Replies

1. 
   Astrid_Churchill | Sep 12, 2001 12:18am | #1

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   I think your post belongs on the Breaktime:Fine Homebuilding discussion side of this site. Check in with them instead of with us vegetable gardeners, and you will get a better answer.

1. 
   Mongo_ | Sep 13, 2001 05:50pm | #2

   *With "all things being equal," select Unico. Better air handlers and better ductwork.From the "free advice" hotline...DO NOT use Unico's proprietary fiberboard duct for your main trunk line. Have your installer substitute a suitably sized metal duct instead...usually a 7" or 9" round will suffice.

1. 
   BrianGale | Sep 13, 2001 10:30pm | #3

   *I'll back up Mongo on his comments. Their fiberglass plenum is junk (I substitued 7" metal with R8 flexiduct pulled over it for insulation); all of of Unico's other components are very nice. Their sound dampening 2" ducts are equally impressive for noise supression. I recently installed one of their systems in my home, quite a job, but worth it.Good Luck!

1. 
   darrel1 | Sep 14, 2001 04:54am | #4

   *Tom:May I ask where you are in WI? I'm in Eastern MN and will be looking at these similiar systems in a few months. If you're in Western WI, I'd appreciate any leads you may have for finding good installers.Jelly:I'm currently contemplating using round metal ducts for the main plenum and running it along my basement ceiling. Do you know if you NEED to insulate it? Should it be? Or can it be left as-is when run through conditioned space? I'd rather just paint it and leave it (I like the look) rather than having to insulate and then enclosing it for aesthetic reasons.

1. 
   Tom_Fadden | Sep 14, 2001 01:09pm | #5

   *Darrell:I live in a suburb of Milwaukee -- southeast Wisconsin. My sense is that both of the firms I'm in touch with are strictly local so I don't think they'd be options for you. Both Unico and Hi-V have web sites:www.unicosystems.com/Index.htmlwww.hi-velocity.com/en/esp4.htmOn one of these you can look up contractors by zip code. On the other you leave a message and get an e-mail back with names of contractors in your area.--Tom

2. 
   BrianGale | Sep 14, 2001 05:52pm | #6

   *darrel1-We talked a month or 2 ago on e-mail (I'm in MN). I just changed my login name...If run thru a conditioned space, I don't know why it would be any different than a normal house as far as ductwork goes (Mongo -wanna jump in here...?) I would think uninsulated would be o.k...but...I'm no expert...if you can get your air handler in the conditioned space that would be the biggest plus.One thing on the painting- it could be tricky as I would recommend you tape every duct the full length at the seam and connections. That may add a twist to the painting idea as I wouldn't want to paint over the tape...

3. 
   Mongo_ | Sep 15, 2001 06:44am | #7

   *If the airlines recover sufficiently, I'll be in Elm Grove in three weeks.There is one other company, I'd say thay're better than Hi-V all around, and their hardware may be slightly less than Unico, but their ductwork is superior...SpacePak.SpacePak and Unico should come in about the same bid-wise...Hi-V should be less.

4. 
   Mongo_ | Sep 15, 2001 06:52am | #8

   *It could work, as long as the basement isn't so humid that condensation forms on the cool ductwork. any metal outside of the conditioned envelope should be sealed and insulated.You can either tape or caulk the seam along the length of the duct from the inside, do each piece as it's assembled. Use Al tape, NOT duct tape or any of it's derivatives. If you want to tape the length of duct from the outside, install the duct so the tape/seam is not in the viewer's sightline...against the ceiling or wall, for example.Depending on the type of duct you use, as you joint two lengths you could do a very neat tape job...or again, run a bead of caulk at the union. If they "sleeve" together, run a generous bead of caulk around the male end before inserting it in the female end. Success is dependent on the style of duct you use and how they join together.With the proper paint, Al tape should paint up nicely.

5. 
   darrel1 | Sep 17, 2001 04:09am | #9

   *Jelly Belly and Mongo:Thanks again for the tips.At this point, I was planning on running the system in my basement (that we are in the ever-so-slow process of finishing).The system would be in an unconditioned utility room with the main duct running the length of the hallway, with all mini-duct runs branching from that and heading up wall cavities to the upper floors. The system will be insultated within the unconditioned space and preferably left painted in the conditioned space. The only problem with this plan is that the main duct will have to take a 90 degree turn shortly after heading out of the blower unit. Which may or may not be a good thing to do.

6. 
   BrianGale | Sep 17, 2001 04:56pm | #10

   *darel1-If you dig a little deeper on the Unico site, you will find some good layout system info in their PDF documents. The type of plenum you are laying out sounds like what they call a "shotgun" system. With the Unico, they want 2-4' before your 90 degree turn out into your plenum. Also keep in mind where your return air duct and grill needs to be...All I can say is that as for Unico, when I had questions, I was able to call their tech support directly and get calls returned. Never got any sales info/support/whatever from Spacepak.-Jelly

7. 
   darrel1 | Sep 17, 2001 11:24pm | #11

   *i I was able to call their tech support directly and get calls returned. Never got any sales info/support/whatever from Spacepak. That's good to know!

2. 
   Tom_Fadden | Sep 17, 2001 11:24pm | #12

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   I'm moving into an early 60's house in Wisconsin that has radiant heat -- no duct work -- and no air conditioning. I have quotes on a Unico and Hi-Velocity installation. I believe the generic term I've seen used in earlier discussions is "mini duct" system. Both contractors appear to be well established and successful. All other things being equal, is there a compelling reason to choose one of these systems over the other?