programmable thermostat, how big a deal is the new Nest thermostat, and how much might I expect to save with either one over a non-programmable digital thermostat?
[more inside]
posted by brentajones
on Oct 26, 2011 -
21 answers
How do I calculate the static pressure resulting from the transition of a 12" air duct to an 8" duct, given a target CFM of 2,000 CFM?
[more inside]
posted by buzzv
on Oct 16, 2011 -
14 answers
We're looking for a new building to lease for our growing cleantech business. If we're lucky we'll find something that already has a lab complete with working fume hoods. But right now it looks more likely that we'll have to construct the lab ourselves. One huge potential expense is installing the extra HVAC capacity needed when you operate fume hoods (because they suck all the conditioned air out of the building). When we're talking with rental agents they tell us this building has X tons of HVAC, but we have no idea if that's even close to our requirements. So specifically how much HVAC capacity would be needed to run two 4' fume hoods. Or is there an easy method/rule of thumb for estimating what's needed.
posted by Long Way To Go
on Aug 3, 2011 -
9 answers
How can I reconfigure my Goodman GmH950703Bx furnace so that it doesn't blow all the time?
[more inside]
posted by ChrisR
on Feb 23, 2011 -
3 answers
[HVAC Filter]Is there a way to harness the power of my outside unit to force more and faster air through my gas furnace?
[more inside]
posted by kuanes
on Jan 15, 2011 -
8 answers
My house is cold, and I suspect something's wrong with the thermostat. But I know next to nothing about how home HVAC systems work. Other weird stuff inside...
[more inside]
posted by ChrisLSU
on Jan 12, 2011 -
21 answers
When giving home-buying advice, I regularly point out that there's likely going to be at least one Major Traumatic and Unexpected Expense. And now, I have mine! Specifically: I need a new gas boiler. Current boiler is approaching 3 decades and would cost approx. $2000 to repair, thanks to everything wrong with it. The salesman comes Thursday. Any advice about brands? What burning (no pun intended) questions do I need to ask? I'm in upstate NY, and the house is just under 2200 sq. ft. with three zones.
posted by thomas j wise
on Dec 7, 2010 -
2 answers
Apparently, the warm air from a heat pump is less warm than the hot air from a gas or oil furnace. But
how much less warm? Help this clueless transplant from the frozen north tell if his heat pump is broken, or just limping along in the lukewarm way it's apparently supposed to?
[more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone
on Nov 13, 2010 -
6 answers
I have to keep calling my apartment manager in to repair the HVAC (heating and air conditioning) unit every few months. This can't be right. I know YANMRP (you are not my repair-person) but I wonder what could be going on and what I can do about it.
[more inside]
posted by Rosie M. Banks
on Sep 1, 2010 -
12 answers
What is the summertime temp/humidity differential that makes it more efficient to open the windows and turn off the A/C in one's house than it is to keep the house closed up?
[more inside]
posted by fishpatrol
on Jul 6, 2010 -
13 answers
So yesterday I heard this noise coming from the basement all day. It turns out the condensate pump on my AC (water goes from AC to some tank in the floor and the pump pumps it outside AFAIK) was continually running all day.
I unplugged it and plugged it back in, and it hasn't run since. How can I tell if the pump is working properly or not?
[more inside]
posted by GregX3
on Jun 25, 2010 -
5 answers
Is it within bounds to ask a landlord to waive a month's rent if we've been without AC for weeks due to poor decisions he's made? (extensive details inside)
[more inside]
posted by FatherDagon
on Jun 15, 2010 -
6 answers
My air conditioner has stopped...conditioning. I live in a condo on the north side of Chicago in an old conversion building. The furnace in my mechanical closet hooks to a AC unit on the roof, and for the last few days, it's been running full blast and can barely keep my unit below 80 degrees. I checked on the roof unit, and the fan is blowing cool air out. At this point, I'm pretty sure I need to call in a HVAC guy, but even the best reviewed places on Yelp are combinations of THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE and OMG SO OVERCHARGED. So, mefi, what do you recommend? If anyone here has any expertise in the field, I'd love to know whether you think this is something simple like a coolant recharge, or I'm looking at a new AC unit. My best guess is that the AC is about 5 years old, give or take.
posted by Oktober
on Jun 1, 2010 -
14 answers
My part of the house is never comfortable! Help us with our tri-level home heating/cooling issues.
[more inside]
posted by thorny
on May 25, 2010 -
5 answers
What are some ways,
other than air conditioning, to cool a large room (~6,000 square feet)?
[more inside]
posted by yerfatma
on May 25, 2010 -
16 answers
HVAC Advice. I have a six year old house with a Goodman AC system.
Three years ago the evaporator coils rusted like crazy and leaked out -- replaced under warranty. Three years later, low and behold, the coils have started to rust up like crazy. Techs and I are stumped -- "This shouldn't happen." Any ideas?
[more inside]
posted by cavalier
on May 18, 2010 -
13 answers
Help me understand which home A/C unit to purchase! Our 27 year-old a/c unit failed in out house, blowing out it's 3rd motor in as many years. We've decided it's time to finally get a new one. We've gotten several bids from local companies are simply quite confused.
[more inside]
posted by damiano99
on May 14, 2010 -
6 answers
What does the term "23 Hour Service" when used by the service & repair industry?
[more inside]
posted by jspierre
on Feb 22, 2010 -
9 answers
My furnace has not functioned correctly since November 28th, and I am wondering just how badly my home warranty company is jerking me around. Need advice as to how to deal with them to get the furnace fixed or replaced. Additionally, if anyone knows something about furnaces that can help me understand what is going on, I'd appreciate that too, because I suspect that knowing the magic words may help me get this taken care of.
[more inside]
posted by Stewriffic
on Feb 13, 2010 -
7 answers
I'm looking for objective, research-based rankings on household heat pumps/AC and gas furnace brands. I'm not looking for individual testimonials. But I can't seem to Google up anything but company-based advertising and the ranting 'XYZ Heat Pumps Suck!' sites. Consumer Reports is quite silent on what is a major consumer investment, unfortunately. Any leads on objective information?
posted by eaglehound
on Feb 12, 2010 -
5 answers
HVAC befuddlement - Does anyone understand the consequences of having a blower on your furnace that is undersized for the A/C unit you have?
[more inside]
posted by chinston
on Jan 17, 2010 -
12 answers
Chicago home improvement filter: We'd like to get an estimate for installing radiant-heat flooring in our condo (6-flat built at the turn of the last century. We own a duplex down, with the primary living area being on the ground floor) or possibly replacing the HVAC with baseboard heating. Anything, really, because the conversion from whatever-it-was to the gas furnace HVAC it now is was badly done and the place is freezing all the time. Any business or contractors you recommend? Suggestions for going about this the right way? Dire warnings?
[more inside]
posted by crush-onastick
on Oct 19, 2009 -
7 answers
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with LG Multi-zone air conditioners? We have a multi-zone system that has been working fine until recently. Now, when I try to run the AC I get a flashing CH 26 and CH 46 error on the units. They work fine if we just use the fan settings. Do I have a bad compressor/inverter or is it something worse?
posted by extraheavymarcellus
on Sep 13, 2009 -
1 answer
Can I get the Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency if I am buying the house right now, and the current homeowner is replacing the furnace for me?
[more inside]
posted by dpollitt
on Sep 1, 2009 -
4 answers
HVACFilterfilter: It's time to get a new filter for my residential HVAC system. Please help me understand MERV ratings.
[more inside]
posted by torquemaniac
on Jun 12, 2009 -
3 answers
What are these brownish-blackish floaty smudgy bits that drift down out of my ceiling vent at work? Is the stuff dangerous?
[more inside]
posted by Askr
on May 21, 2009 -
5 answers
Our central AC/Heating system leaked some kind of, uh, oil (!?) last night. I have no idea what it is, the super is baffled. More inside.
[more inside]
posted by GilloD
on Dec 4, 2008 -
6 answers
We just boxed in with drywall a round 5" heating duct, running from floor to ceiling in the corner of the living room. Because of some odd features of the room, this took up more space than it should. What I'd really like is to replace the duct (and drywall) with a paintable rectangular duct running up the corner of the room, that would look just as good as drywall. This would have to be rugged enough to withstand small children playing in the room (e.g. not dent like typical metal duct). Does this exist?
[more inside]
posted by winston
on Oct 5, 2008 -
5 answers
I am looking at ways of improving indoor air quality, and am considering having an Energy Recovery Ventilator installed. Anyone have experience with one, if its a worth while expense.
[more inside]
posted by [insert clever name here]
on Aug 26, 2008 -
2 answers
Help me keep cool! Ok, I'm a bit OCD about this I realize. I'm wondering if there's some way to test the AC in my apartment to see if it's working properly. Is there a special thermometer to use to test the air temperature coming out of the vents? If so, what should that temperature be?
[more inside]
posted by odayoday
on Aug 19, 2008 -
8 answers
Why is my bedroom consistently 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house, and what can I do to cool it off?
[more inside]
posted by carsonb
on Jul 3, 2008 -
24 answers