air handler fan speed

[BOB]

I just had a dx geothermal system installed with a trane tam7aoc48h41sc air handler. Tech who hooked system up lives 6 or so hrs away, so after 6 leaks & a

2nd tank of refrigerant he was more inerested in going home than any set up. When blower came on it was 100%. I new it wasn't right so after 2 weeks of trying to get someone back to check it, I looked through service facts that came with tam7 and changed a dip switch setting so when blower came on it ramped up & back down.

This was enough better that with comparable temperatures I used half of kilowatt hrs 2nd 2 weeks than 1st 2 weeks, but I still think it can do better. When heat comes on & blower is starting slow, air out of registers is quite warm. As blower ramps up air cools down.when blower slows down before it quits, air is warmer again. It only makes sense if blower didn't get up to 100%, air coming out of registers would be warmer longer.

My question is how can I set dip switches so blower only goes up to 50% or so. And I'd like to know if this could be a problem? Thank you.

[SC]

WOW!!! 6 leaks and 2 drums refrigerant. That was a real technican!!!!. Went for the cheap price on the install, Right? As they say you get what you pay for. The blower has to be set and the CFM's have to be checked for the proper airflow using the proper test equipment to set the system operation. I doubt your contractor has the equipment to set it up properly which is why he was ready to get out of there. Was the system inspected by the local mechanical inspector? Good luck trying to get someone to straighten this mess out, I wouldn't touch it.

[SC]

I forgot to mention in addition to a Annometer to set CFM's, you will need a Manometer to check static pressures in the system, a Amperage meter and a Volt meter.

[BOB]

WELL SC THANKS FOR WISHING ME GOOD LUCK, AND NO I DIDN'T GO FOR THE CHEAP PRICE ON THE INSTALL. THE CONTRACTOR I HIRED TO DO THE JOB HIRED THE TECH. I HOPE IF I GET ANY MORE RESPONSES THEY ARE MORE HELPFUL, .BUT THEN I KNOW YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. RIGHT. OH HEY , I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING YOU TO TOUCH IT.

[sc]

There is a standard pratice required by all manufacturer's on install to pressure test a system before adding refrigerant. Had that been done all leaks could have been found and repaired prior to putting any refrigerant in the system. also Trane has a installation, start up and adjustment procedure that must be followed. From what you say, none of this was done. Ask yourself, why you can't get them to come back and do anything to help you out? And remember me

5yrs. or less from now when you have a compressor failure in the system.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, If it is brand new install. where is the owner's manual? Hired a guy to hire a tech, that sounds funny. No permit? No inspection? I don't get it. I hope you did not pay in full amount when the job was done poorly.

[sc]

Dragon40, did you read the whole thread. This is a bad install. Tech had six leaks, wasted 2 drums refrigerant, (asuming R-410A @30 pound drums times

2)approx. $2,000.00. He says he tried for two weeks to get them to come back and adjust the fan speed. Good luck with that. They probably don't have any licenses or insurance on top of that, and he is looking for free advise to tell him how to fix their screw up.

[Ken]

Hiring a person that charges more than someone else, is no guarantee that he will perform the work in a more conscientious manner. People trust a person like a licensed HVAC person to know what they are doing and to do a quality job. That does not always happen however. To blame the victim of a poor job rather than the person doing the work, is like Obama continuing to blame GWB.

[Don]

Stan, you old goat! Thought you had kicked the bucket by now. Did you ever get that motorized wheelchair you were wanting?

[sc]

I wouldn't mind having one but I probably couldn't figure out how to drive it. To mechanical. Now the big question, do I know you?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, So he can get a speeding ticket, LOL!

[BOB]

THANK YOU KEN. YOU'RE RIGHT, HIGHER PRICES DON'T ALWAYS EQUATE TO MORE COMPETENCE. NOW TO MISTER HWANG HUNG LO. WHAT DOES WHERE'S MY OWNERS MANUAL HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? I HAVE THE OWNERS MANUAL. IF I HAD THE TOOLS MENTIONED IN 1 RESPONSE & THE KNOWLEDGE TO USE THEM , I WOULDN'T BE HERE . AND I DIDN'T HIRE A GUY TO HIRE A GUY . AFTER SPEAKING WITH & GETTING 14 QUOTES I HIRED A GEO CONTRACTOR TO DO THE JOB. HE DID OUTSIDE WORK & HIRED WHAT I WOULD HAVE GUESSED WAS A QUALIFIED HVAC TECH TO DO HOOK UP. BUT I WAS WRONG, AND NOT THE FIRST TIME . NOW BACK TO OLD SC ASSUMING R410A. IT WAS ACTUALLY R407C @ $225.00 FOR A 25LB TANK . AS FOR FREE ADVICE , AFTER CALLING AT LEAST A DOZEN HVAC CONTRACTORS AS FAR AS 60 MILES AWAY , AND WAITING ON ONE FOR OVER A MONTH I CAME HERE , WHERE IT SAYS ADVICE & IDEA EXCHANGE . FOOLED ME . I'M THINKING IT'S WHERE OLD GUYS COME TO BE MORONS TO PEOPLE LOOKING FOR HELP. I'M GOING TO TRY 1 MORE QUESTION. CAN YOU PUT REPLACEMENT GAUGES FOR R410A &R407C ON A MANIFOLD THAT HAS R22 &R12 GAUGES ON IT. IF SO DO I HAVE TO REPLACE O-RINGS OR HOSES. THANKS

[sc]

OK Bob, First let me apologize for my remarks. I did not have all the details as you have provided since your first post. Some of us are here to try to help people out when we can, and yes there are a lot more that are here to agitate people. My main concern is that however it happened, I think you wound up with a HVAC tech that had little or no knowledge about how to properly hook up and leak test a system prior to adding refrigerant. Now as to your last question; R-410A runs a much higher pressure than R-22 & R-12 & R-407C. While you could replace the gauges on the manifold you will need new hoses rated for R-410A (rated 800 psi). It would be less expensive to buy a new manifold set rated for R-410A than to buy all the new gauges, hoses and valves need to convert the old set. Ex. R-22@45 degree F evaporator= 76 psig, R-407C@45 deg evaporator= 70.6 psig, R-410A@45deg evaporator= 130 psig. Now I have one last question. Was this a new system? The reason I'm asking is all new equipment manfuactures equipment are R410A units. R-407C is a replacement refrigerant to retrofit and older R-22 system. Thanks and again I am sorry about my eariler comments. I should have requested more information to start with.

Stan Chaney HVACR Commercial Refrigeration & HVAC

7325 Fairystone Park Hwy. Bassett, VA 24055 [phone]

[jamesgangnc]

Minimum you are looking to set the fan speed so you are inside a temp range at the output. Installation manual will give you the range. Make a small hole a little down from the air handler and stick your thermometer in ther e. Put a piece of tape over the hole when you are done.

Frankly the "sub" shouldn't be your problem and you shouldn't have paid off the main guy you contracted with until the system was fully set up and fun ctioning to specs.

[makolber]

to the op... this is counter-intuitive and I'm not going to debate it with you but...

a higher blower speed will give cooler air out the vents, but this makes the system MORE efficient. Note there is a difference between HEAT and TEMPERATURE. You want to get the most HEAT out of the system not necessarily the highest temperature.

Set the blower for the highest speed and therefore the lowest vent temperature that you feel comfortable with. The lower the blower speed, the LESS efficient the system will be.

Before you argue with me, think about it...

Mark

[TimR]

I think this is true for low to moderate speeds but would level off at some point, when you're getting too much blow through and too little contact time.

You may also have problems with stratification at some speeds.

You probably want to measure the temperature at each speed available before deciding.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Cold air is denser and hevier that warm air. Always in cooling mode blower speed is set higher than heating mod within the system design realm.

[PaxPerPoten]

The best balance is still 400 cfm or with cooling to be about 20º TD. Too high a warm air blower speed will throw your heated air stream high into the rooms. Your best heating reality is for the air to be slightly blown across the floor and to rise from its own heat. Cooling air should have enough velocity to throw it high into the air without exceeding a comfortable temperature(approx 20º TD), thus letting it fall down upon the area that needs cooling. The ideal situation for cooling air is ceiling ducts and for warm air ..floor ducts. If you don't hit a comfort zone, then so-called efficiency is moot!

[PaxPerPoten]

The question of blower speed is moot, considering that most modern comfort equipment utilizes variable speed blowers.

[TimR]

My supply vents like most people's are on the ceiling. I want the warm air thrown down onto the floor, hard enough to mix well and not stratify, and of course to not short circuit into the return.