(Part 2) Best airflow & air quality products according to redditors
We found 50 Reddit comments discussing the best airflow & air quality products. We ranked the 28 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
There are two tools that may help you fix this:
This will tell you for sure if the insulation is the culprit, because you can detect the hot spots.
This can show you the speed at which the air is coming out the vents, as well as the airspeed into the return. This can help you balance your system, so that both levels get the air that they truly need.
You may try calling your county health department to inquire whether they have programs to help with mold inspection. There are also DIY kits that are cheaper than a professional but will still let you know if spore levels are too high.
It’s a simple test they should be doing, many “ cheap out” and don’t. It’s a device like this ( many variations) Testo 0560 1410 410I Vane Anemometer Smart and Wireless Probe, 1" Height, 2" Width, 6" Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018VO5GIM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_katwCbCMF49G8
Air is turned on ( if two speed then Lo/hi) and unit is placed in front of each vent. It records the CFM per minute output. Too much airflow the room gets “ cold” as opposed to temp you want , too little the room is “ too hot “. You get the idea. Dampers are adjusted to provide proper airflow and volume. It also helps discover things like kinked flex duct , obstructions, etc.
Some places call it an air balance report. It’s really essential to the buyer though so you know you indeed are getting what you paid for. Hope that helps.
If you don't need wind direction, too, this one looks like it'd work. You'd just need to ask about getting a longer wire.
Well, contrary to typical anemometer uses I need to measure airflow through culverts that are actually resting on the ground. We test hundreds a day and it's a back breaker bending over so much. I looked though and extech catalog we had and saw a few with the "hot wire" telescoping rod instead of the traditional pinwheel. I assume the rod still has a passage for air to flow through but I am just trying to do my research before dropping a pile of cash on one.
I'll try to post a link to the one from the catalog that peaked my interest.
Extech SDL350-NIST Hot Wire Thermo-Anemometer and Datalogger with NIST https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HC9MYBK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gvyWzbR5PHJ2R
I would also be open to a telescoping rod with a pinwheel on the end if anyone can find one.
This is why I hate zoning. With that unit you will never be happy with it, especially in cooling. The only way to zone properly, where the unit is not overheating, and without completely ripping out all of the ducts is to go with a pure Variable speed system, such as American Standard's 20 Seer Platinum Communicating system.
The reason that dealers use the cheaper units is because that unit would run approximately $20,000 installed not including any ductwork... Rheem makes one too but I won't install Rheem as I have had way too many problems out of them. Also I do not know Rheems model number for that unit.
Also it seems like all of the ductwork is undersized, the return because it hums, and the air should not be very strong coming out of the supply vents. If you want to measure the CFM coming out of the vents, they make a cool smartphone CFM reader. It is about $50 and it could tell you how much air the furnace is pulling/pushing through the vents. I have 2 of them and I use it all the time Here is the Amazon link. http://www.amazon.com/AAB-ABM-100-Airflow-Anemometer-Android/dp/B00MWAGX2U
After some further digging this tool looks like it will do the trick: https://www.amazon.com/Testo-Wireless-Hot-wire-Anemometer-Technology/dp/B018VO5GI2
I can drill some small access holes and poke this prob inside with the cabinet closed up and measure local airflow at several points!
The solder job isn't my best work but I nor my friend I've had help debug could spot any issues. I did have to do a couple nasty fixes with a couple pads coming up but those spots are passing a continuity test.
https://i.imgur.com/Oq9gHRI.jpg
The fixes are the obvious yellow wire(R8, IC1-13) and the large solder bridge bottom right(R14, IC2-1).
For my test setup I'm borrowing a friend of mine's test box, it's similar to this one.
I also have a multimeter