Why Some Rooms Are Always Cold: Ductwork in Older Houses
If one room has never been comfortable, the equipment is probably not the problem. What goes wrong in older duct systems and what is worth fixing.
Chris Wheeler ·
Chris Wheeler
Co-owner
Chris co-founded C&D Mechanical in 2022 and handles most of the estimating and system design. He spends his days walking basements and mechanical rooms, working out what a building actually needs before anybody quotes a number on it.
Articles by Chris Wheeler
Converting from Oil Heat: What the Process Actually Involves
Leaving oil behind is one of the most common projects we do. The realistic sequence, the decisions along the way, and what to do about the old tank.
Chris Wheeler ·
Dry Winter Air: Why It Happens and What Actually Fixes It
Static shocks, cracked woodwork, and dry sinuses every January. Where the moisture goes and why a bigger humidifier is not always the answer.
Chris Wheeler ·
How Long Should a Furnace Last, and When to Replace It
Age alone is a poor reason to replace working equipment. The five questions that actually decide repair versus replace.
Chris Wheeler ·
Radiant Floor Heat: What to Know Before You Commit
The most comfortable heat there is, with real constraints on where it makes sense. Retrofit versus new construction, floor coverings, and response time.
Chris Wheeler ·
What Should Be in a Commercial HVAC Maintenance Agreement
Most agreements are priced per visit and say very little about what happens on the visit. What to require before you sign one.
Chris Wheeler ·
Tank, Tankless, or Heat Pump Water Heater?
Three good options with genuinely different tradeoffs. Which one fits depends on your house, your water, and how your household actually uses hot water.
Chris Wheeler ·
Are Condensing Boilers Worth the Extra Cost?
High efficiency boilers earn their rating only under conditions a lot of existing houses do not give them. How to tell if yours will.
Chris Wheeler ·
SEER2, HSPF2, and Which Numbers Actually Matter
Efficiency ratings are real but they are lab numbers. What they mean, and the specification that matters more than any of them in a cold climate.
Chris Wheeler ·
Why Your House Feels Clammy Even With the AC Running
Seventy two degrees and still sticky usually means a humidity problem, not a cooling problem. Often the air conditioner is the cause.
Chris Wheeler ·
Hard Water: What It Costs You and How Softeners Work
Hardness is not a health problem, it is an equipment problem. What scale does to a water heater and how to size a softener properly.
Chris Wheeler ·
One Zone or Multi Zone? Choosing a Mini Split Layout
Multi zone systems look like the obvious choice on paper. Here is where they work well and where separate single zone units are the better buy.
Chris Wheeler ·
Heat Pump or Furnace: What Works in a New Hampshire Winter
Cold climate heat pumps really do work here, but they are not the right answer for every house. What we look at before recommending one.
Chris Wheeler ·
Getting Your Heating System Through a New Hampshire Winter
A fall checklist worth working through in October, when a problem is an appointment instead of an emergency.
Chris Wheeler ·
Repair or Replace? How We Think About It
A framework for deciding, including the parts of the calculation that have nothing to do with the price of the repair.
Chris Wheeler ·
Well Water in New Hampshire: What to Test For
About half the state is on private wells with no required testing. What actually shows up in our groundwater and which results call for treatment.
Chris Wheeler ·
What Size Mini Split Do I Need?
Square footage charts get this wrong more often than they get it right. What actually determines the size of a ductless system, and why oversizing hurts.
Chris Wheeler ·
Questions Worth Asking Before You Hire an HVAC Contractor
License, insurance, and eight questions that separate a contractor who measured your house from one who read a number off a chart.
Chris Wheeler ·