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Do you want mine - or need parts off of it? I disabled mine. The idea just seems silly to me - mine was set to disable one leg of my dryer if the "demand" was met - which meant my dryer would run all day with wet clothes inside instead of just drying them and shutting off
Huh? The potential (voltage) is across the two positive leads in a 240 V circuit. Each hot lead is 120 to neutral and 240 to each other. You only need to take one leg off of a 240V load to shut it off. If part of the dryer is 120 (maybe the tumbler motor?) that might still get power via the remaining leg. But the heater element would be off. Mine controls dryer, WH, and AC. I could set it for around 6KW and it would shed any of those loads if the 6KW (hourly average rate) were exceeded. They come back on when the load drops again. I have the water heater on a timer and am smart enough not to dry clothes on peak. The main thing it did for me was keep the AC from running when the oven or a lot of other minor stuff was going which is where I get killed.
Anyhow, thanks for the offer. I have one lined up from my neighbors house but it has been too hot the last couple years to go take it off.
Huh? The potential (voltage) is across the two positive leads in a 240 V circuit. Each hot lead is 120 to neutral and 240 to each other. You only need to take one leg off of a 240V load to shut it off. If part of the dryer is 120 (maybe the tumbler motor?) that might still get power via the remaining leg. But the heater element would be off.
Yup... that's what happened - the element was off, but it kept spinnin', and spinnin' ....
It was a few days after we moved in..
when I figured out it was the load controller, I disabled it...
Only to find out that the dryer vent was plugged...
it still kept spinnin' and spinnin' - and with the load controller disabled it got hot enough to fry an egg... on the outside of the dryer!!!
I hate moving...
And I still wonder how the old residents of my house dried their clothes??...
because I'm pretty certain the dryer didn't work with the vent plugged...
Unless the fumes killed them - maybe that's why they stopped making payments?
"but it has been too hot the last couple years to go take it off. "
Adding radiant barrier is not nearly as effective as adding more insulation - and when the installation costs are compared, it almost never pencils out. Google it for the DOE studies - you're looking at a very small savings. It's a great idea for a new build, but not for retrofitting, unless you do it yourself... even then the savings are minimal.
Nonsense. Multiple studies done by Texas A&M, University of Florida, UofA and other institutions have shown that radiant barrier works fantastically in a HOT climate. Radiant Barrier in Tennessee? Not such a hot idea. Radiant Barrier in Arizona? Absolutely worth the money. Knocking down your attic temperature by 30+ degrees makes a huge difference as it translates to the effectiveness of your insulation and cooling the rest of the home. Radiant Barrier requires a one-time install and lasts for 25 years, so it doesn't have to be changed out or upgraded, plus price-wise it is comparable to insulation and will last a lot longer.l
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Power roof vents can suck the air you just paid to cool right out of the house if they're too big, and the installed cost can make payback take 10 years+, if ever.
The concern that these units are "too big" is ill-founded, and with the installed cost typically under $700, along with a 30% government tax credit, the payback is far lower than 10 years, in a HOT climate. One of these units will typically reduce overall energy consumption by 5-10% annually, with the average person paying $2000 a year for electricity, you're looking at a payback under 5 years.
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Solar tint? A complete waste of time unless you need it to protect your furniture or keep a room dark for sleeping. It's expensive and never pays back.
What do you consider expensive? There are companies that do quality solar tint for pennies on the dollar and make a difference in quality of life and internal heat reduction. I'm a believer in the stuff, although as with anything there's scam artists out there who will max the price to milk it for everything its worth. I know that Shane's Candlebra and Tint does relatively cheap tint installs for example.
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SEER Ratings? They're completely misleading for consumers in our area. 82% of the SEER rating is weighted for temps below 82 degrees. What that means to a consumer in AZ is that a unit rated for "18 seer" will suck nearly as much juice as a "13 seer" cheapie in 100 degree plus weather. The multi-thousand+ cost difference won't be recovered until the unit is ready for the scrap heap - if ever.
And yet I've seen the opposite be true. The more an A/C unit is used, the more crucial the SEER rating becomes. I've seen so many aging and ready-for-retirement A/C systems that virtually any new A/C system will be an improvement over the dinosaur people currently have.
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Paying upwards of $10k to replace a working unit and possibly save $30-$50/month (for 6 months a year) is financially ignorant. It's much smarter to have it checked out, charged properly, have the blower wheel and coils cleaned, and maybe add a TXV valve to improve the efficiency.
Once again, your prices are way off, it seems like you solely quote the highest of high-end products to boost your argument.
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Energy star appliances last longer?
HOGWASH!
Google ANY appliance brand name to see thousands of dissatisfied customers, especially refrigerators. You'll be very lucky to get ten years out of any new appliance, they're all imported, and they're all junk. The days of an appliance lasting 20+ years are over. If you've got an old fridge or washing machine that you're happy with, fix it when it breaks, because a replacement won't be as good.
Like anything else, doing research will save you a lot of money and headaches but the basis of EnergyStar products is that these units usually will have capacitor devices that reduce wear and tear on the motor. As with anything, quality will vary from model to model and that is why the internet is such a great resource for information on which models to avoid.
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Timer for your water heater? +1
It makes no sense to me why someone would have an electric water heater and no timer on it. You're basically pissing money away while a typical electric timer can be installed for $200 or less, or you can buy one for $30 and do it yourself.
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Extra blown-in insulation? +10 ( it's cheap to have done, and it WORKS!)
It also tends to follow gravity as with anything else and settles tremendously which is why I'm in favor of combining radiant barrier with insulation, that way you're not constantly having to add insulation as frequently.
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Getting your ductwork checked? +1 (often subsidized by your utility co too!)
Yep, APS and SRP WILL pay a large chunk of the cost of ductwork inspections yet it seems very few people take advantage of this. If your home is older than 5 years, I'm willing to bet that you have some sort of ductwork issue if you haven't been getting regular inspections.
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Getting your A/C checked out yearly? +1
Another common sense measure, like changing out the oil in your car, yet people don't do it.
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And for the record, my house has many of these upgrades - new windows, R50 in the attic, airtap "heat-pump" water heater, 18 seer two-stage heat pump, new "Energy Star" appliances, CFL's, new R-8 HVAC ducts, etc. Most of the "upgrades" were done because the old stuff was worn out, not because of the "savings". My utility bill for last month was $100 less than "similar homes in the neighborhood" according to APS - which is awesome... but not enough to justify the cost. I was able to do many things myself, price-shop like a fiend and generally do things that most "average" customers can't do.
All depends on personal lifestyle. Two similar "energy-efficient" homes could have vastly different utility costs based on user responsibility and lifestyle. Generally basic maintenance and energy efficient improvements will pay-off in the long-term, especially with the high increases in utility costs coming in the future.
I've run the numbers myself, and can support every statement I've made in the above post. I'm not selling anything and it sure looks like you might be. Sorry to disrupt your livelihood, but this forum isn't your own personal infomercial and you should expect to be called out when you use "fuzzy" math and hype to hawk your wares.
FWIW, I'll gladly have your $700 attic ventilator installed if you'll guarantee me "5-10%" energy savings - double or nothing.
My house was built in 1950. I am very suspicious of the ductwork leaking. I took down a smoke detector in the hallway and there was refrigeration blowing out of the hole that the mounting screw was in. I don't have a clue who to call to fix and seal the ductwork. Any suggestions here?
If you're comfortable doing it yourself, and you have metal ductwork, just buy a tub of mastic, use a little paintbrush, and slather it on over seams, screw holes, joints, etc.
Otherwise check out SRP and APS' webpage... they'll rebate you for some of the cost of a duct inspection, and if you accept their contractor's bid for duct repair, they'll rebate a portion of that too.
We're enjoying super cheap hot water -- free. Changing our gas WH over to heat pump (airtap) so never had the gas turned on when we moved in. 6wks later still have plenty of hot water just from the tank being in the garage -- air temp ranging from 90F to 120F and incoming water ~70F means hot tap running around 100F (we don't use a lot of hot water anyways, so it has plenty of time to absorb heat from the ambient). Sure, not "HOT" but for summer plenty hot for taking a shower or washing the dishes.
Still plan on putting in the heat pump next week and definitely notice a drop in hot water temp when we had that string of sub-100F and cloudy weather, but a nice surprise as we make our way thru our projects!
It does give pause to some of the insulation claims -- insulation doesn't stop heat transfer, just slows it down. Insulating a garage without living space over it won't be appreciably cooler -- just not as cold at night or as warm in the evening, but when diurnal temps don't swing much (only under 100F for 4hrs or less right now, for example) it just doesn't do much for you. Insulating between your living space (cooled) and the outdoors and nonliving space (garage) will help. Roof, windows, and leaks are the main heat losses/gains.
The worse your energy efficiency, the better your payoff for doing something (anything), but definitely approach diminishing returns as your home gets more efficient. The best payoffs are the cheap and easy fixes (weather stripping, leaks, etc). The other stuff doesn't pay off well, but may make you feel better. After all conserving isn't just about lowering our power bill today, though that's the big one you see right away! Pulling out working (reasonably efficient) appliances to install new efficient ones usually won't pay off on its own, but mid-life appliances might after gov't and power Cos offer incentives.
We're enjoying super cheap hot water -- free. Changing our gas WH over to heat pump (airtap) so never had the gas turned on when we moved in. 6wks later still have plenty of hot water just from the tank being in the garage -- air temp ranging from 90F to 120F and incoming water ~70F means hot tap running around 100F (we don't use a lot of hot water anyways, so it has plenty of time to absorb heat from the ambient). Sure, not "HOT" but for summer plenty hot for taking a shower or washing the dishes.
Still plan on putting in the heat pump next week and definitely notice a drop in hot water temp when we had that string of sub-100F and cloudy weather, but a nice surprise as we make our way thru our projects!
It does give pause to some of the insulation claims -- insulation doesn't stop heat transfer, just slows it down. Insulating a garage without living space over it won't be appreciably cooler -- just not as cold at night or as warm in the evening, but when diurnal temps don't swing much (only under 100F for 4hrs or less right now, for example) it just doesn't do much for you. Insulating between your living space (cooled) and the outdoors and nonliving space (garage) will help. Roof, windows, and leaks are the main heat losses/gains.
The worse your energy efficiency, the better your payoff for doing something (anything), but definitely approach diminishing returns as your home gets more efficient. The best payoffs are the cheap and easy fixes (weather stripping, leaks, etc). The other stuff doesn't pay off well, but may make you feel better. After all conserving isn't just about lowering our power bill today, though that's the big one you see right away! Pulling out working (reasonably efficient) appliances to install new efficient ones usually won't pay off on its own, but mid-life appliances might after gov't and power Cos offer incentives.
FWIW, please turn your water heater on -
Legionella bacteria grows in water that is below 120 degrees, and it can be inhaled and can kill you.
PM me if you want the instructions on how to rig your Airtap to produce even hotter water using the thermostat from your water heater tank. I haven't done it myself yet, but it looks pretty simple, the Airtap only maxes out at 130 degrees - and I prefer 140 degrees for washing dishes & laundry.
Using my "kill-a-watt" meter and "peak" electricity pricing, it costs less than $10 a month to keep it running... no need to risk getting very sick to save $10...
One final, minor point - "just slowing down" the transfer of heat or cold into your conditioned living space is still an excellent idea. I've seen Department of Energy studies that showed that a properly insulated (R-38) 2000 square-foot house loses only about 7,000 btu's/hour from the ceiling. If those were your only losses, you could cool that entire house with a $99 window unit from Wal-Mart... for alot less cost per hour that that $6-10K monstrosity sitting in your back/side yard. The only reason you need that "3 ton" unit is because your losses occur faster than the little window shaker can accommodate for. Reduce the speed of loss significantly, and that big unit has to work less often, and less hard to keep up... and your bills go down significantly.
That's "Manual J" in a nutshell -
cut the BTU's/hour in half
=
and half the size of the cooling/heating system is required.
A pet peeve of mine is the can light. Most of my friends just can't punch enough holes in their ceilings to put tungsten filament floodlights in. I look at that and see the breach or the room seal and insulation removed not to mention airflow into the attic from the living space. I think that there are insulated fixtures that could be used for this with led floods if you had to. You can feel the heat on your neck to stand under a regular can light. I remember a UDC home my sister bought in north Scottsdale in the mid eighties. The master bath had 1000 watts of light bulbs. Holy smoke!
My house was built in 1950. I am very suspicious of the ductwork leaking. I took down a smoke detector in the hallway and there was refrigeration blowing out of the hole that the mounting screw was in. I don't have a clue who to call to fix and seal the ductwork. Any suggestions here?
Contact your utility company, they should have a list of approved contractor's that can handle duct inspections. They also have incentives where they cover a percentage of the cost as well!
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