List of Simple Questions 15

On the List of Simple Questions page and on the others alike (see links to them below), you can find answers to all spectrums of issues this website is dedicated for!
If your search engine sent you to this page that means, that a similar question was asked before and you will be able to find the answer you are looking for.
Some of the questions are simple enough and you can find answers right here on this page.
The others are more complicated and I provided links to the pages on my site where you can find free information.
For the third part of the questions that are not that simple, as you may think, I provided links to the paid pages or books on my site.

Can I use galvanized duct elbows for my water heater?
Yes.

Can I vent a gas boiler through my basement window?
No.

Can PVC hangers be screwed into to the sheet metal ductwork?
Yes.

Can shutting off my furnace cause gas to leak into my home?
No.

Can you connect an exhaust fan duct to an exciting duct?
Well, you can, but then you should increase rest of the existing duct, technically, in your case you cannot.

Can you duct a clothes dryer into an air conditioning return?
All other reasons aside, do you like this smell?

Can you have too much cold air return in basement?
Yes.

Can you install a downflow furnace upside down?
So, are you asking if you can convert a Downflow furnace to an Upflow furnace?
Let me guess - Are you a computer programmer?

Can you seal a crawl space if it has an air handler?
Yes. However, you may consider installation of the dehumidifier. Buy one on the right.

Can you use one condensate pump on two ac units?
Yes.

Can you vent bath exhaust fan into basement?
Yes, you can and I would say that you must, but only in the case if your mother-in-law lives there!

Can, may I use exhaust duct for stove flex, flexible rigid?
Yes. And you can buy it here on the right.

Correct way to connect flexible A/C air ducts to starting collar.
Put the inner sleeve on the collar and zip tie to it. Put the insulation and the outer sleeve on the collar and zip tie it again, but not that strong like the first one.

Could you paint hvac ductwork to stop condensation?
No.

Do both combustion air and air intake pipe have to be CPVC pipe?
For the high eff. furnace you should use PVC pipes.

Do flexible air conditioning ducts use dampers?
Yes.

Do I need an air return in the kitchen and dinning room if I cut an enter from the kitchen and dinning room?
No kitchen cold air returns are allowed.

Do I need cold air returns if no doors in house?
House without doors? What kind of house is it? – A museum?

Do you have to frame up when installing a return air grille?
If you are doing Rough-in then yes; if drywall is already install most likely no.

Does a furnace room need to be in the middle of the house?
No.

Does air conditioner in crawl space produce more condensation?
No. But if the ductwork from A/C in the crawl space and it's not insulated, then yes.

Does air conditioning duct have to be hung?
If it’s in the attic in the humid environment then yes.

Does closing one vent redirect heat to another?
Yes.

Does closing the chimney vent save on the power bill?
Yes, but you cannot do it if your furnace has a pilot light.

Does closing your basement door help with air conditioning?
Yes, if there is a cold air return.

Does regular metallic tape work on plenums?
Yes. Buy it on the right.

Hot air furnace should the return grilles be closed for the summer?
No.

How do I install a cold air return in an existing wall?
Purchase step-by-step instructions on this page.

How do you protect low voltage wire outside an air conditioner?
You can use clear tubing, just run wire through and zip tie it to the line set. Do you need all of that? Buy it on the right.

How long to wait when an air conditioner freezes up?
It depends… For my A/C I’m already waiting for 12 long years!

How many volts should be coming out of a thermostat?
In the most cases a thermostat is energized from the furnace and it provides 24 volts.

How much slope should a dryer vent have?
None.

How much would you charge for an after hours service call for a forced AC issue and also how much would you charge to fix a failed capacitor and check and top off the Freon?
Depends on the area that you live $75-85 per pound, $80-120 capacitor fix issue.

How short can you make a 45-degree throat for ductwork?
One inch.

How to connect furnace to bathroom fan?
Connect furnace to bathroom fan... But why?

How to crimp 3.25x10 ducts?
You should not crimp it; use S-cleat - drive connection.

How to crimp ductwork with needle nose pliers?
You should bend every first grip in and every second one out. But you can buy a crimper on the right.

How to extend ductwork to outside of house?
But for what?

How to hang ductwork by yourself?
You have to use a chain.

How to hook up window air conditioner to furnace?
Hook up a window AC to the furnace? And then what - cool down the entire house? This is a really great idea even Einstein could not dream of!

How to install ductwork in finished walls?
Strip the drywall, install ductwork...

How to install my vents in my house pictures?
Look, nobody can take pictures of your vents especially in your own house!

How to install wall register heating?
It is not difficult, but you have learn a couple of useful tips and tricks! Learn how to do it in the Chapter #52 of my Ductwork Installation Guide e-book.

How to lengthen cycle time on over sized heat pump?
Well, I guess you have to just the opposite of what I'm suggesting to do on this page...

How to make a duct offset for free?
Learn the formula and way to use it on this page and make as many duct offsets as you want for free!

How to screw s-cleats into duct to stop banging noise?
Get a solution on this page.

How to stop people from listening in my air vents?
For God's sake - just stop talking!

I have condensation dripping from one of my AC vents in my bedroom. My assumption is that the interior warm air from the room is meeting the cold air from the attic causing the condensation - thus dripping from the vent to the floor. If I close the vent, it becomes worse, if I leave it open it lessens a bit. What are your suggestions for correcting?
Remove grille, and seal the cracks around the boot, then seal the grille to the ceiling.

I noticed while outside the fan was running but I could here something cut on and then cut right back off. And then a minute later same thing, it cuts on and then off. And I can feel air being pushed though the vent but it’s not cold like it should. I made sure I turned it down (thermostat) so it should have stayed on.
Possibly a bad capacitor. Sometimes a capacitor will show no signs of visual failure and still be bad. It is much cheaper to buy a new cap than the meter to test it. A capacitor will run you less than $20. You will have to look in the phone book for A/C part wholesalers and call to see if they will sell it to you. Take the old one with you. You might be able to get one at an electric motor repair shop too.

I want to replace my hvac ductwork myself.
Yes, you can do it, but purchase my Ductwork Installation Guide book first.

Is closing a register the same as closing a damper for a/c?
Technically yes, but better do it with a damper.

Is flex duct more restrictive than metal?
Yes.

Is there a site where a consumer can go to find out how to install ductwork on a 4-ton carrier heat pump split system?
But you are already there!

Is there registers on top of my ductwork for my A/C?
Rather not, they usually put it on the side or on the bottom.

Issues with running a condensate line from the hvac system in the attic into the plumbing drain line?
You always have to have a P-trap filled with water.

Looking for step-by-step to install flue block and liner for a chimney.
You can find step-by-step instructions in Chapter #59 from my Ductwork Installation Guide book.

My attic A/C drip pan is constantly filling (& draining) with condensation. What's going on?
The pan under the unit is an emergency pan piped out to the outside separate from the unit condensate. That trap, coming off the unit, is blocked, the insulation is wet and the panel is dripping, it's why pan inside is full.

Should I have cold air coming out of the plenum in my attic?
No.

Should scoops be installed in ducts?
Yes, sometimes you may need them.

Should water feed on furnace humidifier be turned off for summer?
Yes, by turning your humidistat off.

Since we keep the basement vents closed, would it be ok to add another vent in the great room or would that mess up the balance of the entire system?
If the great room is above one of those closed vents, or you will be running the new supply from the area of that closed vent. No problem.

What do the winter and summer settings do on my carrier performance bypass humidifier?
In the wintertime, damper should be open, humidistat set on the desired level of RH, in the summertime damper should be closed, and humidistat turned off.

What do you call equipment that attaches to ductwork?
A furnace; a heat pump with an air handler or with furnace.

What do you call the vent where you put an air filter?
Cold air return.

What is the difference between hot air return and a cold air return?
It is just different names for the same thing.

What is the name of the ductwork right above my furnace?
Plenum.

What should be done to combustion air ducts in order to avoid condensation on the outside of the duct?
It should be insulated.

What to do if you find a nest in air conditioner duct?
Scrambled eggs.

Where does the offset for round pipe formula come from?
It's the same formula you can use for the rectangular duct. Learn more on this page.

Where should the air handler, in hot humid environments, be installed? In the attic, garage or inside house?                                                                                                                                                              Preferably in a conditioned space, somewhere that it is readably accessible for service. For maximum efficiency, the duct work should be in the conditioned space too, but that is not always practical. 

Which duct installation is proper? Category: 1. Heating & cooling both supply and return registers on inside walls, 2. Supply registers on outside walls and returns on inside walls, 3. Both supply and return registers on outside walls, 4. Supply registers on inside walls and returns on outside walls.
2. For more info please visit this page.

Why do they say do not block off your a/c vents in rooms you don't use?
Well it just because they didn't look at the bottom of this issue, find the answer on this page.

Why does furnace fan keep going after furnace shuts down?
Your fan on the thermostat set on the "On" position.

Why should the cold air return be at floor level?
No, it shouldn't but it might be there.

Why you should not add fresh air intake to home furnace?
I do not know, but why?

Will closing vent in unused room save energy?
Yes, it might, but you have to follow the certain rules to make it work. Get more info on this page.

Will high humidity levels cause condensation on ductwork in basement?
Yes.