Saving $15,000 by Doing Our HVAC Ductwork

[@lockie3969]

You guys are killing it. Probably a little weird to be proud of someone/people you don't know, but honestly it's so awesome to see how far you've come. Seriously - well done!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Thank you so much!! It’s been quite a journey but that’s what it’s all about. Much more yet to come 🙌🏻

[@jdaz5462]

I love watching DIY videos. I'm starting my build in a few months. I have experience in construction, but I don't know all the trade details like this.

[@backwardsrun]

I never framed a house until I started building my own home been working on it since November and just roofing it now. Dried in at last. Any thing can be looked up and you don't have to over do it.

[@jdaz5462]

@@backwardsrunCongrats! I'm building my house in a rural area to escape the skyrocketing rent in Arizona!

[@travistroendle1020]

This series is, and will be super helpful! I will be doing to same for our new build this summer.

[@howardrfrank]

Next level DIY. You guys amaze me. I wouldn't dare tackle HVAC no matter how many videos I watched. Kudos to you guys!!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha thanks Howard! Once you get the design firmed up, putting the sheet metal together isn't too bad. Just a different type of Lego 😉

[@andrejgorin]

Elaina is a superstar of the channel 🔥

[@dspears666]

Kudos for tackling this. Love this episode! ❤

[@aaronshepard3423]

Problem with cutting supply holes first is you don't know if they will line up in bay with no seams. Best to drill hole and put some type of marker thru hole then install duct to see if all lines up properly. Also use a template for marking register supplies much easie

[@MattSapp]

How close did your CoolCalc ManualJ come to the "Professional" design? I've run CoolCalc and done a spreadsheet based on the ACCA Manual J (MJ8AE) and found that I couldn't get CoolCalc close enough to our design for a near passivehouse build, and my informal talks with HVAC contractors have ranges from "You want a what?" to "Oh something your size will need xyz" just based on sqft with no thought to insulation, ACH goals, etc.

[@andrewbaston9752]

Curious on this as well!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha that's the struggle everywhere unfortunately. I pulled them both out again to check, the CoolCalc design is not very close. It spit out around 13k btuh total heating load, 16k btuh cooling. The Wrightsoft design was 17.5k and 26.2k so roughly 50% off lol. So the Universal model we have should be more than enough running in 2-ton mode, and we may even have to dial back the fan speed to keep from overheating/cooling. We will see when it's time for start up & balancing! I'm going to try and get my hands on a flow hood to measure actual CFM at registers and see how close it came to the design.

[@MattSapp]

@@MasonDixonAcres Ah that's interesting. My climate zone is very different than yours (11,000 heating degree days, 0 CDD), and we're planning a Yeti cooler for a house. With good windows and doors, my manual calculation has me around 12k BTU/hr at design temps, but CoolCalc even at the highest insulation i could trick it into thinks 30k.

[@andrewbaston9752]

@@MasonDixonAcres ah ok. Really appreciate this response. We are almost finished framing and will need to decide this stuff soon. I'm pretty sure the HVAC contractor my builder uses doesn't do a manual J/S/D so I am trying to figure out what to do.

[@dusty265]

Not sure what your local codes are. I was in the Sheet metal HVAC industry for 38 years prior to retirement. The supply locations are typically centered on the windows and not placed with consideration to furniture. Returns are typically just stud bays with frames installed at the Code elevation. To give you a idea what a contractor up in the Northern part of Illinois where I am, they would rough your home in 22 to maybe 24-man hours. It does boil down to a contractor can not do the job with the attention to detail that a homeowner can. Now with that said a lot of things that folks feel are important really mean nothing in the operation of the system.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Thanks for the comment! I don’t believe it’s still allowable in our area to use framing bays as a return air path. Difficult to air seal well. The blessing & curse of doing all this type of work ourselves is knowing the next 10 steps, and trying not to get in our own way down the line 😅

[@generessler6282]

Haha. All your careful logic re routing brought to mind the new construction inspector shorts that show giant slices through joists and rafters made by "HVAC professionals," usually with sloppy flex duct running through. I think you'll end up with a very high quality result. Hey for something like that blind hole in 22 gauge sheet metal, a jig saw with a fine toothed metal cutting blade works great, though noisy.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Haha so true, definitely trying to avoid unecessary holes in structural framing 😂 good point on the jigsaw!

[@Anonsbdofjrnwodb]

So question, how necessary is the insulation if all the ducting is within the encapsulated air sealed space?

[@lorenrickey5481]

I love Cheif Architect Software! I used it to design my own house. I also used it to design a garden she shed for my sister.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

it's an incredibly helpful tool. Kinda steep learning curve, but makes life 10x easier on the back end

[@lorenrickey5481]

@@MasonDixonAcres I didn’t find it very difficult to learn but then again, I’ve used CAD before and that’s really hard to learn.

[@nucopia]

Awesome that you got all your Ducts in a row 🤪

[@browneyedbottle]

Check out Kwik Model 3d HVAC software for your future addition. I'm a DIYer as well and I'm using this to get my load calcs and design my ductwork

[@nikond90]

I'm looking for a video on fire sprinklers, was that your channel that had info on fire sprinklers? It was several months ago, but I can't find it. Thanks

[@MasonDixonAcres]

We had a short-form video explaining how a fire sprinkler worked but did not post the long-form video yet. Coming soon! Here's the link to the short-form in the meantime: instagram.com/p/C1uSFbjOEUH/

[@gregsidel3557]

I've got to say you have done an awful lot on your own. I know you've watched a lot of videos to get an idea. What's going on? But you have to be congratulated. For my receiving that you have done from your footing to where you're at now, Very good. Keep up the good work.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Thanks so much! It's been quite a journey

[@Owlagami]

Surprised you didn't opt for solar minisplits!

[@jtelectric9905]

Inspector may require a drip shield under the duct you ran over the top of your electrical panel

[@jtelectric9905]

Area 6ft. above a panel or the structural ceiling (whichever is lower) is designated space. The duct he ran is inside the floor joist, above the structural ceiling, but still requires a drip shield per code@Navy1977

[@cokeiceeeee]

how close was your coolcalc load to the one you paid for?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

I answered a previous comment with details on that

[@billybike57]

A retired licensed electrician 👍🏼

[@dspears666]

Seems like overkill on returns. Never saw returns in bedrooms. Usually in the hallway. Noise transmission in between rooms might be an issue. My experience is with older homes so newer tighter homes might have different requirements.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

From what I have read, any closed off space with a supply (except bathrooms) should have a clear path to a return (ideally on the opposite end of the room) to maintain airflow and room comfort. An undercut bedroom door just can't flow the volume back to the hallway returns, hence the bedroom returns. We will have to update on noise transmission when we do the startup video

[@Adam-s3w7d]

Was central air you’re only option? Why not go with European style radiator or radiant heated floors ?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Needed to cover both heating and cooling for the upstairs living space, we do have radiant in the garage.

[@Building_Jays_Way]

How’s dinner?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

lol

[@richardfowler3254]

I'm sorry but I am cringing watching this, I did HVAC sheet metal for almost 38 years before I retired and I see problems happening. Installing rigid ductwork that is already insulated without a duct pressure test is a huge "Red Flag" and using tape as your method of sealing the duct is not good either... I am happy to see rigid ductwork instead of flex but it needs properly trained installers.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

If you have the attention to detail on sealing seams that Elaina does, there's no problem 😁 We recently made friends with a Passive House certifier that owns a duct blaster and blower door that we will have done at the same time, and there will be a video on the results. I'd argue that SF686 foil mastic tape is a better sealant than fiber reinforced mastic in the long term - we used some of that too on elbow seams, and where there was any residue on the sheet metal (either protective oil from manufacturer or from hands) it flaked off pretty easily after drying. The tape is easily some of the most tenacious out there for ductwork, the only way to fix a mistake is cutting through it at the joint. Ask how we know lol

[@rickhaass1133]

Long story short... don't do you own AC duct work.

[@dspears666]

Why?

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Actually, we'd do it again! Not many installers trying to make a profit on it would be as meticulous with air sealing and insulating