And with summer, a young homeowner's thoughts turn to AC

Kind of a speculative question: We’re planning on re-doing the facade on our wood-frame townhouse, losing the current siding and re-doing the insulation.  Would this be an opportunity to run Unico flexible ducts inside of the new insulation? Or is that too exposed? Also, we may not want to pay for the whole system at this time, and may just want to take advantage of the other work we’re doing – has anyone run the ducts first, with the idea of putting in the actual system later? Thanks!

gwan

in Heating and Cooling 11 years and 10 months ago

3

Please log in, in order to post replies!

3 replies

Newest Oldest

slopemope | 11 years and 10 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4935 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4908 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "161310"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "slopemope"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "slopemope"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(19) "slopemope@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(24) "/forums/users/slopemope/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:24:00"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(9) "slopemope"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(161310)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

my 2cents:   in the land of mice where we still use AC electric cable, i view flex supply ducts as rather risky. many brownstones are rather easy for mice with old chimneys and small holes in brick walls (behind your plaster etc).  google mice and flex duct.  keep in mind that would be the air you are breathing.  i think its only branch lines that use flex on unico (there is a minimum length for sound attentuation IIRC), but with high velocity only one would make me cringe and rip out the whole ceiling.

brucef | 11 years and 10 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4934 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4933 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "4724"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(6) "brucef"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BBW3UzNM8B1w6uproJMdiiw1vnHriz1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(6) "brucef"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "bruce@jerseydata.net"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(21) "/forums/users/brucef/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:13:36"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(6) "brucef"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(4724)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

gwan, Unico flexible ducts I think come in a box of (5). There are couplings. They are insulated, so that’s not the problem. I’m trying to grasp what the overall plan is? Normally we install fibreboard trunk duct 9″X9″ and perforate where we want to branch to the “spaghetti” I would think the problem would be how to get across moreso than up and down. For proper performance the high velocity ducts need to be spread out, usually near the corners of the rooms. Small room two, larger room three, big spaces more. Have you seen an install? So I would say if interior walls/ceilings were to be opened in addition to exterior walls, come up with a whole house design, then implement the ducting that makes sense now. Unico has been around quite awhile, so I suspect they will be there when you can do the install. I have had Unico in my personal home for 25 years, three years ago we replaced the condenser to high SEER. Eight years ago we replaced both air handler and condenser to heat pump, but I never used heat portion and we had some performance issues. Bear in mind that heat pump will raise temp of space during shoulder seasons, but blowing air on you that is 20 degrees hotter than it was before it went thru the air handler is way different from warm air rising off a hot radiator.

mruby36 | 11 years and 10 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4930 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4936 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "176799"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(7) "mruby36"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$B3wBk7M3JG4.sFMK.ZlyJPf35Hdroy/"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(7) "mruby36"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(15) "matt@nyc-hs.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(21) "http://www.nyc-hs.com"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:15:51"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(6) "Matt R"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(176799)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Have you explored their website?  They have reps and design services, nothing like the source for the best answer to your questions?  http://www.unicosystem.com/ Hope that helps! Matt R www.nyc-hs.com