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dremd 04-17-2009 04:49 PM

New 1/2 house A/C time
 
We are cooling about 1400 square feet; this half of the house is truly a log cabin just logs stacked for walls and cathedral ceilings throughout. The top is simply Tin->2" white foam-> 2" thick decking as ceiling.

Current unit (dead) is about 25 year old 4 ton 7.4 SEER . Our A/C guy is recommending a 4 ton 14 SEER unit $5000 installed.


A few things I'm thinking about after he left.

1) Smaller unit? before I got in to ECO it ran pretty much constant daytime during the summer, now I've got it down around 50% run time. Does this mean I could get away with 2 tons? 3 tons?

2) Tax credits? Federal tax credits http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...pr_tax_credits Does anyone know if a standard Central A/c qualifies as a Split system, or a Package system? If it's a split system it would look like I'd be better of looking in to a 16+ SEER unit to get %30 back.


Any and all Ideas / comments / weird thoughts (on topic) are welcome.

dremd 04-17-2009 04:59 PM

Can anybody explain
Quote:

(HERO) offers a cash payment for
Louisiana residents who make energy improvements to existing homes. The cash
payment is 20% of the lesser of the Energy Efficiency Premium or the cost of
improvements up to a maximum of $2,000.
for me?

Source: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/sec/execdiv...tives_2008.pdf

Copy + Paste from PDF
Louisiana Incentives and Laws
Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO)
Incentive Type: Cash Rebate up to $2000
Applicable Sectors: DOE - State Energy Plan
Authority: One and two family residences located in Louisiana
Effective Date: 1999
Termination Date: NONE
Amount: 20% of the lesser of the present value of the estimated total energy saved by
energy improvements over their useful lives or the cost of improvements
Maximum Amount: $2000
Limit on Overall Enrollment: Existing residence owned by a Louisiana citizen
Summary: The Louisiana Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO) offers a cash payment for
Louisiana residents who make energy improvements to existing homes. The cash
payment is 20% of the lesser of the Energy Efficiency Premium or the cost of
improvements up to a maximum of $2,000. The Energy Efficiency Premium is the
present value of the estimated total energy saved by energy improvements, over
their useful lives, made to the home. The Energy Efficiency premium is
determined by a home energy rating which is required to participate in the
program. For an existing home to qualify for HERO, its energy efficiency must be
improved by at least 30 percent.
A preliminary energy rating is required before any improvements are made to the
home. The preliminary energy rating turned into DNR by the energy rater is also
the participant’s application for the HERO program. All ratings are performed by
private sector Energy Raters, experts trained and certified to submit the required
documentation to Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Technology
Assessment Division for participation in the HERO Program. A rating includes a
detailed computer analysis and on-site inspection of the home. The list of
approved Raters is on the website. Information and step-by-step instructions are
also available on the website shown below.
For individuals purchasing an existing home, a Home Energy Rating can also be
used to qualify the home for an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). With an EEM,
homebuyers may be able to borrow additional funds to make energy
improvements at the time of purchase. The additional costs are included in their
mortgage. The reduction in energy costs from the funded improvements is
generally larger than the increase in mortgage payment.
The Louisiana Home Energy Rating system is administered by Louisiana
Department of Natural Resources, Technology Assessment Division. HERO is a
component of the Home Energy Loan Program of the Louisiana Department of
Natural Resources (DNR).
Website: HERO - Home Energy Rebate Option - LA DNR - Technology Assessment Division
Eligible Efficiency
Technologies: Comprehensive Measures/Whole Building, Custom/Others pending approval
Eligible Renewable/
Other Technologies: NONE - Incentive is for the house design, construction and installed equipment. A
HERO home is a good start toward a sustainable home
Other Critical Information that
varies with each incentive Participation in the HERO program precludes participation in the HELP program.

dremd 04-20-2009 10:27 AM

Well I found what A/C I'd buy if I had time to install it myself this month.
Geothermal Heat Pump PKG 3 Ton Closed Loop Horizontal: 3 Ton Geothermal Pack. Ingram-Water-&-Air-Equipment

Unfortunately it's just not in the cards.

dremd 04-20-2009 04:41 PM

Looks like I'll be getting a 16.4 Seer 3 ton unit for $5600 installed.
More to come next week.

Xringer 04-25-2009 09:27 AM

I've been looking at getting a Mini-split for my heating and AC needs..
24KHS72 - Sanyo 24,200 BTU Heat Pump Air Conditioner Kit

They work great and don't cost a lot to run..

dremd 04-30-2009 02:54 PM

My A/C guy is kind of a pain err.

Going to end up with a 16 seer because he refused to install multi speed system due to complexity. Cost -$900

I'm mostly upset that I can never get model #'s + Data about units; it would be nice to have some information to make informed decisions + then be able to make those decisions.

I think it's contractors like this that turn most people away from efficient heating + cooling.

dremd 05-08-2009 04:18 PM

Well the system is installed.

ArcoAire 3 ton R410A 16 SEER with variable speed blower (No thermostat to take advantage yet)

Few impressions
1) QUIET Even quieter than my celling fans. Stunningly silent. Ev Silent.
2) FEELS COLDER at same air temperature. I don't know how this works just yet; but previously I'd have to keep my thermometers (not counting thermostat yet) around 74~76 To feel comfortable. Now 79~81 *FEELS* cold if I drop it down to 75 I get complaints from visitors that it is to cold.
3) Less Run time (VERY UN-Scientific) cycles seem shorter; but maybe this is just because I don't know if it's running or not. . . . .

We will have to see what this does to the electric bill soon.

Daox 05-08-2009 04:24 PM

My guess as to why it feels colder is the dehumidification. Dry air feels colder.

dremd 05-08-2009 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 103048)
My guess as to why it feels colder is the dehumidification. Dry air feels colder.

I'm 75% sure you are right. (other option in my mind is that that the air out of the ducts is colder and when you hit that you feel colder)

But then the question becomes why is this system doing a better job at de-humidification than my old system . . . .


Another note My A/C guy said that my ducts are undersized (volume/ time) for 4 tons of air; *just* large enough for 3 tons of air. Not sure if that affects de-humidification; but it was definitely affecting the load on the old blower motor (drew just under 1000 watts). I want to test the new blower motor draw when I get a chance.
Of course the funny thing is the guy who commented about the duct size; was the guy who designed + installed the ducts in the first place.

dremd 06-29-2009 07:17 PM

First Data regarding consumption.

Last year $322
This year $173

Few bits to throw in

1) Plenty of other upgrades in the last 12 months. Sealing, fitting, lighting, timers.
2) We have had at least 9 record high days this month. I don't *think* we had any 1 year ago
3) I *feel* cooler + more comfortable than 1 year ago.

Just though I'd share.


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