Redo this test at #10 fan setting, and learn to properly use this unit. Others on here have provided you instructions on how to properly use this, yet you're refusing to... why???
*Small but **Fastly.Cool** .We use it in a very large roompositioned about 10 feet awayin 85F outside heatit keeps us cool. No need to turn on the AC.*
They NEARLY got me to buy one from their ad. I figured if I bought one of these, I could put one in the master bedroom, where the air flow is the least-effective, and increase it. My hope was that since I love the house at 68° pretty much all year round--I can tolerate up to 72°, but I find it very hard to sleep at that temperature-- and my wife always complains that it's too cold, I could maybe keep the overall temperature of the home a bit warmer and, since she's always bundled up in the blankets to sleep at night and spends most of her time at home downstairs, she'd be happier, and I'd just put this one on the register near my side of the bed, allowing me to keep the house at 70. Your video saved me time, money, and frustration.
Looks like you have already good airflow haha. My garage room turned theater room was very away from my central unit so this system worked. I also added an AC infinity inline duct fan and used one of these registers for my return as well. Safe to say this room is now a hurricane force haha.
@@crimwil yes sir. Just went to my attic, cut the duct, connected both sides to the fan and taped it up with AC aluminum Tape. Then I ran the temp probe a couple inches behind the fan and gauged what was the temp of the duct when the AC was on and in off mode. So I added an activation mode to turn on at a certain temp (the temp of the cold air the AC created) and turn off at a certain temp.
Thanks for the video and your efforts posting! A few notes. First you did not state what fan level you set it to once you put it in the ceiling. As you mentioned it defaults to 5. So was it 5 in the ceiling or 10 when you did your test? From what I have seen from other reviews is anything 7 and below it is less air flow. 8 and higher it is slightly more flow. I think as far as cooling the delta is going to be much higher if it is a floor vent rather then ceiling. As some other comments mentioned the cfm is not the best method to demonstrate. What you really need is the delta between rooms. For my house this had a big impact on the delta between my rooms when it was on 10. Before using this device my bedroom on the 2nd floor would get up to 78 or 79 degrees and my first floor would be around 66 degrees. Now my bedroom actually only gets to 75 or so and my first flow only gets to 68. For me this was a big difference. My bedroom only has one vent and its on the floor. So I think the fan makes a big difference since we all know hot air rises and cold air drops. I honestly would say the ceiling vent might not get the same impact. Thanks again for the review!
@@matthewstorman4876 I put one of these on a second story bedroom. I do not have a tool to formally measure airflow. However, before the device my hand could feel air about 2-3 feet up. With this device running fan speed 10, I can feel cool air about 5 feet up. At 10, the fan is a little loud - reminds me of a sound machine I run when I sleep. A thermostat on the other side of the room is about 2 degrees cooler with this device than without. Not miraculous but it makes the room more comfortable in the summer.
Just turn the fan on 10 and let it run the whole time been doing that in the summer time for years and it works great wintertime needs to have the thermostat set
Scott, it looks like you had the same misunderstanding I did when I initially picked up one of these. The "cool" or "heat" temperature you set on the unit is ***NOT*** the temperature that the unit will "try to get your room to"... This temp does not work the same as the temp-setting on a thermostat or window-AC unit. The displayed temp is actually the sensed-temperature at which the unit will turn on... Put differently, if you set the "cool" temp to 68F, it will not stay on until it succeeds in getting your room to 68F... rather, it will only turn on the fans once the temperature sensor on the unit itself detects that the air coming thru your vents is that temp. The practical effect is that the unit only runs when your AC/furnace is running. It is designed to boost airflow into a room when and ONLY WHEN the HVAC is running - and will do nothing while the HVAC is turned off. This is how it is designed - and I have found the one I got for my 2nd floor office makes a nice noticeable difference in the temp in my room, especially when using my computer and heating up the room a bit. Hope this helps! :-D
@@ScottAllison I know you were using an anemometor, but I can't help but think something must have been wrong with your test. When I have the unit on vs. off, there is a clear and significant higher volume of air coming thru that vent than without, and as compared to any of the other vents on the same floor. I suppose my evidence is "anecdotal", but it is not a subtle different in my case. The difference in air-flow is dramatic.
@@ScottAllison I was just thinking the same thing, actually. Perhaps the airflow in your existing system was already similar/comparable to this unit on full-blast (fans at 10). In which case the fans would not push/pull any more air, no vacuum would be created in your ducting, and the result would be no higher an airspeed than before... In my setup, by contrast, I have the vent on what is likely the furthest-away vent in my entire home - which likely means the airflow is reduced in this unit compared to other locations. The push/pull from the fans on my unit may be creating the aforementioned slight vacuum, or is at least creating more airflow than would otherwise be present. (same thing, really)
Did you not set the temp for the fans to kick on? I read that you’re supposed to set a high and low temp for the fan to kick on while the system is blowing hot or cold air.
Nice review. We bought one of these and I haven’t been too impressed.Question: the temperature setting for the AC mode means that the fans run as long as air coming in is below the set temperature, and the opposite for the heating mode? As an example if I set the heating mode temp to 70 the fans will run while air coming in is that temperature or warmer?
I'm sorry, it's been so long since I tried this out I've forgotten. I sent it back for a refund and when our AC was replaced I got the guys to upgrade the duct work and it's much better now!
Yes, you are correct. It is by design so that it only runs when the HVAC is running. I set mine to come on/off at 60 degrees so it only boosts cooled air. Not sure what the issue is for you and the uploader. Worked great for my application!
@@gyakusetsu that's really what matters. your last statement says it all....You cannot solve all your HVAC problems with a couple of fans. They don't have AC in them, lol.. it's just a fan setup which would improve some air flow (absolutely it has to, unless the basic principles of Physics are wrong :). This review video is not really helpful as i mentioned in my comments above.
How is that even possible regard airflow? What did you set the fan speed to? You forgot to outline that in your final test for the register in the ceiling.
Those fans shouldn't shut off like that when you lower the temperature it will keep running until it gets it to that temperature in your case the temperature was going up which means it was set to increase the temperature to that degree before shutting off.
It depends on how you are using it. In my situation it did work for me. Mine is I have one vent in the floor in my livingroom. My love seat sirt on top of it. I do have legs on it so it not flat to the ground. I do have a deflector on the vent. I just needed somthing to give it a bigger push to get the air to flow better to cool off my livingroom. For me made a huge differance. I am sure will not be for everyone but for some may work.
I have this product installed and have for about a year now and can definitely attest to it not moving that much air. I highly doubt it has a actual CFM rating of 160 like they claim. I would think some 120mm noctua fans installed in that housing unit would move much more air.
Now I want to get one and try that with Noctua fans. My pc case came with fans that were noisy and didn't pull much air until I swapped them with Noctua fans. So darn quiet and system is cooler because of it. 😃
Don't listen to the haters. Conceptually this can make a big difference, but it seems like this particular product is under-powered (it advertises 120 CFM). I ended up using an inline fan that advertised 350 CFM, and it made a huge difference in the temperature of my basement (my basement used to be too cold in the winter). I would have preferred a register booster fan but I couldn't find any with sufficient power. I live in a 100-year-old house, so I have limited options for changing my existing ductwork. Plus, the inline fan was only about $40.
You didn’t have it on cool setting just off. Try just putting it on continuously manual high speed. I’m really interested, thanks for using the anemometer
Thanks for putting the review. The wire is definitely a problem especially for ceiling installation. However, the way you measured the air flow is not proper to establish any credible result. you didn't mention and even changed fan speed, which is like the *very basic* principle this thing is built on :).. Your flow meter doesn't look suitable to even do a basic comparison of flows... Just the basic physics would tell you, that if the issue your issue is improving air flow, this has to work. B/c it has fans, at very low fan speed , it would actually "restrict" some of the flow.. but at a higher speed, it def SHOULD improve it unless the fans stop running..
measure the air flow in front of the fans alone. that is the air these will push . i dont want to confuse you anymore by telling you to get a proper base line from your vent or doing anymore static pressure testing.
Great concept but that cord makes it inconvenient and not appealing to design. I have a room that could use this. However, like you, my vents are in the ceiling. Great review thanks for this.
Take out the existing vent and measure the hole with a ruler or tape measure. Vents like this are usually a standard size so one of the 3 this company sells will likely fit.
Hi, any example of what you mean by "regular duct booster"? I'm looking for a similar solution but unfamiliar with the difference. I imagine a duct booster would be installed somewhere in the duct work rather than the register?
@@ScottAllison Ah thanks! That's what I found but I didn't see your post, thanks for replying so quickly. Yeah I do not think the homeowner will let me mess with the duct work. Maybe I can get him to, though...
I returned it. The right way to solve airflow is by resizing the ducts. Luckily for me the problems are upstairs so it's easy to go in to the attic and reconfigure
Yes it is. There's no other way to gauge performance. Since the fans and housing are bulky, they are restricting the amount of airflow, so if the velocity doesn't increase significantly then there's actually less CFM throughput.
@@ScottAllison I just got one for my bedroom. I think the biggest benefit is it running for 5-10 minutes after the AC shuts off and getting all of the cold air out of the ducts instead of the cold sitting down in my crawl space.
@@oisiaa if one could conclude anything from this review it would be this. The meter actually read less with the booster vs without, except the distribution was more consistent AND it kept feeding the room for a minute after the A/C kicked off. I wonder how much benefit (or not) this would provide long term? Either way, doesn't seen like enough to make me want to buy it.
A more valuable and accurate method of performance evaluation would be a temperature mapping of the room you are trying to improve conditions in. That or an air volume capture device that quantifies air volume more accurately.
I love these DIY guys, The booster has no effect, the duct to that room or register can only handle a certain volume of airflow CFM, the fan does not change that. It only acts as a small ceiling fan. Add another supply to that room if the system is large enough and increase the blower speed, If the system is large enough. Maybe move the tstat close to the warmer area of the house so the unit runs longer to help that area. Maybe add a zoning system and a tstat to that room.
You are an HVAC LLC? Must not be a great one. This type of product is very effective when you have certain rooms that are much hotter or colder than other rooms. Like, top floor rooms that don't get as much air as lower floors. This type of fan draws more air to the upper floor and less to the lower floor, helping keep temps equalized. But no, we should take your suggestions, which would literally cost thousands, not to mention tearing out finished drywall.
@@sjsmith801 Physics and Mathematics guy here. It's not going to draw any more cool air than what the AC unit can produce. The air itself is not just sitting in the pipe waiting for some external force to push or pull it. Air doesn't work that way. If you measure air in parcels, it is either rising or sinking depending on it's temperature relative to the surrounding air. This is basic thermodynamics. Since this little fan system doesn't have a cooling source like a heatsink or coolant and exhaust, it's just circulating air. If the air coming out of the vent was already reduced, then whatever this fan could circulate will be based on the air present at the vent at the time of exit. In layman's terms, it's not drawing more air. It can't draw something out of nothing. The AC unit is cooling the air and forcing it through ducts and out of their respective vents. If anything, the Airtap is just acting as a ceiling fan and causing the warm ambient air to mix with the cooler air being pushed in from the unit. That can have some dramatic results depending on the environment you're in. For upstairs rooms where hot air has risen from the lower levels to the top, it's always going to be harder to cool, but this solution isn't going to produce magic results for everyone. It might help a few people in certain situations, but the marketing behind this is misleading. Also, I work in HVAC engineering. I don't sell HVAC units, I test new approaches for efficient cooling and heating. If you really want to solve the problem, first determine what the problem is. For older homes, this could be linked to siding/insulation, windows, doors, trim, etc. Old AC condenser units and internal blowers might be worn out. There are a lot of factors. The cheapest way around this would be a window unit, but that's not always ideal. For those who can't fix their homes, AC unit, or add one, your best option would be a fan. That's all this product is, anyway. $20 at your nearest Supermart. No need to spend $60 on a pair of computer fans. To your comment about the suggestions costing thousands and involve tearing out drywall, I'd say that's a bit dramatic, but if the solution requires it, it'll save you more money in the long term by not having your AC unit struggling to cool a house while adding additional power draws to your home. Just my two cents. Side note to anyone who might still be reading: If you have known reduced airflow in your home, the problem is commonly leaky ductwork. -Especially in areas that experience warm summers and cold winters. If you walk along your upstairs floor and feel a spot that's colder than the rest of the floor, you have a leaky duct. Same goes for the winter time if your floor has a hot spot.
I'm not going to pretend that I read even half of that reply, because it's all based on a fundamental misconception. Nobody is trying to create more air out of nothing. What this type of fan does is balances the system. It pulls more air to the register where the fan is installed (the room that is too hot compared to the rest) and less air to the rest of the system. You can talk on the Internet about mathematics and HVAC design blah blah. Or, you can actually try it. I tried it. And it works. My basement and first floor, even with all the vents closed, was easy 10 degrees cooler than my 3rd floor with the vents wide open. I installed vent fans and overnight the imbalance was fixed. The amount of air flow in the entire system remained the same, but more of that air was drawn upstairs and less downstairs. As intended.
@@sjsmith801 I didn't say you couldn't try it. I mean, if it works, it works, but let's stop pissing down people's back and calling it rain. My explanation is valid: it's a fan. You can save yourself some money and buy a box fan from Megamart for $20 or you can just find the root cause of your house not cooling and fix that instead. You'll save a lot more money long-term AND increase the value of your home at the same time. I think having 20 years of experience working with heating and cooling solutions in a wide range of scenarios makes my opinion somewhat valid. You're free to take that with a grain of salt or do whatever you think might work, but paying $60 for a set of PC fans when a $20 box fan does the same thing seems a bit silly, in my opinion. Nobody is going to stop you overpaying for a set of computer fans. Feel free to do whatever you like. But let's call it what it is: a fan. It's a fan. No amount of snarky comments will change that it's just a pair of PC case fans mounted into a convenient ceiling vent package.
The anemometer you used is not accurately calculating CFM (air volume) The kfactor (free area) for each register is different. The booster fan can produce more CFM than without. Did you adjust the rotating vane anemometer setting for the different register?
You should seriously consider removing this video. You have fundamentally failed to understand how the unit works and what it is supposed to do. This is incredibly misleading.
@@ScottAllison it's supposed to lower/increase the temperature of the room it's working in. Something that will take time to happen, require the unit to be configured properly, and measured with a thermometer in the room.
@@ScottAllison regardless there are multiple failure points in your "review" from improper use of the anemometer to incorrectly setting up the temperature settings. No product works when configured incorrectly. Take it down.
It's a booster goes on at certain temp turns off certain temp, turn the fan speed up.. ours works great and helps very much, one room was always hotter now its not
Yes, I'm aware of how it's supposed to work. But since the bulky fans reduce the area available for airflow velocity has to increase otherwise the volume of air will actually be reduced.
