r/hvacadvice

My parents recently had a well-known HVAC company come out to service their furnace. During the visit, the technician accidentally drilled into the coil. To his credit, he was immediately upfront about it and appeared genuinely embarrassed by the mistake, explaining that it happened while using a new drill bit. He also immediately called his supervisor, who sent another technician out to recover the refrigerant from the system.

Since then, the company has spent about two weeks attempting to locate a replacement coil for the system, which is approximately 25 years old.

For context, the unit was serviced about two years ago by a different company, and at that time they commented that it was in very good condition for its age. The system has also been operating without issues for the past 6 years under my parents’ ownership. It has routine maintenance records and appears to have been well cared for. It’s a propane furnace with A/C, located in the PNW.

The current company has now stated they’ve found a replacement coil, but they’ve also begun recommending a full system replacement, citing typical system lifespan (around 15 years). I have some familiarity with HVAC as well, and even I thought the condenser sounded strong for its age.

There have also been some noticeable gaps in communication, with longer pauses between updates from management. We’re not sure if that’s due to internal discussions or possibly something like an insurance process on their end.

Their current position is essentially that they will “fix it,” but the details of how that will be handled still feel somewhat open-ended.

Curious how others in the trade would view this situation in terms of responsibility and how it’s typically handled. At what point should expectations be more clearly defined if resolution starts to drag out?

I changed the filter a couple of days ago and noticed some liquid drops on it. Put in a new one, keep hearing drops. Took out the filter and looked up to see this (i think these are the evaporator coils?) is this a bad look? HVAC was installed a year and a half ago, new.

Our Ac Unit is fairly new and our dog continues to pee on it. Looking for some ways I can block it off with the little room I have on the left side without blocking the airflow for the AC unit.

Thank you

Got a $3800 estimate for:

1. Replacing blower motor ($2100)

2. Cleaning the blower wheel ($1130) and

3. $400 to replace a single run capacitor.

Which comes out to a nice $3780 total after"10% off"

While I'm far, far from an HVAC specialist, this seems way, way inflated, even for the state of Connecticut.

Just the cleaning quote alone seems ridiculous: it is literally clearing the blower wheel with a brush or compressed air, not replacing it. It is hard to see how that can cost $1130....

Any opinion would be greatly appreciated...

Air handler turns on but it isnt cooling the house, but this area is freezing up?

Freon was checked and filled in the last 3 months, filter gets changed. Could it be a sensor?

Hi all. Well, it has been a rough winter in Massachusetts and I am looking to install a standby generator. I have the perfect spot for it next to the chimney to tie in to gas and electrical, but the issue is my direct vent furnace pipes (intake and exhaust) are right next to the chimney. The generator tech said that was an easy fix - just extend the vent pipes so they are to code (not within 5 ft. of the generator). There is already about 4 feet of exposed vent pipe, so adding 5 feet will bring it to around 9.

I am not planning on doing this myself, I will have HVAC out, but I like to have a good sense of the situation before I have someone out to do the work. So this is the situation:

• It is a Bryant furnace, 40,000 BTUH Model #926TA3040V17

• If I’m reading correctly according to the attached chart from the manual, for my 2” pipe and at 0 degrees winter design temp, I can have up to 25 feet of exposed pipe for the vent, as long as it has 3/8 inch insulation.

So, my question is - does anyone have a similar experience? If so, what is the best route to go down for exterior insulation that can withstand the elements, and is aesthetically pleasing?

Every morning for the last 3 days I’ve been hearing this pounding sound almost like a rattle. I cannot seem to find the source but it seems loudest in the basement… any advice!? Video below.

It’s been installed under the top of this house. It looks like a giant antenna. I’m wondering if it looks installed or not.

I am looking at getting a little townhouse but I'm not an HVAC professional. Does this unit look a little tired and like it should be replaced? if so, what would be a reasonable price for a replacement? Orange County, CA.

bonus pic of a grounding rod that is just rebar, lol, even I know that is BS.

​I noticed my hardwood floors buckling, so I’ve shut down the AC to find a suspected condensate clog. My home is a late-80s build in North Texas and I'm struggling to locate the exit point.

​The Situation:

1. ​The Problem: Buckling floors near the unit; suspect a primary drain line clog.

2. ​The Search: No external PVC pipes found. Only two metal/copper pipes outside (no water flowing from them).

3. ​Troubleshooting: Used a shop vac to pull about a half-gallon of "gunk" from 5 the internal piping inside the house (shown in pics). I poured water down the T-switch/cleanout, but can’t find where it’s discharging.

​Current State: Secondary pan is dry now, but I’m hesitant to restart the AC without confirming the primary is clear.

​My Questions:

1. ​Are these metal/copper pipes in the photos typical AC drain lines for a late-80s North Texas home?

2. ​Is it common for the primary to tie into a bathroom sink P-trap in this area/era?

3. ​How can I definitively verify the line is clear before I risk further floor damage?

​Any insights or feedback from the North Texas/HVAC community would be a lifesaver. I've been at this all weekend and am beat. Thanks in advance.

I recently had two new Goodman AMST (draw-through) air handlers installed. Since the installation, I have been getting recurring wet spots and stains on my ceiling (of the level below air handlers). Interestingly, the spots seem to move around on the ceiling of the level below, which I suspect is because the water is overflowing the internal pan and traveling across the closet floor or the emergency drain pan before dripping down. Both units' PVC by the drain pan have wetness at the bottom of PVC piping and are dry fitted currently.

There is no P-trap at the unit. There is a capped vent between the unit and the exterior trap; when I remove the cap and cover the vent pipe with my hand, I feel significant suction. The installer says the trap is exterior (underground), but the lack of a trap at the unit combined with the vacuum from the draw-through blower is preventing the unit from draining. The installer is suggesting to simply "glue the PVC joints," but I know that will not stop the internal pan from overflowing due to the negative pressure holding water in the pan which is probably causing the wetness and wet stains on my ceiling of the level below.

We are facing two difficult options due to the fact that there is only 1.5 inches of vertical clearance between the drain port and the platform:

• Option A: Relocate the Trap. Install a P-trap at the unit (before the vent) where it belongs. This would require digging up the exterior stucco or ground to eliminate the existing buried trap to avoid double trapping, which would cause an air lock. Furthermore, there is currently not enough vertical clearance for a standard P-trap under the unit and I cannot find any p-traps anywhere that would work with the single inch of clearance we have.
• Option B: Condensate Pump. Keep the existing exterior trap and install a condensate pump between the air handler drain and the vent pipe. The pumps require the PVC to be ~4 inches above the platform bottom, but we only have a quarter of that available. This would involve breaking part of the platform the air handler sits on. There is no more space because this is a compact closet that houses the air handler.

Questions

1. Since I have no vertical room for a standard trap or a typical Little Giant pump, are there ultra-low-profile "Mini" or peristaltic condensate pumps that are rated for central air handlers and short enough for the clearance of less than 2 inches?
2. For option B, can I leave the buried exterior trap alone? Are these two options in the right direction to fix this issue?
3. Is the "moving wet spot" common when an internal drain pan overflows and the water follows the slope of the subfloor or joists?
4. Why did my previous Lennox system have no problems with leakage despite the p-trap being exterior and the same plumbing setup? How are the physics 'changing' with this new system?
5. Should my installer have seen this coming beforehand and installed the air handler at a more elevated position to allow for proper plumbing adjustments?
6. General Advice? This is becoming a very frustrating headache and I am trying to be patient with the installer because they are an acquaintance but they are not listening to my technical reasonings above. It sounds like they are going to claim that this issue is outside of the scope of their contracted work and that he simply replaced the existing and nothing more.

I have a Lennox G50UH(x) series gas heater that won't light. I changed the filter last night and had to take the door off to get the old filter out. while I had it open, I lightly vacuumed the inside of the cabinet. The cat frequently hangs out in the furnace room and it gets dusty and collects little cat hairs. After I put it back together, the furnace wouldn't light. The blower works, but no heat. I took a look at it a few minutes ago and noticed a small wire that I'm pretty sure needs to be re attached. I just want confirmation before I start messing with any of the wires inside the furnace. It's a very small white wire that I've circled in the picture. any help appreciated

My gas steam boiler was installed 24 years ago and seems to be working fine. I flush out any rust and clean the burners every year. However, I just noticed that the joints near the copper fittings have turned black, and it looks like the solder joints may be starting to fail.

Should I be concerned?