Bigger, Stronger, and a Lift!

[KIMMER]

Looks good! I'm sure you can't wait to get all of this over with. How's donna liking that truck so far?

 

[psfracer]

The garage needs to be about 50% of the total house space. So it needs to be larger, because I need a place to park when I come over. Oh, and I will be needing a lift also, better order another one.

 

[don_w]

Looks good! I'm sure you can't wait to get all of this over with. How's donna liking that truck so far?

She loves the truck!

The garage needs to be about 50% of the total house space. So it needs to be larger, because I need a place to park when I come over. Oh, and I will be needing a lift also, better order another one.

Trust me... I wish it could be larger. I got as much as I could given the constraints.

 

[Hawgman]

Thanks Peter.

The standard HVAC equipment listed is a dual furnace (AFUE 0.92), and a dual A/C, Sheer 14 with TXV.

Sheer 14?? Are you sure you didn't mean SEER 14? And even if that is what you meant, isn't that kind of low? I am pretty postivie that 14 is the current minimum requirement. When we replaced both AC units last July we went with SEER 18. I would think if I were building a new house I would go minimum 18 if not 21. JMHO

 

[don_w]

Sheer 14?? Are you sure you didn't mean SEER 14? And even if that is what you meant, isn't that kind of low? I am pretty postivie that 14 is the current minimum requirement. When we replaced both AC units last July we went with SEER 18. I would think if I were building a new house I would go minimum 18 if not 21. JMHO

The little standard amenity list the builder gave us many months ago says "sheer"... but they probably meant SEER (could have been one of those automatic spell check correction things). Anyway, yes, they list 14 on the list. I'll contact them to see if if can be upgraded, and if so, how much it will cost me. Thanks for the info.

 

[don_w]

OK, I took both Peter's and Doc's comments, and just sent this list of questions to the builder:


1. Will a Manual J heat load calculation be performed? If so, who will be doing it? In not, why not?

2. Are the A/C units a heat pump? A heat pump is far more efficient than any other heat source especially in our climate.

3. Do the A/C units have a scroll compressor?

4. The standard amenity list says that the A/C units are “sheer 14”. First of all, I presume that is a typo, and it should in fact say “SEER 14”. But my real question is why is the SEER rating so low? I would expect that the minimum would be more like SEER 18, if not even SEER 21?

5. Does it use R-410A refrigerant?

6. What type of thermostat is used? I prefer a Honeywell Visionpro IAQ.

7. What type/size of filter rack will be used. I would prefer a filter rack which can hold 4" filters. They have a much greater surface area than 1" or 2" filters and will last much longer while having less restriction.


Thanks again for the advice guys!

 

[Hawgman]

More questions you should shoot to them

Does your HVAC system have a dehumidifier built in to it? Also, are you getting variable speed fans?

Both of those things were "biggies" when we replaced our system. And I know San Diego has great weather, but it's still hot there and also humid there, a lot like Texas. The dehumidifier helps tremendously with the AC load. More humidity in the house, harder it is to keep cool. The variable speed on the fans is quite the money saver also. Kicks on at high speed to get the initial cool down going, then throttles back to low speed to finish it off. The way it was explained to us is, we have two units in our house. A 5 ton, and a 3 ton. The 5 ton kicks on, running at basically 5 ton to start bringing the temp down, once it's half way or so to where it supposed to cut off, it throttles back to between 4 and 3 tons to "finish the job". Same scenario with the smaller unit, turns on as a 3 ton, then throttles back to a 2 ton for the remainder.

 

[don_w]

I'll have to check on the fans.

I'm not sure about the need for the dehumidifier. Yes, we have some humidity in San Diego, but it's not typically associated with hot weather (of course 85-90 is hot here... haha). Most of our "hot" weather is from Santa Ana winds, and they are dry. And on those rare occasions where it might get hot (80*-85*) and humid (40%-50%), it will only last a couple days or so. We just never get the 80*/80% (or worse) stuff that a lot of the country gets.

 

[don_w]

November 25, 2008

My trip to the construction site today revealed that the backhoe had been busy. Where there were only chalk lines over the weekend, now there are trenches for the foundation!



View from south side, looking at front of house

View from south side, looking at center of house

View from south side, looking at rear of house

View from SE corner of hill behind the house

View from center of hill behind the house

View from NE corner of hill behind the house

 

[jsawyer]

Def. get the heat pump

 

[Enitalp]

That's a nice maze, where are the mouses ?

 

[don_w]

OK, I took both Peter's and Doc's comments, and just sent this list of questions to the builder:


1. Will a Manual J heat load calculation be performed? If so, who will be doing it? In not, why not?

2. Are the A/C units a heat pump? A heat pump is far more efficient than any other heat source especially in our climate.

3. Do the A/C units have a scroll compressor?

4. The standard amenity list says that the A/C units are “sheer 14”. First of all, I presume that is a typo, and it should in fact say “SEER 14”. But my real question is why is the SEER rating so low? I would expect that the minimum would be more like SEER 18, if not even SEER 21?

5. Does it use R-410A refrigerant?

6. What type of thermostat is used? I prefer a Honeywell Visionpro IAQ.

7. What type/size of filter rack will be used. I would prefer a filter rack which can hold 4" filters. They have a much greater surface area than 1" or 2" filters and will last much longer while having less restriction.


Thanks again for the advice guys!

Here are the answers I rec'd back.. any thoughts?


1. In the state of California T-24 [Title 24] is required for heating and cooling loads in all new construction homes. Heritage Energy provided T-24 which included not only the heating and cooling loads but the SEER, EER, duct testing requirements and other information we need to complete our design. In addition to the heating and cooling loads we base our design on the homes square footage and layout. Manual J simply takes the loads for each room to come up with a total heating and cooling load which ,in this home, is done through T-24. We use our 25 plus years of design experience to determine duct sizes to each room. In addition, per manual D recommendation, we install manual volume control dampers at the supply plenum to adjust airflow and balance the system.

2. Air conditioners not heat pumps are used. Heat pumps are not only more expensive to operate but require the outdoor unit to run in the heating mode. Heat pumps also do not heat as well as gas fired furnaces.

3. The A/C units have Scoll compressors.

4. The home is designed with an efficient system. Three years ago 10.0 SEER was the minimum. Today 13.0 SEER is the minimum. The system was designed for 14.0 SEER in addition to a 12.0 EER. Higher SEER ratings can be achieved using variable speed furnaces. Variable speed furnaces matched with higher SEER equipment will increase the efficiency though 18.0+ SEER is difficult to meet on the higher tonnage. The 14.0 SEER 24ACA4 condensers specified are deluxe low sound units. High efficiency coils were also used to meet the 12.0 EER. If higher efficiency equipment is desired I can provide a price.

5. The A/C units are R410A.

6. The thermostat is a Honeywell focusPRO 6000 series. The focusPRO 6000 is a good midline thermostat. The VisionPRO 8000 can be added for $345.00 (includes two).

7. Standard 1" filters are standard in the return grilles. The Honeywell F100 4" media filter can be added for $425.00 (includes two).

 

[thump_rrr]

Here are the answers I rec'd back.. any thoughts?


1. In the state of California T-24 [Title 24] is required for heating and cooling loads in all new construction homes. Heritage Energy provided T-24 which included not only the heating and cooling loads but the SEER, EER, duct testing requirements and other information we need to complete our design. In addition to the heating and cooling loads we base our design on the homes square footage and layout. Manual J simply takes the loads for each room to come up with a total heating and cooling load which ,in this home, is done through T-24. We use our 25 plus years of design experience to determine duct sizes to each room. In addition, per manual D recommendation, we install manual volume control dampers at the supply plenum to adjust airflow and balance the system.

2. Air conditioners not heat pumps are used. Heat pumps are not only more expensive to operate but require the outdoor unit to run in the heating mode. Heat pumps also do not heat as well as gas fired furnaces.

3. The A/C units have Scoll compressors.

4. The home is designed with an efficient system. Three years ago 10.0 SEER was the minimum. Today 13.0 SEER is the minimum. The system was designed for 14.0 SEER in addition to a 12.0 EER. Higher SEER ratings can be achieved using variable speed furnaces. Variable speed furnaces matched with higher SEER equipment will increase the efficiency though 18.0+ SEER is difficult to meet on the higher tonnage. The 14.0 SEER 24ACA4 condensers specified are deluxe low sound units. High efficiency coils were also used to meet the 12.0 EER. If higher efficiency equipment is desired I can provide a price.

5. The A/C units are R410A.

6. The thermostat is a Honeywell focusPRO 6000 series. The focusPRO 6000 is a good midline thermostat. The VisionPRO 8000 can be added for $345.00 (includes two).

7. Standard 1" filters are standard in the return grilles. The Honeywell F100 4" media filter can be added for $425.00 (includes two).

It appears that there are 2 separate HVAC systems in the house given that they are specing 2 stats and filters.

Their difference in cost between A/C units and heatpumps in the same brand and model are probably $200-300.

I would see if they're willing to install the heatpumps instead. This would give you 2 separate heat sources which can save you substantially if the cost of gas goes up.

If you are running only A/C the focuspro 6000 is acceptable.
If an air exchanger is used in the house the visionpro IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is a no brainer.
I picked one up yesterday for a client. It was on special for $165 cdn my cost.


What are your gas and electric rates Don?

They're adding 100% profit to the air filters racks assuming that there are 2 systems, but I personally wouldn't do without them.

 

[thump_rrr]

Sheer 14?? Are you sure you didn't mean SEER 14? And even if that is what you meant, isn't that kind of low? I am pretty postivie that 14 is the current minimum requirement. When we replaced both AC units last July we went with SEER 18. I would think if I were building a new house I would go minimum 18 if not 21. JMHO

I agree with you Doc but most contractors ass rape you on extras.
I would have suggested the same thing.
Normally 16 SEER don't have the additional cost of VS blowers which is why I didn't suggest anything higher.

 

[don_w]

It appears that there are 2 separate HVAC systems in the house given that they are specing 2 stats and filters.

Their difference in cost between A/C units and heatpumps in the same brand and model are probably $200-300.

I would see if they're willing to install the heatpumps instead. This would give you 2 separate heat sources which can save you substantially if the cost of gas goes up.

If you are running only A/C the focuspro 6000 is acceptable.
If an air exchanger is used in the house the visionpro IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is a no brainer.
I picked one up yesterday for a client. It was on special for $165 cdn my cost.


What are your gas and electric rates Don?

They're adding 100% profit to the air filters racks assuming that there are 2 systems, but I personally wouldn't do without them.

Yes, it is a dual system (one for each floor). I'll have them quote me on the heat pumps, and see what they say. I'm also going to get a quote on the higher efficiency units.

I have attached an excerpt from my last gas/elect bill so you can see the rates.


.

 

[Chris06GT]

Don, looking good man, gonna be a nice setup for sure....Congrads on the progress...

 

[Hawgman]

I agree with you Doc but most contractors ass rape you on extras.
I would have suggested the same thing.
Normally 16 SEER don't have the additional cost of VS blowers which is why I didn't suggest anything higher.

Yea, I hate to say it but it sort of sounds (to me) like he might be getting at least the tip of the shaft on his AC stuff. Then again, I may just put more importance in to AC because of where I am located. Just as you would probably put more importance in to heating because of where you are located.

I have two units in my house. A 5 ton and a 3 ton. Both of the units were SEER12 when the house was built in 2001. Honestly, at the time I wish we would have spent the extra money and went with SEER14. Last summer when we replaced the entire system we went with Lennox SEER 18 units, and went that high for a reason. I wanted the damn things to be efficient, and I wanted them to be efficient for more than a couple of years.

I certainly am not in the HVAC business and won't even remotely pretend to be any kind of expert in the matter. But we did do a hell of a lot of research on the matter before dumping down the cash.

Also I don't quite think I am on the heat pump band wagon. I know there are people that swear by them. And I know they are very efficient (energy cost wise). But I also know that the woman had one in her previous house and she made comments more than once about them having issues keeping the house cool on days over 95, and warm on days under 35. In fact we discussed it when we built this house and her exact words were "I will never own a damn heat pump again".

 

[thump_rrr]

Yea, I hate to say it but it sort of sounds (to me) like he might be getting at least the tip of the shaft on his AC stuff. Then again, I may just put more importance in to AC because of where I am located. Just as you would probably put more importance in to heating because of where you are located.

I have two units in my house. A 5 ton and a 3 ton. Both of the units were SEER12 when the house was built in 2001. Honestly, at the time I wish we would have spent the extra money and went with SEER14. Last summer when we replaced the entire system we went with Lennox SEER 18 units, and went that high for a reason. I wanted the damn things to be efficient, and I wanted them to be efficient for more than a couple of years.

I certainly am not in the HVAC business and won't even remotely pretend to be any kind of expert in the matter. But we did do a hell of a lot of research on the matter before dumping down the cash.

Also I don't quite think I am on the heat pump band wagon. I know there are people that swear by them. And I know they are very efficient (energy cost wise). But I also know that the woman had one in her previous house and she made comments more than once about them having issues keeping the house cool on days over 95, and warm on days under 35. In fact we discussed it when we built this house and her exact words were "I will never own a damn heat pump again".

There is a lot of misinformation out there Doc.

All a heat pump is is an A/C with a 4 way reversing valve, a second expansion valve, and a defrost control.
In cooling mode the hot gas leaves the compressor and goes to the outdoor coil to condense and is then sent through the metering device, which is usually a thermostatic expansion valve, and on to the indoor coil to absorb the heat from the home and back to the compressor to start the cycle all over again.

In heating mode the hot gas from the compressor is sent through the indoor coil to condense and is then sent through the metering device to the outdoor coil to absorb the heat from the surrounding air and then back to the compressor.

If I'm sizing a heatpump in my area I size it 1/2 ton larger than I would for cooling. The problem with oversizing a unit is that it will not remove moisture as well as a unit that is unsersized or properly sized.

 

[don_w]

December 5, 2008

This past week, additional trenching was done for utilities, and the form setting has begun. It won’t be much longer before we’ll see concrete being poured.

 

[don_w]

I'm also going to get a quote on the higher efficiency units..

Well... I asked what it would cost to upgrade to 16.0 SEER and 18.0 SEER, and this is the answer I got... cha ching!!


1. Cost to upgrade Carrier furnaces to variable speed 90% - $5,097.00 (includes two).
2. Cost to upgrade Carrier furnaces to variable speed 90% and upgrade condensers to 24ANA - $10,822.00 (includes two).

Upgrading the furnaces to variable speed will increase the SEER for the lower and upper systems to 14.5.

Upgrading the furnaces to variable speed and upgrading the condensers to the 24ANA will increase the lower floor system to 15.0 SEER / 12.5 EER and the upper floor system to 15.5 SEER / 12.5 EER.

The Carrier 24ANA two speed condenser is the top of the line Carrier unit. Rating of up to 21.0 SEER can be achieved with the 24ANA on the lower tonnage unit but as the tonnage goes up the SEER drops.