Hello All!
I am new to this forum and I was referred from another forum I use. My wife and I purchased a foreclosure in 2005. This home is on a wooded parcel approximately 15 acres and home size now is a little less than 4,000 sq. feet. The house currently has no fireplace or anything wood burning. We have been looking at various types and have narrowed it down to possibly a Charmaster wood furnace. The home was built in two phases. The north original home is 1-1/2 story with a new 2.5 ton heat pump, using a new Rinnai hydronic air-handler. The second add-on part of the house (south) is larger and is a two story design and has the existing 3 ton heat pump with resistive heat and has no return plenum, only closet it is in. Not sure if this even acceptable and of course the temps are uneven (another subject unless this should be corrected). The two parts of the house are connected by a short 6 foot hallway on both the first and second floors. The home from what I am being told had a corn cob stove in the basement and I am planning on using this hole in the rim joist to enlarge for chimney. After talking to the people at Charmaster a few times they insist that their unit can supply heat to both units.
What I need help with initially is where to find "slip-in" backdraft dampers that will protect the existing hydronic coil and evaporator coils? The unit with the hydronic coil sits about at the 20% mark in the main trunk line so I am thinking I will need two dampers one on each side of the vertical plenum. There is a Wye immediately in the plenum above the cased coil which would keep a vertical air flow style damper from working. The second unit which only has a 12 x 16 supply plenum would require a vertical air flow dampers since all the remaining ducts are within the second floor joist space, and I was trying not to remove any walls/ceilings, or disassemble the plenums/ducts unless absolutely necessary.
Installation will also call for a split of the supply from the Charmaster. What is a good source for planning the duct sizing and design? The supply would need to branch one to the south and one to the north. The north would then need to split and go around the plenum of the hydronic air-handler. AS far as return the hydronic air-handler has a return plenum, not optimal, with ducts located central to that portion of the house at about 9 feet from the floor. However there is no ceiling above until you reach the ceiling for second floor attic type area (pitched ceilings, 4' side walls). These return ducts are about 10-15 feet from main entry foyer which has a two story ceiling. So I would only be able to provide return air from one side of the house but passively more.
Hopefully, I haven’t started off with a whammy!
Please let me know what additional details I need to give. I do have a photo blog to reference if it doesn't violate forum.
Thanks!
Chris
I am new to this forum and I was referred from another forum I use. My wife and I purchased a foreclosure in 2005. This home is on a wooded parcel approximately 15 acres and home size now is a little less than 4,000 sq. feet. The house currently has no fireplace or anything wood burning. We have been looking at various types and have narrowed it down to possibly a Charmaster wood furnace. The home was built in two phases. The north original home is 1-1/2 story with a new 2.5 ton heat pump, using a new Rinnai hydronic air-handler. The second add-on part of the house (south) is larger and is a two story design and has the existing 3 ton heat pump with resistive heat and has no return plenum, only closet it is in. Not sure if this even acceptable and of course the temps are uneven (another subject unless this should be corrected). The two parts of the house are connected by a short 6 foot hallway on both the first and second floors. The home from what I am being told had a corn cob stove in the basement and I am planning on using this hole in the rim joist to enlarge for chimney. After talking to the people at Charmaster a few times they insist that their unit can supply heat to both units.
What I need help with initially is where to find "slip-in" backdraft dampers that will protect the existing hydronic coil and evaporator coils? The unit with the hydronic coil sits about at the 20% mark in the main trunk line so I am thinking I will need two dampers one on each side of the vertical plenum. There is a Wye immediately in the plenum above the cased coil which would keep a vertical air flow style damper from working. The second unit which only has a 12 x 16 supply plenum would require a vertical air flow dampers since all the remaining ducts are within the second floor joist space, and I was trying not to remove any walls/ceilings, or disassemble the plenums/ducts unless absolutely necessary.
Installation will also call for a split of the supply from the Charmaster. What is a good source for planning the duct sizing and design? The supply would need to branch one to the south and one to the north. The north would then need to split and go around the plenum of the hydronic air-handler. AS far as return the hydronic air-handler has a return plenum, not optimal, with ducts located central to that portion of the house at about 9 feet from the floor. However there is no ceiling above until you reach the ceiling for second floor attic type area (pitched ceilings, 4' side walls). These return ducts are about 10-15 feet from main entry foyer which has a two story ceiling. So I would only be able to provide return air from one side of the house but passively more.
Hopefully, I haven’t started off with a whammy!
Please let me know what additional details I need to give. I do have a photo blog to reference if it doesn't violate forum.
Thanks!
Chris