OT: AC & Furnace

[bearishgurl]

I have an attic fan as well. I have used it a few times on very hot nights but it is VERY noisy so I would rather use a stand fan.

I’m not a big heating user – maybe 5-6 wks. a year, nights only (partial) so this is the reason I can change the heat register filters infrequently. Yes, I do have thick carpet and long drapes and pets but I am religious about keeping up after them. I would like to extend my hardwood floor to the rest of the house but this would cost $4400 for my living room alone. I almost have enough leftover HW slats to do the hallway, however, so that will be the first carpet to go.

Note: My house has very thick insulation installed above, on the sides and beneath it and double-paned (1 triple-pane) windows throughout. This keeps my utils to just above baseline when the heat is not running.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]
Looks like government programs do work in getting people to do beneficial things. 😉

Did you guys watch the Nova program about energy in CA?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/%5B/quote%5D
Of course it works. Who could resist free money? Just like cash for clunker works in getting people to buy more cars, these free gov. programs will get people to upgrade their HVAC/water heater/etc.

I really don’t need an AC. Throughout last year, there’s a total of maybe 2-4 weeks when we had Santa Ana weather that it became uncomfortable, since the wind is hot as well. I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]
Looks like government programs do work in getting people to do beneficial things. 😉

Did you guys watch the Nova program about energy in CA?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/%5B/quote%5D
Of course it works. Who could resist free money? Just like cash for clunker works in getting people to buy more cars, these free gov. programs will get people to upgrade their HVAC/water heater/etc.

I really don’t need an AC. Throughout last year, there’s a total of maybe 2-4 weeks when we had Santa Ana weather that it became uncomfortable, since the wind is hot as well. I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]
Looks like government programs do work in getting people to do beneficial things. 😉

Did you guys watch the Nova program about energy in CA?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/%5B/quote%5D
Of course it works. Who could resist free money? Just like cash for clunker works in getting people to buy more cars, these free gov. programs will get people to upgrade their HVAC/water heater/etc.

I really don’t need an AC. Throughout last year, there’s a total of maybe 2-4 weeks when we had Santa Ana weather that it became uncomfortable, since the wind is hot as well. I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]
Looks like government programs do work in getting people to do beneficial things. 😉

Did you guys watch the Nova program about energy in CA?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/%5B/quote%5D
Of course it works. Who could resist free money? Just like cash for clunker works in getting people to buy more cars, these free gov. programs will get people to upgrade their HVAC/water heater/etc.

I really don’t need an AC. Throughout last year, there’s a total of maybe 2-4 weeks when we had Santa Ana weather that it became uncomfortable, since the wind is hot as well. I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]
Looks like government programs do work in getting people to do beneficial things. 😉

Did you guys watch the Nova program about energy in CA?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/%5B/quote%5D
Of course it works. Who could resist free money? Just like cash for clunker works in getting people to buy more cars, these free gov. programs will get people to upgrade their HVAC/water heater/etc.

I really don’t need an AC. Throughout last year, there’s a total of maybe 2-4 weeks when we had Santa Ana weather that it became uncomfortable, since the wind is hot as well. I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]How does that attic fan work? I presume it draws the hot out out the attic preventing your house from heating up.

Does is draw air out of the house through the attic as well?[/quote]
It shouldn’t draw air from the house. If it does, then that means you have leaks in your ceiling that’s wasting your energy. You might be thinking of a whole house fan. That sucks out the air in the house and spits it in the attic. Then the attic fan would spit the air in the attic outside.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]How does that attic fan work? I presume it draws the hot out out the attic preventing your house from heating up.

Does is draw air out of the house through the attic as well?[/quote]
It shouldn’t draw air from the house. If it does, then that means you have leaks in your ceiling that’s wasting your energy. You might be thinking of a whole house fan. That sucks out the air in the house and spits it in the attic. Then the attic fan would spit the air in the attic outside.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]How does that attic fan work? I presume it draws the hot out out the attic preventing your house from heating up.

Does is draw air out of the house through the attic as well?[/quote]
It shouldn’t draw air from the house. If it does, then that means you have leaks in your ceiling that’s wasting your energy. You might be thinking of a whole house fan. That sucks out the air in the house and spits it in the attic. Then the attic fan would spit the air in the attic outside.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]How does that attic fan work? I presume it draws the hot out out the attic preventing your house from heating up.

Does is draw air out of the house through the attic as well?[/quote]
It shouldn’t draw air from the house. If it does, then that means you have leaks in your ceiling that’s wasting your energy. You might be thinking of a whole house fan. That sucks out the air in the house and spits it in the attic. Then the attic fan would spit the air in the attic outside.

[an]

[quote=briansd1]How does that attic fan work? I presume it draws the hot out out the attic preventing your house from heating up.

Does is draw air out of the house through the attic as well?[/quote]
It shouldn’t draw air from the house. If it does, then that means you have leaks in your ceiling that’s wasting your energy. You might be thinking of a whole house fan. That sucks out the air in the house and spits it in the attic. Then the attic fan would spit the air in the attic outside.

[briansd1]

[quote=AN]I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.[/quote]

I’m betting that with a more efficient furnace + AC, you’ll be using the same amount of energy (or less) plus you’ll get the luxury of AC during the summer.

You seem like the kind of guy who will track your energy usage. So it’ll be interesting to see what your energy usage is for:
1) the 1-year period prior to the new install, vs.
2) the 1-year period after you install the new system.

Also, if you get an efficient dishwasher, you’ll actually save money. You will save energy and water and have cleaner dishes than washing by hand, if you turn off the heated dry feature. (I noticed that Asian families like to wash by hand and have an aversion to dishwashers).

There should be a rebate of some kind.

[briansd1]

[quote=AN]I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.[/quote]

I’m betting that with a more efficient furnace + AC, you’ll be using the same amount of energy (or less) plus you’ll get the luxury of AC during the summer.

You seem like the kind of guy who will track your energy usage. So it’ll be interesting to see what your energy usage is for:
1) the 1-year period prior to the new install, vs.
2) the 1-year period after you install the new system.

Also, if you get an efficient dishwasher, you’ll actually save money. You will save energy and water and have cleaner dishes than washing by hand, if you turn off the heated dry feature. (I noticed that Asian families like to wash by hand and have an aversion to dishwashers).

There should be a rebate of some kind.

[briansd1]

[quote=AN]I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.[/quote]

I’m betting that with a more efficient furnace + AC, you’ll be using the same amount of energy (or less) plus you’ll get the luxury of AC during the summer.

You seem like the kind of guy who will track your energy usage. So it’ll be interesting to see what your energy usage is for:
1) the 1-year period prior to the new install, vs.
2) the 1-year period after you install the new system.

Also, if you get an efficient dishwasher, you’ll actually save money. You will save energy and water and have cleaner dishes than washing by hand, if you turn off the heated dry feature. (I noticed that Asian families like to wash by hand and have an aversion to dishwashers).

There should be a rebate of some kind.

[briansd1]

[quote=AN]I wouldn’t be thinking about putting in an AC unit without this program. So in a way, it’ll get me to use even more energy than I would have otherwise. Unintended side effect. I figure, at $100/year, I can totally splurge on this luxury and if I sell my house, I won’t have to pay for it, the next owner would.[/quote]

I’m betting that with a more efficient furnace + AC, you’ll be using the same amount of energy (or less) plus you’ll get the luxury of AC during the summer.

You seem like the kind of guy who will track your energy usage. So it’ll be interesting to see what your energy usage is for:
1) the 1-year period prior to the new install, vs.
2) the 1-year period after you install the new system.

Also, if you get an efficient dishwasher, you’ll actually save money. You will save energy and water and have cleaner dishes than washing by hand, if you turn off the heated dry feature. (I noticed that Asian families like to wash by hand and have an aversion to dishwashers).

There should be a rebate of some kind.

[Author]

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