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  • January 31, 2009 at 10:27 AM #339835
    LuckyInOC
    Participant

    As a previous HVAC design engineer, you may want to do some of the following:

    1. Use your Central Gas(?) furnace to keep the whole house at 68-73 deg. during 6am-11pm. Use the setback thermostat to 65 deg. at night. Use the Heat Pumps or other Resistance Heaters to heat the required rooms to 78 deg as required. This will use the gas as the main source (cheapest) to heat the majority of the house. The inefficient Heat Pumps will work better only to heat the additional 5 deg. The inefficient Heat Pumps are trying to heat the rest of the house even if they are in closed rooms. Inside walls are not usually insulated.

    2. If you don’t have dual-pane windows, have them installed. My ’80s 2700 sf house had 27 single-pane windows. We replaced them with dual-pane low-e windows. We hardly use our Central HVAC now. We only turn on 1500w plug-in heaters in the rooms where occupied and use fans in the summer. I am thinking to put a whole house fan in this year. We don’t mind our house at 68 deg during winter and 78 deg during summer. We live in North OC where it get rarely above 90 deg.

    Also, I heard they may be starting up a new show ‘The Real Housewives of San Diego’. Your wife sounds like a good candidate…

    Lucky In OC

    January 31, 2009 at 10:54 AM #339297
    NotCranky
    Participant

    Lucky,
    Is your attic ventilated? I have way over ventilated my attic with dormer vents .I read in a construction trade magazine that they are much more effective than the turbine type. It’s over insulated too. The house has the sensation of being under a shady tree on hot days and keep added heat in on cold ones. Single storey with large overhangs helps a lot in California. As you say dual pane windows are incredible for comfort and also noise control.

    January 31, 2009 at 10:54 AM #339623
    NotCranky
    Participant

    Lucky,
    Is your attic ventilated? I have way over ventilated my attic with dormer vents .I read in a construction trade magazine that they are much more effective than the turbine type. It’s over insulated too. The house has the sensation of being under a shady tree on hot days and keep added heat in on cold ones. Single storey with large overhangs helps a lot in California. As you say dual pane windows are incredible for comfort and also noise control.

    January 31, 2009 at 10:54 AM #339719
    NotCranky
    Participant

    Lucky,
    Is your attic ventilated? I have way over ventilated my attic with dormer vents .I read in a construction trade magazine that they are much more effective than the turbine type. It’s over insulated too. The house has the sensation of being under a shady tree on hot days and keep added heat in on cold ones. Single storey with large overhangs helps a lot in California. As you say dual pane windows are incredible for comfort and also noise control.

    January 31, 2009 at 10:54 AM #339746
    NotCranky
    Participant

    Lucky,
    Is your attic ventilated? I have way over ventilated my attic with dormer vents .I read in a construction trade magazine that they are much more effective than the turbine type. It’s over insulated too. The house has the sensation of being under a shady tree on hot days and keep added heat in on cold ones. Single storey with large overhangs helps a lot in California. As you say dual pane windows are incredible for comfort and also noise control.

    January 31, 2009 at 10:54 AM #339840
    NotCranky
    Participant

    Lucky,
    Is your attic ventilated? I have way over ventilated my attic with dormer vents .I read in a construction trade magazine that they are much more effective than the turbine type. It’s over insulated too. The house has the sensation of being under a shady tree on hot days and keep added heat in on cold ones. Single storey with large overhangs helps a lot in California. As you say dual pane windows are incredible for comfort and also noise control.

    January 31, 2009 at 11:16 AM #339302
    poway_seller
    Participant

    check NY Times front page today, “utilities turn their customers green, with envy”. Interesting article. I would get an unhappy face.

    Re: solar paneling. Our home does not face ideal south. Also current panels are very old and perhaps in coming years more efficient grade panels will be made available that require less square footage.

    January 31, 2009 at 11:16 AM #339628
    poway_seller
    Participant

    check NY Times front page today, “utilities turn their customers green, with envy”. Interesting article. I would get an unhappy face.

    Re: solar paneling. Our home does not face ideal south. Also current panels are very old and perhaps in coming years more efficient grade panels will be made available that require less square footage.

    January 31, 2009 at 11:16 AM #339724
    poway_seller
    Participant

    check NY Times front page today, “utilities turn their customers green, with envy”. Interesting article. I would get an unhappy face.

    Re: solar paneling. Our home does not face ideal south. Also current panels are very old and perhaps in coming years more efficient grade panels will be made available that require less square footage.

    January 31, 2009 at 11:16 AM #339751
    poway_seller
    Participant

    check NY Times front page today, “utilities turn their customers green, with envy”. Interesting article. I would get an unhappy face.

    Re: solar paneling. Our home does not face ideal south. Also current panels are very old and perhaps in coming years more efficient grade panels will be made available that require less square footage.

    January 31, 2009 at 11:16 AM #339845
    poway_seller
    Participant

    check NY Times front page today, “utilities turn their customers green, with envy”. Interesting article. I would get an unhappy face.

    Re: solar paneling. Our home does not face ideal south. Also current panels are very old and perhaps in coming years more efficient grade panels will be made available that require less square footage.

    January 31, 2009 at 12:05 PM #339307
    LuckyInOC
    Participant

    All attics are ventilated. Good insulation (R-30+) above the ceiling makes venting the attic much better and less of an energy hit. Good ventilation in the attic also prolongs your roof from overheating, especially for standard composition roofs.

    Unfortunately, my house is 90% cathedral ceilings: upstairs Master Bed & Bath, (2) Bedrooms, Bonus Room. I have a small attic above the hall way and one bathroom upstairs. I have to calculate the free area of the vents see how much fan (CFM) I can use. It may not be enough to make a big enough difference. But you must have good outside air quality to use a whole house fan and little or no allergies.

    I am thinking to put a drop insulated ceiling the 2 bedrooms for better comfort and less heating in the rooms. 75% of the room capacity is above 8 ft.

    For us, the dual-pane windows was more for:
    1. Air (Dirt) Infiltration during Santa Ana’s.
    2. Temperature Comfort
    3. Building Aesthetics
    4. Noise Control
    5. UV Control
    6. Energy Savings

    Our payback for our windows is something like 11 years and we paid only $10k for the windows, much less than most would have. We had quotes up to $30-40k. Last year electric bill for winter (3 mos) is $100 per month. $50 in summer with fans & no AC. Our gas averages about $40 per month. We might be saving $25 per month due to the windows, probably less.

    Invest $10-20k SCE, SDG&E, &/or Sempra and offset your energy bills from the income, inflation proof.
    Its kind of like using a Discover card, pay yourself.

    Lucky In OC

    January 31, 2009 at 12:05 PM #339634
    LuckyInOC
    Participant

    All attics are ventilated. Good insulation (R-30+) above the ceiling makes venting the attic much better and less of an energy hit. Good ventilation in the attic also prolongs your roof from overheating, especially for standard composition roofs.

    Unfortunately, my house is 90% cathedral ceilings: upstairs Master Bed & Bath, (2) Bedrooms, Bonus Room. I have a small attic above the hall way and one bathroom upstairs. I have to calculate the free area of the vents see how much fan (CFM) I can use. It may not be enough to make a big enough difference. But you must have good outside air quality to use a whole house fan and little or no allergies.

    I am thinking to put a drop insulated ceiling the 2 bedrooms for better comfort and less heating in the rooms. 75% of the room capacity is above 8 ft.

    For us, the dual-pane windows was more for:
    1. Air (Dirt) Infiltration during Santa Ana’s.
    2. Temperature Comfort
    3. Building Aesthetics
    4. Noise Control
    5. UV Control
    6. Energy Savings

    Our payback for our windows is something like 11 years and we paid only $10k for the windows, much less than most would have. We had quotes up to $30-40k. Last year electric bill for winter (3 mos) is $100 per month. $50 in summer with fans & no AC. Our gas averages about $40 per month. We might be saving $25 per month due to the windows, probably less.

    Invest $10-20k SCE, SDG&E, &/or Sempra and offset your energy bills from the income, inflation proof.
    Its kind of like using a Discover card, pay yourself.

    Lucky In OC

    January 31, 2009 at 12:05 PM #339729
    LuckyInOC
    Participant

    All attics are ventilated. Good insulation (R-30+) above the ceiling makes venting the attic much better and less of an energy hit. Good ventilation in the attic also prolongs your roof from overheating, especially for standard composition roofs.

    Unfortunately, my house is 90% cathedral ceilings: upstairs Master Bed & Bath, (2) Bedrooms, Bonus Room. I have a small attic above the hall way and one bathroom upstairs. I have to calculate the free area of the vents see how much fan (CFM) I can use. It may not be enough to make a big enough difference. But you must have good outside air quality to use a whole house fan and little or no allergies.

    I am thinking to put a drop insulated ceiling the 2 bedrooms for better comfort and less heating in the rooms. 75% of the room capacity is above 8 ft.

    For us, the dual-pane windows was more for:
    1. Air (Dirt) Infiltration during Santa Ana’s.
    2. Temperature Comfort
    3. Building Aesthetics
    4. Noise Control
    5. UV Control
    6. Energy Savings

    Our payback for our windows is something like 11 years and we paid only $10k for the windows, much less than most would have. We had quotes up to $30-40k. Last year electric bill for winter (3 mos) is $100 per month. $50 in summer with fans & no AC. Our gas averages about $40 per month. We might be saving $25 per month due to the windows, probably less.

    Invest $10-20k SCE, SDG&E, &/or Sempra and offset your energy bills from the income, inflation proof.
    Its kind of like using a Discover card, pay yourself.

    Lucky In OC

    January 31, 2009 at 12:05 PM #339756
    LuckyInOC
    Participant

    All attics are ventilated. Good insulation (R-30+) above the ceiling makes venting the attic much better and less of an energy hit. Good ventilation in the attic also prolongs your roof from overheating, especially for standard composition roofs.

    Unfortunately, my house is 90% cathedral ceilings: upstairs Master Bed & Bath, (2) Bedrooms, Bonus Room. I have a small attic above the hall way and one bathroom upstairs. I have to calculate the free area of the vents see how much fan (CFM) I can use. It may not be enough to make a big enough difference. But you must have good outside air quality to use a whole house fan and little or no allergies.

    I am thinking to put a drop insulated ceiling the 2 bedrooms for better comfort and less heating in the rooms. 75% of the room capacity is above 8 ft.

    For us, the dual-pane windows was more for:
    1. Air (Dirt) Infiltration during Santa Ana’s.
    2. Temperature Comfort
    3. Building Aesthetics
    4. Noise Control
    5. UV Control
    6. Energy Savings

    Our payback for our windows is something like 11 years and we paid only $10k for the windows, much less than most would have. We had quotes up to $30-40k. Last year electric bill for winter (3 mos) is $100 per month. $50 in summer with fans & no AC. Our gas averages about $40 per month. We might be saving $25 per month due to the windows, probably less.

    Invest $10-20k SCE, SDG&E, &/or Sempra and offset your energy bills from the income, inflation proof.
    Its kind of like using a Discover card, pay yourself.

    Lucky In OC

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