Quote:
Originally Posted by Xringer
The problem I have with the A7 is all the cold air! In the wintertime,
it gets really cold down there in that corner. (dehumidifies too).
But, warmth coming up from the slab gets the basement back to normal in short order.
Company Products :: Cee-Environmental
Check out the AirVent™ about half way down the page.
I read about one owner that used that duct to cool off his kitchen during the summer. Looks like a simple duct project for a DIYer.
The last gas DHW heater I looked at, had a big blower mounted on top.
No room up there for installing an A7.
If you are going to invest in an A7, and don't have a regular electric
DHW heater, it might be wise to buy one. That's what I did.
Hopefully it will last a long time. The new GE tanks seem well made. |
I'm planning on just using some ductboard, flexible duct, and metallic foil tape. The vent is on top so gravity will keep whatever you put on top of it in place. A little leakage is ok as you don't want to stress the A7's output fan with high resistance as it wasn't made for that.
The biggest issue in retrofitting is controlling the original tanks thermostat and heating system, otherwise the A7 will never get to run. It's much easier to do with electric tanks.
You need a mix of letting the water get cold and giving the A7 ample time to run, but still having enough hot water to meet demand as it varies.
I've found with my electric hot water heater, I can almost use it as a demand system as long as there is a little bit of buffered heat up top, and the delivery is well insulated. I have a switch in the bathroom that turns on the top element for heating only during use (shower). The bottom element runs on a timer a night when peak electric rates are low, which heats the tank. I plan to use the A7 as a replacement for the bottom element. The two element system and electrical nature make retrofitting the A7 simpler than natural gas.
Electric doesn't have any obstructions on top of the tank either.