New BUILD : Excellent Air Conditioning System Cost? I’ll tell you!

[@CompleteComfort]

As an HVAC owner/operator and license holder this is a great video. I wish all of customers would listen to me when we talk HVAC in the beginning stages of projects. The select few that do are extremely pleased with the results. Great job Matt and Miguel!

[@michaelvangundy226]

I guess it is the changing times. We used to go outside.

[@andrewakrause]

@@rywolf01 Yeah, sure buddy, "profit is evil". 10 years ago, I got quoted $7,000 to install a new HVAC in summer, and I thought that was ridiculous. So I went and got my 608A certification, learned out to install an HVAC system myself, and did it. I learned two things: 1) As Matt points out in the video, your bottom-dollar cut-throat installer isn't going to do a very good job. There are hundreds of tiny things a good installer does that will maximize the performance of even the cheapest systems. If you cheap out on the labor, you might as well tack a $20 tax onto your heating and cooling bill for each month that thing is drawing off the grid. 2) It's hard damned work, with a lot of on-site fabrication, crawling around in a hot attic, inhaling insulation, and trying to not put their foot through the ceiling, to install that system. Did I save money? Yeah, $2k. It took me three weeks vs the 1-2 days a pro would have done it in. But frankly, that $2k is a well earned profit for the HVAC professional. And for your average homeowner, it's worth every penny. Dude has every right to his expensive sports car. If you don't like it, you can move to Venezuela with all the other commies.

[@MrRay3801]

It used to amaze me when we would rough in the hvac systems in million dollar homes years ago....it was like the hvac was an afterthought. Not enough space to install equipment in a serviceable manner and dont get me started on space for ductwork. Then they would cheap out on the equipment itself. Drove me nuts

[@CompleteComfort]

I agree 100%! Everyone wants open floor plan but never want to provide and walls or any thought about HVAC, then they wonder why the house heats/cools like shit. In a 2 story application Im a huge supporter of supporter HVAC systems to zone the home...but it's never "in the budget". Irritates the hell outta me

[@CompleteComfort]

Andrew Krause lmfao! FYI that's not an expensive sports car. Its a 99 camaro...some would call it a poor man's sports car.

[@aquasurfer9]

I have put in many systems and I always put systems in a second floor closet and returns from bedrooms came down next to unit. This minimizes ductwork. I made a plenum and installed dampers in the plenum. Power Open/ Close. I put in a fresh air return into the sophet or wall. I chose not to put dampers on the fresh air. Either a 5" or 4" duct was used. This compensated for any pressure differntial caused by bathroom fans on. Even with the system off, the negative pressure caused by the fart fan would pull filtered air through the house. A 3000 foot house 2 story with isonene would be about $12000. I built a plenum in the downstairs near the center of the house and all down ducts were off that. Sizing of ducts to each room was done using Wrightsoft. Been using it since 1998. The zone controller handled the staging but on the communicating systems the Thermostat did that. The latest equipment from Daikin/Goodman has adaptive staging which changes according to the load. In spring, it will run on low stage mostly. The dehum functions and all settings to tweak the unit is done by bluetooth to the air handler. Updatable software for the air handler and condenser is through the phone to bluetooth function. I have seen too many UV lights and ERVs not working due to homeowners not liking to pay several hundred dollars a year to work on them. The comfort level of a properly sized 2 stage system with zoning is a far more practical system. The extra dehumidifier without proper airflow will cause problems unless it clears the cold air out of the duct system. As you know, you need to have a minimum amount of air in the ductwork or you get stagnant air in a part of the ductwork that exceeds 60% humidity and allows mold to grow. Can you change that filter for $20 like merv 13's cost? I like to install 14 seer equipment these days as they have no call backs, last 15 years and the fan motors don't cost $1500 to replace after 8 years. The bearings on the 2 stage Copelands seem to have issues after 8 years or so. I have a Class A with C designation here in Austin. I don't like the failure rates of a dehumidifier that uses a compressor and fan plus an ERV plus 2 stage compressors with variable speed motors on the condenser. On a house like this video has, the power bill in Austin will be way under $100. The difference between a 14 seer and even a 16 seer system as far as energy usage will never in the lifetime of the equipment have a return. A 16 seer 2 stage with variable speed air handler is $1600 more than a 14. 13% energy savings will save $150 per year. The equipment lifetime is about 12 years. The 3000 foot house on Hwy 360 has a power bill of $60 using my technique with a 16 seer zoned 2 stage. The zoning with time of day calculations on where the loads are, keep the system running in low stage over 90% of the time. So the 3 ton system cooling a 3000 foot house in Austin doesn't go out of the 2 ton mode very often. Since the zone board bye EWC can handle basic thermostats and only needs the one communicating one, the cost was only $12000. The returns to each room was pretty easy since the only thing in the attic was ductwork. The duct runs were short as the control box was in the center of the attic. I find that the sealed houses have alot of humidity and are at least 10 degrees warmer than the living space. Putting 500 lbs of equipment in an attic raises the load factor by 10%. After all, when the equipment is off, it warms to attic temperature and when turned on has to cool down all that mass. Nice Video.

[@Techno4more]

I have no idea what you're talking about but it sounds interesting

[@samsun01]

Trade craft speak

[@williammarik6159]

I wanna party with you.

[@DrMJJr]

Could have simplified that entire conversation with a 2-3 heads per mini-split system and then run the ERV + Dehumidifier for the whole house in the rigid ductwork. Boom. Problem solved. ✌🏽

[@williammarik6159]

As a licensed hvac contractor,i must say that is a fantastic job. I do a fair amount of new construction(cleveland,oh.) and builders and customers are woefully ignorant of the costs as well as the time/labor which goes into an above average installation (energy star standards). At least equipment mfg,s are producing the equipment needed for this type of work. The duct-work is critical and i was glad to hear Miguel point that out. Outstanding work !!!!

[@MrPhys]

same

[@jacklabloom635]

Our 4300 square foot, two story house was built in 2002. It has three 2.5 ton units. One is for the master bedroom, master bath, and the home office. This approach saves us a ton of money. We can close off our bedroom and run that unit at night while the rest of the house does not have to be heated or cooled at the same temp we want in the bedroom at night. My cost to upgrade or replace one of those smaller units is much less compared to replacing a single large unit. So far all three units are still working. I had to replace the circuit board in one unit two years ago. I did that myself, because my service guy was traveling out of state. He services my units every year, cleans the coils, checks freon levels, cleans the burners, etc. Those hepa filtering units get clogged up quickly. I know because I've had one of them in one of our houses. I've tried all that fancy stuff, humidifiers, etc. The simpler you keep it, the better. What works better is super insulating the house, use smart thermostats, window shades on the south side, and keep the rest of the system simple. I change all of my filters every three months. I use the medium grade filters, instead of the super fine particle filters. Over the last forty years, I've purchased multiple heat and air systems, for various houses we've owned. For our area, heat pumps have proven to work well, even through I have 20,000 watts of electric auxiliary heat as a backup in one large house. It comes on so rarely, it's impact on my electric bill has not been bad. We have natural gas heat in another house, and it runs $350 to 450 per month during the two coldest months. The house with the heat pumps, which is the larger home, has never had an electric bill above $350.00. The highest utility bills, in our area, are for July, August, January and February. The houses are 25 miles apart so the climate is identical. I am not a professional builder. I'm just giving my perspectives based on forty-eight years' experience of being a home owner of multiple houses in different states across the South. I like your channel and learn a lot from you. I am not trying to be critical. I'm just stating what has worked best for us over the years. It might help a few people, who are not planning to build a million dollar home.

[@jamesvanriper6334]

True HEPA filters burn up fan motors. Went back to the "Good" filter at HD and still no dust on my coils at all and I no longer replace fan motors every couple years.

[@MD-cd7em]

WE HAVE TO BE GENUINE WITH EACH OTHER ON SOCIAL MEDIA....MOST OF US ARE HERE TO LEARN OR HELP SOMEONE ELSE..THANKYOU SIR

[@MD-cd7em]

ANOTHER CONSIDERATION...OUR BODIES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO INHALE PURE AIR.....WE HAVE TO HAVE.." CERTAIN MICROBES"... WE ARE DUST.

[@MD-cd7em]

I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT GOING WITH ..MULTIPLE SMALLER UNITS IN MY HOUSE ALSO...I KEEP THINKING ..IT HAS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT!... THANKYOU FOR YOUR INPUT!

[@timc9893]

@@jamesvanriper6334 The reason the "HEPA" filter "Burns up your motor", is that your filtration / return duct system, wasn't sized or designed for the highly restrictive nature of the ultra-high efficiency filter to begin with. A "HEPA" style filtration system much more free surface area to allow air to pass through it, without creating an intolerable pressure (and flow) restriction. Your poor blower motor essentially died the same death as a chain smoker......it's lungs were working 15 times harder than they were designed for, just to get the same flow they did before smoking started.

[@RadDadisRad]

As a construction electrician that has dealt with hospital HVAC installs and now the proud owner of a century home, I completely agree. My house breathes better than most people and I absolutely hate it. These videos are really helping me tune my budget and my focal point on purpose built equipment to make my house a better cleaner version that its current self.

[@daviddegeorge1665]

I work for a commercial mechanical company . All these things have existed in commercial installations for a long time it’s great to see them find their way into the residential home

[@davefrattaroli5804]

It's refreshing to finally see someone talk about long flex runs. As an HVAC contractor in the Northeast, long flex runs are not common practice. However, most HVAC channels based in the south, flex is all you see. You also don't see many GC's talking or caring much about the HVAC systems. Love the content Matt, keep up the good work.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

You want to see a bunch of 5 ton spider 🕷️ systems. Look at those $2-10M homes in Alpharetta Ga that I used to do service on. Most variable speed blowers wouldn’t push enough air through those high profit hack jobs.

[@alanrcrews]

Dream system for those with allergies!

[@bryantcreech7423]

Correct Mr.A

[@AMTAUSTIN]

Since there were some strong hints that this system is $50,00, let's break that down: Positive Energy design service: $7000 (0.5 to 1% of total construction cost) Mitsubishi 2-ton condenser, evap/air-handler, and line-set: $4500 (eComfort & many other at this price) UltraAire 70H: $1250 Panasonic ERV: $1000 Misc electric, new ducting, labor and other fees from HVAC contractor: $36250!!!

[@northavealum]

The design service & equipment costs seem reasonable, but the HVAC contractor fee for a 2Ksqft house seems pretty excessive - especially since they aren't doing the design & specifications. If you assume 25% is supervision/manager and 75% is labor/expertise for the actual install - that's a 2-man crew working full-time for a month @ $85/hour to install the ductwork & equipment and make the electrical connections, and you know the contractor isn't paying the installers $85/hour - I'd be shocked if they're paying $50/hour. And Matt's talking about the HVAC contractor needing to make a profit on the equipment.

[@AMTAUSTIN]

northavealum the sad thing is the actual installers (not supervisors/lead) probably make under $20/hour.

[@northavealum]

@@AMTAUSTIN I'm confident you're exactly right - I used the higher figure to illustrate how ridiculous the economics Matt & Miguel presented. More likely the HVAC contractor is making even more money. Makes me want to go to HVAC school for 6 months to learn the fundamental so I can skip the HVAC contractor altogether and afford the $7K for a firm like Positive Energy to do their thing.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@northavealum if they're getting $7K for that simple design, they're cutting a fat hog. Probably around $3.5K is more like it - and that would still be a very fat fee vs the design effort required.

[@AMTAUSTIN]

ArthurDentZaphodBeeb I agree on the design cost and would hope there’s some other companies offering this service. I would much prefer an hourly cost. The design service is a step in the right direction: being able to be fully educated in the HVAC options. Next step IMO is separating the equipment procurement from the HVAC Install services

[@christophershreiner5114]

This is a GREAT video. There is so much good information here. What people don't understand about buying a system through a big box store is that they're only trying to move as much equipment as possible. They don't pay the installer enough to make it worth their while to ensure you have the best installation for your home. They're only there to put in equipment, not make it work with the home properly. Spending so much money on your home, it only makes sense to pay a little more to have the job done properly. Improperly installed equipment leads not only to less than desirable conditions, but it can also easily cause failed compressors and other expensive failures down the road.

[@Floridaman8783]

As an hvac contractor, I'm glad SOMEONE is talking about the important stuff, asking the impirtant questions... While my own business is primarily service & retrofit installations. Myself and several of my guys cut our teeth in new construction. And we DO work for select builders. The ones who "get it". The ones who value what we do, and want to build a better home. The things that go on in production building are downright appalling most the time. These poor homeowners are spending 3-700k, on average, many times more, on the shoddiest built homes, with terrible hvac systems. There is something majorly wrong with a 500k house, where the hvac system was only 8k. We're taking 1.6% of the build on one of the main thing that makes your home liveable... NO-ONE can do a quality system for that. It doesn't have to be over the top, but knowingly sell the homeowner a P.O.S. system is just wrong. We have often gone into million + homes with the crappiest hvac system you can possibly imagine. I cant tell you how many times we go in and fix brand new homes. Its disgusting. These people trust their builders to use quality subcontractors. Instead, some of these builders get tons of bids, they put the higher, quality company's bid on the budget... Then use the cheapest, shittiest company they can find. And even then, they will haggle them down on price, make the overage in difference in contract price, PLUS points on top of that for management... If nothing else, videos like this are a start. A start to educating homeowners on the questions they need to be asking. Quite frankly, if you are building a home, and you never sit down with your hvac contractor? Or at least your hvac contractor and builder, and have a consultation about your comfort wants and needs? You should look for someone else. Or at least asking yourself why. How can a contractor deliver the kind of comfort you desire if they dont know WHAT it is, you want? Food for thought people.

[@samsun01]

Some valid points raised. DIY is the answer.

[@williammarik6159]

I go through this constantly. Lack of knowledge with builders/customers lead them to beleve that you are cheating them. In new construction etc.,its all about the kitchens and floors.

[@Floridaman8783]

@@samsun01 Only to a degree. One can't diy everything. It's just not feasible. Nor is it feasible that one could diy their whole home better than a professional. The distinction here, that I was making, was the builders. Makes all the difference in the world. And they're not that hard to find, typically. All you really have to do is just compare the work being put out from one to the other. The differences are typically obvious.

[@samsun01]

@@Floridaman8783 good distinction. Invest some time upfront on finding a good builder while also invest some time to educate yourself better so later on you can fix your own house (case by case, depends on what can be DIY).

[@JediOfTheRepublic]

“So what does a typical unit cost here” “Well you know, it all depends on the environment but things have become highly competitive” I get it, I can’t afford it.

[@curtcmiller]

JediOfTheRepublic Why can’t they just say the numbers?!!

[@Gcanno]

What do they need to tell you,that you couldn't figure out yourself; with doing a little research on the internet as far as costing the products that they are talking about. Then figure in the Skilled Labor, Which doesn't include the Lowest bidder.

[@MD-cd7em]

SEEMS LIKE THEY HAD AN UNDERLYING AGENDA

[@northavealum]

Gcanno what do you care? But if you must know, I’m interested in the breakdown from a builder that’s built a bunch of custom homes - so he has some insight to the relative $ amounts. I don’t understand what’s so secretive about the underlying facts behind the % Matt & Miguel are quoting.

[@mogumede8211]

@@curtcmiller Because the number for that house in Austin is not going to be the same for a house in Phoenix or Wisconsin. Also, the size of the house will determine the size of the setup required. The style of the house. Etc

[@jon3615]

Granted I'm a general contractor, not a builder, I'm glad I live in the PNW. My personal houses are built tight, not as tight as I've seen on this Channel, but I use fresh air vents on all windows that stay open all year round. I used mini splits and I am very happy with them. They can do everything this system can except the filtering for much less cost. I live on an island in the puget sound so air quality is much better than most of the country. I Think the idea of having a leaky house is very region specific. If I was in the humid south I would want my house built the way this channel does it. Where I am leaky isn't a bad thing but still needs control. Although my window vents are always open unless it's a blower door test.

[@JoeLarge]

Thanks for talking costs. Just gives a context on all the equipment etc. You are rolling my man.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@77Avadon77 >$40K with design costs is my guess.

[@Conservator.]

77Avadon77 They say in the video 4%-7% of a 1mln building. So $40k to $70k. But that’s just initial investment. What are the operating costs and depreciation?

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@77Avadon77 This is a demonstrator-type home, so they are going above and beyond. Of course, both Matt and the HVAC designer have vested interests in these elaborate systems ("the more, the merrier" since both get markups on their work - it's $elling their work to customers that's the hard part).

[@soundmixervegas]

$70,000 I can get a split system for each room. No duct and no allergies. Why people build with ducks especially in the medium and hot climate is beyond me.

[@soundmixervegas]

Not to mention loss of space in the addict. Put a few skylights and you have a loft..

[@scjeepHO]

Crazy didn't realize how much goes into some of these systems. Never seen one like this in person, only traditional installs

[@tysleight]

Love the in fact that they're talking about design and how important it is as their stepping over DWV pipe. I assume they could have pushed it under the floor and pop it near the wall or back 3feet under the ducting. Love the show! Glad they don't show my jobs! Armchair quarter backing is so easy.

[@woohunter1]

That way the plumbers don’t have to drill holes through ceiling joists, which are probably part of a truss system. I would be glad they did it this way, it’s a mechanical room.

[@jstkeeps]

Most times holes in joists are frowned upon by codes..... arm chair quaterbacks will always chime in..... im proud of my own work.... you??

[@tysleight]

@@jstkeeps yep 98% of the time I will be happy to put my name on anything I do. (Anyone who says they are always proud of the work are biased to the point that they become scary). Also please show me what code says you can't put holes in joists, and I'll show you 10 that say you can and will give you directions how to do it.

[@jasoncurtis4404]

To me it's not life or death to have a 100% sealed house. I mean you have to bring in fresh air. Sure its filtered, but you open doors to go in and out, which is about the same depending on how often you go outside. I know someone that did a remodel with spray foam and mini splits, power bill about $30 a month. If he washed clothes and used the dryer, or used a bath fan, when he opened a door to leave, his house would actually suck the door open because it was pulled to a vacuum almost with the exhausts. Crazy. Just think I'm too practical and have to be really be truthful with myself when selling things like that to people when I honestly dont think its needed. Cuz it's not NEEDED, it's a luxury basically. I can put in a standard 14 seer heat pump system in a 1300 sq ft rancher from scratch for about $10k, and electric Bill's would be around 120, depending on insulation. Mini splits would double that up front cost, possibly triple. If a house is that well insulated, a super expensive hvac is total overkill. The rancher I speak of could have $70 electric bills if sprayfoamed. So why spend the extra 10k in hvac? Even the 14 seer system would barely run with a house so tight. Should be a study to show cost of hvac per sq ft and cost of insulation per sq ft and cost of electric bill per sq ft. To find a happy medium where you aren't wasting money. Even if u got unlimited funds, if you are super insulated, any hvac will do its job easily. So how much do you really need to go beyond the norm before it no longer gives a return on investment? Wow way too long of a post, sorry.

[@richardfowler3254]

I completely agree with you. I did A/C work for 38 years and only ran into a few of these systems. They are typically bought by "Look at what I have" types of people. I just about flipped when I heard their price estimates. I guess they need that money to keep making videos on YT for people that will never spend that much...

[@TheSteelArmadillo]

Sounds like your friend's house is in a vacuum while he's doing normal things like laundry or bathing. That violates a cornerstone rule of efficient operation and can (sometimes) lead to things like humidity damage down the road. If you get any significant amount of air exchange by simply opening a door and closing it behind you, your home is either in a serious vacuum or incredibly poorly built (same difference). You can either spend the money up front to actually control the interior conditions inside the home or you can spend the money on the back end by cooling air that is exchanging to the atmosphere. Power cost will never go down, only up over time. These homes are generally not 1700ft ranch homes; they're large, complex homes in a hot, humid climate. These homes are intended to last 100 years or more. 100 years ago, it was ridiculous to build a house with sheathing>water barrier>siding. But look at us now. Your position seems reasonable today, but it won't in 50yrs.

[@johnwhite2576]

You are overlooking air quality-yes air is entering the house but through leaks and “filtered” by man made fiber insulation and dirty getting into the air you breathe, and this approach allows you to positively pressure the hosue, invaluable for pollen and ESPECIALLY for radon. ...but i do think you can go crazy on this stuff -the whole concept of passive house is nuts. A;so a good compromise is a cheaper simpler say two stage HVAC unit AND augmented by a dehumidifier.

[@thaddeusgilley5450]

He did have a fresh air exchange system in play. I know nothing of HVAC so I'm learning. And rockwool insulation helps with the mold and bacteria problems since moisture isn't absorbed by this material unlike fiber glass insulation which I have seen first hand. Not to mention a 70 liter per hour dehumidifier system in play as well.

[@tekjunkie28]

Depends on how long you are gonna own that house. If you are going to own it the rest of your life then seal it up as tight as you can for as cheap as you can. Maybe spray foam the attic or at least air seal the top plates and rim joists if you have them. Then get a manual J done and if your super tight then get a variable speed Trane. Sure 14 seer single stage can do it but SEER has nothing do do with how efficient a unit is most of the time. The duct work is so undersized and unplanned its wasting the money and comfort. Plus you need O2, and in most homes it over 1000 ppm. I guess this is why we have such dumb people today, all that extra co2 is diminishing there cognitive abilities. I seen a local school class room air quality test and it was upwards of about 3000ppm co2.... way too much.

[@johnbecich9540]

Laurels to these fine engineers as educators!! This is the finest 20 minute video I've seen yet, ANYWHERE, as an introduction to comfortable living by means of the latest innovations in HVAC technology. The best things in "real estate improvement" are not free or easy, and it's never easy to retrofit. God bless the people who have attic space. In SoCal where I live, cathedral ceilings are beautiful to look at and offer superior acoustics to audiophiles, but turn out to be expensive and idiosyncratic regarding thermal management. I'm glad I have above-average attic potential, and these ideas tempt me accordingly.

[@MD-cd7em]

THERE ARE STILL SOME HOMES IN SO..CAL..WITH ATTICS

[@northavealum]

Hey Matt - very useful discussion, but I have a question. Which components are sharing ductwork & what is the sequence? I see that the IQAir is inline with the Mitsubishi VRF) & it looks like the IQAir is pre-filtering air being feed into the Mitsubishi, but I can't tell if & how the other two components integrate. Are the Ultra-Aire and the Panasonic ERV each using their own dedicated ductwork? If not which components are sharing ductwork? How are the components sequenced? Finally, how do they keep the airflow balanced so that the components don't battle each other with so many different components playing with the air?

[@Y34HN0]

I'm no expert, but I think it would go like this: Dehumidifier --> ERV --> House in one dedicated set of ducting. Air conditioning --> House in another dedicated set of ducting. The two systems have very different needs and ERVs/HRVs aren't recommended to share ducting with AC at all.

[@jagslion3]

from what I got it was VRF + D and the filter system in one and the Panasonic system on it`s own. that is my Miguel said you can use a smaller 4` pipe for the fresh air system,

[@tomroehl5126]

How complex is the maintenance of these systems? I'm thinking specifically of years down the road where the home may have been sold or transferred and a new homeowner comes in and needs to figure out how the system works. There are a lot of different filters plus settings/adjustments on the units. How standardized are those filters? Will there be problems finding replacements in the future, etc, etc...

[@tt7hvn]

This is actually a conventional system, it's just an air handler and a condenser outside. This specific system just has added accessories. So, my issue would be how the accessories communicate with the main system which is just software. Not exactly overly complicated but system maintenance wouldn't be more than any other system really. It has expensive filters...

[@craiguglandrealty3705]

The HVAC install company very likely offers yearly service/maintenance. I will assume a $500k+ homeowner can afford that service.

[@zack9912000]

@@craiguglandrealty3705 we have done a ton of multi million dollar homes and only a handful want those maintenance agreements, we love them because it stops the bs from homeowners demanding we fix all the major problems their systems have on one visit when NO ONE has touched them in years

[@nickmeeder]

For a technician, the maintenance isn't complex, but the air filtration cost maintenance will be high. This is a system that will probably need filter changes more frequently and needs more expensive, higher grade filters. This drives up costs. Also, when the Mitsubishi system breaks down, its going to need troubleshooting and you'll need techs trained and EXPERIENCED on Mitsubishi software, systems, and special tools. The VRF system isn't like a typical system where within 30 minutes or less the issue is diagnosed (this increases labor costs when troubleshooting). For a passive house, the VRF system probably won't operate often, or for normal operational periods of time. This type of operation, though, is like driving your car in constant stop and go traffic. It is going to wear out your engine prematurely. HVAC systems are not designed to withstand short cycling or operation in low heat load conditions. Sure, the Mitsubishi system can unload to 15% of its cooling capacity. However, the risk here is oil loss and a failed compressor. Mitsubishi has designed its system with that risk in mind, but not for continual operation. You'll probably want the system to be programmed at start up to conduct more frequent oil recovery cycles. A passive house is definitely going to operate in an "unloaded" state and increases that risk. There's also the Dehumidifier and ERV. Inexperienced technicians won't know how to work on it, and who knows if parts are readily available for it. Design engineers can talk about how great the system is (and in this case, it really is a GREAT system), but they don't get to see it two or five years later when all of the problems arise because the home owner didn't spend the higher costs to get highly qualified and trained technicians to maintain their system above standard. Hope this helps.

[@851995STARGATE]

@@nickmeeder wow sometime typing alot of bull shit

[@johnames6430]

Can you do a video for a normal house, maybe 300 - 500k price range and it's equipment. It's nice to see a HVAC system that 99.99% of the audience will never have but what can the rest of us expect if we are putting in a new system?

[@MD-cd7em]

THATS A TYPICAL SYSTEM WITH A DEHUMIDIFIER....NOTHING FANCY....JUST AN AIR HANDLER

[@Floridaman8783]

That's nothing crazy man. Nothing crazy. Filtration on that system I'd prolly the most over the top thing.

[@danielluti8857]

With 10+ years of experience their is a large difference building to your environment a lot of his video show southern building high humidity year round but in the northern building for a 2000 sq ft home you would be over paying hard for some of the things Matt advocates for but he does his disclaimer when he speaks in his videos i do believe he over builds but that’s what his clients want and their is nothing but respect for General contractor who is well educated

[@jeanetteinthisorn4955]

@@danielluti8857 depends how far north you go. Further North into central/northern Ontario we have a lot of weeping bedrock that causes dampness in the houses year round. Not to mention all the humidity from all the small lakes and the slow spring melt.

[@DonTruman]

Amen. This is A/C for the rich and famous.

[@markpalmer5311]

Best video yet on the foundations of a great HVAC system. Makes me want to build another house!

[@buildshow]

Thanks Mark!

[@j0nrages]

"We live in Austin, it's a very hot and humid place..." *Laughs in Houston*

[@jimmybrooks179]

Smiles in San Antonio

[@BrOWnMaMBA2fouR]

Crys in Corpus Christi

[@FirstLast-qy7hf]

smirks in Orlando

[@elifire4147]

*Cries quietly in a corner in Naples Florida*

[@ThierryC2373]

Lmao in Miami

[@carterdjohnson9673]

In high-end homes go the extra step and install area zone dampers with thermostats, with the variable fan speed on the system the comfort will be higher.

[@Catodici1995]

Thank you @Ryan Foreman for such a specific answer on an example cost. Why such a lack of hard #'s in this video?

[@dsdragoon]

Shouldn't a "Top Line Air Conditioning System" also include a UV light Kit to sanitize the air or is it built in?

[@christophersines8238]

Check the NADCA white papers on this subject. Far more info there than is worth arguing here.

[@dsdragoon]

@@christophersines8238 Such as nadca.com/sites/default/files/images/2016/nadca_white_paper_on_uv_lighting_applications.pdf

[@evaluatorhvac4400]

D Scott and cold plasma also.

[@Gcanno]

@Anonymous Because they're Bad for you, really bad.

[@ryanforeman2581]

Gcanno Yeah they are. Most introduce ozone.

[@apolloimprovements79]

Hi Matt, I have seen a number of videos from you about this topic, but I can’t wrap my head around the loop. Can you do a short video or even an illustration about the intake and outtake chain!? Eg intake air from ac return grill goes through IQ AIR purifier, into Mitsubishi ac system, then outgoing hair goes through dehumidifier, then the exhaust air from that goes through Erv, and then all returns are from Erv into rooms?? Or are there seperate ac vents and seperate ERV ventilation. This is one detail that has always confused me about the systems

[@apolloimprovements79]

Brian Tinsman your comment isn’t helpful

[@believerscc]

I think its going to be dependent on each project and budget. There are several ways to skin a cat. A basic system would have fresh air enter the ERV (which crosses the cooler exhaust) then go to dehumidifier then into the main HVAC which then supplies all of the rooms. The exhaust side from inside the house, which can come from a single point or multiple points is ducted directly to the ERV (to cool incoming hot air) then goes outside. I don't even want to know how much changing the filters would cost.

[@covenantpropertyinspection7077]

Apollo, At a hi level, you will have 2 main ways to run an ERV, 1. Piggyback on the HVAC duct system, which will likely cause condensation or other balance issues at some point. Or 2. Have a dedicated duct system for the ERV supplies and returns. Supposedly, the are a few designed systems by some manufacturers for piggybacking installations but not sure if they have been fully tested for long term use in humid climates.

[@j.r.3215]

It cost less to do things right the first time than to do it wrong twice... Great video/advice again and always from you and you subs that have the same attitude. Keep up the good vids Matt.

[@buildshow]

Thanks!

[@zack9912000]

Absolutely see cheap ass homeowners go with the craiglist guy in the unmarked truck and bitch when we come in and condemn the whole system because how wrong it is. I don't feel sorry for people like that. You get what you pay for. Dont get mad at the experts and their prices to clean up your mess

[@racer98]

+1

[@ericthehalfmexican9187]

I just built a 2900 sq ft house last year and got a top of the line 5 ton Carrier Greenspeed system with 7 zones and a return in each room. I paid about $22k but the installer was a friend. With open cell insulation on 2x6 walls, my electric bill is running around $160-$190 year round (highest in winter). The house I moved from was 2000 sq ft built in 2004 and the electric bill was almost up to $300 in the summer.

[@gregoryheimann8287]

7 zones 5 tons for 2,900 sq ft. and 5 tons? Too many zones too many tons.. but if your comfy I guess thats what matters

[@ferinzz]

I liked it when you finally got to the pricing. 40-70k, that's the cost of the houses I'm looking at. Cool. I'm interested in the dehumidifier though, in Lithuania, rainy country, I'll need this.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Just save your money and buy a portable dehumidifier for about 25% the cost.

[@jermainec2462]

If Matt did affordable homes he probably loose his mind on the small budget ... 😂

[@Lenser]

He builds only luxury?

[@j0nrages]

@@Lenser Yes, he only builds custom homes typically between $700k-$3M. If you watch his remodel video, you see how quickly he can't NOT upgrade everything into oblivion. Builders run under tighter margins typically, and that causes some compromises.

[@Lenser]

@@j0nrages I like the fact he is open to new techniques and technologies. I'm just not sure how much he takes budget into account. I'm sure he does to a point but it seems most of his clients are high end with an open check book.

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

Simply a big commercial.

[@BM-tk1cn]

"What do you mean you only have 50k for a window package???"

[@kylemacht]

Great video!! Nice work Miguel!!! Looking forward to seeing you both at Nerd Camp!

[@positiveenergy1565]

[@vbritt3990]

I wish you spent some time talking about what needed to be done to this house for it to be okay for an attic install. Extra credit on how to retrofit a house attic for this.

[@chriscampbell5878]

I think he just said the space with all that equipment is temperature controlled like the rest of the house..

[@cjimcook]

A few comment/questions (feedback?): Okay, a lot of equipment, but a lot of handwaving and words about how it was all hooked together. It would have been nice to jump edit to a segment with Trey's plans on a table (or a piece of plywood across a couple sawhorses) to point and trace the air paths. Second, the purpose of the dehumidifier is not quite obvious (to me). Yes, the house is in a humid climate, but houses have been being built with just an A/C pulling the moisture out of the air for ages, and those houses leaked (a lot?) of air. So now we are in a tight house, so when the humidity is sucked out of the interior by the A/C, the house is not leaking in a lot of new humid air, so why the need for the dehumidifier. Third, the filtration unit was uncommonly fine. You never explained why the homeowner wanted this degree of filtration. Why? What are the different levels of filtration that can be designed into a system and what is the candidate region/home/homeowner for each level? Lastly, what's with the silver vertical rods with the green things? It would have been nice to zoom in and focus on them with an explanation, assuming you haven't done that previously. Cheers & thanks!

[@MD-cd7em]

EXACTLY!!!!..THERE WONT EVEN BE ENOUGH AIR TO FILTER!!...WILL OVERWORK THE MOTOR ..JUST PULLING AIR THROUGH THE FILTRATION SYSTEM!

[@MD-cd7em]

PEOPLE DONT REALIZE ITS CALLED.." AIR CONDITIONING"... NOT JUST " AIR COOLING"!!.... LOVE YOUR POST..THANKYOU!

[@MD-cd7em]

OUR BODIES AREN'T DESIGNED TO BE ..MICROBE..FREE..

[@Conservator.]

Would be nice to do a total cost of ownership comparison on this system and a typical cheap one. I’m curious how much energy and money is saved by using a well designed efficient system. How about maintenance and longevity?

[@Dead_Aim556]

You should do a video on ducts and different types. I’m assuming rigid has smooth metal walls that are more resistant to mold building up like “rigid” fiberglass ducts

[@timc9893]

In a well designed, sized, and properly executed installation, there should be NO mold present, to accumulate in the duct work, regardless of the type of materials utilized.

[@conniebrown7016]

@@timc9893 Though true, its a difficult bar, and for long term health I prefer the metal I have had to work with mold issues in the past. A metal duct can be cleaned as well and better IAQ.

[@cornpop7805]

My guess is that you Panasonic fresh air system controls are not scaled in CFM, but percentage of total CFM. If you think about it, those same controls are surely being used for different sized systems (in terms of CFM) and the controls referring to percentage of max makes the most sense. I believe those squirrel cage fans that were visible when the cover was opened, were rated for way more than 100 CFM. I'll bet they were >250CFM each. Not that they are additive... I used to design forced air equipment (similar to electric furnaces), which doesn't mean I'm right, but I do have a sense of what airflow fans produce, simply based on their type and size. By the way, the main reason HVAC equipment uses squirrel cage blowers over axial fans, is pressure not flow. Squirrel cage blowers are usually speced because they have the requisite pressure to overcome the resistance they might encounter with long duct runs and/or filters. Many high efficiency filters have enough static pressure to completely choke an axial fan, which would otherwise have enough CFM to do the job. This is why you see axial fans being used in floor mounted circulation fans and smaller bathroom fans because these applications don't require high efficiency filters or long ducting. Another application for axial fans is cooling fans for computers and other electronics. Again, nether of these applications use long ducts or high eff filters.

[@jackfrost-fu7hz]

YO MATT, keep your feet off the vent stacks, the pvc is not a foot rest.

[@shaunjackson6304]

Thought I was the only one who saw that 😂

[@williammarik6159]

@@shaunjackson6304 Hah ! Thought the same thing and thought Miguel was going to trip over it.

[@bac4998]

For real!

[@l337pwnage]

He forgot he is not in one of those crappy old inefficient houses with cast iron pipes.

[@thfield2417]

Watching this channel to learn how to upgrade my 1980s house. At least to become energy efficient. Passive would be cool.

[@nickmeeder]

Another aspect that ought to be talked about with the installation is the cost to maintain and repair it over its lifetime. VRF system parts are very expensive when they fail, not to mention availability and lead time. VRF systems also have more sensors and microprocessors that fail. On top of this, the maintenance schedule will probably be monthly, and those Merv 16 filters won't be cheap. For this type of system design, your average joe residential HVAC tech isn't going to be able to troubleshoot or maintain the equipment. I've seen many home owners go through thousands of dollars because the techs servicing their equipment didn't really understand the system design or its operation. As a result, the ERV is shut off, dampers are closed, the unit's controls and safeties get bypassed or jerry rigged, etc. It's a great system, but is the owner ready for the headaches associated with such an efficient, complicated, and intricate system? In addition to higher installation costs, there's a much higher lifetime cost to operate and maintain the system. All of the energy savings you'll have can be put towards maintaining it and repairing it.

[@jsbrads1]

My dream house would include a super exhaust system for the bathroom that you can hit an overdrive on when you are done showering. Bring in dry air.

[@piercer4882]

Made me laugh that your thumb nail says "it's less than you think!" .. meanwhile it was about 100% more than I figured it would cost

[@buildshow]

😬

[@timothymason7609]

I think a key point that many might have missed is that these units use 30-40% less energy. HVAC, especially in the south, is easily 60-70% of your electric bill. These units typically pay for themselves in a few years.

[@piercer4882]

@@timothymason7609 what do you mean by "these units"? As far as I could tell, it was a air handler, presumably with a heat pump sitting outside.

[@timothymason7609]

Variable refrigerant flow units. The fans and compressors ramp up their speed depending on heat load versus a traditional bang on bang off unit.

[@piercer4882]

@@timothymason7609 yeah it's called an inverter.. they are definitely more efficient but is not new technology. . And a lot of times is hard to get the return of the investment, with the exception of very hot climates, where it would run all year like you mentioned.

[@Bob.W.]

Mitsubishi mini-splits are high enough, but seem to get really expensive over 18000 btu since they need a dual unit outside. Just went with Carrier to get 30000 btu at a reasonable price. Low temp system rated at 100% output at 0 degrees and 60% output at -22degF. The old electric baseboard will provide the low temp backup.

[@jon3615]

Bob W I have mini splits that run 30k btu and 33k btu. Two different houses. I think mine go down to maybe 20 degrees before I need back up. It never goes that low here and I'm only a couple miles from Canada.

[@Bob.W.]

@@jon3615 we got down to -31degF a couple of nights this last winter. I'm sure backup will be required but not that often.

[@FR-yt5ik]

Efficiency, comfort, and health I'd budget for this

[@KevboBaggins]

Really loving this passive house series!

[@deffhaus]

With a 3-stage one-to-one VRF system, do you control the zones via dampers? If so, and you still have excess CFM, do you install a pressure relief duct to blow that excess air to the attic or crawl space?

[@scottbishop2532]

Best is to install a smaller AC system on just the bedrooms with a return in each bedroom and a $250. zone control system with a thermostat in each bedroom., and install a second unit for the rest of the house that covers the remainder of the heat load. Like 14 seer units only. The selling point will be good because the house has multiple AC's and full climate control where it is needed. In the daytime the customer can turn the bedroom unit up or off, and at night the unit on the rest of the house is turned up or off. This will save tons of dollars off the electric bill and will never incur high cost repair bills. Your Customers will love you for doing it this way because some day your Customers will meet me.. The AC Serviceman.. I will be inspired to tell the truth.. :-)

[@RugbyNick6]

I spent about $20k to install and Armstrong 18 SEER variable speed heat pump, Honeywell ERV, and air ducts in a 1600 sq ft home in DC. I do wish an engineer had sized the bedroom ducts and that they had all been air sealed better.

[@stevereese6488]

So the ERV duct is totally separate from the dehumidifier and hvac?

[@appletongoose]

miguel needs his own show!

[@hassenfepher]

I have a question. So I'm looking at this outside air system. Positively pressurizes a house just slightly, up to 100 cfm. The exhaust fan in my bathroom is 160 cfm. While i know that's a bit much, and i would likely go into vacuum for a bit during an exhaust period. Is this system smart enough to sense the massive pressure drop, and shut off the exhaust fan in the outside air system? does this assume that no exhaust fan exists? Do houses with these units have different exhaust plans?

[@broddr]

James Runyon -- I was wondering about that too. I have seen separate intakes adjacent to kitchen range hoods, but what about large bathrooms?

[@hassenfepher]

@@broddr oh! thats right! when i was a cook in my younger years the smoke hood over grills had an intake built into them. maybe the crapper has its own system. it would likely need one in my house anyway.

[@s7726]

While we're talking costs. What are the annual filter costs for a typical house with these kinds of systems?

[@bluenadas]

I'd bet the ERV and Dehum are annual replacements. So $40. And the filter in the duct is probably a 6 mth, so another $80. And I'm guessing high.

[@sergeyb8]

@@bluenadas In any case this shouldn't even be a "deterrent" from installing this system because you take a breath every few seconds and you can't put a price on clean air

[@halbritt]

Looks like IQAir charges a bit of a premium for their housing and filters, but it is MERV 16 vs a MERV 13 from someone like Honeywell or Aprilaire. I've been following this channel for a while and replicated this (Mitsubishi VRF split) system in my own home. They have frequently used the Honeywell whole house air filtration system, which is what I went with. I use the largest available unit for the lowest static pressure. Honeywell part #F200F2025, which uses a 20"x25"x4" filter. A quick google search reveals that it's under $150. Replacement filters are roughly $50 and they recommend replacement once per year.

[@buzzpedrotti5401]

@@sergeyb8 In fact you can,. If the air you breath is healthy enough, via measurements, the additional cost of treatment brings no health benefits, and the unknown effect of chemicals released from internal surfaces is not considered.

[@northavealum]

@@halbritt I can't wait to hear what the reply is to your question. I took a quick look at the IQAir website. Their lowest priced unit is $2695 - for what looks like a box holding filters. Surely there's more to it.

[@randyhansen2760]

Miguel: "Get the distribution right", concerning ductwork. I find a VAST majority of problems with resi systems relate directly to undersized and improperly sized and installed ductwork. And btw, I am a small town hvac contractor, great looking system.

[@buildshow]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnalexander2349]

Sometimes I think about how great it'll be to build an energy efficient, comfortable house. I'm sure that HEPA filter alone, adds years to the occupants' lives. Then you talk about "7% on a $1mil house" and I remember that that's what I build the entire house for...

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

That HEPA-quality filter will likely be clogged and disfunctional in a few years, or replaced with cheap home-store filters installed facing the wrong way - 'cause who's gonna pay $500 for a few filters? Most people won't spend $30 bucks to change the oil on their $50K vehicle.

[@bradleynealdaley]

people who buy million dollar homes will. People who are buying things like this are doing it for their comfort, not to pinch pennies. And they are people who (likely) may have someone do this for them as part of a preventative maintenance plan.

[@wgemini4422]

@@bradleynealdaleyI don't know about Austin, but in some cities, $1M can't get you a decent condo, let alone a house with all these bells and whistles.

[@scottmartin7717]

Miguel "This is phenomenal" Walker from Positive Energy

[@m.walker5704]

Scott Martin hahaha one of those moments when a word gets in your head and it’s all that can come out.

[@jasoncurtis4404]

Hvac is by far the most important part of a house. Doesn't matter how big of a TV you have, atmos sound, granite countertops, expensive cabinets, huge expensive showers, none of that matters if you aren't comfortable. I think that seperate dehumidifier is a bit overkill with a Mitsubishi system. That removes so much humidity, shouldnt need a separate unit. Nice filter tho for sure. Trane makes an 18seer unit that has a variable speed compressor that is pretty noticeably lower cost than that Mitsubishi. 100% would not need some high dollar engineer to design something on paper that when you see how the house is ACTUALLY built, wont even work. A top tier installer does not need an engineer to tell them what size ducts to run, or how to run them. A 3 ton 18 seer install with all the ductwork would cost in the range of $20k. Give or take. The dehumidifier is sooooo easy and cheap to hook up. If the actual unit costs $1k, then total install cost added to the whole job should be no more than $2k.

[@samueltaylor4989]

$70,000 for HVAC in a million dollar house! I’m in the wrong business!!! I know for a fact all those materials are NO more than $20,000. HUGE profit margin.

[@GenosideTV]

Yeah what a robbery.

[@samsun01]

DIY if you want to save $50,000. But these are professionals worth their money if they deliver on their promsies.

[@samueltaylor4989]

Jeremy Marsh I do know, that’s why I commented, yes it is work but any system installed during the framing stage of home building makes it much easier and not worth $50,000 labor! You can pay that if you like... not me.

[@tomcraige4781]

You have to remember customers that put these type systems in are extremely demanding. You probably have double the time time in meetings, designing, and engineering. It’s not a rip off. Just Hyundai/Ferrari

[@gijosh2687]

Don't forget costs of labor and the codes they have to adhere to!

[@alexbanks7115]

Mr Risinger, Great video just what I wanted to know in terms of budgeting and planning for my new build. Thank you! Question: on an unrelated topic are you going to return to answering questions live once a month via phone calls for your member supporters? I’m was really looking forward to speaking with you during one of those sessions. If not i would just like to know because I’m always looking thinking I missed it. Thanks my best to you and yours.

[@danmowry3509]

set me up...building a home in Rhode Island right now!! 11-30-2021...ready to talk about a system like this ...water tight and ready to roll

[@Kberrysal]

How would this work if you're doing geothermal heating and cooling for a passive house would it cost less I would it cost more

[@willdorten6867]

Do you mean radiant heating and cooling? Cuz if you're going to do all this crap, you may as well just build a radiant home. Maybe radiant costs way more, idk.

[@csf1757]

I am installing 5 stage HVACs in my renovation Contractor states that negates the need for a duhum. Memphis TN. Do you think a dehum still necessary?

[@daveclark8337]

They Both anwered your question in no uncertain terms between 11:45 and 12:25.

[@csf1757]

@@daveclark8337 Respectfully, they really didn't They spoke in a generality. I am specifying not typical 2 stage ACs but 5 stage. And I am specifying a geography where our shoulder seasons are always < 1 month, often as short as 2 weeks. Yes, we go from summer to winter in as little as 2 weeks around here.

[@daverohner271]

Matt, I find it very helpful when you put out episodes about a specific topic, just as I am getting questions from clients about that topic. Thank you

[@ctmodularhomes4061]

Great system. Major push back on theses systems. Requires a lot of education on the customer end so they understand the differences. Your videos help me sell these upgrades in our houses. I have done my due site genie in educating client but when budget are tight we have to let off come of the higher end items like ERV and leases grade dehumidifiers .

[@TimZ007]

For this price each room can have it own extra air purifier. Ductless hvac at 22 sear. and dehumidifier. This is such a nice package though.

[@jl9678]

Yeah, but imagine how many condensers you would have to have outside of the house and inside each room as well

[@Gcanno]

You would still have to bring in fresh air.

[@brucemarmy8500]

I would work with these guys any day.

[@tweake7175]

Do you run seperate fresh air ducts or plumb the ventilation system to the main duckwork? With seperate ducts is there a possibilty of one system back feeding the other when one is not running?

[@billcv80]

tweake this one has dedicated ducts.

[@davidnunes3738]

I’d like to see natural gas used in a hybrid system and some high wall returns. The lack of high wall return creates a stacking condition. System looks good and to the about ig lights the filtration is fine. Ig lights are sold to homeowners that won’t go the extra mile for real filtration. No light stops airborne particles.

[@raulpenaiii7348]

Very informative. Good job, Matt.

[@barryallen2535]

Unvented roof with rock wool insulation. return side: Swiss air filter > AC > Dehumidifier separate return? sending dehum air to supply > ERV pulling air from outside then sending all that supply back into the supply ducts. Is this right? Trying to figure out how this is laid out and ducted. I am trying to figure out how to go from a vented attic to unvented and stumbled on this video.

[@Aethid]

I am curious as to why they chose to go with a forced air HVAC system, rather than underfloor radiant heat/cooling (typically installed embedded in only the ground floor slab) with a low cfm MHRV/ERV? The latter is more common in passive houses due to improved comfort and energy efficiency.

[@tysonredfern5054]

Because there is little ability to cool the space with an underfloor system that does not create undesired condensation problems. Then they still need to dehumidify the air, and bring in the fresh air. The system they went with is better, and I'm sure the COP is a point or so higher than any radiant system outside of maybe an ALTHERMA system.

[@bluenadas]

This is hot humid Texas where cooling is needed 75% of the year. Underfloor cooling just isn't going to cut it.

[@circularebin]

Hint: If you look at the beginning of the video, you’ll see that he’s walking on a plywood floor.

[@rafflesmaos]

Just to add to this is that for passive house levels of insulation and air tightness, radiant is 'slow'. Basically there's a lag involved between what you want and set on your thermostat and what you ultimately get when it turns off and still continues to release heat. This is contrasted to air where the source is turned off immediately.

[@pouetance]

@@rafflesmaos it's only slow if your radiant system is coupled to some thermal mass otherwise it's not. Radiant heating transfer heat at the speed of light. Can't really go faster than that...

[@josephmerritt1411]

When you are presenting system solutions, please consider including a basic schematic showing the system or a link to a diagram.

[@brucea3103]

I have no problem with companies like PositiveEnergy, but how do you deal with your HVAC installer when you come with an outside companie's design? Are you paying for something that someone with 20 years experience and forward-thinking could do and it's included with the cost of install? Who is responsible if air flow/quality doesn't meet expectations?

[@enkrypt3d]

So I have the Ultra Aire 120H with fresh air duct, do I need an ERV? I'm trying to figure out what to do with my bathroom exhaust vents.....

[@babylonfive]

*Why distribute fresh air in a set of special ducts?* Why not utilize the main air con fan and duct the fresh air into the main plenum, or thru the dehumidifier first if needed? The timed fresh air would call for the main fan at a slightly higher CFM for turnover compared to the smaller ERV fans but saves the extra cost of dedicated ducting? Why wouldn't that work?

[@Rayfanz1]

I live 45-miles north of Austin in a builder-grade new home. I have zero issues with my HVAC keeping the humidity at a comfortable level in the the cooling seasons. Typically 40% on average. My issue is in the heating season. So much talk about dehumidifiers, but what is the best way to integrate a humidifier for the winter? My body is used to humidity. So when it the heat is on or I use my wood burning fireplace, it dries me and my house out something terrible. I see humidity as low as 7%!

[@tysleight]

Honeywell makes a simple add-on humidifier. It picks up air just prior to the furnace and runs it over a wetted pad and then returns the moist air just distal to the furnace and before it splits into individual ducts. Cheap and easy. We turned our furnace on low circulation to move the pellet stove heat around the house and it added the humidity at the same time. They also have steam style but we have VERY hard water and I didn't want issues cleaning the steam tips

[@CraigHesling]

How is that dehumidifier plumbed into the ductwork?

[@Hangovna]

How do the air inlet ducts stay clean? Shouldn't all the intake grates get filters too?

[@MrJoelyms]

Excellent and informative video. I am a bit surprised at the tight U bend in the return air duct feeding the filter. Is this normal/OK?

[@bobo11112222]

Very nice complete HEPA AC Sys 👌 🤩 Wondered how it would look & perform after few years of neglect & lack maintenance. Cause PM oh you don't need that. Just run into ground it's fine. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@derrickanderson2783]

I remodel homes for a living and your average Joe can't afford this stuff. That being said, it's fun to watch Matt show all these luxury systems only the super rich would be able to afford.

[@chriscrouch7253]

Could your dehumidifer be hooked up to the outlet of the ERV for humidity control?

[@timeless1908]

Hi do you have any videos that show whats on the wall? Like in rooms (bedrooms) etc. Im not really concerned with whats behind the walls when trying to decide what system to get. But I want something that looks good. Not something big and bulky hanging on the wall of my bedroom.

[@tsx6142]

Does the VRF fan coil have enough static pressure to overcome the MERV filters upstream of the coil?

[@buildshow]

Yes. This is a high static pressure ducted mini split. Looks like a standard box. Same 400cfm/ton as a standard one.

[@VicFroman]

I need a 2 door garage air conditioner. Do you have any recommendations?

[@Ha11ster]

'We spent an additional $100K on heating, air, and insulation and saved over $10 dollars per year in energy costs'. LOL

[@phi376]

Some old farmer who opens his windows every night to sleep is rolling his eyes at this fancy pancy stuff. I get the dehumidifier for long shoulder seasons. I get the variable speed compressors. But the air exchangers and their dedicated duct work? Is that really necessary?

[@GregTrickey]

I'm not an expert, but I did work with PositiveEnergy designing my HVAC system for my new house. The concept is that it would actually be better to leave the windows open rather than breathing in all the stuff inside a sealed house. You don't want a sealed house without having a controllable air exchanger. A typical Texas construction (tract homes) don't have the issues with a cheap HVAC system, since the house leaks plenty. Although I wanted clean air (of course), I was primarily concerned with full control of temperature and comfort in every part of the house. The downsides to the cheap construction and cheap HVAC system houses are poor temperature control and huge cooling costs (in Texas anyway). I've been in hundreds of houses, old to brand new, inexpensive to McMansions in Texas. Every single time, each one has rooms that are too hot, too cold, stuffy, etc. Yes, good companies can do a pretty good job with appropriate sized ducting, etc., but 99% of the time that is done just as cheaply as everything else. Many people comment about how these systems aren't affordable for the average consumer. That's simply incorrect. The systems are affordable IF you are educated about them and plan on living in the house more than a few years. The problem with these fancy pancy systems is the mindset of the buyers (need those granite countertops!) and the state of the market (buy a new house every five years!) At least, this is true in Texas in the urban areas like DFW where the cookie-cutters are going up as fast and cheap as possible (while looking fancy on the surface). I have detailed electrical records of my previous big-name-builder tract-home built in 2002, and my new custom house built in 2016. In three years I've already paid for all the HVAC and insulation upgrades. It doesn't cost as much as you think up front, and in this case it literally pays for itself compared to a tract home. Of course, getting the tract home builder to actually do it is essentially impossible. So, to all those guys out there that say the average consumer can't afford it, I would say the actual issue is that the average consumer can't get it at any price. If you are an average person who moves to someplace like DFW for a job or whatever, there literally is no way to get a well-built home.

[@garywilliams4070]

So what model is the Mitsubishi ? the house I am building is almost identical in size.

[@WowReallyWhoDoesThat]

My house isn't tight. The furnace & air conditioner cycle often, depending on season. In the summer, shortly are the ac stops running, the humidity starts rising, and in the winter I can't pump in enough humidity to maintain a comfortable level. I think it's definitely worth the up front cost of doing it right, so you're in control of what comes in.

[@daddybear7062]

Wow, all you need is a room bigger then my entire apartment to house the system!

[@rollingacresfarmstead206]

Right 🤣

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

Exactly. What a joke

[@yeahreally4624]

Where did you locate the clothes dryer in house? Is it in heated and cooled space you are paying for yanking all that cubic feet of air out of house and blowing outside and then a house cannot be in a vacuum thus pulling in outside air in by small air leaks for hvac system to work harder and run up electric bill

[@thegreatga]

Maybe they have a condenser clothes dryer?

[@northavealum]

@@thegreatga that's what we have. It runs forever to dry a load, but doesn't use very much electricity and no venting to the outside and no dust/lint in the house.

[@thaddeusgilley5450]

Building a passive house does one need eve and gable venting anymore?

[@audex]

no, not at all

[@jamesvanriper6334]

Come on! $70,000 to install AC? I just did a 13 Seer 5 ton system replacement in Ohio for >$4000. It is perfectly fine and it would take 100,000 years to recover the $66,000 difference in a higher quality system. I have the regular HD good (not better or best) filters and in the system and find no dust buildup at all in the AC. The 20 year old system that came out was perfectly clean. Pricing was competitive but the installation looks very good and no issues. Rheem WA1360AD1NA current cost $1751 for the unit. The bigger AC companies were quoting 2X the equipment (which I had to pay in advance) cost plus $80/hr installation. Total would be about $7000 but I shopped and found a reasonable price. Electricity is only 5 cents per KWH here on fixed rate 3 year contract, so in actuality I would never make up the difference. Oh and my house is 3600 sf above ground. 1500 below.

[@buildshow]

You are just talking a change out. I’m talking new construction with the entire system

[@ballsmahoney8684]

There’s no way a 5ton system at 13 SEER was installed correctly for $4K

[@artdelossantos5501]

What do you think about have an intake and outtake to the rooms? Does this work?

[@dennisbohner6876]

4-7 % Does that include the amount of space devoted to a singular purpose? The cost of installing better platforms to hold these devices motionless and therefore quiet?

[@georgeian3243]

For overhead systems why not use a small duct high velocity system like Unico? Air aspiration into the rooms using the specialized terminals means much better air mixing and even better humidity control.

[@aitorbleda8267]

You want to have as low pumping and friction losses as possible. High pressure high speed small ducts are the opposite.

[@colinstu]

Great video! Thanks for talking numbers. One question, how often do all those filters need to be replaced? Fall and spring? just once a year? Longer? Do the different filters have different replacement cycles? And also how much do those filters cost?

[@jackfrost-fu7hz]

What numbers? they never said a hard cost, only vague percentage so people would not be shocked by the real cost.

[@davidfrench8430]

Add running children and pets then air filters clog up in days not months

[@dlhvac1]

The VRF can do its own dehumidification that is overkill if it’s sized correctly if its oversized it cannot do dehumidification

[@simomoujami6343]

An HVAC contractor is recommending to use a Unico high velocity system for my midcentury house remodel in NY. His main reason is the tiny attic space in one section of the house where he's not able to run oval duct enough to transfer the required CFM flow. He also states some advantages such as no hot/cold mixed pockets, dehumidified cooling, small duct that can run in small areas and finally quieter operation. But all the videos I found about this high velocity system are many years old. My question is weather this is still a popular technology and does it have any negatives?

[@theboewes1561]

-If Con-tractor fails to provide room by room Return Air as a well as Supply Air it will Pressurize room by room like an Airplane Cabin and you’ll feel it in your ears as they try to equalize pressure. Also you need more than 5 Outlets per rated Ton of overall system to quiet it down on Supply Air Side, 7+ . High Velocity system will require attention to these details. One positive is that there is little to No Stratification (Thermal Stacking) with these systems due to the nature of thoroughly mixing the air. They are still viable systems because they can use up less space for Ducting. Proper Ducting size for Conventional should be larger than most are But most will Balk at added Cost and Consumption of Space.

[@royatswpcareers1608]

So, I'm trying to replace an HVAC system in a remodel. Want total temp flexibility in almost every room. What's my best setup. I've looked at both geothermal and conventional air with multiple unit and max zone boards and am weighing against many mini splits. All have pros and cons. Cost not a factor, what do you think for efficiency and flexibility? Is there a setup I haven't considered? I am an avid viewer and really respect your opinion. Thanks!

[@hamadqatar5838]

Really great design and HVAC work. Thank you very good presentation though