Installing Ducting

[Guest]

Ok Guys, Maybe I'm reaching for the moon here, but..... I recently purchased my MH (72 Universal, 24x60). Got a steal on it.. or so I thought. I'm a 56 yr old single female, pretty handy, with my own power tools! Other than my "lifetime tile roof" that has had what looks like the city of NewYork walking on it, my second contractor I hired to do the set-up (the first one took off with my $1200) informs me I have NO DUCTING... The MH has floor ducts AND ceiling ducts (what's THAT about?) I live in the desert in CA...it is now getting very warm. My main question here is, Is it possible for me to install my own ducting? The only thing left under the MH is wooden brackets to hold the ducting. I've shopped the net and it looks like it's not real expensive (money IS an issue), but will I be putting good money after bad? I do not know if the heater works, as it's not hooked up (the heater compartment looks like the mice have had a whole commune!). The compressor (?) airconditioner is still sitting in my family room and I realize it needs freon done by an AC guy. I don't know if it works either. Is there anyway these two things can be tested before I put money into ducting? I'm very, very lost as you can see. Any help/thoughts you might give me would be a BIG help. Oh, also, is it impossible for me to maybe buy and hook up a swamp cooler? Looks fairly easy to me.. Would have to be in one of the windows.. How big do I need? (1440SF). Oh, the Questions keep coming and coming..... Thanks for now.

[hvac1000]

You have many questions and I might have a few answers.
I am sure you are capable of doing the duct if you do not mind getting a little dirty and a few cuts from the sheet metal.

I would have the furnace checked by a professional before you go any further. No reason to put duct in if the furnace is defective/old/has a bad heat exchanger ETC.

How cold does it get where you are at? The reason I ask is that there could be a more economical way of heating your home if the furnace is bad and you are missing duct.

If you have very cold weather your water lines are usually run along the duct of the furnace and the original furnace helps to keep them warm in the winter. This is the reason I asked about how cold it gets.

When the service person comes to check out your furnace have them also look at your A/C unit

[Guest]

We get maybe 3 or 4 nites in the winter it gets down to 32, maybe a few more, but not much. Waterlines freezing is never a problem.
The 115 degree days are more of a problem and we've already had over 100 this year!
Someone told me the return ducts for the AC are in the floor (along with the incoming heat) and the AC incoming (?) is in the ceiling. Seems awfully complicated to me. Sticks 'n bricks homes are all one ducting with a big return on a wall/ceiling. So for the time being (so I don't melt) could I just hook up a few returns in the floor so I can run the AC? Then I'd have all summer/fall to work on the heating part of it. Maybe I need to buy a book with lots of diagrams. LOL
Thanks for your help.

[Robert]

Hi,

Mobile Homes are unlike any stick built you've ever seen when it comes to HVAC. There are several ways it could have been originally installed and then several ways it could have been modified.

You really need a MH HVAC Tech to inspect it to see what type set-up is there and advise as to what the best solution is.

Otherwise, you could do damage to the units and cause more costly repairs.

MH ductwork is often not as it seems.

Take care and best wishes,
Robert

[Guest]

Robert, Thank you for your help. I finally got a A/C guy out here and found out my ducting in built into the flooring. So the lic. contractor I had hired was either too lazy to hook it up for me, or ???. Anyway, the dark cloud that is over my head since I've moved in continues. The A/C guy who hooked up my compressor and said he'd come back to hook up the ducting between the 2 halves (dbl wide MH) and my heater has gone to who knows where.
my questions to you: Is it possible for me to connect the ducting under the house by myself? Is it that hard? Under the heater, there's a large piece of what looks like plastic/plywood so I assume that's where it is.. But I'm not going to take it off and start working, if it's not going to be possible. But he did tell me before he departed for parts unknown, that the ducting in my floor is "intake", the ceiling vents are A/C and Heat distribution. Some of the sheet metal is loose and flopping around on a few of the floor vents. How airtight do they have to be? how about the connection?
Thanks again for your help.

[Guest]

Oh, one more question.
While I was looking under the house around the heater unit, I found red/green wires that were cut and hanging. I think those were the colors. Are they MAYBE to the thermostat? It's a gas heater (Coleman) and 73 vintage, so I doubt if there's electricity to it. Possibly I"m wrong on this. Remember, this is a MH that has been moved and I'm TRYING to get back together....
If it's the thermostate, can it be spliced?
Thanks

[Robert]

Hi,

I would suggest trying to find someone reputable who will stay with it throughout until completed.


From all you've stated, I cannot begin to advise on this without being there as it could cause damage of harm.


There is too much wrong or modified there to be sure from here.


The wires could be anything and would need to be traced to origin.



What the repair guy said could be correct, but you will need to be absolutely sure.



Take care and best wishes,
Robert