I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

On 6/26/2009 9:12 AM Christopher Nelson spake thus:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

Sounds like almost the exact problem one of my clients has: a room far
away from the furnace that doesn't get enough heat.

I was suggesting that they look into installing a booster fan in the
duct to that room, until I ran into a guy who seemed quite knowledgable
about these kinds of heating problems. After a long discussion, I came
to understand that while a booster fan *might* work, there are other
things that need to be considered:

o The duct itself may be part of the problem. The typical corrugated
type of duct can impede airflow; replacing it with duct that is smooth
internally can help, as well as eliminating unnecessary bends.

o The overall configuration of the furnace and ductwork is important.
Any furnace has a limit to how much air it can move, so the question is
whether the ducts, plenums and return vents are properly sized. If
they're not, that can contribute to the problem.

Unfortunately, in my case this puts this problem outside of my area of
expertise; my clients need to talk to a competent HVAC person to get
better answers. You might want to as well.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

On Jun 26, 11:12*am, Christopher Nelson wrote:
I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. *I have a
split level. *The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. *You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. *I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan likehttp://www.comfortgurus.com/product_info.php/products_id/563
in. *Do they work? *Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? *I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. *Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

You probably have some poorly balanced and improperly routed/
fabricated ductwork. Although a duct fan might help, in the long run
if you get the system modified by knowledgeable professionals it will
work the way it should and by working right it will save you $$, maybe
even enough to pay for the rework in a few years. You might be missing
essentials like cold air returns, etc. Whatever you decide, good luck.
There are a lot of HVAC hacks out there.

Joe

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), Christopher Nelson
wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

I was born in January, and my father had one put in in 1947, to make
my room warm enough. It worked. I was only 8 pounds and now I'm 220.

They can help in some situations. However they are, at best,
a patch to a system that needs to be redesigned properly.

I have the same problem. One room is 2 degrees hotter or colder than the
rest of the house.
I got a quote for $ 550 to run 30 feet of larger ducts from the furnace.
Don't know about a duct fan. Could imagine that it is somewhat noisy right
in the duct. Of course, you would have to run a 120 Volt Cable from the
furnace blower to the fan, wired in parallel, unless you want the fan on all
the time.

I am lazy and decided to live with it. My parents had to contend with more
than 2 degrees temp differential. The Cro Magnon Men had even bigger
problems (drafty caves).
--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Christopher Nelson" wrote in message
...
I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like
http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:35 -0700, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a split
level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot room is
above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run of duct
work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of putting a
booster fan like
http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563 in. Do
they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be aware of?
I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go home with one
but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or have I just
looked in the wrong places?

Our house had one (installed by previous owner) that I just recently
removed. Terribly noisy. That room sounded like the furnace blower was
in the room with you. We have noticed no temperature difference since
removing it.

On 6/26/2009 1:21 PM mm spake thus:

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), Christopher Nelson
wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in.

I was born in January, and my father had one put in in 1947, to make
my room warm enough. It worked. I was only 8 pounds and now I'm 220.

So you're saying that booster fans are responsible for rapid and
significant weight gain?


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

On Jun 26, 6:57*pm, "Walter R." wrote:
I have the same problem. One room is 2 degrees hotter or colder than the
rest of the house.
...

Two degrees is barely measurable! I'm talking 10-15 degrees.

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:10:06 -0700, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

On 6/26/2009 1:21 PM mm spake thus:

On Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:12:35 -0700 (PDT), Christopher Nelson
wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in.

I was born in January, and my father had one put in in 1947, to make
my room warm enough. It worked. I was only 8 pounds and now I'm 220.

So you're saying that booster fans are responsible for rapid and
significant weight gain?

Maybe. That seems to be the case with me. Although it took 50 years
ao get to this weight, around '97. That's about 4 pounds a year.

On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:
I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a

split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot

room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run

of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of

putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563

in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be

aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go

home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or

have I just looked in the wrong places?



my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues

Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are
various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where
you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought
it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement
instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there
was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind
of blower you install.

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:
On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:

On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:



I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a



split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot



room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run



of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of



putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563



in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be



aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go



home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or



have I just looked in the wrong places?







my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues



Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are

various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where

you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought

it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement

instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there

was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind

of blower you install.

Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334

If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:

Squirrel cage type:

http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false

Inline type:

http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...set&s_pp=false

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 12:13:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:



On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:







I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a







split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot







room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run







of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of







putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563







in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be







aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go







home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or







have I just looked in the wrong places?















my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues







Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are



various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where



you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought



it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement



instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there



was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind



of blower you install.



Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:



http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334



If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:



Squirrel cage type:



http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false



That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow
readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other
type, but this squirrel cage is useless.

wrote:
On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:
I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues

Hi,
You may have poor insulation for the ceiling and poor vent for the attic.

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 1:36:54 PM UTC-4, Tony Hwang wrote:
wrote:

On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a

split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot

room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run

of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of

putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563

in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be

aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go

home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or

have I just looked in the wrong places?



my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues



Hi,

You may have poor insulation for the ceiling and poor vent for the attic.

That's a good point. If the insulation is inadequate, that could be a
big factor. Adequate venting helps too.

OP didnt' say what the $4K solution from the hVAC contractos was.
One big thing is that frequently there aren't enough return ducts
upstairs. Adding some could make a big difference. But depending on
contruction, sometimes that is impossible or close to it. Sometimes
you could DIY if you have some basic skills and can figure out a path.

Sad thing is that this stuff isn't rocket science and if you do it
correctly before the house is built, it shouldn't wind up screwed up.
But sadly there are plenty of cases where it does. Another solution
might be a mini-split if it's just one or two rooms upstairs that are
a problem.

On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:



That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow
readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other
type, but this squirrel cage is useless.

I was born in January and my mother thought my bedroom was too cold, so
they had a booster fan put in the duct to my room. My mother was always
happy she did so. She's also the type who would have used a thermometer
to decide it was too cold and again after the fan went in.

I plan to go back to my home town next year. I could ask the current
owners what kind of fan it is. I'ts only been 66 years.

On Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:04:06 -0400, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:



That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow
readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other
type, but this squirrel cage is useless.

I was born in January and my mother thought my bedroom was too cold, so
they had a booster fan put in the duct to my room. My mother was always
happy she did so. She's also the type who would have used a thermometer
to decide it was too cold and again after the fan went in.

I plan to go back to my home town next year. I could ask the current
owners what kind of fan it is. I'ts only been 66 years.

But I have always thought it was a fan with blades like airplane
propellers. I don't think squirrel cage fans were used, or used much,
in the 1940's.

On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 12:13:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:



On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:







I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a







split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot







room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run







of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of







putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563







in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be







aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go







home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or







have I just looked in the wrong places?















my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues







Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are



various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where



you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought



it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement



instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there



was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind



of blower you install.



Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:



http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191



http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334



If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:



Squirrel cage type:



http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false



That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow
readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other
type, but this squirrel cage is useless.

Where were you taking the airflow readings?? If it was down in the
ducts near the main fan I would not expect you would see much
difference with or without the booster. The booster isn't to make the
system move more air, it's to case the way the air gets distributed to
change so more comes out where you put the booster in. Less will come
out somewhere else but at least you will have a more even distribution
so the whole house gets to the same temp instead of one part too
hot/cool.

My son put one in a loooong run from the furnace to the most distant room. It boosted the airflow at the register in that room and balanced the temps very well.

My experience is that the motors fail if they are used in ducts with hot air. The thermal protections cut out.

I would set the air handler blower in the furnace to a higher setting.

Mark

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014 9:45:24 PM UTC-4, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4

wrote:



On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 12:13:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:



On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:







On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:















I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a















split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot















room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run















of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of















putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563















in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be















aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go















home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or















have I just looked in the wrong places?































my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues















Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are







various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where







you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought







it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement







instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there







was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind







of blower you install.







Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:







http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334







If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:







Squirrel cage type:







http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false







That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow

readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other

type, but this squirrel cage is useless.



Where were you taking the airflow readings?? If it was down in the

ducts near the main fan I would not expect you would see much

difference with or without the booster. The booster isn't to make the

system move more air, it's to case the way the air gets distributed to

change so more comes out where you put the booster in. Less will come

out somewhere else but at least you will have a more even distribution

so the whole house gets to the same temp instead of one part too

hot/cool.

I took the measurements at the 4 registers that put out the air from
the rectangular duct where the booster fan was installed, which is the
only logical place to take them. No significant difference at all.

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014 11:22:24 PM UTC-4, wrote:
My experience is that the motors fail if they are used in ducts with hot air. The thermal protections cut out.



I would set the air handler blower in the furnace to a higher setting.



Mark

If you have that option, in many cases you don't, particularly for
cooling. The older blower motors used the highest speed for cooling
to begin with. The newer ECM motors may have a higher speed setting,
it's certainly worth checking. But even that may not help, because
you're just moving the air around faster, not changing the relative
proportions. Move enough air downstairs to get the thermostat to turn
off and it still turns off, leaving the upstairs probably just as hot.
What is really needed is to get less air downstairs, more upstairs.
Shutting off some downstairs registers in areas that get cold first
can help. You just don't want to cut down the airflow too much by
closing too many.

A lot of this could be solved for little upfront cost when it was
installed. What should work would be a dual stage compressor, an
automatic damping system, and an additional thermostat for upstairs.
If the lower level is cooling off and nearing the desired temp,
the unit could switch to low stage and put most of the air upstairs.
Doesn't seem like anyone does that though. More common and expensive
solution is to use two furnace/AC systems. That brings it's own
problems, because the second system winds up in the attic.

On Thu, 5 Jun 2014 09:49:17 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Wednesday, June 4, 2014 9:45:24 PM UTC-4, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4

wrote:



On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 12:13:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:

On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:



On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:







On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:















I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a















split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot















room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run















of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of















putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563















in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be















aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go















home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or















have I just looked in the wrong places?































my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues















Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are







various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where







you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought







it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement







instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there







was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind







of blower you install.







Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:







http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191







http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334







If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:







Squirrel cage type:







http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false







That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow

readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other

type, but this squirrel cage is useless.



Where were you taking the airflow readings?? If it was down in the

ducts near the main fan I would not expect you would see much

difference with or without the booster. The booster isn't to make the

system move more air, it's to case the way the air gets distributed to

change so more comes out where you put the booster in. Less will come

out somewhere else but at least you will have a more even distribution

so the whole house gets to the same temp instead of one part too

hot/cool.

I took the measurements at the 4 registers that put out the air from
the rectangular duct where the booster fan was installed, which is the
only logical place to take them. No significant difference at all.


Is it possible there were a lot of leaking joints in the ducts between
where you put the blower and the outlets? I'm surprised it didn't
work a lot better. Only other thing I can think of is that there is a
really significant restriction somewhere in the duct system back of
where you put the booster and it's just not going to let air thru.

On Thursday, June 5, 2014 6:34:40 PM UTC-4, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Thu, 5 Jun 2014 09:49:17 -0700 (PDT), trader_4

wrote:



On Wednesday, June 4, 2014 9:45:24 PM UTC-4, Ashton Crusher wrote:

On Tue, 3 Jun 2014 09:48:31 -0700 (PDT), trader_4



wrote:







On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 12:13:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:



On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 8:21:28 AM UTC-7, trader_4 wrote:







On Tuesday, June 3, 2014 10:53:33 AM UTC-4, wrote:















On Friday, June 26, 2009 12:12:35 PM UTC-4, Christopher Nelson wrote:































I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a































split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot































room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run































of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of































putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563































in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be































aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go































home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or































have I just looked in the wrong places?































































my house if very old i can only fit a 9 inch duct upstairs, in the summer temps would never go under 76 77 degrees i talked to 4 hvac specialist they all said it would cost over 4000 dollars to fix the issue. well i decided to try something a little different i used a 10 centrifugal fan pumping 1100cfm used an ribu1c which is just a relay powered of the thermaustat and just like that problem fixed my temps now hover at 68 plus the fan is whisper quiet. dont listen to these hvac people all they wanna sell you is an expensive piece of tin metal, my setup has been running for 2 years now no issues and also have installed it on 4 friends systems with no issues































Do you have a link to the blower you added? There are















various types. I added one of the squirrel cage ones where















you cut a hole in the bottom of a rectangular duct. I thought















it helped, but years later I bought one of the air flow measurement















instruments and measured the air flow with it on and off and there















was virtually no difference. I think it may depend on what kind















of blower you install.















Here's some links to some duct booster fans sold at Home Depot:















http://www.homedepot.com/s/duct%2520...2520fan?NCNI-5















http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...6GTP/202797339















http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B208/100080191















http://www.homedepot.com/p/Suncourt-...B205/202797334















If you have an account at Grainger, they also sell duct booster fans:















Squirrel cage type:















http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false















That last one is the type I installed. Per my airflow



readings, it didn't do anything. IDK about the other



type, but this squirrel cage is useless.







Where were you taking the airflow readings?? If it was down in the



ducts near the main fan I would not expect you would see much



difference with or without the booster. The booster isn't to make the



system move more air, it's to case the way the air gets distributed to



change so more comes out where you put the booster in. Less will come



out somewhere else but at least you will have a more even distribution



so the whole house gets to the same temp instead of one part too



hot/cool.



I took the measurements at the 4 registers that put out the air from

the rectangular duct where the booster fan was installed, which is the

only logical place to take them. No significant difference at all.





Is it possible there were a lot of leaking joints in the ducts between

where you put the blower and the outlets?

Not in the part I can see in the basement. After
that, they go up to the second floor through walls.



I'm surprised it didn't

work a lot better. Only other thing I can think of is that there is a

really significant restriction somewhere in the duct system back of

where you put the booster and it's just not going to let air thru.

I think it's that the squirrel cage type probably
don't work at all. Just to be clear, this is the
type:

http://www.grainger.com/product/TJER...724?s_pp=false


Only a small part of the blower extends into the
duct and I was even wondering how effective it might
be when I installed it because of the design. The fan
type that go inside the round ducts seem more likely to
work to me.

On Friday, June 26, 2009 at 1:55:43 PM UTC-4, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 6/26/2009 9:12 AM Christopher Nelson spake thus:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

Sounds like almost the exact problem one of my clients has: a room far
away from the furnace that doesn't get enough heat.

I was suggesting that they look into installing a booster fan in the
duct to that room, until I ran into a guy who seemed quite knowledgable
about these kinds of heating problems. After a long discussion, I came
to understand that while a booster fan *might* work, there are other
things that need to be considered:

o The duct itself may be part of the problem. The typical corrugated
type of duct can impede airflow; replacing it with duct that is smooth
internally can help, as well as eliminating unnecessary bends.

o The overall configuration of the furnace and ductwork is important.
Any furnace has a limit to how much air it can move, so the question is
whether the ducts, plenums and return vents are properly sized. If
they're not, that can contribute to the problem.

Unfortunately, in my case this puts this problem outside of my area of
expertise; my clients need to talk to a competent HVAC person to get
better answers. You might want to as well.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

I too am considering a booster fan for the the ductwork to an addition to the house. I don't think I would want to use it all the time and will install a switch to turn it off. Will a deactivated fan impede airflow?

On Sun, 5 Jun 2016 08:00:55 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Will a deactivated fan impede airflow?

Let me think, um, um...

On 6/5/2016 11:28 AM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 5 Jun 2016 08:00:55 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Will a deactivated fan impede airflow?

Let me think, um, um...


You can reply in about nine years.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 11:00:59 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, June 26, 2009 at 1:55:43 PM UTC-4, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 6/26/2009 9:12 AM Christopher Nelson spake thus:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

Sounds like almost the exact problem one of my clients has: a room far
away from the furnace that doesn't get enough heat.

I was suggesting that they look into installing a booster fan in the
duct to that room, until I ran into a guy who seemed quite knowledgable
about these kinds of heating problems. After a long discussion, I came
to understand that while a booster fan *might* work, there are other
things that need to be considered:

o The duct itself may be part of the problem. The typical corrugated
type of duct can impede airflow; replacing it with duct that is smooth
internally can help, as well as eliminating unnecessary bends.

o The overall configuration of the furnace and ductwork is important.
Any furnace has a limit to how much air it can move, so the question is
whether the ducts, plenums and return vents are properly sized. If
they're not, that can contribute to the problem.

Unfortunately, in my case this puts this problem outside of my area of
expertise; my clients need to talk to a competent HVAC person to get
better answers. You might want to as well.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

I too am considering a booster fan for the the ductwork to an addition to the house. I don't think I would want to use it all the time and will install a switch to turn it off. Will a deactivated fan impede airflow?

Sure, anything like that in the airflow causes more resistance. I put in
one of the squirrel cage type blowers, where you cut an opening in the
bottom of a square duct and put it in. It extends part way into the duct.
I was trying to get more airflow to the upstairs. I initially though it
worked. But later I bought one of those air velocity meters to actually
measure the air flow. No difference with and without it on.

On Sun, 5 Jun 2016 08:00:55 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Friday, June 26, 2009 at 1:55:43 PM UTC-4, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 6/26/2009 9:12 AM Christopher Nelson spake thus:

I have a room that never seems to get enough heat or AC. I have a
split level. The furnace is below the family room and the cold/hot
room is above the family room. You'd think that'd be a short-ish run
of duct work but it does bend a couple of times. I'm thinking of
putting a booster fan like http://www.comfortgurus.com/product_...roducts_id/563
in. Do they work? Any comments on the brand or model I should be
aware of? I'd rather walk into my h/w store or home center and go
home with one but I can't find one locally. Is that to be expected or
have I just looked in the wrong places?

Sounds like almost the exact problem one of my clients has: a room far
away from the furnace that doesn't get enough heat.

I was suggesting that they look into installing a booster fan in the
duct to that room, until I ran into a guy who seemed quite knowledgable
about these kinds of heating problems. After a long discussion, I came
to understand that while a booster fan *might* work, there are other
things that need to be considered:

o The duct itself may be part of the problem. The typical corrugated
type of duct can impede airflow; replacing it with duct that is smooth
internally can help, as well as eliminating unnecessary bends.

o The overall configuration of the furnace and ductwork is important.
Any furnace has a limit to how much air it can move, so the question is
whether the ducts, plenums and return vents are properly sized. If
they're not, that can contribute to the problem.

Unfortunately, in my case this puts this problem outside of my area of
expertise; my clients need to talk to a competent HVAC person to get
better answers. You might want to as well.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

I too am considering a booster fan for the the ductwork to an addition to the house. I don't think I would want to use it all the time and will install a switch to turn it off. Will a deactivated fan impede airflow?
yes

replying to Christopher Nelson, Richard wrote:
Before you add a booster fan, make sure your blower wheel is clean and set at
the proper speed for A/C, also when you are in the heating mode, and your
filter is clean. Cleaning the blower wheel is a necessity.


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...rk-380754-.htm

On 7/13/2018 3:44 PM, Richard wrote:
replying to Christopher Nelson, Richard wrote:
Before you add a booster fan, make sure your blower wheel is clean and set at
the proper speed for A/C,Â* also when you are in the heating mode, and your
filter is clean. Cleaning the blower wheel is a necessity.


Your reply is too late.Â* The OP and his 400+ gerbils died of heat stroke.