# Installing Air Handler



## rlmcjunk (Jun 22, 2005)

Hey Mark,

I installed one not too long ago and what I did is I built a stand out of 2x4 and plywood. It does not take much work and it worked good.


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## murray (Jun 3, 2005)

you can build it out of wood ,and creat a return duct for the unit to sit on,but if it is in an open area i would get a sheet metal guy to fab a plenum base out of 18- 20 ga galv metal that you could tap a filter rack and r/a drop into.this would look like an installer put it in .this shouldnt cost more than 100$ for this base ,it basically is a piece of duct with an end cap and the raw edge turned in for the unit to sit on .though if you get a wrap type base with viens in it ,it will be more$$$also ,or install it up high on angle brackets.dont forget to seal any duct that is under a negative preasure in the garage ,you dont want to pump garage fumes into your house.there is so many ways to install ,it depends on you,and your budget


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## jack of none (Jun 19, 2010)

*flipping the air handler*

Hey mark,i have a simular problem,i purchased a goodman air handler, model # aruf303016, thinking it was a down draft unit,with the supply in the bottom,and the return in the top,i am installing it vertical,once i started reading about it,and found out the return was in the bottom(where my trunk line is),i freaked out,thinking i was going to have to send it back,i talked to an old friend of mine,who does hvac work,said relax,you can flip the unit upside down and coil around,add a drip pan,and move the blower around,and it would work. so now my only problem is getting under the house to run the line set,i only have about a 24 inch crawl space,good luck with your project...Dave


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## Marty S. (Oct 31, 2009)

Hopefully he's done since it's been 5 years.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

LOL... Only 5 years.

Hope you used the DPI kit like you were suppose to for the conversion to downflow.

If not. You'll have lots of problems.


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## jack of none (Jun 19, 2010)

*five years*

Whats up been there, i noticed the date after i had posted..oops,any way,the dpi kit,thats the insulation kit that goes under the coil?,this is my first install,hoping to save some money, im a maintenace man by trade,but have never done any hvac for the house. I really opened up a can of worms,tha house was built in 1946,it was moved to the present location in the late sixtys,i think they put the duct work down before the house was dropped, when i pulled the old furnace out,which was an oil unit,water had been leakin down the stack for years,and the trunk line is rotted out,to replace it,i would have to pull alot of the floor up,im gonna have to get under the house and dig enough room to just get to where the line set comes up into the furnace closet,any insight would be great...Dave


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

There are baffles that need to be installed on that coil(comes with kit). Or the blower will suck the water out of the drain pan.


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## jack of none (Jun 19, 2010)

*dpi kit*

Thanks again, i just got off the web sight where i purchased my unit,they have three different dpi kits,but it dosn't say anywhere which one fits my unit,i am gonna try to contact them,...Dave


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Air handler model 018-32 DPI18-20/30
Air handler model 036-42 DPI36-42/30
Air handler model 048-61 DPI48-61/30

Above should be listed in your install manual.


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## jack of none (Jun 19, 2010)

*dpi kit*

Thanks again been there,mine use's the 42/30,i took the coil out,flipped all the brackets over,now i just have to wait till the kit comes in the mail, i also installed the heat strip kit,it was a 15kw,but i knocked it down to 10, i didn't want to upgrade my service to 200 amp. something i should have checked before orderin a 15 k. the next obstackle is get under the house to install my line set,just set off a bug bomb,so its time to grab the shovel! lol


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## REP (Jul 24, 2011)

I can't believe that ANY code allows a furnace of any kind to be installed in a garage.
The ducting too and from the garage wwould bring in motor exhaust into the house.
That is exactly how some people end up dead in their bed.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

REP said:


> I can't believe that ANY code allows a furnace of any kind to be installed in a garage.
> The ducting too and from the garage wwould bring in motor exhaust into the house.
> That is exactly how some people end up dead in their bed.


Or the fact that you pulled up a thread started over six years ago from its grave.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

REP said:


> I can't believe that ANY code allows a furnace of any kind to be installed in a garage.
> The ducting too and from the garage wwould bring in motor exhaust into the house.
> That is exactly how some people end up dead in their bed.


Code permits furnaces and air handlers to be installed in a garage. Duct work must be sealed/or chased.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

gregzoll said:


> Or the fact that you pulled up a thread started over six years ago from its grave.


Actually, it was a spammer that revived this thread. He and his post are gone.


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## REP (Jul 24, 2011)

beenthere said:


> Code permits furnaces and air handlers to be installed in a garage. Duct work must be sealed/or chased.


Well I've turned down jobs that required the ductwork to enter and leave the garage because I believed that it was too much of a risk.
How does the code you mention avoid the obvious danger?
I may be retired but I am always ready to learn something new.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Duct work running through a garage is chased/enclosed in drywall. So no vapors can enter it.A furnace or air handler is allowed to have its plenum and a starting duct not enclosed if it goes directly through the ceiling.


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