2008_03_28 AC Air return in closet, bathroom exhaust fans

Here are some pictures of things like the AC air return vent duct (where the filter will be) that is set in the master closet with the filter side being outside near the corner of the elevator in the great room area. They are also putting in the exhaust vents in bathrooms.

Below is the back side of the AC air return in the master bedroom closet. Steve says that he'll put log siding around this to keep it from looking so bad. The closet door will open into the closet here and when open will be up against this box. We can put stuff above this either on shelves or short hanging stuff like shirts I guess.


Here is the other side of it. This is where the filter side will be. It's on the wall out in the entrance way on the wall close to the corner that is formed by the closet and the elevator.

The picture below shows the air exhaust fan that is in the master bathroom.

2008_03_27 Electrical, Heating and Air, Trane AC

Here are some pictures from 03/27/08. Gordon Heating and Air Conditioning from Alexander City, AL has been working on putting in the duct work for the AC. Below you can see the duct work in the basement.


Here you can see more of their stuff waiting to be put in. It seems like this stuff is everywhere now.

In case I haven't mentioned it before this house is being done a little bit differently than most other homes when it comes to how to get the cool or warm air to the upstairs. There will be no AC ducts taking the air upstairs!

That is due to the inability to get them up there without having to route them across ceilings downstairs and that would result in them being seen even if they were hidden within wooden "tunnels". Since there is no attic space and no space between the wooden ceilings on the first floor and the flooring on the second floor our upstairs is going to be different.

The method being used is different because the warm or cool air won't be coming from down at basement level and then transported up to the upstairs through ducts. Ducts are being used to take it to the rooms on the 1st floor, but the 2nd floor is going to be different.

Each room upstairs (as well as the loft upstairs) will have its own separate AC unit that will have the freon sent to it through small pipes, but each wall unit will have it own "business end" as far as the fan, etc. They told me that these systems are more often put in buildings like churches or commercial buildings where ducts aren't feasible. They say that the system is a little bit more expensive to put in than the traditional type, but it is apparently more energy efficient also.

Each upstairs room will have a unit that is mounted on a wall (like above closet doors, etc). I'm told that they are so quiet that you won't notice them. The first AC guy who came and recommended that method said that they won't make any more noise than if air was blowing up through a vent in the floor. Well, I'm pretty sure that I don't believe that, but since it is either that or having ducts run across the ceilings on the 1st floor. Since the room upstairs will only be used when we have company anyway (sorry guys) we opted for the ductless units upstairs.

On another subject, the picture below shows the insulation in the outside walls high up near the peak of the roof in the great room.

More later ...