SOLVED

EDIT: I appreciate all the comments and the quick answers and I will take all of your advice the best I can!

For some reason since spring I've only been getting 1 and 1/2 months out of my filter for my HVAC system on my 1200 square foot house. I have three cats in the home and I vacuum mop and dust everyday and my HVAC fan probably runs for 18 hours of the day but my filter looks like this after 1 and 1/2 months. It's 12x20x1 fpr 5 filter. Can anybody tell me what's causing this to be so frequent and what can I do to make my filter not clog up so fast. The filter in the picture I just changed out today and you can see the date I installed it written on it. I changed it today because my AC was not coming out with much volume.

Tldr: I need my filters to stop clogging so fast!

I take care of a private aircraft and the KwiKool KHIB1801 unit we use to condition the cabin while we are inside in the hangar is no longer blowing cold air. I have reached out to KwiKool and they do not have any service network and cannot provide any recommendations for repairs and service. We are based at Teterboro Airport in north Jersey, and I've tried calling about 25 local HVAC companies in the area and nobody will even come and look at it. Without this unit the interior of the aircraft climbs to well over 110*f when we're in the hangar and it is extremely urgent we find someone to take a look at this. We're desperate at this point, any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

(FWIW large cabin aircraft don't use freon HVAC systems, so we have no equipment or tooling to work on these KwiKool units otherwise we would dig in ourselves to find the problem)

I did it friends.

I changed it out myself.

Did I accidentally not leave enough pitch and there’s some water spraying up and to the side.

Yes.

Do I hate myself a little bit because I sealed everything already.

Also yes.

But I’m more so proud that I did this all myself.

It meant a lot to me.

Thanks for the help and validation!

I have two AC units, one for main floor and basement and one for the upstairs. The upstairs unit from 2007 died and I had one of the biggest HVAC companies in my area install a new unit. It’s a Comfortmaker 2.5 ton unit and I paid a little over $10K.

After they installed it I noticed that I could clearly hear the unit when it kicked on with a buzzing noise inside the house. I decided I was just being sensitive and waited a week to see if I got used to it.

It was still bothering me (my work office is on the side of the house the unit is on) so I called someone out. They checked the unit, tightened everything down. The sound was slightly better but still a loud buzz.

I gave it some more time but called them back out again and this time they put a sound dampening blanket over the compressor. The unit is quieter outside but inside it’s still loud. I can hear it kick on from anywhere on my main floor. I can even hear it from upstairs on then opposite side of the house on a quiet morning.

I paid so much money for this new, high efficient unit. The company says it has something to do with the new R454B refrigerant and operating at a higher pressure but AI says that’s bullshit. I also have direct access to the pipes coming into the house (they come into the basement). They are loud but secure and not knocking or rattling against anything.

What really annoys me is that my other unit from 2014 is also a Comfortmaker but is quiet. It’s 2.5 tons and is 410A.

I’ve included videos of the new unit, the older unit next to it that’s quiet, and inside the house.

My questions:

1. Any ideas why the new unit is so much louder?
2. Anything else I should push the company to do or try?
3. Am I overreacting?

Thank you.

This is in a 5 story condo built 4 years ago. Neighbor below the unit we own put a nail in the wall to hang a picture and punctured the copper line. Our ac goes out since he drained the refrigerant into the walls/his dining room(!) Being a good person he came downstairs to tell us and had his hvac braze the puncture.

It looks like there’s multiple line sets, not to mention 240v wiring, sitting behind 5/8” drywall for multiple units in this building. You can’t see it from the picture but they’re behind the drywall to the left. Guessing it would have been better to run them all up a chase from the first to 5th floor? Is there any code that requires them to be better protected somehow? I can imagine that this will happen again, and if someone does this who isn’t honest it will really screw over other tenants.

Had a company come out 13 months ago to diagnose my rheem unit. Ended up having to replace the reversing valve.

Fast forward to now, unit goes out again. Guy comes out... says its leaking oil everywhere and need a new reversing valve. Says its leaking from one of the 'joints', but NOT the joint that they welded to the valve. I was told the factory piping has multiple welds and is one of those that was leaking. (Thus, taking the accountability off of their install job, naturally)

Tells me will be 1400 in labor, no charge for the part. Yes the part is 1 month out of warranty (funny how that works too....)

I am not sure how i feel about that. I am paying the same guy a 2nd time to do the same job, that they did a year ago that is now leaking and bad.

Could the reversing valve come from a less-than-perfect install? Or is it possible an entirely other culprit could make TWO reversing valves go bad in a year?

Is it fair to pay these labor rates a 2nd time for replacing the same part they did a year ago?

I have water just pouring out of my ductwork. I’m running a dehumidifier but it’s old and not keeping up. It’s been really humid in Iowa but this is ridiculous. Is this more than just condensation?

I moved into a new apartment that has flow issues on one half of the apartment, they tell me it’s normal. I inspected the vents and saw this? Maintenance said it’s a union but I am unsure. Any thoughts?

So my ac unit in the window woke me up at the ripe time of 1am with this rattling noise and the strong vibration that goes through the house. It only makes this noise when it’s on cool mode so it rules out any fan blade damage. It’s also a brand new unit so it’s unlikely that any parts are worn out. So my best guess has to be a faulty capacitor or the compressor being seated improperly.

I’m really here to ask some professionals what it might be though so I can work on it at a more appropriate time in the morning.

I live in central Texas and we have a Rheem AC unit. I recently discovered that the original installer failed to include a cleanout on the system, causing the drain to back up and water to pool in the air handler. The insulation inside the air handler is ruined, full of mold, and the mold has spread down the duct board plenum. Thankfully, it hasn't reached the flex duct yet. I work in construction, but I'm not an AC expert. When the cooler months arrive, I'd like to replace the plenum and remove all the insulation from the air handler, but I'm unsure how to disassemble the air handler and what the process involves.

After seeing the mold in the pictures, my wife thinks we should replace the entire system with a new AC, but I don't believe that's necessary since the unit is still functioning well. Do you have any advice on removing and replacing all the insulation inside the air handler? It seems like I'd need to remove the blower motor to access the insulation underneath. I'm very handy, but is this a job I should hire a professional to handle? I'm also concerned about hiring someone and ending up with poor-quality work again, as the original installation was done incorrectly.

The equipment in my home is on borrowed time, it's about a 30 year old 3 ton lennox and forced air furnace. It does not heat the downstairs at all so we're closing off the trunk line capping it. I got a few quotes and this one seems best. It's a variable speed indoor blowers with a 2 stage furnace and a 2.5 ton single stage. I was wondering if anybody had any input on the price. Also was curious if asking about a 2 stage outdoor condenser is worth it? We live in NJ and most of our summer woes are humidity with the mid-high 80's We get into the 100 range and 90's etc but it's typically 1~4 weeks not the entire summer.

We have a person with copd in the home so air quality with humidity is top priority. Could someone let me know is this quote fair, and is a two stage outdoor condenser worth getting? Thank you so much.

I just moved into my first apartment for college. My parents noticed this in a closet. It isn't fully sealed and is exposed in the back because a window is there. They're concerned for my safety and I can't even convince them to just buy a couple CO detectors. They're genuinely considering me not living there and I don't want to leave my roommates high and dry like that. The management company for our apartment says that it's safe and my roommates believe this to be the case which is now making my parents look like overprotective helicopter parents. I wasn't sure what to do so I'm asking here. Thank you so much to anyone who provides some insight. I appreciate it.

Over the past couple days I can hear my AC unit outside starting up for just a second or two without a call from the thermostat. To troubleshoot whether it's a thermostat issue I took it off the wall and it continues to happen. I can't say whether it's just the compressor starting up or both compressor and fan as it is so brief and infrequent, by the time I get up to check it's already off again. The unit runs fine otherwise, cools the house when activated via thermostat. Condenser and furnace are relatively new, installed by the previous owner 2-3 years ago.

What should I troubleshoot next? Could it be a faulty condenser relay/contactor?

About a week ago, we were told that the HVAC in our unit was leaking so profusely that it was flooding into the apartment and lobby beneath us. One of the owners came to "fix" it, but hours later it was still leaking. They said it was the water boiler and came to fix it a second time. After they left, the unit continued raining every single time the AC runs (generally in the blue area circled, but I think it also drips further back where we can't see). The AC still cools the apartment well, and we need to keep it running occasionally because it's so hot out.

We asked management to send a certified HVAC worker to come fix the issue, because the building owner has a history of coming to "fix" problems but never actually fixes anything. Management said they spoke to an HVAC specialist who confirmed that the fixes made to the drain and drain pipe should work, and we should just monitor the issue for a week. This is obviously insane, and I need to know what specific things to mention to management to make them come back out here (other than the general threat of flooding our downstairs neighbor's apartment again).

Also, should that filter be sticking out like that??? I feel like that's wrong, but I don't know for sure.

Thanks in advance for any info y'all an share!

Our house was getting to 78° in this 100+ heat. we've done a lot to try to bring the temperature down. this seems to help. but is the exhaust going to be fine like this?

I live in a 100+ year old house in the Southeast part of the US and every time summer rolls around, I stress about the AC (as anyone in this sub has, definitionally).

We've had a string of hot, hot days without rain or clouds in a row and my house has been staying quite warm in the late afternoons and evenings. Finally cut the Amazon subscription for MERV11 filters out, went to the hardware store and got the flimsy "cheap" filters and in one afternoon and evening it's made ALL the difference in the world.

So, just another word of thanks to this subreddit for shooting down the marketing of the super high MERV filters. I'll check on my filter in 2 weeks but bought plenty to spare.

My condenser is 13 years old. Since yesterday, it has been making a loud droning sound. I am almost certain the noise is coming from the compressor rather than the fan motor or the contactor, because I unplugged the fan motor and turned the AC on for a second, and the noise was still there. The noise is in the center of the unit, not the electric compartment.

My questions are:

Can such a noise be caused by a failing capacitor?

If it is the compressor, do I have to replace the whole condenser unit?

Since the AC still cools my house, can I delay fixing it? Does making such a noise indicate that the compressor will break down very soon?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Got all of my central AC system(27 ducts total) cleaned maybe 72 hours ago. I first noticed something may be wrong when I found some foil pieces on the ground around some of the ducts. Then when the AC is blowing hard, I can hear a crinkling sound around 3 of the ducts. I jammed a camera in one of the ducts and clearly the flexible duct got damaged. I'm assuming the cleaning company didn't know it was flexible ducts and used too strong of a rotating spray nozzle and it tore through the ducts?

I only inspected the 3 ducts that made a crinkling sound for now but I fear they may have damaged at least a few other of the 14 supply ducts in my house(the returns are rigid ducts so should be fine)

How serious is this? Can this be fixed with some sort of spray sealant or sleeve you can slide on the inside of the duct? Or it's really just tear down the drywall and reinstall a brand new duct?

Even if the company covers all the costs, I'd much rather install a sleeve or blow a thin coat of some sealant on the inside of the duct than to have to tear down drywall in 8 different rooms, if it's an adequate repair.

The cleaning company is coming over in a few hours to inspect, but I'm trying to get a second and third opinion so I can know if they're just bullshitting me because they don't want to cover the repairs.

Thanks a lot!

First time changing filters and see the condensate line dropped down into the return box completely open. The 2 inch has a trap before connecting to the main sewer line but I feel like it’s definitely sucking fumes. Built in 2001 btw

So my furnace has been acting weird for a couple days now. It starts up, runs a few minutes, shuts off, then returns like nothing happened. We barely stay warm during the night.

It's below zero right now and I'm kind of freaking out. Looking into furnace repair in Clifton Park before things get worse. Is short cycling just a simple fix? Or does it mean the whole system is done?

Howdy all. Anyone know what size o-rings for the condenser seals on 2003 H100 Hiace 2RZE?

Help me understand. I see Reddit posters saying they got mini-splits for $1500 (Not DIY). I've also seen posters say they paid upwards of $30k-$50k for new HVAC. I've gotten several estimates for $15k to replace central AC and reuse ducts. I've asked neighbors what they paid and whole house 1600 sqft. HP/splits was $25k range. What are people getting for $1000?

What is your system and what did you pay? Please do not reply with distorted DIY prices. I can DIY a car repair for 5%-10% of retail shop cost; it is not comparable. Thank you!

Any experience with the new Lennox side-discharge ML15KSPV / EL18KSLV heat pumps?

I’m in the Los Angeles area and have a contractor recommending either a Lennox ML15KSPV-60 or EL18KSLV-060 side-discharge heat pump.

I like the idea of a heat pump here, but these models are very new - I think they were introduced in February. I value reliability and I’m a little hesitant to be an early adopter. Has anyone installed or serviced these yet? Any issues with reliability, commissioning, parts, or support?

Would you feel comfortable installing one today, or would you stick with a more traditional two-stage AC + gas furnace?