Duct Porn
Recently, I posted this image of all the ducts branching out from the HVAC fan/coil of the carriage house basement. This is NOT how to do ducting. It is profoundly inefficient and adds $$$$ to your utility bill.
These many round ducts needed to be replaced by a trunk line running east to west. Then, from this, round feeder ducts could then fit between the ceiling joists to vent various rooms.
The problem? Trunk lines are too big. I would bash my head into a normal trunk line.
What to do? What to do?
Recently, I posted this:
As I need headroom in the basement, a normal-sized trunk line would not work. Because I am, on occasion, clever, I came up with seemingly crazy idea of creating a trunk line only 4-inches in height but a whopping 30-inches wide. Jason (the HVAC guy from Modern Air)—after he recovered his senses—did calculations, and looked at me with wide, astonished, and disbelieving eyes: “Ummm, that will work.” He then blinked rapidly for a short while.
So, again, the BEFORE.
AFTER! Today, the new custom trunk lines started to be installed.
My custom beauties.
Justin’s head is VERY grateful. Inches to spare!
The trunk lines ventures to the west.
Inside the trunk lines are custom baffles to assure that the air flows well and does not create a whirlpool.
When all the work is done, the HVAC will cool/heat better, and be much less expensive to operate. All the air will move easily through the ducting rather than having to be forced through.
This is all costing a terrifying amount but in time, in time, this upfront cost should get reimbursed.
In time.
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Can’t wait to see how long it will take for the patent to be filed and these to become industry standard.
You won’t see a penny of royalties of course.
I had the option of putting forced air in my house when I moved it. I could run it under the floors or in the attic. I decided against either. I didn’t want to cut holes in my beautiful hardwood floors nor cut holes in my lovely high plaster ceilings. Or be visually distracted by the ductwork covers for either. It’s not a big house and I spend most of my time either in the bedroom or living room. The house is heated by the 1949 furnace in the crawlspace that just gently releases heat through a hole in the floor between the dining room and one of the bedrooms. Ceiling fans help to distribute it around. No AC. It’s San Diego and most would think not needed. Maybe not in 1949 but now we do. I do have an AC unit in the window of my bedroom, the room a 1949 add on that the heat from the furnace really doesn’t reach.
But 34 years after I bought my house I now have a new option. I will eventually be replacing the window AC with an HVAC unit that can heat the room in the winter and cool it in the summer. I’ll put another in the living room, the bedroom and living room the two rooms farthest from the furnace and the ones most lived in. I will move my still working AC unit to the bedroom with the furnace as it already has heat. It will be another few years before I do this as there are some higher priorities on my list. Just another small step in the road to making my house more livable for me in my senior years.
New ducts are looking great! So sleek.
Makes your day when a brilliant idea really is, doesn’t it, Ross? It may well become a standard in both retrofitting old homes and in small new homes. Good show, mate!
Yes – congrats for a brilliant idea! And thanks to Justin to being open to it! 🙂
Ain’t they purrty. So shiny and smooth.
Clever.