EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Notes from a furnace-free day

MN Renovator · 12-22-10, 08:22 AM

"It's just another reason to get rid of forced air."

For heating, that seems to be a large issue but for cooling is it as much of an issue? If consideration was put towards well sealed ductwork, which I have recently completed my project to do exactly that. The supply ductwork seemed well sealed already and I really couldn't find any leaks, I lit some smoke and did wet hand tests on every joint I could find in the ductwork and couldn't find anything for leaks. It was the vents that had issues and I took care of those, lots of Al-tape. I closed off non-freeze areas and shut the ductwork pouring heat and drawing air from the basement(and hence a suction airflow of my hot air downstairs. So now I think the ductwork is as good as it can get and supply temperatures are still well below the max of the furnace and didn't even go up so I think that the pressure in the duct system still has some play in it and the furnace runs at a lower blower speed than the air conditioning, so even with cutting off the downstairs ductwork the heat exchanger should be fine.

I should create a thread on equipment replacement, I'm trying to swing the math in the direction of furnace and air conditioning replacement and I can't get it come to terms where replacement would pay off at all, even with a 15 year outlook when I'm using this equipment sparingly to borderline comfort levels.

12-22-10, 08:22 AM	#31
MN Renovator Less usage=Cheaper bills Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 939 Thanks: 41 Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts	"It's just another reason to get rid of forced air." For heating, that seems to be a large issue but for cooling is it as much of an issue? If consideration was put towards well sealed ductwork, which I have recently completed my project to do exactly that. The supply ductwork seemed well sealed already and I really couldn't find any leaks, I lit some smoke and did wet hand tests on every joint I could find in the ductwork and couldn't find anything for leaks. It was the vents that had issues and I took care of those, lots of Al-tape. I closed off non-freeze areas and shut the ductwork pouring heat and drawing air from the basement(and hence a suction airflow of my hot air downstairs. So now I think the ductwork is as good as it can get and supply temperatures are still well below the max of the furnace and didn't even go up so I think that the pressure in the duct system still has some play in it and the furnace runs at a lower blower speed than the air conditioning, so even with cutting off the downstairs ductwork the heat exchanger should be fine. I should create a thread on equipment replacement, I'm trying to swing the math in the direction of furnace and air conditioning replacement and I can't get it come to terms where replacement would pay off at all, even with a 15 year outlook when I'm using this equipment sparingly to borderline comfort levels.