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Old 05-07-2016, 09:52 AM   #1
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AC Airflow fix led to discovery

So, went to tape everything up as others have done on the forum.
All of the vents inside to include the return air grills only have the tape kind wadded up around the hole leaving an airgap between the ceiling and the ducting. Almost every vent had misaligned hoes in the ducting.
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Old 05-07-2016, 09:56 AM   #2
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I pulled the center AC off the roof and the story was the same.

Badly taped and leftovers in there.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:03 AM   #3
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Got all of the old tape out along with the "kindling"
and re-taped.

Garage AC unit was good.

The bedroom AC unit had a good tape job leading to the ducting, but the air divider was not sealed at all and rocking back and forth so taped that up as well.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:05 AM   #4
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Don,

Not too long ago I added another vent in the living area...has worked like a champ.

Be sure to pull the plenum in the Master bedroom, as mine allowed center AC air to escape into the intake of that AC.

Lastly, when I pulled the two garage vents to tape, I used the video camera on my phone to look down the ducts...looking rear, they weren't terminated. I used expanding foam to remedy that problem.

I had also pulled the center AC to check how the tape job was holding, while I had the unit off, I went one size larger on the lag bolts (mine spun freely), they tighten like a champ now.

Cale
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:09 AM   #5
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Now for the discovery.

The lagbolts that mount these units to the roof run thru a foam/rubber block to make the seal and look like this.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:15 AM   #6
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Dutchmen missed one of those blocks and left me with a nice open hole in the roof.

Luckily, I store my rig inside for the winter and the hole was able to dry out completely. I shaved the swollen OSB down flush, patched it with a piece of Eternabond, cut a new foam block and moved the lagbolt a few inches in order to actually get it to grab and tighten.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:18 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
Don,

Not too long ago I added another vent in the living area...has worked like a champ.

Be sure to pull the plenum in the Master bedroom, as mine allowed center AC air to escape into the intake of that AC.

Lastly, when I pulled the two garage vents to tape, I used the video camera on my phone to look down the ducts...looking rear, they weren't terminated. I used expanding foam to remedy that problem.

I had also pulled the center AC to check how the tape job was holding, while I had the unit off, I went one size larger on the lag bolts (mine spun freely), they tighten like a champ now.

Cale
Cale,

I did the tape up on the divider on the bedroom AC unit.

Will spray foam the rear portion of the garage vents today - I recall this from your post.

I also cut down the nubs on the garage vent discs and will add a round piece of foam to those two discs as another member did to be able to isolate the garage from the front AC system almost completely.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:47 AM   #8
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Sorry, after I posted, I realized you were in the middle of posting...I waived off until you were done...

Cale
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:49 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
Sorry, after I posted, I realized you were in the middle of posting...I waived off until you were done...

Cale
No worries. Pics were taking a bit of time to load so there was s delay.

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Old 05-07-2016, 02:49 PM   #10
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Don,

If that spot where the bolt missed is soft, there s a 2 part epoxy that works it's way into the wood fibers and hardens them back up. I saw alot of folks on the Airstream site were using it.
Here's a couple of links.

PC Epoxy

BOATLIFE Git Rot Penetrating Epoxy | West Marine
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Old 05-07-2016, 03:20 PM   #11
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Thanks!

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Old 05-07-2016, 03:44 PM   #12
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That's a terrible way to mount an ac unit to the roof. I just had my unit off yesterday and there are no holes drilled through the roof. They have a metal plate on the ceiling then 4 8" bolts go up to the unit on the edges of the roof cutout. Just tighten until the gasket is 50% compressed and your done. Are those Dometic units?
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Old 05-07-2016, 03:45 PM   #13
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Yes but this is the ducted one in living room. Bedroom and garage units are mounted like yours and have the ceiling mounted diffuser panels

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Old 05-07-2016, 03:57 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by donzinger View Post
Yes but this is the ducted one in living room. Bedroom and garage units are mounted like yours and have the ceiling mounted diffuser panels

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Ah, that makes sense, I do have 2 ducts, but they're squeezed into the 12x12 cutout for the main unit.
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Old 05-07-2016, 07:17 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
Don,

Not too long ago I added another vent in the living area...has worked like a champ.

Be sure to pull the plenum in the Master bedroom, as mine allowed center AC air to escape into the intake of that AC.

Lastly, when I pulled the two garage vents to tape, I used the video camera on my phone to look down the ducts...looking rear, they weren't terminated. I used expanding foam to remedy that problem.

I had also pulled the center AC to check how the tape job was holding, while I had the unit off, I went one size larger on the lag bolts (mine spun freely), they tighten like a champ now.

Cale
Cale - garage ducts are terminated about 5" past vents. Thanks for the tip!

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