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When temperatures exceed design the indoor temp only rises 1 - 1. Design of 90° and 70° on a 95° day the indoor shouldn't rise above 75°. once the sun begins to go down everything stabilizes.

For the 3 - 5 days a year that MIGHT happen I'll chance it!
3-5 days huh...

We had 6 weeks... SIX weeks...
Of 4-5-6*F above design last September-October...

It is different in the South my friend... :)
 
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If anyone wonders why LC's are not popular...I wonder if this is the reason... :)
This is why we use a contract person to do ours, and have for 5 years now, so they can accept the responsibility if it's wrong. I do agree a LC can put you in the ballpark, but they IMO, have a fudge factor, that I'm not experienced enough to be doing any fudging. :grin2: Houston is a very hard market to downsize in, personally I do believe some of this is a mental issue, I got tired of losing sales, and getting the deer in the headlights look, trying to downsize, so now someone else can deal with it. We just either add the LC it in our cost, or just let the customer deal directly with our LC contractor, were not out to make an dollars off the LC, just don't want the responsibility anymore.
 
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This is why we use a contract person to do ours, and have for 5 years now, so they can accept the responsibility if it's wrong. I do agree a LC can put you in the ballpark, but they IMO, have a fudge factor, that I'm not experienced enough to be doing any fudging. :grin2: Houston is a very hard market to downsize in, personally I do believe some of this is a mental issue, I got tired of losing sales, and getting the deer in the headlights look, trying to downsize, so now someone else can deal with it. We just either add the LC it in our cost, or just let the customer deal directly with our LC contractor, were not out to make an dollars off the LC, just don't want the responsibility anymore.
Are LC's popular in Houston???

They are not over here...
 
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Are LC's popular in Houston???

They are not over here...
Only popular if someone wants one. :grin2: No, we always bring it up just so the customer does have the option, most don't want one, because it's so hard to downsize here.
 
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Only popular if someone wants one. :grin2: No, we always bring it up just so the customer does have the option, most don't want one, because it's so hard to downsize here.
Over here... some of the BIG shops (the ones that advertise 24/7 on the radio)...
Push them to make a name for themselves.

Mostly... one does not get the LC until they are on contract...
 
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Discussion starter · #87 · (Edited)
The small duct to the right is the return going through the attic that I have temporarily blocked per the instruction of my local hvac contractor. I have not felt any reduction in airflow. It is connected to a 3x14 wall return. The temp coming out of the plenum has dropped since but I still get inconsistencies in the return box which causes plenum temp to rise a bit

The last two days in the afternoon the return box has gotten warmer around 4:00 and 87 outside. When I put the thermometer inside I notice some hotter spots.

Is there a standard size for a return box for a 3.5 ton? I am wondering if the air is swirling around inside giving it more time to heat up. I temporarily capped the bottom of the overhead return so no heat should be coming into the box from that

I just did another check on the most recent cycle and the Plenum was still a little bit warmer than earlier today. It’s also a little warmer than the air going through the return grill so it could be picking up at a gree somehow
 

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3-5 days huh...

We had 6 weeks... SIX weeks...
Of 4-5-6*F above design last September-October...

It is different in the South my friend... :)
I will have to agree with this, as said happy customers are a must and most unhappy ones complain when the tstat moves above setting and says that the installer installed an undersized system. Sensible heat removal is a must. More than once I have installed a half ton over and get nothing but praises at how quickly and better the new system cools. Texas can be cool one day and hot the next with triple digits or close to.
 
Discussion starter · #92 ·
I think what concerns me is that this is only at 87-88 degrees outside. We will soon be getting 94-96. Just trying to determine if other factors that I can control play into the return box warming up. My split is still strong at between 20-21 between the return box and the plenum but just losing a little coldness.
 
Just trying to determine if other factors that I can control play into the return box warming up.
Measure the temperature difference between the filter grille and the return air can/box that will tell you if you have an air leak in your return.


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I am not about to read all of this but in my opinion you can have a good temp split and have a low SC and still be low on refrigerant as the txv will open up to try and maintain the SH. So if he measured 1 SC then you need refrigerant added to bring it up to the proper number.
 
I will have to agree with this, as said happy customers are a must and most unhappy ones complain when the tstat moves above setting and says that the installer installed an undersized system. Sensible heat removal is a must. More than once I have installed a half ton over and get nothing but praises at how quickly and better the new system cools. Texas can be cool one day and hot the next with triple digits or close to.
And if one installs a VS furnace... the humidity issue is kept well under control...
Even in a place like Atlanta... which is very humid!

Happy customer = good business!

AND... one does not have to install the smallest system that will barely get by... one can add a little reserve capacity, for 'those' days!
 
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I am not about to read all of this but in my opinion you can have a good temp split and have a low SC and still be low on refrigerant as the txv will open up to try and maintain the SH. So if he measured 1 SC then you need refrigerant added to bring it up to the proper number.
Not picking on the OP...

However it would be interesting if the OP spent all this time fiddling...
Then when he was out of ideas and time...
The installing co put a little more freezy juice in...
And that resolved the issue.
:)
 
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Discussion starter · #98 ·
I am not about to read all of this but in my opinion you can have a good temp split and have a low SC and still be low on refrigerant as the txv will open up to try and maintain the SH. So if he measured 1 SC then you need refrigerant added to bring it up to the proper number.
So here is the story on that. I called in a licensed company two weeks ago to check it out. He said supercooing was 1 and I probably need a pound put in. Since unit was new we agreed to have installer come out and pay for refrigerant. When installer came out he said it was fine. I then called shop manager of other company who said it was low and he said it must of been a bad reading and if my split is 20/21 then he wouldn’t touch it. Installer also told me there is no way it can be low on refrigerant based on my split and his readings

Are you saying it could be low even though my split is 20/21?
 
A good tech would come out and take several readings to get a complete pic then evaluate. Without accurate numbers and all this info he would be assuming/guessing.
 
Discussion starter · #100 ·
I am not about to read all of this but in my opinion you can have a good temp split and have a low SC and still be low on refrigerant as the txv will open up to try and maintain the SH. So if he measured 1 SC then you need refrigerant added to bring it up to the proper number.
When I had the installer back out here I was watching him as he was checking the readings. The sub cooling showed three and then later showed a higher number. He said the reason it showed a three was because the valve was closed and then when it opened the reading was fine. I don’t know if any of that makes sense or not.

I still plan on having the other company come out that I spoke to the other day
 
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