Good beginner book on HVAC stuff?

[Kevin Warnock]

Can someone recommend a good book on do it yourself HVAC installations? I want to duct the bus air and heat in my 1994 RTS bus, but was overwhelmed when I went to Home Depot Pro today to look at ducts. Do I use round or rectangle? How do I join the duct material? Do I need some kind of paste to make more than a mechanical seal? Do I use aluminum tape or cloth duct tape? What size registers do I use? How do I feed air from the delivery duct to the register? Can I also duct the return air path? If so, where should I pull the return air from? Can I use the same ducts to distribute the heat from my Espar air heater that I would use when parked? If so, do I need to prevent air from the Espar from getting into the output vents of the bus air/heat system? Do I use aluminum or steel ducts, or something else?

I tried to find some good videos on YouTube, but most of the videos are only a minute or two and don't cover the very basic starter questions I have.

I feel like I can learn to run ductwork and not need to hire a pro. Is that realistic? I can do many other things including plumbing and electrical. I just have not had to install ducts before, thus this post.

The RTS has just two air outputs into the bus. Both are on the back wall of the bus. One is in the far upper left, and the other is in the far upper right. They are about 6" x 12" in size, in kind of a rounded corner square shape. The throw out more air than I've ever felt come out of a duct. The power is so strong you can feel a gentle breeze at the front of the bus, 35 feet away. The return air input is between the output ducts, and is about 2' x 3' in size. Can I duct this as well? If so, from where?

Finally, the RTS has a rotary switch marked 'heat' and 'ac'. There is no temperature adjustment I am aware of. Do you know if I can add such an adjustment? The air and heat work very well, and my mechanic tells me the system is fully charged and does not leak.

Thanks!

[John316]

We are also looking for this info. Anybody? Nick?

God bless,

John

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

This is kinda a hard to answer all the questions... Everybody has a different definition of what COOL it.

To me, it's having the ability to cool my coach from 100deg's, down to 70 within an hour. That's me! This takes tonnage..

For others, 80deg's and low himidity works just fine.

As far as duct dimensions, anybody can guess at that and the system may work. If you want it right, then hire a guy that knows bus conversions

and what it takes to do it right. You may also want redundency. "I Do" Or, over the road heat and air. All these are important factors when

considering your hvac system. We often use our busses in a few different ways like, while dirving, boondocking, and parked in a campground with hookups.

Now, What was your question again? 

Nick-

[RTS/Daytona]

Here's an EXTREMELY helpful Guide I saved from my Dometic Rooftop AC instructions. (13500 - 15000 BTUs) 
see attached .pdf file
- Dometic has been doing RV AC's for years and years and has lots and lots of experience.

So it may not be the "BLACK ART" that other's make it out to be.

so based on 13k-15k BTU rooftops here are the recomendations -

1967_MCI5a - YOUR SITUATION IS UNUSUAL - if you keep your RTS OEM AC UNIT 100,000 BTU's UNIT - Based on the size of your RTS twin duct discharge outlets (6" x 12" or 72 sq in) - that's approx 3 times larger than the DOMETIC design guide based on 1 or 2 rooftop AC units - that's what the RTS engineer's designed for - I would suggest that you use the (3 times) figure for the total sq in of your outlet registers - and keep the same approx  sq in area for your twin duct - bet if you add up all the discharge sq in on the RTS output resisters they will come close to that figure.     100,000 BTU - that's a lot of horsepower (Electric Condensor and evaporator fans + the huge twin cylinder compressor) - that was meant to keep the RTS cool with a full load of passengers and the doors open!

Here are 3 other links that you need to look at -

http://www.insul.net/prod_ultraduct.html
ULTRA DUCT BOARD - I love this product - I used it in my RTS - Others have used it it there Bus Conversions - What sold me was that - MARATHON / VANTARE / MELLINIUM / most high end RV manufacturers    ---ALL--- use it to make ducts in thier MULTIMILLION dallor coaches - it's thin insulation board that can be scored and folded and tape with Vinyl silver AC tape -  yes Nick - I know you had problems with this - But SOOOO many other use it very very sussesfully - including me


http://dwincorp.com/index.php?cPath=55
great source for AC Vents and such

http://www.danhard.com/
another great source for AC parts

Pete RTS/Daytona  -