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HVAC Rough In & Air Handlers/Air Conditioner and Heating System

Explanation of the different parts of the HVAC unit: Trained 13-sear air handler and a gas heating system (dual heating system)

Air Handler – comes on like a fan and blows air down the ducting system. The Return Line Returns air through the unit with the fan, heats or cools air through the radiator, blows it out into the house.
 
Supply – this particular one is using FLEX has an R8 rating. It is rated at 91% efficient. All FLEX ducting, the r8 insulation and all materials associated with putting this system together are rated by the Energy Star program to rate the efficiency of the entire unit.

The Gas Pickup – the yellow Stainless Steel FLEX line system goes to the gas furnace. If you need extra heat, you can turn the furnace on, so there is a gas pump for heating and cooling and a heat pump heating system.

The condensation line – this PVC line is the drain for condensation for heat and air conditioner. The yellow FLEX line has a stainless steel cable inside that is also a FLEX line with brass fittings, is a gas cutoff that will go into the gas unit during trimout.

Thank you for watching. For more information or questions, go to www.gocenterline.com or contact Jeff Satterwhite at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Check out our Video on Rough-In Plumbing to learn how the plumbing works for a kitchen sink

Rough-In Plumbing
This video was filmed in the unfinished kitchen by the Sink at Lot 52 St. James

It is important to note that Jeff Satterwhite is not a plumber, he is a general contractor.

There is a Cold line and Hot line which are made of a material called PEX, a PVC type of plastic pipe which has good quality for expanding and contracting due to heat and cold, gain and loss.

Each corner or union of the piping has brass fittings with special compression rings. The brass stub out-tips connect to the faucet because the brass ends make a better pigtail and a lot of faucets have sortered end that must be sortered with copper.

Most of the runs in the lines that are hot and cold supply are made of the PEX PVC material, which is very strong, much better than the material from 10-15 years ago that was made with polybutylene This is a new type of polymer piping.

The larger white PVC pipe serves as a vent and a drain. It comes from the drain from the sink and is Schedule-40 piping. Every particular fixture for plumbing has to have a vent in order to vent the sewer gas and create a water supply and to let the air drain from the water so you don’t have the gurgling sound.

Nail plates are put at the bottom of the piping to protect the pipes from the sheet rock and trim. Normally the Supply lines are 20-feet long. So they try to have the unions above or below the wall so there are very few unions that are actually in the wall cavity.

Thank you for watching. For more information or questions, go to www.gocenterline.com or contact Jeff Satterwhite at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch as Jeff Satterwhite explains what is involved in the Slab Construction Process and how it works. Don’t forget to check out our other Centerline Construction Chat episodes to learn more about the Building Process!

In this video, Learn about:
Plumbing that is in a slab
Stress Relief Lines that are cut in a slab
Items to hold down walls in a slab
Elevator pits
The type of Concrete

Plumbing – pipes are lines with a special bag that is hot and cold. The actual plumbing pipe is on the inside of the bags and allows the concrete to expand and contract around the bag and not the pipe so that as hot and cold water is passes through the pipe, it doesn’t crack the concrete or damage the pipe.

Same with the drain pipe, there is a plastic shield around the pipe to let it expand and contract at different rates the concrete with damaging either the pipe or concrete.

Stress Relief Lines – There is a line cut in the concrete with a concrete saw in certain areas around the slab as well so that the concrete can expand and contract without splitting as it heats and cools.

Holding slab walls down – There is a square washer and a 5/8 galvanized nut which hold down the 2-by-4 walls on the slab with galvanized rods. This is part of the 130 mil an hour wind zone procedure.

Elevator – The pit is set up with another drain by the engineer so the floor of the elevator will be level with the floor of the slab.

Type of Concrete – Underneath the slab is compacted sand and gravel to create a strong base for the floor.  The type of concrete used is 3000 psi with fiber. The whole floor will have either hardwood flooring or tile. So there will be all concrete underneath it.

Thanks for watching! For more information or questions, go to http://www.gocenterline.com/index.php or contact Jeff Satterwhite at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch our video to see Jeff Satterwhite explain the benefits of using a Spray-Foam Foundation and what it is.. 

Spray Foam:
 Closed Cell Spray Foam for Foundation Treatment

Insulation on Foundation walls is a closed cell polyurethane Spray Foam 
2 Roles:

1. It is a moisture barrier because the foam is rigid. Rigid Foam creates a moisture barrier on the outer side of the wall. Stops moisture penetration through the foundation wall to help keep the crawl space dry and sealed.

2. About 2.5 inches thick R19 insulation creates a heated and cooled environment in the crawl space. Use air that is inducted into the crawl space area from the heat and air condition systems in the vents to create a positive pressure in the crawl space area.

The foam is rigid and tough and has 2 coats of this polyurethane membrane on the ground to stop ground moisture and turned up the wall to create a semi-sealed crawl space.

– Heated and Sealed so you don’t need Floor insulation on the floor system.
1. The heated and cooled area because the walls are insulated, create a warm floor environment so that it  is the same +/- temperature as your home.

2. Also created the positive pressure which forces any moisture in the crawl space to the exterior of your home.  There are no vents or penetration through the exterior wall.  This is very good in this area to help control moisture, keep the floors warm, it is part of the Energy Star Program and also helps save money.

Thanks for watching! For more information or questions, go to www.gocenterline.com or contact Jeff Satterwhite at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Learn both the difference between  Pervious  and Impervious Coverage as well as the difference between a Slab vs. Crawlspace Foundation in our video.

Q: What is the typical cost per square foot to build?

A: varies greatly depending on what type of home you’re building. The average is between $120 and $160 per square foot in this area, depends on: slab construction or crawl space construction, 9 or 10 foot ceilings, large open spaces, type of roof, external home features such as screened porch or front porches, size of garage, etc. A smaller home is more expensive per square foot than a larger home because there is less of an area to divide the cost by.

Q: How long does the construction process take from ground-breaking to completion?

A: It takes about 2-3 weeks (maximum of 1 month) to get it approved by the Home Owner’s Association. Once you have the building permit, it takes about 5-6 months to build a 3,000 square foot home, depending on the weather.

Q: What does Impervious coverage mean?

A: There are two types of coverage on the ground, impervious and pervious. Impervious means whatever material is on the ground will not let water penetrate. Water won’t penetrate the surface, it will run off into the storm water system. The impervious amount is mandated by the county and the county bases this number accordig to the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR). Pervious Material lets water penetrate, like sand and slotted wood decking. Your house, roof, porches, driveways and walkways are considered impervious and included in your calculations of maximum impervious allotted by the developers.

Q: What is the difference between a Crawl Space Foundation and a Raised Slab Foundation?

A: A Raised Slab Foundation is a normal concrete foundation, filled with sand, the sand is compacted and concrete is poured over this. On a Crawl Space Foundation, normal footings are poured and a traditional flooring system is used and there is an air space between the flooring system of your home and the earth below.

Benefits of a Slab Foundation: there is no space underneath the floor, therefore no moisture problems or possibilities of mold.

Benefits of a Crawl Space, the home can be a bit higher creating the opportunity for more of a view, especially with a pond or golf course. A Crawl Space also provides a softer floor to walk on than  raised Slab Foundation, which has a little bit harder impact on your legs.

Thanks for watching and please feel free to contact us with any questions! Click Here to Contact Jeff Satterwhite