HVAC Technician I AM NOT

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:20 pm

I started the day with the idea of cleaning my shop and rearranging equipment (just a little bit). That did not happen. I got reassigned to the "simple task" of changing out the thermostat.

We had a programmable thermostat that my wife did not care for. When the HVAC gentleman was here for the seasonal changeover, there was a discussion that ended up giving me the task of getting rid of the programmable and installing a non-programmable in its place.

The HVAC guy says, "Simple job. You can do it yourself a lot cheaper than if I do it". His quote was somewhere in the $200 range.

I priced thermostats (on line) while he was still here and found the one he recommended for $54. I ordered it.

It is now 6:15 PM and I now have it up and running. Temperature in the house is now only 76° and going down.

An HVAC guy I am not.

BTW: I ordered the wrong thermostat. I bought a 2heat/2cool with aux heat. I needed a 3heat/2cool with emergency heat. It should arrive next Monday.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:31 pm

dusty wrote:I started the day with the idea of cleaning my shop and rearranging equipment (just a little bit). That did not happen. I got reassigned to the "simple task" of changing out the thermostat.

We had a programmable thermostat that my wife did not care for. When the HVAC gentleman was here for the seasonal changeover, there was a discussion that ended up giving me the task of getting rid of the programmable and installing a non-programmable in its place.

The HVAC guy says, "Simple job. You can do it yourself a lot cheaper than if I do it". His quote was somewhere in the $200 range.

I priced thermostats (on line) while he was still here and found the one he recommended for $54. I ordered it.

It is now 6:15 PM and I now have it up and running. Temperature in the house is now only 76° and going down.

An HVAC guy I am not.

BTW: I ordered the wrong thermostat. I bought a 2heat/2cool with aux heat. I needed a 3heat/2cool with emergency heat. It should arrive next Monday.

What is a 3heat/2 cool thermostat?
I know Heat Pumps require a different unit but I do not recognized the 3heat/2cool.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:44 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:What is a 3heat/2 cool thermostat?
I know Heat Pumps require a different unit but I do not recognized the 3heat/2cool.

I had to look it up too.]http://support.nest.com/article/What-is ... age-system[/url]

Why do you need any 'heat'?:D

skou · Post by **skou** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:14 am

JPG40504 wrote: Why do you need any 'heat'?:D

For those rare days we DO indeed need heat.

When I was in the trailer, I didn't have a heater, except for a small portable electric one. I also had a gas powered stove and oven, that got used 3 or 4 times. That little portable one was loaned to a friend, when the trailer got it's LOTS of heat (when it burned to the ground) so I still have that one.

Dusty, since he's in a lower latitude, as well as a higher elevation, may have different issues, but so far, a few times before Christmas, but nothing (yet) this year. (As relates to ME using a heater.)

steve

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:59 am

JPG40504 wrote:I had to look it up too.]http://support.nest.com/article/What-is ... age-system[/url]

Why do you need any 'heat'?:D

Interesting never heard of this.
I wonder where the variable speed scroll compressors come into the mix.

The last time I had my inside unit changed we talked about the scroll compressor.

In Florida I was told to get AC unit with strip heater.

Since the AC was higher efficiency than a heat pump.

However now I believe the technology is about even or perhaps even a little better with the heat pump.

Also on cold nights we turn the heat off and back on in the morning. Not good for Heat Pump. But now as we are getting older we don't like the cold cold so we could just leave the heat on but turned down a little for sleeping.

When we lived in Ohio I had a GE weathertron heat pump. That thing would produce heat when the outside was even in the 20's. Any lower and the Heat pump kicked off and turned on the emergency strip heater.

We air conditioned about 2 week a year so the Heat Pump was ideal. Supplemented with a large fireplace. I burned 6-8 cords (4x4x8) a winter.

Any thoughts one way or another on the new scroll units?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:43 pm

I would do without air conditioning if it was just me who lived here. Thankfully that is not the case.

It is my opinion that heat pumps work well in this climate but in the summer it is not a cheap process. Our monthly electric bill, in the months when we cool, run $220.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:10 pm

dusty wrote:I would do without air conditioning if it was just me who lived here. Thankfully that is not the case.

It is my opinion that heat pumps work well in this climate but in the summer it is not a cheap process. Our monthly electric bill, in the months when we cool, run $220.

Depending on the size of your house I may stay with a straight air conditioner. My summer bills run in $100-$190 range average around $160 and my one or two months of heat run less than $200. Heating and cooling 2400 sq in sunny downtown Florida. That is with a 1 hp pool pump running 12 hours a day.

When the kids were little the only way to get them out of the house was to turn off the AC. We lived with the AC off for about 7 years. I think we enjoyed our life more back then. We knew which windows to open and which to close when to maximize the cooling. It seemed like we had a cooling strong wind through the house all the time. I know we all spent a lot more time outdoors. Now I even have air in the garage:D