so my dilemna is i have 2 x 10 registers in the floor so using keen or flair isnt gonna happen
started thinking about how i could next maybe control my hvac my house is really well insulated it kinda causes the upstairs to be hotter. also at night the downstairs doesnt exactly need to be the same as upstairs. so been thinking about zoning and how i could accomplish this
identifying which louver controls which registers will be a start
once i do that we are on to the control phase....thinking about a 3d printed piece that fits over the square shape bolt with a lever that attaches to a linear actuator ..... that should give me a 90 degree there and back
as far as control.... i have an ecobee and dont mind it.... so i was thinking i would heat all the rooms first but the room the ecobee is in. and shut down dampeners as rooms hit there desired number. as this happens the ecobee room would open .... eventually i would probably just replace the ecobee with more of a on off call for heat and each room could more or less set there own heat levels
I wonder how the factory models are set up?
Does the Carrier Infinity system use on/off for zone control, or it it proportional?
I have a friend has that system, who had several forced air zones.
There was a thread on 0-10v control of an outside air makeup system; interesting.
Aren't variable speed ECM motor powered air handling units common now?
Anyway, my point I guess is to make sure your system agrees with your mods.
i am sure they use more of a servo or stepper control which also i am considering tbh..... actuators are super easy on and off and i would actually adjust so that its never completely sealed.....
i am trying to retrofit no cutting metal. also actuators that small are cheap..... i figure i will control them with a few zooz devices
also i am not suing this for ourside air damper... this is to control airflow to the registers
i am just thinking there has to be a reasonable way to adapt the current system. then come up with control software to utilize the devices
zooz is already something that is in common use for on off device control.... so thats why i picked it ..... prolly have to use a special relay but that isnt that hard
So playing around with some extra 3d printer parts i found this gear that uses set screws to attach which is really nice because the screw for most hvac is a actually partially square so it should grip nicely
So now that i have a gear i can use a stepper motor driver and an arduino to make this start to happen
So here is the plan so i can slowly adjust the dampers rather then on off
3d print a base for the stepped motor to attach to the cent pipe
That will house the fully open limit switch and have an arm thst holds the fully closed (why because it will make calibrstion easy also make it easier to avoid mistakes or skipped teeth)
This should allow the open and shut of each dampener
So next kinda need to figure out how to tie it all in
There are a number of round duct motorized dampers. Can you access your ducting? Is it round?
I never looked but there may be some rectangular dampers.
totally can access them
they are about 75 dollars a piece and i would have to work them in there..... which is very time consuming. plus having to potentially cut all the old piping to fit.
what i am proposing nothing needs to come apart and the pieces are relatively cheap probably under 25 dollars a vent
I see. My system has manual dampers where each "room" duct exits the main plenum.
For the actuator, you might look to see if any of the RC actuators are hefty enough for your application. They control absolute angle as a function of a PWM signal.
Have you considered using the zoning that is common in most houses? Zoning at the HVAC system? I'd recommend it over fiddling with DIY. If you don't have zoning today and you have forced air you need to consider how the back pressure impacts the system functionality. You often add a bypass duct to manage the changes in pressure. I'd speak to an HVAC pro. Adding zoning isn't all that expensive if you have access. Its a control box and dampers plus another thermostat if you don't have them on each floor.
Has mentioned, you need to manage the back pressure when you shut off a zone. In heating mode, you can cause the over temp to trip and it will shut down. In cooling, you'll ice over the coils.
Adjusting one vent is one thing, but effectively implementing floor zoning by closing vents is probably something you should talk to an hvac person about. You would need to calculate the cfm changes. Hvac is expensive these days. You don't want to risk it.
good advice!!
right now its fact finding and information gathering. i move slow no haste before i start this i will make sure i get things in line and report them here.... i may start with a monitoring system and speak to a hvac pro
