AC is out, vents, attic, sheetrock...with pics!

Factual Questions
1

I’ve had some leaking from my roof, so I called someone to look at it. They said the shingles etc. are fine but the vents have a boot, and those are cracked. About ten days ago, they came over to replace 4 exterior vents on my roof, $345. I’m in the wrong business.

About two days ago, I noticed my AC didn’t seem to be putting out much…the air was cool but the volume seemed low.

Long story short I changed my filters (pretty dirty) but the volume was still low. So I went up to the attic to check the furnace, figuring that was where the blower is.

Here are some pictures.

First, the “normal” look. I never noticed the sheetrock up there but then I don’t go to the attic often. It’s there on the common wall is for my neighbor and a few feet over my side. Then the roof is just open 2x6’s running one way, boards running perpendicular above them. WAG: it’s for fire code.

Here’s the problem area, over a couple of vents. A piece of sheetrock fell.

Question: could replacing the vents cause this? I was home at the time but didn’t hear a thunk. It’s possible I was outside when it fell or had the stereo up.

Here’s the piece itself, leaning against the supply for the upstairs rooms. It’s broken in one place…do I rip that sucker out and replace it? Does it need to be replaced? By someone other than me, I mean…major cramped-ness up there in the attic.

Same piece, different view (wide angle only goes so far…). I’m thinking that’s lint from the dryer on it.

Here’s a closeup of where the sheetrock meets the pipe to the vent. I think it discombobulated the pipe.

Of course the big question: how does this affect my AC? The sheetrock didn’t seem to make a direct hit on the brain center. If that were the problem, I’d expect a sudden and total cessation rather than anemic performance leading to stopping. I tried a little very non-invasive tinkering (I stopped at actually opening the brain to check the fuse) but maybe I somehow administered the coup de grâce without realizing.

I called my extended warranty ppl, who connected me with a local company but they can’t come till Saturday (it was probably 100F yesterday). Seems like I can’t survive a summer without AC issues.

Any thoughts, dopers?

2

You could have a kinked intake pipe, or out take pipe… Your blower could be on it’s last leg. If the sheet rock kinked a pipe I think you would see it but I could be wrong.

Let me get this straight, you put the AC on full and it only trickles out? Sounds like a power issue. IANA-Hvac professional so take my word with a bucket of salt.

3

Updates:

I went up and took off the pieces of sheetrock that were only hanging by paper. Then I managed to stand it on end so that it doesn’t lean against any hoses. I was tempted to break it up with a hammer and bring it down in pieces (shit, that stuff is heavy!) but it has nails sticking out of it and I didn’t want to puncture any hoses or myself. Nor did I want to bash any pipes worse.

BTW that pipe it was wrapped around is almost certainly for my dryer. Lint out the wazoo. It disconnected from its pipe on the roof.

I ventured into the brains; sure enough, blown fuse. I’ll get another and try replacing it.

The AC is only 2 summers old; the furnace is about six months older than that. Supposing it does, maybe I can call off the AC guy and find a carpenter to replace the sheetrock.

4

I wonder if the intake is clogged with dryer lint. You shouldn’t be seeing dryer lint inside the house – if you’re seeing lint, you’re also probably getting moisture which could be a bad thing.

Could the vent repair have caused the sheetrock to fall? Yeah, but only if it was pretty shoddily tacked up in the first place.

As for repair, it’s pretty easy. Given that it’s not even finished, you can cut the sheets into smaller half sheets to make the job easier.

5

The intake? Hmm, wonder where I’d find that. I figured the source was the cold air return and like I said, I replaced that. There’s no way excess lint from that pipe would reach the cold air returns.

It was pretty quick…4 in maybe half an hour but I think two guys worked on it.

If I could reach it, maybe. I have a feeling it’s the sort of thing they do when framing the house. But now there’s a furnace and a misstep means falling through my kitchen ceiling.

6

I got a fuse, replaced…still no dice. I guess I need an AC man.