AC, Calculate your Actual SEER

I decided to diversify

 

For what ever reason not yet understood by me , the AC guys say the new SEER 13 or 14 minimum they'll sell us now, has to actually be higher ... like a SEER 16, unless we replace the whole shebang ... furnace blower, etc. The killer for us is the SIZE of these extra high numbered SEER pigs (they're HUGE), and we are really pressed for room.

 

I'd hold off on that until you get your ductwork situation fixed. If the ductwork, especially at the e-coil, is improperly sized, you're throwing good money away for nothing. You'll never get good performance out of a new system if the ductwork is way too small

If you have to bust out a lot of gyproc to get to the ductwork, that is going to be a major job. However, if you intend to do so, then you can properly seal and insulate the supply side, and seal the return side

That means every seam, using the aluminum foil tape. They make duct insulation with a silvery side to it, or you can just do it yourself if you're handy that way

Another option is heavy drinking, but I leave that for more advanced DIY home fixer-uppers

Sealing and insulating ductwork is also very important for heating performance. You don't get as cold as I do in winter, but you still get "real" winter conditions

If you wish, I can take some photos and post them on my Photobucket page for you to view. Let me know

If you just replace the outdoor condenser unit, and leave the furnace and indoor evaporator coil the same, that could be true.

If you read the fine print on the SEER performance claims the manufacturer posts, that's with a properly matched system: outdoor condenser, indoor e-coil, ductwork, and air handler

The highest-rated A/C condensers are huge as they have a lot more coil surface area to be more efficient. The lower rated units will cool just as well, but use more power in the process

I went with highest SEER rated system, not to save money. In my climate, it's highly doubtful I would ever see a ROI. I went with a Bryant Evolution matched system for COMFORT

With a two speed outdoor condenser, a matched e-coil with Thermal Expansion Valve, and a variable speed furnace fan, I can program the system for priority dehumidification

In my climate, the summers are brief, but very damp. A single speed A/C does a poor job of controlling humidity, especially on cooler days, unless you really freeze the house.

I can use a comfy setpoint, like 76 F, the outdoor condenser will run on its lowest speed. The furnace fan will also run at the slowest speed, you hardly feel any cool air coming out the registers. It will average around 3 amps system total, call it 400 watts

However, at that lowest/slowest speed, the e-coil drain is constantly running with water. It's very effective as keeping the house properly dehumidified

Its up to you whether you want to spend 40-60% more for a top of the line system. If you live in a climate that also requires a lot of heating in winter, the comfort factor and efficiency are there too. Unless the temps are -30 F and colder, my furnace will almost always be on low fire

 

Good to hear

Silicone sealant works fine to seal gaps/seams. Mastic works good too, and is better suited for larger gaps

I've been in unfinished basements here, with bare ductwork, on a humid summer day with the A/C roaring away, and the ductwork had a sheen of condensation, occasionally dripping onto the bare cement floor below.

And they wondered why they had mold in the basement!

Of course, left unchecked, you're setting yourself up for a serious case of mold. That alone would motivate me to properly fix the problem

That's the way it always is. I've been known to begin the heavy drinking once I had the gyproc busted out, because of what I found behind the gyproc - the Point Of No Return

Haha, he was "allergic" to the insulation. But I bet he wasn't allergic to the money he charged on the assumption the insulation was actually put in

If you're handy with gyproc, it's more of a question of your time involved. If you had to pay somebody to do that sort of work, it would be cheaper to throw a match to the house and walk away

One option to consider for insulation is that isocyanurate foam stuff. Some of it is DIY, most is professionally applied. The biggest advantage is much better performance compared to batt, as the foam also functions as a moisture barrier too

Hmm we must have access to better stuff in Canada. That foil stuff I use, it's damn near impossible to remove if you make a mistake and miss the seam.

Ah, that's the part I'm missing

 

Can anyone here say for sure whether an old-style spin-the-disk meter measures volt-amps or measures actual watts.








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Watts. In kilowatts, per hour. That's why it's called a kilowatt meter:




So the above reads 72,666 kilowatt hours.

Or, if solar panels are running the meter backwards, it'd be 27,335 kilowatt hours of surplus generated.

 

Don't forget that dreaded Kh factor multiplier