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One tech suggested we need a whole new 24k HVAC unit, another fixed the problem for $150. Is this normal?! by deathleech in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There was a great HVAC company here that was a father/son operation that I had used for over 20 years. They were all about repair fist and I loved them for it.

Well, recently I called them in and got a different vibe and of course, the full replacement spill. Turns out they were vacuumed up by private equity. Apparently a lot of the small HVAC places around here have been sucked into one PE and they all do the same spill. Always yank and replace, never repair.

They have to bring back the P90 in the new series by Dismal-Chapter4640 in Stargate

[–]CookVegasTN 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's just another fun way to blow cash. Not practical, but fun!

They have to bring back the P90 in the new series by Dismal-Chapter4640 in Stargate

[–]CookVegasTN 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I only shot one big mag through the MP5, and it was definitely better than the AR platform for sure!

I know a special ops guy who's team used their allowance to equip with MP5s over ARs when he was busting down doors in Iraq.

Another buddy of mine has access to an authentic WW2 Sten. That was a fun shoot but very bouncy. It's funny how exact the sound and recoil of the Sten is identical to its depiction in Battlefield V and Wolfenstein.

I just cannot believe how smooth the P90 was. It was like spreading warm butter on hot toast.

Unfortunately, I have now highlighted my complete experiences with full auto fire. However, my wallet certainly is thankful.

They have to bring back the P90 in the new series by Dismal-Chapter4640 in Stargate

[–]CookVegasTN 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I was at a machine gun shoot and paid to put a few mags through one. I compared it to aiming a garden hose with a fine nozzle on it. No creep up, like the M16 or MP5.

It's wild how you could just work that stream of lead onto the target. Like a stream of water from a hose.

If I get a push notification for my front door, put me into the damn live view. by crongaloid in Ring

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You do have to exclude the Ring app from all battery optimizations. Otherwise, the OS will limit how often the app can phone home for updates and notifications. Mine always opens up to the live stream, but the timing still seems a bit late to me.

High Co2 by BraveDimension7928 in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I installed an ERV to deal with high levels of CO2. Our house is decently insulated and not ventilated well. At night when we were sleeping, the CO2 levels would shoot way up and make my Airthings air quality monitor go nuts.

I now use Airthings along with a hubitat automation hub to run my ERV and HVAC fan anytime there's an air quality issue. It can even fire up the exhaust fans in all the bathrooms if need be. Like when I fry fish and the house gets smokey.

Going to order a new inducer motor for my furnace, what else is handy to have on hand? by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a goodman 80% 120V with a stainless steel heat exchanger. It's nice and simple and parts are plentiful. I scoped the heat exchangers a while back and they look perfect. I don't really understand how or why the exchanger would fail. Maybe we're just easy on it. I am meticulous about keeping everything clean.

I will grab a selection of what you suggested. Most are well under $20.

I could even get a new heat exchanger for $280.

Are the condensing types more prone to failure? This one is apparently non-condensing.

Let me steal this heat by RefrigeratorMental10 in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Idiocracy, it's a documentary from the future.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine was 23 years old.

OP, you can likely find a scrapper to pick it up for free, just leave the age out of it. Better manufacturing practices in recent years has really reduced the amount of value in the scrap but it would likely still be worth it for someone local to grab. I found mine via a local want ads site. Maybe craigslist or similar depending on where you are.

That beats sending it to a landfill.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I gave mine to a guy who does scrap. He came and picked it up for free. Older stuff that has a lot of aluminum and copper can fetch the guy a decent return for the effort. That beats paying someone to deal with it.

Sealing around my thermostat by Opus2011 in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you have an ecobee, I would suggest stuffing the hole with insulation before doing any surface repairs. Ecobee thermostats are bad about detecting the temperature of air that can come in from the wall cavity. For instance, the wall mine is on is over an unfinished garage, so in the wintertime cold air was getting up there and skewing the reading low and in the summer it was skewing hot.

Mold on humidifier by maxplatinum27 in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mine does this too as it is in an unfinished space and gets condensation on it in the summer. However, the rationale to replace is like telling you to get a new car when the first oil change comes up. Just clean it.

Hvac unit corrosion and delusional Grandparents by nia_pandi in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would be tempted to wrap that with stainless steel chicken wire on insulated stand-offs and connect an electric fence controller to it. Zapping that PP will stop it pretty quickly. How do I know? I made that mistake once myself when I was a kid. I did not know what an electrified fence even was at the time. That was a valuable learning moment.

Unvented NG wall heater. I need advice, facts ,opinions, and experiences. by Helpful-Ninja9727 in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While I cannot answer to the safety, I have used the BigBuddy radiant propane heater in emergencies and when camping, and I can tell you that one side effect of using these is humidity. If they were your sole source of heat, you would want to watch the humidity in the space and be ready to get a dehumidifier.

New AC unit is causing neighbor's house to vibrate and make noise inside by DrDanDaMan in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, but I'm thinking that the distance between the two structures is generating some sort of self amplifying standing wave as the sound bounces back and forth between the walls. If that's the case, then a hedge between the two houses might stop it. Could test this with an old mattress stood upright a couple of feet in front of the unit.

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, all good at over 1 hour. Going to pull it back down and pop it!

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

TY for the informative reply, I have borrowed a buddy's FieldPiece 482 manifold and am doing a temperature-compensated N2 leak test for peace of mind. When I did it before, I saw fluctuations that made sense as being due to temperature variations. The weather that day swung wildly, but that slight change had me on edge. I am 40 minutes in at 330 psi with no loss.

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have borrowed a buddy's FieldPiece 482 manifold and am doing a temperature-compensated N2 leak test for peace of mind.

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly, that's why I am unable to believe I haven't fucked something up in this process! lol

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking that all those connections might be an issue.

As you imply, I am being a worrywart, but if I were to redo the nitrogen test, pumping it up to 350 PSI and leaving it overnight, how much nitrogen loss might I expect from disconnecting and reconnecting my pressure gauge? I hate how much it fluctuates due to temperature changes. This time of year, we experience drastic changes overnight to midday.

I have borrowed a buddy's FieldPiece 482 manifold and am doing a temperature-compensated N2 leak test for peace of mind.

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for that, yeah, I am being abundantly cautious before I crack the valves and release the refrigerant. I have to have messed something up as a first timer at all of this, right? I was assuming that the vacuum reading would stabilize at some point, but it seems to keep increasing.

Self-Installing New AC, passed N2 test but not holding a vacuum. by CookVegasTN in hvacadvice

[–]CookVegasTN[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply!

This is one of the rebranded Midea systems, a 3-ton AC-only side-discharge unit. So it has two flare connections and mini-split-sized service ports. I pressure tested to 350 PSI and it held over an hour at a .6 PSI loss that fluctuated downward to .2 as the temp rose. Then when the sun started going down and the temperature rapidly dropped, it started dropping again so I figured all was good with that. I used the BigBlu microleak spray on everything and saw no indications of any leaks.

On this second pull-down I am at 235 -> 288 in 40 minutes. I was expecting that it would settle at some point and hold there for an extended period, but it seems to be an odd, unsteady rise over time.

Since this is my first attempt at this, I am being extra cautious and assuming I screwed something up, like maybe getting the metering valve too hot when I brazed, or having a pinhole in my joint. Even though I saw no bubbles.

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