[nomad943]

What is the story with these new aluminum support boxes and return air routing? Times have certainly changed.
I get the impression that I am meant to cut a rather large hole into the support box and then simply place the air handler on top of the hole and begin routing my ductwork from there? Ummm ...
First, my airhandler is rather heavy (about 190 pounds for my AC-Only Goodman). Will what is left of the flimsy aluminum box (after cutting out the hole) actualy support the weight of the unit or wont it more likely just fold over like a soda can leaving me sweating and sad?
Do you guys add in some additional structural supports?
And then how am I supposed to connect the handler to the box and then seal the connection?
Is the weight of the unit meant to hold it in place or is some flange/gasket assembly missing from my mental picture?
Goodman makes good units but is very skimpy with documentation.
Plus being 25 years out of date in my own thinking doesnt help
Any info appreciated.

 

[beenthere]

The return air boxes I get, are made from sheet metal.
Sounds like they sent you a real cheap box.

 

[nomad943]

Technicaly one might call it "galvanized".
I'm sure it is, and at such a gauge as to cause me to question its stability ... I sure wouldnt think about standing on the thing so why would I think about putting a few hundred pounds of very pricey dead weight onto it for eternity? Maybe thats just the way its done, but I question it. and wait to hear what others think.
So how do you attach your air handlers onto those "sheet metal" boxes.

 

[beenthere]

The ones I get have a ridge around them. The air handler sits on a ledge, and the ridge holds the air handler in place. They are made for the air handlers.

When I used the ones that didn't have the ridge.
A bead of caulk on the box. And some silver UL tape to hold it in place until the caulk cured.