HVAC - Furnace filter replacement

[Torn Mind]

This maybe a specific locality matter.

Is there a code reference or something other official government document stating as such?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have a forced air furnace and I'm trying to figure out how yours has a single heat exchanger but multiple systems of ducts, each with their own filter. I can sort of imagine it, but I don't see the point.

Let's say your thermostat is set to 68 while mine is at 72. The furnace is going to fire up whenever one our thermostats tells it to. So how does that work? Is it like zone heating where any given zone (apartment in your case) is automatically blocked off until the thermostat tells it otherwise?

But even then, all you actually need is a single filter. Why have 4 filters when any given filter is superfluous until that zone's duct system is opened - at which point, a single filter before the heat exchanger is a much, much better idea. It doesn't compute.

I'm guessing there are zone dampers, but the issue with a system like that is you're basically recirculating the air from other units into other units. Not that great if one person in one unit has a cold or covid or something then everyone else is going to get it.

I wonder if it goes through a bunch of HRV type exchangers maybe so that each unit is still sealed off from the other.

 

[Torn Mind]

I always hear this from people.

I've rented a dozen or so apartments in my life and I have never even once paid out big deposits or bent over for things like credit checks/commision fee's. I laugh at potential landlords and hang up on their faces when they bring up that nonsense.

The trick is to deal with small landlords and private homes... makes for lower rent and also makes it possible to find a nice place in relatively "ritzy" areas. (you know, the ones where racist US zoning laws don't even allow rentals?)

I've personally done this successfully in multiple locations so I know for a fact that it can be done. (moving however IS exhausting!)

If the landlord's in a area are tight with "checks", that means there is a substantial population of "professional tenants" who have complete understanding of the legal system's actual exploits.

Didn't do an inspection prior to letting someone in? How about getting your plumbing or walls wrecked and then the tenant says the landlord failed to provide proper function plumbing?

Or maybe someone decides to constantly turn your faucet knobs so the internals break.

Or maybe there is a drug underbelly and there is a great risk for cops doing a bust. The drug dealers and consumers themselves won't be a threat to life or death, but they will savvy "businessmen" and understand that soft defaults like not paying balance are perfectly a-ok since the only systemic cure is through the courts.

Many property destruction matters will be hands off in the criminal courts, advising the landlord to deduct from the security deposit or saying it is a civil matter.

And appearances don't matter. a 65+ Mensa woman with high education or a 35+ Black can manifest the same malignant, sociopathic tendencies.

 

[Geekbabe]

I have a forced air furnace and I'm trying to figure out how yours has a single heat exchanger but multiple systems of ducts, each with their own filter. I can sort of imagine it, but I don't see the point.

Let's say your thermostat is set to 68 while mine is at 72. The furnace is going to fire up whenever one our thermostats tells it to. So how does that work? Is it like zone heating where any given zone (apartment in your case) is automatically blocked off until the thermostat tells it otherwise?

But even then, all you actually need is a single filter. Why have 4 filters when any given filter is superfluous until that zone's duct system is opened - at which point, a single filter before the heat exchanger is a much, much better idea. It doesn't compute.

I have not a clue as to how this thing works & truthfully after seeing this falls rat crew scurrying underneath our front porch I have zero desire to go down into the dark, dank creepy basement.

 

[Geekbabe]

Sorry for the double post, but is there any chance that this is just an excuse to charge you more? Now THAT would make sense.

Well it’s pretty clear they don’t want to pay for it. At this point I just want to get it taken care of.

 

[Charmonium]

I just can't think of a single good reason to have 4 filters for 4 zones. That's not how zoned heating works. Plus, if we're really talking about 4 zones, the filters would have to be downstream from each of the dampers that open or close that zone.

There's no reason it couldn't be designed that way, it just doesn't make sense.

But there's another problem. If it's really one furnace and therefore just one heat exchanger, the HE is going to get much, much hotter heating just one zone. Either that, or there's not going to be much heat when all 4 are active.

HEs aren't especially delicate, but they're not indestructible and it's not that hard to cook one. I've done it when I let the filter get clogged. That's why I stopped using true HEPA filters. You either change them when needed or you pay the price.

But since it's pretty clear you need to get someone to do . . . something, I'd go with the SO (or whatever) getting someone he knows from work. Then you can at least find out what's going on because as I said, this really doesn't compute.

 

[Spacehead]

As part of our lease it’s on me to get our furnace filters replaced. There are 4 units in this building and I suspect that more than one of them hasn’t bothered. What should I do if the service guy tells me this? Obviously I can’t afford to get everyone’s filter professionally replaced. I also don’t want to risk a fire or to rat out fellow tenants

Since you're asking, I'm guessing this is the 1st time you're changing the filters?
Is your only responsibility changing the filters or is it furnace maintenance in general? If you've never done this before maybe there is only one filter to replace & not 4 of them. You say you're not allowed in the basement so...
I've never worked on a multi-unit furnace but i can't imagine changing filters is in any way hard to do.

You also talk about cleaning the nozzle. Is that also on you?
Sounds like a fuel oil furnace? I now have a propane furnace & no one has ever mentioned cleaning the nozzle.
I know i had to change nozzles on my old fuel oil furnace a lot so yeah, i can see that maybe being done periodically. Probably any good, reliable handyman type person could do these things.
.

 

[Charmonium]

Having a nozzle for each apartment pretty much means that there are also 4 heat exchangers. Why all in one unit though? Ruh. No idea.

I have someone clean the furnace every year so maybe that includes changing the injector nozzle. No one's ever mentioned that but there's no reason why they should have. I'll try to remember to ask about that next time. Better put it on my calendar though otherwise . ., ., .,

 

[BoomerD]

Having a nozzle for each apartment pretty much means that there are also 4 heat exchangers. Why all in one unit though? Ruh. No idea.

I have someone clean the furnace every year so maybe that includes changing the injector nozzle. No one's ever mentioned that but there's no reason why they should have. I'll try to remember to ask about that next time. Better put it on my calendar though otherwise . ., ., .,

With this kind of set-up, I gotta presume heat is paid for by the landlord? Otherwise, how the hell do you fairly divvy up the heating bills?

 

[Charmonium]

With this kind of set-up, I gotta presume heat is paid for by the landlord? Otherwise, how the hell do you fairly divvy up the heating bills?

Good point. And since fuel oil is so expensive now, that's gotta be pissing the owner off big time.

 

[Geekbabe]

With this kind of set-up, I gotta presume heat is paid for by the landlord? Otherwise, how the hell do you fairly divvy up the heating bills?

sigh, each tenant pays their own heat and electric bills. The furnace is gas

 

[Captante]

sigh, each tenant pays their own heat and electric bills. The furnace is gas

Each tenant has their own individual meter?

 

[Geekbabe]

Each tenant has their own individual meter?

I believe so, I know we each have accounts with National Grid and get bills from them

 

[BoomerD]

Each tenant has separate meters...but a single furnace for all units? How the hell does that work? UNLESS your gas bill is just for cooking and water heating.

 

[Geekbabe]

Each tenant has separate meters...but a single furnace for all units? How the hell does that work? UNLESS your gas bill is just for cooking and water heating.

look I don’t know, the furnace provides heat via baseboards and hot water. I will ask the service person when they come.

People keep forgetting, this is a “ wet basement “ we live five feet below sea level near a beach, we also live down the street from a National marshland…we get rats living under our front stoop & have had to have holes stuffed with steel wool and caulking placed over them to keep them from getting into the house.

The basement has one tiny light in the hall, steep stairs and they just put a sump pump in to control the water. I went down there once because a person moved out & thought they turned their heat off but instead they turned mine off.

I will ask the service person all these questions for sure but don’t want anyone in my family down there or touching anything.

Boomer, know that I think the world of you but I have been as transparent as I feel comfortable with regarding my situation. I know we pay gas & electric in separate bills & are on a yearly payment plan for gas. We pay every month of the year instead of getting hit with obscene bills in the winter. At this point all I care about is that my heat works 😀

 

[BoomerD]

look I don’t know, the furnace provides heat via baseboards and hot water. I will ask the service person when they come.

People keep forgetting, this is a “ wet basement “ we live five feet below sea level near a beach, we also live down the street from a National marshland…we get rats living under our front stoop & have had to have holes stuffed with steel wool and caulking placed over them to keep them from getting into the house.

The basement has one tiny light in the hall, steep stairs and they just put a sump pump in to control the water. I went down there once because a person moved out & thought they turned their heat off but instead they turned mine off.

I will ask the service person all these questions for sure but don’t want anyone in my family down there or touching anything.

I get not wanting to go into the basement...but something about this whole thing just seems...off. We had gas heat in CA for ~25 years. We never had to have any kind of "nozzle" replaced. I'd have a service tech do a system check-up every few years...that's it. (Oh, and, of course, we changed the filter every month)

 

[Geekbabe]

I get not wanting to go into the basement...but something about this whole thing just seems...off. We had gas heat in CA for ~25 years. We never had to have any kind of "nozzle" replaced. I'd have a service tech do a system check-up every few years...that's it. (Oh, and, of course, we changed the filter every month)

I plan on asking the tech to check things & to explain to us how it works. Know this is my first time not having a landlord handle the furnace. Also the nozzle needs to be cleaned, not replaced

 

[Charmonium]

Oh my, we have been so off the mark so far. And you seem a little frustrated so I'm not going to hit you with more questions.

But once you get things straightened out, it would be cool to get the full picture - but only if you have the energy and motivation.

You know how men are in general us geeky ones especially - we love, love, love trying to fix problems. It's our raison d'etre. We MUST fulfill our purpose. Hahahahaha

 

[Geekbabe]

Oh my, we have been so off the mark so far. And you seem a little frustrated so I'm not going to hit you with more questions.

But once you get things straightened out, it would be cool to get the full picture - but only if you have the energy and motivation.

You know how men are in general us geeky ones especially - we love, love, love trying to fix problems. It's our raison d'etre. We MUST fulfill our purpose. Hahahahaha

I just feel that I owe folks transparency given my situation & I have tried to provide it. I am a woman, I have always rented and my knowledge of and interest in furnaces could fit in a thimble. 😂 I promise to update you all when I have answers ❤️

 

[Charmonium]

I think others have said this already, but I know how you must feel having been in not dissimilar circumstances myself. But you don't owe us jack shit. m'kay? We do care though - obviously. So whatever you're willing to share is welcome.

edit - apologies for presuming to speak for everyone.

 

[BoomerD]

I think others have said this already, but I know how you must feel having been in not dissimilar circumstances myself. But you don't owe us jack shit. m'kay? We do care though - obviously. So whatever you're willing to share is welcome.

We care enough to try to prevent you from getting screwed over by an unscrupulous landlord or furnace tech.

 

[Geekbabe]

I think others have said this already, but I know how you must feel having been in not dissimilar circumstances myself. But you don't owe us jack shit. m'kay? We do care though - obviously. So whatever you're willing to share is welcome.

edit - apologies for presuming to speak for everyone.

look, when people are keeping me getting medical care I feel I owe them transparency & have given more info than I normally would in any other social situation. I am grateful to everyone & appreciate all the support and advice ❤️

 

[Geekbabe]

We care enough to try to prevent you from getting screwed over by an unscrupulous landlord or furnace tech.

I get that & love you for it Boomer. I promise to grill the tech and provide some answers ❤️

 

[BoomerD]

look, when people are keeping me getting medical care I feel I owe them transparency & have given more info than I normally would in any other social situation. I am grateful to everyone & appreciate all the support and advice ❤

No, you don't owe us jack shiit. (except for a video of you giving Red a swift kick to the junk...we're STILL waiting for that)
We're just glad to help out someone who actually needs and deserves our help...in this as well as that other thing.

 

[BoomerD]

BTW, AFAIK, there is no "nozzle" for a gas furnace...a burner...sure, but no nozzle. Oil furnaces use nozzles.