Chainsaw Charlie! - Hacked Zone System!

Photo slideshow plus video clips:

Why does Chainsaw Charlie (the largest new construction HVAC installer) even bother with zone systems? They have yet to get them right!

I went to this home for poor airflow and cooling. Funny. Because it's a zone system. You'd think this home would be BETTER than the typical setup. WRONG! When Charlie does the install all bets are off!

Here's the problem. Two zones. 4 ton Goodman straight cool SINGLE STAGE non variable speed furnace and a/c. In fact it's a 10 SEER with a piston metering device.
And worse yet is how they do the DUMP ZONE!
They take a LARGE bypass duct off of the supply plenum, go through an improperly installed damper (I have yet to see one with the weight on the correct end of the damper!) and they dump that directly into the return plenum!
With the damper bypassing to the return, do you think the supply duct has any air flow to the rooms???
Is it a wonder that the compressors don't last more than two years on these systems? I guess they don't like 30 degree suction lines causing a slugfest back to the compressor!

After I remounted the weight on the damper to hold it closed during both zones calling it helps but the system is overall a cluster fukk!

And I've talked to the employees in Charlie's office and they swear that this is proper and that TRANE trained them to do them this way.
Funny... I don't see any Trane equipment here! And Trane would at least say to use two stage equipment if all possible!

Charlie has these P.O.S. setups scattered throughout the valley and in Anthem, AZ.


Visit http://www.hackfreehvac.com/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• a/c
• air
• conditioner
• conditioning
• hack
• hacked
• jack
• leg
• sun
• city
• west
• Anthem
• chas
• roberts

[Yourfriendbuddy]

Chainsaw Charlie, I have to remember that. LOL

And... Here goes the prestige reward for best craftsmanship aword for the best hvac install of 2007

[hackfreehvac]

And they swear by this design too. I've talked to some employees there. They don't think it should be any different.

[Priorityheat]

Damn - The ductwork in your videos are crap. I have never seen such disregard for air flow and static pressure. Every unit in AZ must be overcharged to keep the suction above freezing. I cannot image that too many of those systems can maintain 400 CFM per ton.

[hackfreehvac]

LOL, true!

[jimmymoss7644]

what company is this? c r a/c?

[hackfreehvac]

C.R. You got it right! All of them Zone systems in this new area of Surprise and what they did out in Anthem with the Zoned York systems are all hacked like this!

[101heaters101]

Chainsaw charlie LOL!!!

[zorthous17]

Damn good ole spaz robbers

[1912RamblerFan01]

Goodman's are not bad units, actually they are pretty good units (well the newer ones are anyways)

[1995bisquick]

Say high to pete huey and Justin reeves

[1995bisquick]

C.R is bad some employees cared and sadly some didnt, I know first hand because Im an former. They even forgot to turn the gas valve on at my parents house, which means they didnt do an initial startup.

[Khvac]

Should have hired a union contractor with proper training.

[eggman9713]

10 SEER? Are you kidding? 13 SEER is minimum per state energy code here in WA. And if its 4.5 tons or larger it has to have an economizer on it unless you go 14.3 SEER (10% above minimum).