Clean, reliable, and energy efficient... recommendations?
dojey
10 years ago
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georgect
10 years agoknot2fast
10 years agoRelated Discussions
energy efficient freezer for farm and garden produce
Comments (5)Joanna, If you open your freezer often, I assume it's because you are getting stuff out of it for meals regularly, in which case I really recommend sticking with the upright. Yes, it isn't as efficient as a chest freezer, but it makes a HUGE difference in the ability to get at and use the food. For freezing large batches to take out and cook all at once occasinally for a canning spree, I would go for a chest freezer. But we take stuff out of ours daily, and if we had a chest freezer instead of an upright, it would take us so much longer to find what we wanted we might balance out any engery efficiency by leaving the lid open---AND we would "lose" stuff at the bottom for years; it's sad but true. (I have friends with chest freezers who have exactly these problems.) So I'm glad we went with an upright. Ours is a Woods brand; Woods has a very good reputation for energy efficiency and reliability, though you'd want to look up any new model in Consumer Reports, I would think. (Ours was second hand.) It is a manual-defrost, and while the frost does build up over time, it isn't out of control despite our frequent openings. Once a year we defrost, usually around April when it's at its least full. Doesn't take too more than an hour or so including a wipe-down (especially since DH enjoys helping it along with a hairdryer), we keep what's still in it stashed with freezer packs in a cooler and a spare bar fridge during that time, and it gives me a chance to reorganize and discover the last package of zucchini bread hiding behind the frozen pizzas, etc. ;-) As to the outside issue, as a fellow resident of zone 5 (just across the lake from NY state), I haven't tried it but would recommend against it! I would worry about the wiring getting frequently wet, the exterior rubber seal around the door subjected to frequent freezing and thawing (which could make it brittle). It would presumably void your warrantee. A garage that was protected from the elements and attached to the house so it didn't get quite so cold would be fine, I'd think. (We have ours in a semi-insulated mudroom that occasionally hits the feezing point overnight in deep winter and that has been no problem.) Good luck, and let us know how it turns out! Zabby...See Moreenergy_rater - SLEMCO's recommendations
Comments (10)what I wanted added to design one ... 1-raised house on piers 3" closed cell foam 2- use 1" foil faced foam sheathing on exterior of walls tape seams, caulk foam board to sole plates & top plates & at each window/door opening. not R-3 foam board but R-6.5. 3-http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37583.pdf details of window flashing with foam sheathing 4-foam sheathing of walls, conventional insulation air tight drywall to interior http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/air-barriers-airtight-drywall-approach 5-windows .35 shgc & ufactor or less .30 is ideal 6-locate ductwork & mechanicals in conditioned space 7-if mechanicals & ductwork are in attic make unvented attic with open cell foam sprayed on roofline.depth of open cell 7" for 2x6 rafters. rafter bays filled with no dips or gaps, faces of 2x's covered with open cell depth at least 1-1/2"unvented semi conditoned attic 8-R-8 ductwork, masic sealed (not foil tape, or duct tape, but paint on mastic or mastic tape I perfer Hardcast brand 1402 mastic tape) 9-ceiling as air barrier to vented attic with conventional insulation on attic floor. seal all penetrations. supply boxes, return airs, oversized cuts at bath fans. recessed lights all ICAT insulation contact air tight. use mastic tape to seal penetration of housing to sheetrock, trim will cover tape. or avoid recessed lights completely...why cut more holes in the air barrier?? 10-strap ducts (flex) with 3" strapping in straight tight runs with no sharp bends or constrictions, max 1" drop per 4 ft section of flex. 11-size hvac system with manual j load calc, not rule of thumb sizing. with heat pumps 15-17 SEER range,variable speed air handler. 12-mastic seal supply boxes, not caulk that shrinks as it dries and leaves voids or attaches to supply grills & not oversized cut in drywall. 13-R/A chase drywalled & sealed air tight, if ceiling R/A caulk all 2x's to each other, at corners and to attic floor. 14-4" media filter buy return air with 4" filter depth, filter prices per case will make up extra cost in 2 years. 15-if unitis oversized...(see #11) whole house dehumidifier. add fresh air intake with 12x12" filter back grill, 4" duct with barometric damper ducted to return air so that air is cleaned, measured and dehumidified before entering conditoined space. 16-be willing to pay for load calc, or use online free load calc systems. oversizing costs in upfront costs, short cycling of units shorten life of system and does not allow enough runtime to properly remove humidity. 17-blower door test of house to achieve .30 air changes per hour level of tightness, duct test to achieve minimum of 10% duct leakage. 18-if foam isn't in the budget, radiant barrier is small upgrade charge for benefit of summer radiant gain in attic. little to no winter benefit but works well for may-oct. 19- and this is my biased personal issue....no cellulose in attic. I perfer batts, R-19 laid in joist bays, with unfaced R-19 laid across joists to provide continous R-values. blown insulation varies in depth, settles over time and cellulose produces a fine 'dust' of borate treated newspaper that finds its way into the house via unsealed openings. while if I am paid by homeowner I can't let this bias influence my recommendations...but having spent the better part of my adult life in attics...cellulose is the worst insulation to work in if you ever have to change a bath fan, or run a new electrical line. online....I can voice this bias, as I am not bound by constraints. any additional work in attic can be done by simply moving batts out of the way and properly putting them back when done. probably 70% of my retrofit work is for 'dust' & allergy issues 90% of the time the insulation is cellulose. once leakage sites are sealed the problems lessen if not stop completely...but it is a major pita to seal from attic side. my thoughts on radiant barriers? I have a radiant barrier. single sided fsk (foil skrim kraft paper) installed as retrofit...10 years ago in 2 early morning work days. my attic has no ductwork or mechanicals. this is the absolute cheapest RB material & it performs as well as foil bubble foil for a fraction of the cost. I used button cap nails...(xtra holding strength with gable vents & hurricanes...enough said ....) two layer of batts & gable end vents on gable roof. air handler unit & return air are in closet centrally located in conditiond space whole house dehumidifier is also in this closet space. ducts are in fur downs to each room. I have a 15 SEER heat pump and July's kwh usage was 694. this is the highest bill I've had...because I cranked tstat down after spending my days in attics...my bill was $65, $15 more than usual. (and worth every penny!) on average my bill is $50. While I have a whole house dehumidifier, I seldom use it. right now at 11:30 pm it is 52% RH (afternoon/evening showers) & 74 degrees. the vs ahu keeps RH @ 50-52/53 without using dehumdifier. now they have a whole house dehumdifier that has two parts, one inside and one outside that rejects heat out of conditioned space. IMO this is an ideal set up. http://www.ultra-aire.com/products/dehumidifiers/ultra-aire-sd12 I put a lot of thought into my hvac choice. figured out how to fur down to each room...sacrificed half of my linen closet and have no regrets...except where to keep the extra sheets & towels. I think that Slemco did an excellent job of simplifying what we have learned in the past 20 years, while trodding that fine line of not offeneding home builders or heat pump association. not being connected to either...I can take my recommendations a few steps further. here is a link to florida solar energy center that has a faq that includes radiant barrier info. as this is an unbiased site, educational only it is an excellent source of info. http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/homes/faq.htm best of luck with your new build!...See Morehow to assess energy efficiency of electric ranges?
Comments (7)It really wouldn't be hard to substitute an induction cooktop and a single wall oven for a range. In fact a cooktop/oven combination is a pretty common arrangement. You need to select an oven whose manufacturer says it is okay for undercounter installation (or face potential warranty problems). The Kenmore cooktop is thinner than most countertops, so clearance won't be a problem. My oven is a Kenmore Elite made by Whirlpool. My 1964 house already had a 40 amp/220 volt circuit for its cooktop and a separate circuit for its original double oven, however, if you have a range, you may only have one circuit and running a second one would probably cost around $300 (in Southern California -- YMMV). Several people have hooked their cooktops up to existing 30 amp circuits without trouble since it never actually runs at max power on all four "hobs". Note that the top does get hot from contact with the hot pan. However, I never hesitate to pick up spilled items from active "hobs" (precious, but you can't call them "burners" either) with my bare fingers -- try that on your range. Spills can be wiped up while you work and nothing ever gets burned onto the top so no scrubbing or scraping. It shuts itself off, if it can't sense the pan after a few seconds. The Kenmore cooktop is frequently on sale. I paid $1350 last summer. Any more questions?...See MoreNeed advice on building an energy efficient house
Comments (8)Perhaps you would be interested in the article I wrote regarding energy conservation. Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss, resulting in increased energy costs. The same air leaks that cost us heat loss in the North can cost you cooling loss in the South. thanks, Mark D. Tyrol, P.E. Battic Door Attic Stair Covers PO Box 15 Mansfield, MA 02048-0015 tel. 508.320.9082 fax 508.339.4571 email: mark@batticdoor.com web: www.batticdoor.com Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter - Overlooked Sources of Heat Loss in the Home, by Mark D. Tyrol, P.E., www.batticdoor.com - November 2004 Imagine leaving a window open all winter long the heat loss, cold drafts, and wasted energy! Well if your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home! These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause your heat pour out and the cold outside air pour in costing you higher heating bills, causing cold drafts, and wasting energy. Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Homeowners are well aware of the benefits of applying caulk and weatherstripping to these areas to minimize heat loss and cold drafts. But what can you do about the three largest "holes" in your home the folding attic stair, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. Attic Stairs: Do you have a folding attic stairway in your house? When attic stairs are installed, a large hole (approximately 10 square feet!) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed. And what is installed to cover this opening? A thin, unsealed, un-insulated sheet of plywood! Did you know that your attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors? In the winter, the attic space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot. And what is separating your conditioned house from your unconditioned attic? That thin sheet of plywood! Often a gap can be observed around the perimeter of the door. Try this yourself: at night when it is dark, turn on the attic light and shut the attic stairway door - do you see any light coming through? These are gaps - which add up to a large opening where your heated/cooled air leaks out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year! This is like leaving a window open all year round! An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling. Fireplaces: Approximately 100 million homes in North America are constructed with wood or gas burning fireplaces. Unfortunately there are negative side effects that the fireplace brings to a home especially during the winter home-heating season. Fireplaces are energy losers! Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing! One remarkable research study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating energy consumption by 30%! A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter just due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces! Why Does a Home With a Fireplace Have Higher Heating Bills? Hot air rises! Your heated air leaks out any exit it can find, and when your warm heated air is drawn out of your home, cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace is like a giant straw - sucking the heated air from your house. This is like leaving a window open all year round! An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. A fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after. Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts: Have you ever noticed that the room containing your clothes dryer is the coldest room in your house? Ever wonder why? Your clothes dryer is connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors. In the winter, cold air leaks in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house, while your heated air just pours right out! Dryer vents use a sheet metal flapper to try to reduce this air leakage. This is very primitive technology that does not provide a positive seal to stop the air leakage. Compounding the problem is that over time, lint clogs the flapper valve causing it to stay open. This is like leaving a window open all year round! An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal! A dryer vent seal will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint, and moisture to escape. If your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. At Battic Door, we have developed low-cost, green solutions to these and other energy-conservation related issues. For more information please visit our website www.batticdoor.com or send a S.A.S.E. to P.O. Box 15, Mansfield, MA 02048....See Moredeeageaux
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