Installing a HVAC Duct Booster - Part 1 of 2 or 3 | Man About Home 

Thank you for watching. Please take a moment to click the like button. Your comments are welcome. However, comments are curated. Rude language and negative comments detract from everyone else's enjoyment and don't add any value. It's all about respecting each other, so those are removed. It's over a year since this video was posted. Here are some common comment topics... some of them may be helpful! 1. The problem: Low airflow in the ductwork is often caused by poor system design. It appears that's the case in my upstairs bedrooms. The number of views of this video indicates there's a widespread problem of many industry professionals doing poor quality work. We love to hear helpful, constructive comments from those professionals (and others) who conduct themselves with integrity, representing their trade in a positive light. But, several disrespectful comments have been removed. 2. Sealing / insulating ducts: It's really comical how many commenters still point out the unsealed ducts. Sealing and insulating of ductwork can be a good idea. It will improve system performance and efficiency. It's a shame that multiple professional installers didn't do it. It's on my long list. But I've survived 65 years without ever having insulated ductwork in any house I've lived in. I'll bet I can survive a little longer without it. 3. Controls: There are several ways to automate the booster operation. Please watch Part 2 and Part 3 to see how I did it. There's a playlist. If you're wondering how you might do it, I'd suggest also checking out a pressure switch. 4. Sound level: This HVAC booster is set to run at approximately 35% speed. That's all it takes to cool the room, in this case. So the sound level isn't a problem at all for us. Besides, we enjoy a little white noise when we're sleeping. 5. Airflow Balance: Too many commenters theorize or state that this booster will "take", "rob", "pirate", "steal" air from the other ducts. I didn't add a new duct to the system! They seem to ignore the fact that the faulty duct has always been there and has always been shorted on airflow. This is because that duct run was very poorly designed/installed. It's oversized for its length (doesn't reduce size over distance to maintain velocity) and has no less than FIVE 90 degree turns in it. It flowed almost no air. Adding the booster restored airflow balance in the system, by providing the faulty duct with the correct airflow allotment it was always intended to have. Rather than "pirating" air, I say it's Robin Hooding air! It draws no more air from the system than would have been delivered, had the original professional designed the ductwork correctly in the first place. 6. Static Pressure: When I installed this, I was aware of the potential to disrupt static pressure. Refer to number 4. I intend to check static pressure, but the entire house is cooling better than ever now. So, it's not off by much. 7. Quality: This AC Infinity, smooth running and quiet HVAC booster has a ball bearing inductance motor. It appears to be a good quality component, which bears the CE Mark. It's rated for 67,000 hours, which indicates it should last more than 10-15 years. Only time will tell. Check out: www.acinfinity.com/ 8. CE Mark: The CE mark is a European Union conformity indicator. Conformitè Europëenne Mark (CE Mark). I found this link that describes its purpose and intent: asq.org/quality-resources/ce-marking 9. Energy consumption: This HVAC Booster is rated 37 Watts at 100% speed. I have mine set at less than 50% speed, so it's similar to a standard CFL bulb. It measures at 23 Watts in my application. Thank you all for your comments!

4 year Residential tech here. Primarily I've done installations, and service when the schedule allows. I just recently performed an install with 2 booster fans installed by the original HVAC contractor that built the home. We ingnored the booster fans and the customer called back the same day. We reinstated the booster fans the following day, and the customer mentioned that it restored the airflow. To say this isnt a viable, cost effective solution to a larger issue would be false. And redesigning a system can sometimes evolve into a very expensive and time consuming project. Im glad to see you took some action and experimented with this because i know sure as sh*t my ductwork in my home may benefit from an upgrade like this and this content only strengthens that theory.

They've changed now the AC in our house works. Upstairs used to be hot even when AC ran 24/7. 2 boosters upstairs constantly suck cool air from downstairs even when AC is off. 100% worth using.

Wow!!! Excellent instruction. Step by step. The results were amazing. Will have to try. Thank you

I'm certainly liking this bit of information! Thank you for the know how!

Lucky kid Learning lessons from the most important teacher

I guess one advantage is the cooled air will get pulled through the duct before it has a chance to warm up while still in the duct. That means getting colder output at the vent.

I feel cooler already. Well done Mate!

Loved the fact you showed how tricky real projects turn out to be.. !

Thanks for making this - I've been curious!

Hahah i was expecting the high setting to blow the register off the wall. Great job installing that. Should hold steady for years

The install of your ACs originally looks lacking in duct tape at the joints preventing leaks and insulation around the ducts to prevent heat/cooling loss. You're doing a great job just letting you know where you are losing efficiencies in your heating/cooling system.

Oh thanks. You are a God send for this problem. Bless you

Good video. I always use a thin bit of carboard from a Dr Pepper box to help me get those crimped ends started. it just extends the cone into the other end and then they get pulled out. Going to have to do this myself but it will be on flex (UGH). Thanks for the video.

Keeping those 18V Dewalt tools alive in 2021!

Nice Kirby! Also, interesting video. I've known about register boosters, but nice to know about an inline in case I need to.

Definitely need to teach our kids these things so they don't have to fork out money to have someone else do it. But... I also learned that it's good to keep reputable company's going as well. Also this is a simple job that's not really worth paying someone else for. GREAT VIDEO

My hobby is rebuilding motors ..Replacing packing cleaning brearing material Polishing the shaft is a must multi steps.. Lots of diffo grades.. All motors need to be cleaned and lubed.. My 45 yer old ge box fan just keeps running.. Exhaust fan bath now 16 years old runs great..Usually testing amps and watts used will indicate motor needs servicing.. Lots of very precise tutorials on video.. But not all have all the tricks.. So accessibility is key..

does anyone know if arizona allows to use this kind of medal duct pipe, I never seen this kind .

Awesome Job!

You need a duct silencer after the duct fan. They sell them. Or using insulated flexible duct helps with noise. Also insulating all of the duct would help with keeping the cold air cold or hot air hot. Also. Con-den-sation.

Recently had a 16x16 addition added to our home. Noticing the hvac tie in doesn’t blow nearly as hard in the new room, leaving that space 2-3 degrees colder than rest of home. Considering this exact fan model for our issue. Are you still pleased with it? Also, with the fan on do you find it is effecting airflow from the other rooms? Thanks for sharing your video and insight!

yes it was long, n could have def sped up some parts...but all in all a great demo of the difference made once installed and at different settings!

What happens over time if the vent get's block (accumulated dust or other...) - is this dangerous or hazardous to my furnace?

Awesome video and thanks for sharing. Question, will the booster kick in when the AC or heater turns on? Or does this need to be manually turned on? Thinking about getting a wifi electrical plug to turn on with Google Wifi

Thanks for video.

Do you have a return vent in that room? Also, maybe installing an air scoop where the take off is at the main trunk might grab more air into the take off but its too late for that idea.. and what tells the booster fan to come on? ty

Do they not make one of these that wires into your furnace so they turn on together? Seems like a simple 24v fan motor wired to G & C terminals would be cheap and simple. Or at least a relay input to interrupt the 120v supply.

On a similar note, when I bought my new heat pump, the airflow was weak. The installer told me that he could fix that. So, he set the fan speed to a higher setting. Problem solved. He said it had low, medium and high fan speed settings to choose from. He also said that most manufacturers sell their products set on low speed.

I have seen comments about air sealing the duct work which is important. A bucket of Mastic is ~$20 USD. Start there then tape and apply more mastic. Lastly add insulation to every piece of expose metal.

Nice idea about putting painting tape before cutting the metal

depending on how the upstream end of the duct is situated, the booster could be pulling in air from another outlet duct via a supply plenum

Just found your video. Nicely done. Did you think about eliminating the switch and tying the booster back to your central AC controls?

Question for you...Is that booster plugged in and always running? I noticed the adapter and the outlet plug. I would have thought that the booster would need to ne hardwired straight into the circuit board so that your booster fan would go on as soon as the furnace fan was called on to start. IDK? This seems like exactly what I need for my sons room. Thanks

Now does the online inline booster take away the from the temp as you increase volume and velocity.? I've done inline fans got exhaust before but for heating and cooling you get more airflow and the heating drops in temp and. Cooling goes up in temp. Why I dont use them any more cuz I always get call backs because the air wasn't cooling or heating enough. You know homeowners always want miracles to happen when duct design isn't balanced or installed properly

What a lovely work space. I’d hate to do that in my eighteen-inch crawl space.

Have you now been able to track and trend the temperatures? It blows but does it blow cold?

hi this is interesting. do you thing the same method would also work for transfering cold air from air conditioned room to another room without AC? example: blower sucks cold air in room A into air duct and transfer the cold air to room B

Wont this create negative pressure in other parts of the ductwork? How do you make it sync with the AC or do you have to turn it on manually each time?

That is like having your home ac that works like in the car with different fan settings.

It is easier to close some of the other dampers. That would increase flow to the room. Close each one maybe 10%.

A few comments. No tape on any joint? Are you not losing air at every pipe joint? Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t CE mean Chinese export?..

Wouldn't this divert cool air from other ducting and reduce the cooling in other rooms?

Isn't trying to line up the male and female ends just a boatload of fun?! Lol. I gave up and i just crimp every male end and just assume it will be a pain if i dont. Also, that foil tape is heat activated. If you go back over it fast with a squeegee it will hold better

Would wiring the duct fan to come on/off with the blower in the furnace be an option?

Is there a way that it can be hardwired to the unit so that the booster fan comes on when the unit turns on?

Hi, being this has been impacting only one room, I am curious to know why the in line booster was chosen instead of using a register booster for his room. Unles I am missing something the only difference I see is that with register boosters, the air cannot be directed. But they are a lot more straightforward to install.

question is, what is the temp of the air coming out of that vent with the booster on?

I’m just wondering what happens when you lose power? Do you have to reprogram the controller every time?

A zoning damper with a zoning thermostat. The dampers will close off other dampers during the call for cooling from a sensor in your son's bedroom. What about heating? The booster will help cool down the air as the fan booster is ruhning.

Nice Kirby vacuum!

Did you take the time to clean the ducking? Also I found vent ducking & routing is a mess stinks!

So does that fan have a sensor that turns it on and off. Does it run all the time?

Just a thought on this booster so it doesnt run all the time. If you have a smart thermostat, get a smart plug for the booster. Set a routine to turn on the booster when the AC is on, have the booster turn off when the AC is off.

thanks!

Does this run full time, or does it turn on every once in a while?

I was thinking you could have cut a slot in one side of the duct, where the plug was. Then recess the fan into that duct. Then the duct would have fit right back into it each other. No shortening of the would be required.

Great video, clear demonstration of the problem, process, solution and result. Video editing to speed up the monotonous stuff would improve the quality and would be more appealing for today's short attention-span audience 😁.

Curious if you checked for leaks in your duct work. I have to imagine you did but wonder why closing dampers as you say in the video made no difference. It would have to make a difference unless you had a leak is all I could think of.... interesting product...

This is a very small detail, and it really doesn’t matter either way, but I have found the tape goes on easier if you tape the joints, and then after put the sheet metal screws in.

1)You need to ductseal your plenum and all your ductwork including pipe runs. 2)Fix those nasty elbows eliminate some if possible, remember 1-90 degree elbow= 5 feet of pipe. 3)Make sure you don't have a busted elbow behind walls and it's attached properly to your uto. Putting a booster will increase the air flow, cooling the air more rapidly. So in the winter that room will get colder the the others.

If it works, seems like there maybe more pressure in that room, not getting good return to the air handler.

I would definitely go around and put some aluminum tape around every single joint …I think your loosing a lot of air cause nothing is sealed.. just what I see…also this is a great idea.. I need to get one for my house for trunk line cause our den ne’er gets cool enough

does it automatically turn on, when the ac turns on, if not, what a pain!!

You can never beat a good pair of tin snips, they work wonders.

Does installing a fan to cool down a room take air from other rooms in the house?

I thinking of doing this to move warm air to our rooms at the end of the house, the rooms are nice on summer days as they stay cool ,but in the winter too cool. We do not have a/c. Do you think it will work? Very informative video.

Shouldn’t power on when the furnace powers up so you don’t manually have to do it ?

Magnetic hex head driver bit with 1/4” self tapping sheet metal screws would make life a lot easier. Tape it then screw it.

I'd love to try this in my bedroom but my vents are 14" X 8" and nobody makes them in that size.

Does booster comes with automatic turn on and off switch?

At 1:28 in, is that a hole in the duct? Right before the turn and drop there looks to be a big puncture hole. Just curious what that is

The only thing I wish you would have done is knock the sharp edge off of that pipe after cutting it, should always clean it, and when you put the tape you should have used some sand paper or steel wool before putting that on, really helps with the longevity of the tape.

Cold air sinks, so raising the register towards the top of the wall would help. If you don't wish to change it you could either put a fan pointing up or install a reversible ceiling fan to draw the cool air up. Does his room have a return? Removing the heat is most of the battle. Adding some insulation to the ducts will help.

Amazing that someone would actually install uninsulated duct work in a house. In the Deep South it would be pouring water everywhere from the condensation.

I usually just close the vents in the rooms that no one really uses. The laundry room, spare room, etc.

My house was built in 2005 and all ductwork is insulated. Did the HVAC people cheap out on you or is that normal for when your home was built? You are losing a hell of a lot of cool and warm air.

Seems noisy on high, maybe wrap duct with insulation, put further away from register?

Shouldn't it be automatic such that it comes on when the ac comes on.

“Dad walks in the room, and son are you winning” “Son, no dad its to hot.” “Dad, ok walks away buy stuff of amazon” “Dad, Son, can you help me” “So now you can win” Its an nice solution thanks for helping your son ❤️

That's nice but what are the actual temperatures with the duct booster compared to a duct that puts out good flow without a duct booster?

Is there a return in the upstairs bedroom?

I have similar issues for upstairs rooms, thanks for the AC booster idea

I have to wonder if the booster pulls cool air away from other rooms in the house. Is that a side effect that you have noticed?

The question I have is.... Does this rob AC from the rest of the house ? I guess I feel like it would suck all the cool air and blast it into where the fan directed?

Going to be in the 100f this week here in 72209.

depend on dfuct work, and pressur

Remove some of the elbows as well, every 90* turn slows the air almost 50%

what would u change about install ???

Seal every joint and wrap the duct.. Or encapsulate with insulation.. makes a diffo..

I wish this would work for me but my duct work is all rectangular. I did get the ac infinity vent fan booster thing. Works great so far

How does it hold up when the heat is on

It needs to be wired up to the furnace fan motor or it will be running all the time.

wire it so when a/c kicks off and on so does fan

Really needs insulation wrap with duct tape or paint-on mastic. You could be losing up to 50% of the airflow and many degrees of hot or cold air. I'm should the booster does make the room feel better.

Hows the duct fan holding up?

How close to the register should it be?

I put a fan on the vent and attached a flexible pipe to the back of the fan.

There seems the potential to damage the electric cord. A hard metal edge of the duct could do this during the fitting - sliding the booster in and out of the ducting to see how it best fits. The design needs to have a greater diameter protective ring around each side of where the control section is to prevent this unintended problem. Final fitting with screws and tape will prevent a further problem, like you have it, but not an earlier damage.

My son complained about not enough cool air from his duct. I told him to move out.