quote from Bel-Red quote for Trane furnace + AC + Rinai + Mitsu. split
John Kimble
8 years ago
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John Kimble
8 years agoRelated Discussions
HVAC contractors do not know how to design for this home....
Comments (21)I would be curious in seeing if you have a good grasp on the numbers I posted originally and the effects they truly have on a home, along with a program you use that actually takes into account some of these things, such as thermal bridging and extremely low infiltration rates...cause ours does. Some of the hvac guys I talked to their programs maxed out at r29 insulation in the walls! Not to mention their "infiltration numbers were, well not numbers at all, but rater "loose, medium, and tight". (tight being 2 ach@50 pac, still way too loose). Its not a fight between who is smarter. Its a matter of new ways of doing things. Tried and true and gut feelings are all fine and dandy on typical code homes, but not here. It gets people out of their comfort zones and actually size things correct, heaven forbid. My HERS rater and ES rater came back with similar numbers now. I guess we are all crazy and the home will really, really suck. (just like the PH homes in VT, IL, MI, and other places that use a single point cooling such as a mini split with great results....)...See MoreCostco Lennox Unit a Good Deal?
Comments (46)I recently purchased the Lennox unit from Costco and it is not a good deal and also buyer beware. I was looking to have a 3-ton mini-split unit installed in my garage. One of my requirements was an external smart thermostat. Costco does not do the install and is a middle man. They sub contract the work out to my local HVAC contractor who said the unit would support an external smart thermostat of my choice. This was confirmed 3 times. After the install was completed, they were unable to support an external smart thermostat (not Lennox). I am now in a battle to get the unit removed and refunded and Costco is a total pain in the ass and refused to refund me even though the contract specifically states install customer provided smart thermostat. I'm working through other channels right now before suing them for the refund. Couple of lessons learned: 1. Lennox is dated and doesn't support external smart thermostats. This is important so you can control all your HVAC through a single app and also gives you added features from a tech company. 2. The "deal" itself is not a deal. After getting quotes for a new unit (that does support an external thermostat), I found that you are getting ripped off. Costco gives you a 10% rebate to buy stuff from Costco but even after all of that you can get units installed cheaper from others 3. Go buy a Mitsubishi or Fujitsu unit as they are more current with features and support of things. Everyone has been telling me that Lennox is the lowest end brand/units 4. Do not buy any contractor services from Costco because #1, they don't do the work and it's hard to get a refund if anything goes wrong. They are just a middle man taking a cut that you can get better pricing elsewhere....See MoreWhich Ductless system??
Comments (19)You should match the compressor as best as possible to the indoor unit capacity. There may be some decisions to be made there. I don't know how that handle that in Mitsubishi school. I believe that I have seen that the compressors can be under the capacity of the indoor units. Don't hold me to that because I don't remember where I might have seen that. It could have been another brand too. It may mean that you can't get full capacity out of all the indoor units at the same time. You'll need a knowledgeable installer to get the best system, but it does not hurt to ask the right questions. If you are oversized, the humidity control might not be as good, but it might be so much better than with conventional AC that you might not notice. Are you on the coastal plain or inland? My experience in the NE tells me that inland humidity will not be as big a deal as coastal plain....See MoreWhich SEER Rating?
Comments (21)Gary, thanks for explaining this is such a clear and simple way. I only have the latest electricity rates (~.055/kWh + .07066/kWh fuel adjustment charge = .12566/kWh) because my gas has been turned off at the house and I'm currently living in another parish (the La. version of county) with a different power company and different rates. But I'm working on getting that info. Tigerdunes, I'll drink the water. I never argued against any of the advice I've gotten here, just passing along what I'm being told. I trust you guys. You're the experts. It's just that it's me, a layperson with a limited understanding of all this, dealing with HVAC contractors who have their own agendas. I wish I had all the info you guys have in your brains when these interactions take place. It would be easy and I would be a much more formidable opponent in the battle of wills. But as it us, a lot of this stuff is like Greek to me; I'm slowly learning the language and the nuances of the semantics. And truly, I am awestruck by the generosity of those of you who take the time to share your expertise with people like me. I can't overstate my gratitude. You're like having GPS in the big, dark forest, helping me figure out where I am and where I need to go. BTW, I spoke to some friends who are in a similar situation and they bought the manual J software and ran it to compare to what their HVAC contractor showed them. I think there was a difference of about a ton because of details the contractor made assumptions about. I looked over the software demo and realize my contractor's manual J probably made similar assumptions. My friends' house is about 2400 sq ft and 3 stories (slightly lower ceilings) with batt insulation and they were at 4 tons compared to my 4.5 tons indicated in the contractor's J-load. So, I'm going to get the software and run the calcs myself. I know I risk the ire of the HVAC contractor, (and maybe that's not a bad thing), but I just want this done right. Is that so wrong? Sigh....See Moremike_home
8 years agoionized_gw
8 years agoJohn Kimble
8 years agomike_home
8 years ago
Elmer J Fudd
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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