Hi from Magdalena

jeffjoseph1 · 09-14-13, 11:17 AM

Noobie here. I live in the high desert of New Mexico. I am very remote and I am looking to upgrade improve the HVAC system in the house DIY. I can not get any contractor to come out to my house, it is 45 miles from the nearest city of any decent size.

Any hints on which sections to review for this kind of thing would be helpful.

Thanks,

Jeff

AC_Hacker · 09-14-13, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffjoseph1

...I am looking to upgrade improve the HVAC system in the house DIY... Any hints on which sections to review for this kind of thing would be helpful.

There's going to be a lot of info going on to answer this question.

Best to start a new thread in the "improvement" section.

But in that thread, you should state what your "Heating Degree Days" value is

You should both tell how much and what kind of heat you are currently using, which you can find in your bills.

Your current insulation, and what you have done.

Your current infiltration level, and what you have done.

Do you want to entirely hire the work out?

Do you want to act as your own contractor?

Do you want to do it all your self (DIY)? (If the answer to this is "yes", will your family be able to survive the adventure?)

There are many aspects to your question.

-AC

jeff88 · 09-14-13, 01:18 PM

I can see why nobody would come out to you! But how do you order pizza?!

OK, in all seriousness, what improvements have you done so far? How far into it do you want to get?

I'll assume you want to do a full reno and then you can decide what you want to do, just for thoroughness.

Do you have complete insulation? By that, I mean you need to make sure the walls have adequate R-value, but also that you have insulation everywhere else, like the attic/basement.

I would also seal up any leaks, especially around walls and windows. You can also get gaskets for the light switches and outlets (not as critical with decent insulation). Outlet Gaskets I would buy/rent an infrared thermometer gun. This will help you determine where some problem spots may be. Infrared Thermometer You can also have a blower door test done, but that would require somebody coming out, as the equipment costs a lot and I don't imagine anybody just renting $3,000 worth of equipment out to somebody.

Check your vents, make sure there is nothing in them and clean. If they are dirty, clean them and you will definitely have to clean the ducts as well. If they are already clean, you may want to look at the ducts anyway, they can be dirty and depending on how old the duct work is, you could potentially have leaky and/or broken apart ducting (where tape has failed and joints have come apart). DIY Duct Cleaning If you're bored or have insomnia, you can read this: EPA Air Duct Cleaning

Check your air filters on your A/C and heater.

See if you can get a new A/C or heater if it makes sense (i.e. a more efficient device and the ROI makes sense).

I just came across this yesterday. It's a solar powered exhaust fan, so you are using "no" energy to cool the house. Especially useful if you have an attic. Solar powered exhaust fan

(p.s. I assumed you would be going to Home Depot, considering it's proximity to you as compared to any other store, hope it helps)

Good luck and keep us posted!

09-14-13, 11:17 AM	#1
jeffjoseph1 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Magdalena, NM Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hi from Magdalena Noobie here. I live in the high desert of New Mexico. I am very remote and I am looking to upgrade improve the HVAC system in the house DIY. I can not get any contractor to come out to my house, it is 45 miles from the nearest city of any decent size. Any hints on which sections to review for this kind of thing would be helpful. Thanks, Jeff

09-14-13, 01:18 PM	#3
jeff88 Lots of questions Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 73 Thanks: 27 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I can see why nobody would come out to you! But how do you order pizza?! OK, in all seriousness, what improvements have you done so far? How far into it do you want to get? I'll assume you want to do a full reno and then you can decide what you want to do, just for thoroughness. Do you have complete insulation? By that, I mean you need to make sure the walls have adequate R-value, but also that you have insulation everywhere else, like the attic/basement. I would also seal up any leaks, especially around walls and windows. You can also get gaskets for the light switches and outlets (not as critical with decent insulation). Outlet Gaskets I would buy/rent an infrared thermometer gun. This will help you determine where some problem spots may be. Infrared Thermometer You can also have a blower door test done, but that would require somebody coming out, as the equipment costs a lot and I don't imagine anybody just renting $3,000 worth of equipment out to somebody. Check your vents, make sure there is nothing in them and clean. If they are dirty, clean them and you will definitely have to clean the ducts as well. If they are already clean, you may want to look at the ducts anyway, they can be dirty and depending on how old the duct work is, you could potentially have leaky and/or broken apart ducting (where tape has failed and joints have come apart). DIY Duct Cleaning If you're bored or have insomnia, you can read this: EPA Air Duct Cleaning Check your air filters on your A/C and heater. See if you can get a new A/C or heater if it makes sense (i.e. a more efficient device and the ROI makes sense). I just came across this yesterday. It's a solar powered exhaust fan, so you are using "no" energy to cool the house. Especially useful if you have an attic. Solar powered exhaust fan (p.s. I assumed you would be going to Home Depot, considering it's proximity to you as compared to any other store, hope it helps) Good luck and keep us posted! Last edited by jeff88; 09-14-13 at 01:25 PM..