Architects are not immune from bad planning & there are plenty of good home designers, but let’s not use the “Architect” to mean anyone that draws plans. There is a difference in the levels of training, expertise, licensing, etc. Almost none of the residential projects you see are designed by Architects b/c very few homeowners are willing to pay the fees required to have an Architect design their home – or hire a Mechanical Engineer to design their hvac system, etc, etc – but that is another very big subject.

I always love the photos – cannot get enough – you will never run out of subjects – keep them coming. Train wrecks are always more entertaining than uneventful trips. I learn a lot from these.

I hope everyone is feeling good today.

Yo Keith,
Yo Keith,

While I believe we are in agreement on static pressure aspects of “high efficiency” filters, and I have subsequently gone back to “bird strainer” filters, we may not agree on fan amperage implications. Unless the fan motor is of the newer and relatively rare type that boosts fan power to maintain air flow, most extant fans will use less energy as they work against higher static pressure. The reason being of course, that a conventional fan motor uses less energy as it speeds up while moving less air. I use the “howling, blocked vacuum cleaner” as an example.

And hey, don’t be so possessive of polar bears! We are all concerned about them 😄.

Allison, my true and real issue with the first photo is static pressure!! I love to walk down the Slowes isle or the orange box isle and look at all the great filters! The ones (as in the photo) that are going to utterly destroy the system/duct design, increase fan amperage, cost more to operate, provide less comfort, and contribute to killing my polar bears!

I agree, Kris. That’s one of
I agree, Kris. That’s one of my big frustrations, too, especially since we design HVAC systems, and we usually don’t see the plans until it’s too late.

Is the curvature of the supply duct on the left side normal? I see them jammed in these closets all the time (especially newly constructed townhomes)like this.