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HVAC System for the Home Addition

Bob meets with Mark, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning mechanic. Bob and Mark have an in-depth discussion on why a homeowner had to add an air-conditioning unit to an existing air-conditioning unit. The new space added onto the residence was too large for the old unit to cool, so a new 1-1/2 ton unit had to be added. They also describe how the particular unit cools the home and the major components of the unit.
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HVAC System for the Home Addition

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" Not the first question I wanted to ask you about the air conditioning system is why do we need a new one for such a small addition what did the homeowner already happened. All the homeowner had 83 ton system for around the typical on -- health fears about thirteen hundred square foot our home. And -- Because of the area that we're adding and the heat load of this area that we're adding we chose to install another system on the -- but the additions. Basically nine by twelve why do we really need another another system. Mainly Bob because this is the armed incidents just the square footage of the area here we have -- high heat load in this area and we've got a big volume as well correct -- we've got a refrigerator in here that's running constantly and cook in oven and so forth. And also like -- at a high ceiling and with the previously the other system enough to really. Of that customer had informed me that it what really strain in the summertime with a high humidity and high temperature here Miami it really had to work so they've got to -- a system and now I've got an extra time and half what kind of system is that. -- basically this is they split system yet with a condensing unit on the outside and the air handler here on the inside what is the condensing unit out there do the condensing unit is what contains the compressor and the heart of the system and it pumps the freon react exactly the freon gas to this unit inside here and let's look at this --"

" Now what's all this business here well basically -- Thursday. The Thursday that the cooling section of the air handler so all that cold freon gas travels through all these. Quote the copper pipe corrected. All these these copper pipes calm cool as the -- it on the evaporates in -- system and the pipes are within our system of metal hinged to correct those are all aluminum aluminum fins its copper tubes are with aluminum fins. Which I'll remove the moisture from the air as it passes through the unit that's not a big important things here Florida right correct. And of course you don't want the moisture to -- on the floor to get a private out of the house right that's still needs to be done that'll -- and then it will on go out -- on the opposite elbow here into the outside will be high -- outside now how important is this component that's around the heart of the inside unit this is your. You're -- and this that your air air handler fans action -- your fan motor and all the real ladies and the heater and a and a close and one section to dislike did it that's all it does Bob it's a slides writing you to put it in place here. And that's its life all the way back like so. Nice features of you do have to get attic for service it's very -- very -- on maintenance yes right right and now let's talk for a minute about what you've done you line to lead the cavity with drywall why is that all the main reason for that is all we would like to have all a nice sealed area so that all our air return going to this unit. It is through an air return filter at the rear OK -- back air return grille so it's sealed and then what kind of duct material is -- being used on this is -- and an. Duct work it's a rigid my -- are fiberglass and it comes in four by eight sheets and you just folded into the shape unit comes in four by ten sheets and we cut it to size to whatever size ductwork is that we need now do you have I know it's very efficient from the point of view. Insulation and making sure that is the your travels from. The air conditioning unit to its ultimate room you don't lose the cooling effect but what about moisture with them like this all moisture isn't too much of a problem number one on because we are inside. The air conditioned space we don't have to -- the high outside temperature like we would open an attic area right. If it's what you call the plan of this that the plant them. Which on all the years that leads the air handler goes through this plenum that the main the main branch duct work at the."

" What's this white stuff what does that say all our six mastic. Which we use to make sure that the the duct work is on the tape stays. On at you know adhered to the duct work that's just rush and brush -- gone after the ductwork is on all laid on after the it is installed and squeegee. We -- right on it. One last question what about thermostats where should you place them. Although the of them what the best place to put the thermostat is in the on the main area of where your are going to be air conditioning. And this is that typical thermostat that gets installed on the on the small split systems business though white Rogers and you would want to install at approximately five and a half feet. Height because that is the area that we are living in and that's the area that you want to sense what the --"

" It sure makes perfect for. Isolation is really important and an addition like this it's on the west side of the house which means you gonna get a lot of heat on to the masonry. And we're obviously putting in a topic here. The system that we used is known as the 310 insulated formed system which is styrofoam and metal they gets filled with concrete so we've got an 26 factor in these walls that's great. What -- what you're seeing here for example is the way we roughed in electrical wiring we simply gouge out the styrofoam and put the wires in place and then they have to go over this without a metal protective cover so that when they start. Nailing up by drywall and installing other things like cabinets there's no danger of short circuit. But the other really important aspect is up there as you got a lot of heat build -- thank past you one more of these if he got a lot of heat buildup in a situation like this. You've got temperatures outside and that ninety's every day in the summer and what we're installing is. Nine and a half inch batts of fiberglass insulation. That will give us about an."

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