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In the long term planning stages for a house and just coming up with ideas.
Wifey wants a generator for Cape Coral, FL house, but since we won't have a natural gas supply, I'm leery of a generator because of fuel supply. Yes, I know you can do propane, but not sure about the size of the tank vs. guessimating length of a potential power outage. On top of that, I know she would want to bake a cake, microwave popcorn, make toast, blow dry her hair all while the AC is set to 74 degrees.
So in the course of thinking about it, would it be possible to run an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation) in conjunction with a whole house dehumidifier to keep the inside tolerable with the least amount of electrical need? The air handler's fan may also have to run for circulation.
The theory is to bring in outside air in a filtered, controlled way, strip off as much moisture as possible, then use ceiling fans for personal cooling. When we lived in Phoenix, AX, we normally kept the AC set at 80 degrees because with the lack of humidity, it was fairly comfortable. If we over-size the dehumidifier for the house (throttled back for normal, powered operation), and the house is fairly air-tight, we would hope to get a 40% (or even lower) humidity level for the time of the outage using the least amount of power. This would only be used during extreme situations such as a hurricane.
I've seen a lot of YouTube videos on ERV's and dehumidifiers and I have an understanding as to how they work, I'm just a tad fuzzy on how they tie in to the duct work and when exactly they utilized. I would like to have the house electrical panel wired in such a way that it will be easy to bring in an outside power source. More money upfront, but easy-peasy when you need it.
I feel if done correctly, this could work with a solar set-up if we decide to go that route. In either scenario, I know we would have to figure the power requirements for everything deemed necessary (refrigerator, fans). All lights should be LED and there should be enough windows for natural light during the day.
All of this just so someone can bake a cake when the power is out?
Only if I knew you were coming.
How-ja do. How-ja do, How-ja do.
I was just trying to list a bunch of high-draw items. Wifey is a terrible cook. The AC would be the main thing, but I know she would try to live a normal life after a Cat 6. Was just trying to see if anyone had try living in a dry heat and if it can be sustained in a long term sense after a storm.
Well, I've never heard anyone describe anywhere in Florida as "a dry heat". Compared to where? The jungles of Borneo?
I've got an idea.
If you have a power outage, use your small gasoline generator to keep your refrigerator and a few lights running, cell phones charged, etc. Your hair will dry on its own after you take a shower. Get some fans, they'll help keep you cool and won't consume a lot of generator power.
If you're too hot, use the new miraculous self-cooling technology called "Sweating". Everyone else will be. In Florida in the summer, during a power outage, believe me, you won't be the only sweaty people in town.
With the technology and advance notice you would get with a "cat 6", why the Hell would you stay? If wifey want to carry-on a "normal life" after the storm do it in Bloomington, IN!
Well, I've never heard anyone describe anywhere in Florida as "a dry heat". Compared to where? The jungles of Borneo?
I've got an idea.
If you have a power outage, use your small gasoline generator to keep your refrigerator and a few lights running, cell phones charged, etc. Your hair will dry on its own after you take a shower. Get some fans, they'll help keep you cool and won't consume a lot of generator power.
If you're too hot, use the new miraculous self-cooling technology called "Sweating". Everyone else will be. In Florida in the summer, during a power outage, believe me, you won't be the only sweaty people in town.
Uhhhh...did you even read my first post?
How about this to get you even more confused:
In Phoenix a lot of restaurants use the evaporative power of misters to cool the air on patios. Industrial buildings sometimes use what are called 'swamp coolers' in the same fashion. This only works because the water has someplace to go in a desert climate.
In MS and FL, the air is saturated with moisture, so sweating can only do so much. The idea was to control the humidity in a house to the point that evaporation is more efficient on human skin. Normally these devices work in conjunction with a HVAC system, cooling the air as well as dehumidifying it. I was trying to see if anyone had heard of a system that does that without the AC unit running and if there would be an energy benefit requiring a smaller generator.
In Phoenix a lot of restaurants use the evaporative power of misters to cool the air on patios. Industrial buildings sometimes use what are called 'swamp coolers' in the same fashion. This only works because the water has someplace to go in a desert climate.
In MS and FL, the air is saturated with moisture, so sweating can only do so much. The idea was to control the humidity in a house to the point that evaporation is more efficient on human skin. Normally these devices work in conjunction with a HVAC system, cooling the air as well as dehumidifying it. I was trying to see if anyone had heard of a system that does that without the AC unit running and if there would be an energy benefit requiring a smaller generator.
Everyone has answered you. That answer is No - it won’t work.
Get a generator and run an actual AC unit off it. Explain the concept of a power outage to your wife.
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