| Author | Message | ||
     Pkforbes87 |
Without going into too much detail.. 1500 sqft house built in 1973. Has all the 37 year old inefficient windows, insulation, and central heat/AC system from when it was built. House has only one occupant, a reasonable thermostat setting, curtains always closed on the sunny side of the house, energy efficient light bulbs, the list goes on and on. This damn house consumed 1630 kWh in June, and I have no doubt that number will raise again for July. Last year's July usage was 1949 kWh. Is that normal at all? I mean I know the house is old but damn..  | ||
| Gunut75 |
Yup, I grew up in an old 50s summer cottage that was converted to a full season house. Your biggest losses of heat energy in old houses are everywhere. Are the walls insulated? The floor? Ceiling? What type of insulation? It goes on and on. From your graph there, it looks like you may need an updated a/c unit. When was the last time you cleaned the a/c components? My graph looks the same except I have those really tall lines on D J & F too. It gets expensive. What color is the outside of the house? Materials matter there too. Also...does your energy provider prorate your bill? I could ramble forever on this. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
walls are insulated with the pink kind? heh.. guess I don't know any more details than that. Didn't realize there were different types of insulation. The ceiling has the loose grey stuff that gets blown up into the attic. A/C unit is definitely aging. I just had to replace start and run capacitors on the compressor unit outside. Gave everything a real good cleaning at that time. outside of the house is mostly light colored brick, one room sticking off the back of the house is light brown aluminum siding. the electric bills aren't prorated, so the numbers get pretty depressing in the middle of the summer  my winter bills are low since I've got gas heat. Guess I'm going to have to suck it up and replace the A/C unit. This past week has been mid 90's every day and the poor old thing runs non-stop from about 10am to 10pm and still allows the temperature in the house to climb to 77 most days (thermostat set on 74) | ||
| Gunut75 |
My gas and electric are supplied by one provider. Winter time the gas goes through the roof. Summer time I get hosed on the electric.  | ||
| Methed |
Go and do a bit of an audit and verify the reading on your meter compared to your bill, if you aren't already. As someone in the industry, I can tell you that errors can happen. It may be as simple as a previously estimated reading that they corrected. It could also be human error if you utility still uses folks to drive around to get readings, or a computation error if they're using an AMR setup--all of these are more common than most folks know. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Just got in and the house is 89 degrees. I turn the A/C on for about an hour before I call it a day.80 to 85 seems to be my comfort zone.I had Suzie Q out earlier(late evening) and ambient temp was 78....almost kinda cool for me.YMMV.............  | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I'm ok with 50* in the house during the winter time and just wearing a coat all the time, but 80+ during the summer time, ugh! Don't think I could handle that. As for the gas/electric.. My electric bill is from OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric) but they don't offer gas in my area WTF so the gas bill is through another company. Gas is prorated so it's a predictable bill year-round. | ||
| Fast1075 |
As an air conditioning professional with nearly 30 years experience, I can offer you this advice. A: Verify the accuracy of the meter...the power company will monitor it for accuracy if you request. B: Verify and identify your envelope insulation value, bring up to modern standards...this can offer huge savings...local, state and federal rebates may apply. C: Finally the air conditioner...your fossil a/c unit is one hell of a power hog...MOST systems that old had efficiency ratios in the 6.0 range when new...that is horrible by today's standards. Today MINIMUM SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is now 13.0 for even the cheapest equipment (by federal mandate)......now...if you own the house and pay income tax, you qualify for a 1500.00 federal tax deduction if you buy a qualified system...(15+ seer, Energy Star Compliant)..... D: IF YOU BUY a new A/C....Have a professional do it....the "New a/c installed for 2500.00" guy from the sunday newspaper will not cut it....high efficiency systems require proper air flow...the design criteria for a 1970's system give woefully inadequate air flow for a modern system...If the proposed contractor cannot provide the required air flow, the system will not work properly. Studies show that 60+% of all a/c systems suffer from inadequate air flow. E: More advice...If you are using a "washable electrostatic" air filter...throw it away...and get some regular filters....If you are using pleated high efficiency filters to help with dust or pollem.....throw it away and get an electronic filter...the pleated filters are too restrictive....remember the airflow is MOST LIKELY inadequate to begin with..........Last bit of advice...if you replace the system...BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!!!....trust me, you will save a mint in the future....more and more components in a modern system are frightfully expensive....a variable speed fan motor for example can cost 700.00-900.00 dollars installed........maintenance.....have it done...real maintenance...not a 39.95 "tune up"...expect to pay around 150.00 a year...relax....you will save that much power cost if you keep it clean and happy.....if you have the system replaced...have them demonstrate how easy it is to service (the indoor unit)....if it is hard to do...it won't get done when needed... | ||
| Guy_glover |
1075 You working now? We need a good AC tech down here in Broward County. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Yeah, i'm working...same shop 28 years...been the service manager for 16 years...I ain't leaving here without a gold watch or a toe-tag...lol But WE could use a good service tech Perk: Air conditioned shop with bike lift, and all the cool fab tools and such. | ||
| Coolice |
Great response Fast 1075, I've been in the biz for 31 years. You said everything I have been trying to do all these years. Frustrating with the fly-by-nite-el-cheapo. Here today gone in 3-5 years and mess all the customers base up. Ah it keeps us working tho.... And it's no different in the motorcycle biz either I bet | ||
| Fast1075 |
Thanks Mike...You are right..it is tougher than it used to be...but forge onward>>>>.. | ||
| Sleez |
i am a weatherization specialist, i would suggest having the ceiling insulation evaluated for actual R-value, and bringing it up to at least R-30. then you need to have a Duct Blaster and Blower Door diagnostic performed to see where the potential for heat loss is in the envelope of the house. what kind of windows do you have? insulated vinyl windows can help quite a lot. there are also quite a few locations that people never think about sealing up. if you are running any FAU system, you need to insure that major air leaks are sealed, like plumbing penetrations, especially around bath tubs, caulk around windows, make sure weatherstripping on the doors is tight, the Duct test will help diagnose if you have any leaks in the ducting that is allowing your conditioned air (hot or cold) to escape the envelope, returns are the biggest offender here. get some foil tape and seal all the seams in the return plenum, and/or line it with Duct Board. there are a few more tips, but these are the ones that will show the biggest return. | ||
| Fahren |
Sleez and Fast are right on. Excellent advice on the upgrades to the AC system, excellent advice to get an energy audit. Air infiltration and increased insulation are two of the biggest bang for the buck improvements you can make: cheapest, and with biggest savings payback. Helps in winter and summer. If you are there for the long haul in the house, these improvements, including the improved / updated a/c system, will pay for themselves easily. And DEFINITELY check state and federal rebate programs - the a/c guys you choose should be knowledgeable about these, but do your own research online. Deciduous shade trees on your western exposure can do a lot for cooling, yet let that winter sun into the windows for heat gain in winter (another long-term inexpensive investment). How efficiently does your attic vent? A lot of houses of that vintage did not have ridge vents - they relied on gable end louver vents, which don't vent very well unless they get mechanical (exhaust fan) help. I'd up the insulation to min R30, preferably R-38 (about 12" of modern batt insulation), and vent the attic so you do not have a huge mass of super-heated air to fight (are your ducts run up in that hot attic?... is the indoor unit up there, too?... think about it; venting is good, and good for the house's structure, too. If it's time to re-roof, choose light-colored shingles, or "cool-roof" Energy-Star rated ones. Light roofs save big time, and cost nothing if you are re-roofing anyway. | ||
| Aptbldr |
Seal air-leaks in exterior walls & ceilings. Lots of bang for the buck and "low tech". That "gray stuff" is cellulose attic insulation. Rent a blower & by material at Lowes/H-D & add more on top of what you have. Don't restrict air into attic from vents along the overhangs. | ||
| Blake |
>>> Guess I'm going to have to suck it up and replace the A/C unit. This past week has been mid 90's every day and the poor old thing runs non-stop from about 10am to 10pm and still allows the temperature in the house to climb to 77 most days (thermostat set on 74) Fans, ceiling or otherwise, make setting the temp at ~80oF quite comfortable. The more constantly the AC runs, the more efficient it will be. Oversized AC that constantly cycles on and off is very inefficient. You may be able to just replace the outdoor (compressor) unit with a new scroll type higher efficiency machine. It's not recommended, but can work. It's worked at our home okay. New scroll unit is whisper quiet too. Cost should be under $2K installed. If you can get to it, remove the fan from the inside unit and ensure it is clean. Be sure the closet housing the evaporator is not pulling air from the attic. Seal all entry to intake side of air circulating system. Gas furnace DOES require fresh air for combustion, so that portion will likely need free communication with attic air source. Inspect and seal around all ceiling light, vent or other fixtures. Ensure fireplace flu seals well. Ensure that all vent fan exhaust has good sealing flapper that closes when fans is off. Shade is good. Some trees grow quickly. Good Luck! | ||
| Fast1075 |
There are currently no condensing units available that will work with a 37 year old evaporator unless you know someone that has hoarded some....the existing equipment uses refrigerant R-22...no manufacturer builds equipment using R-22. Jan 1 R-22 went the way of the dodo bird. No only is it phased out for new units, the design criteria is vastly different. Yes you can rig something up, yes the gears will turn and cold air blow out. If you are clever, you can even hook up a modern unit using R-410a refrigerant...but it won't match, and it won't work nearly as well as if it were matched equipment. | ||
| Blake |
>>> There are currently no condensing units available that will work with a 37 year old evaporator unless you know someone that has hoarded some My AC man found one easily enough just two months ago. He did mention that as of 2010 no more are being made and we were fortunate that ours died sooner rather than later. Ain't the EPA wonderful? | ||
| Fast1075 |
Blake....let me guess, it's a Goodman unit, right?....built in Texas!!! They still have some in the main warehouse, but they are now "special order" as available, when available...the shipping and handling charges for an individual unit are thru the roof...our local Goodman dist. center ran out of all the common ones in the last month or so. Carrier, Trane, etc haven't had any available for quite some time...at least in Florida. It is possible to cut the cooling power consumption by 50% with a new properly engineered and installed system... |
