Advice The Home Improvement/Automation Thread

IME most people don't call you until it's broke. Or at least, "hey this thing runs all the time and doesn't get really cold".
Unless you only work on the right side of the tracks, preventive maintenance while the thing still blows cold air can be a pretty hard sell.
 
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Swamp cooler recycles same water through the system. Only loss is to evaporation/humidifying the air. Your a/c wastes more water in condensate going down the drain than his swamp cooler uses.
Now you're just arguing to argue. Yes, it uses 400 gallons worth of fresh potable water 'per season'.
 
I always thought it was BS, as long as you change the filter regularly. Is that really something I should be doing?
Filters dont catch everything, and if there is humidity/condensation I could see small bits of stuff building up over time.

See if you can get a flashlight on the other side of the coil so you can check how clogged it looks?
 
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I always thought it was BS, as long as you change the filter regularly. Is that really something I should be doing?

You could probably go a couple few years between A coil cleaning. I use a 3 month filter and change it every 2. My house is a cardboard hunk of dirty shit with 30+ year old carpet, so there’s that.
 
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Filters dont catch everything, and if there is humidity/condensation I could see small bits of stuff building up over time.

See if you can get a flashlight on the other side of the coil so you can check how clogged it looks?
Agreed, but I don't see how yearly cleaning being a thing.
 
They're also good at growing slime, mold, and other nasty things, which then makes them better at catching whatever stuff does get in there.

If you're good about changing filters yours will stay cleaner for longer but it'll stll get built up over time.
 
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They're also good at growing slime, mold, and other nasty things, which then makes them better at catching whatever stuff does get in there.

If you're good about changing filters yours will stay cleaner for longer but it'll stll get built up over time.


Mine is icky dark damp dust. Yuck. Thank goodness no cigs are ever smoked in here, that would just compound it.
 
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I always thought it was BS, as long as you change the filter regularly. Is that really something I should be doing?
They're hard to get to on some installations - nobody put in an access panel. Easy enough to cut one in the sheet metal. The same trough system at the bottom that catches the AC condensate will catch whatever you want to spray or scrub on there. Agreed that they can get pretty gross, even though the air passing them has already gone through the air filter. That just means it's extra fine schmutz.:eek:
 
They're also good at growing slime, mold, and other nasty things, which then makes them better at catching whatever stuff does get in there.

If you're good about changing filters yours will stay cleaner for longer but it'll stll get built up over time.
Technically mine doesn't (as much), cause I've got a giant UV light on it.
 
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Technically mine doesn't (as much), cause I've got a giant UV light on it.
The light is usually before the filter. Most systems have some leakage beyond that. But the lights are a very good idea. I think I explained how all the air for our food dehydrating goes through/past one of those pricks.
 
The light is usually before the filter. Most systems have some leakage beyond that. But the lights are a very good idea. I think I explained how all the air for our food dehydrating goes through/past one of those pricks.
Maybe it 'usually' is, but it sure isn't in my case.