EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Geothermal & Heat Pumps
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-17-14, 05:59 PM   #11
nokiasixteth
Journeyman EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Earth
Posts: 348
Thanks: 43
Thanked 14 Times in 13 Posts
Default

Glad that you got that . I have pretty much the same exact ac . But mine is a 8k btu ac. I took it out the winder when i put in mini split.

nokiasixteth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-14, 08:21 PM   #12
jeff5may
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA
Posts: 2,428
Thanks: 431
Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts
Send a message via Yahoo to jeff5may
Default

Ok, so I "turn and burn" tested the unit overnight to make sure it worked. I put it in the basement and rigged the cold air outlet to the dryer vent. It ran flawlessly on high cool all night. When I checked on it the morning after, the basement was a toasty 80 degF! The built in thermostat said 79. I put it on low cool and the thing ran until around 10 AM. The basement temp had dropped to 75. I shut it off for a few minutes to dismantle the dryer vent rig (wife had to use dryer).

I decided to do some measurements on the unit for fun. It sat on a kitchen island with its cover removed, just churning basement air. The temp was 73 degF.

First, fan only power: Low = 128W, 135VA; Med = 134W, 140VA; Hi = 140W, 153 VA.

Next, I took readings of everything at all 3 cool speeds (Waiting for everything to settle first. What I found was strange.

Power: Hi = 1115W, 1164VA; Med = 1075W, 1115VA; Low = 800W, 850VA
CoolAirOut: Hi =43.3 degF Med =41.2 degF Low = 43.5 degF
SuctionLine: Hi =44.0 degF Med =40.5 degF Low = 36.8 degF
DischargeLine: Hi =116 degF Med =115 degF Low = 111 degF
CondenserSat: Hi =96.3 degF Med =96.6 degF Low = 93.5 degF
LiquidLine: Hi =83.8 degF Med =82.2 degF Low = 76.2 degF

It looks as if the mfr went to great lengths to make the unit blow the same temperature air, regardless of speed. If so, BTU output would only depend on fan speed. The published SEER value would be good only at one fan speed and one temperature. Otherwise, it would roam all over the place!
jeff5may is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-14, 08:40 PM   #13
NiHaoMike
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
NiHaoMike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,154
Thanks: 14
Thanked 257 Times in 241 Posts
Default

Time to hack it into a heat pump dryer?
__________________
To my surprise, shortly after Naomi Wu gave me a bit of fame for making good use of solar power, Allie Moore got really jealous of her...
NiHaoMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-14, 08:44 PM   #14
MN Renovator
Less usage=Cheaper bills
 
MN Renovator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 939
Thanks: 41
Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts
Default

Window units don't have published SEER values. They only publish the EER value, which is at a single outdoor temperature and single indoor dry and web bulb temperature. It is a single condition test. For an energy star unit at 10.7 EER, the SEER rating would likely be around about 12 depending on the specific unit. The fun part is that the EER value can be whichever fan speed the manufacturer decides to use, it isn't regulated. So whatever gives the 8000BTUhr output at those conditions will be the fan speed selected and its corresponding EER rating given. I think they are working on making the highest efficiency settings the default settings for energy star compliance for the newest models if they have electronic controls as opposed to mechanical switches. Not sure if that has made it through yet or not.

...but no matter which way I look at it, your unit is underperforming energy star significantly, especially since it is circulating 73 degree air. I have a 10.7 EER rated 5350BTUhr air conditioner and churning 70 degree air inside it only draws between 400-430 watts depending on fan speed. The fan uses 60 or 70 watts depending on default fan speed or high.

Regarding the same temperature output at different fan speeds, on a single shaft fan, you increase the speed of the condenser and the evaporator airflow at the same time, so heat rejection in both places increases. If you could measure airflow you could calculate the EER for your operating conditions.
MN Renovator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-14, 09:24 PM   #15
jeff5may
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA
Posts: 2,428
Thanks: 431
Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts
Send a message via Yahoo to jeff5may
Default

Hahahaaaa... what you said, MN, now it makes perfect sense. When you first turn this unit on, it automatically goes to LOW FAN! That's the most energy efficient setting! These guys are geniuses!

Not.

This unit is still on double secret probation. If it glitches or hiccups, even a little, it's going back on the operating table.

I believe I read in some specs somewhere that these units (9k and 12k BTU models) spit out 850/950/1050 cfm indoors. I have one of those key-fob anemometer/thermometers, but without a way to diffuse the airflow, the airspeed measurement is useless. The spec had only one speed for the outdoor CFM (go figure).
jeff5may is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-14, 03:55 PM   #16
jeff5may
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA
Posts: 2,428
Thanks: 431
Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts
Send a message via Yahoo to jeff5may
Default

Nope, I was wrong. The 3 numbers are RPM. The only published cfm says 520. Who knows what speed that may be?
jeff5may is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-27-17, 12:56 PM   #17
jeff5may
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA
Posts: 2,428
Thanks: 431
Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts
Send a message via Yahoo to jeff5may
Default

Well, the AC unit outside went out this week where I am now, and the maintenance guy is nowhere in sight. The Haier unit has been around the block, so to speak. It's been in and out of 3 windows since I fixed it and the last time something went wrong. It has been sitting in the greenhouse collecting wasps for a while.

Having an immediate need for the thing, I did a quick pressure wash on it and figured out what went wrong this time. E01 code: stuck button. I popped the face off and the 4 screws holding the user interface board to the face. Immediately I saw that the button switches we're all rusted out. No problem, I found another patient and robbed it's buttons for the moment. The organ donor was a digital dehumidifier. Put it halfway back together and here it goes again. It wouldn't fit through the kitchen window, so I just left the face off and propped it up against the outside blowing in.

While it's doing emergency duty, I will be bringing it back to its original state. I ordered some uln2003 chips off eBay, and am searching for the right switches to put back in the button panel. I hate to say it, but this is no longer going to qualify as a
a zero dollar repair.

I found a multiple item listing on the smd chip: 4 for $5.50 shipped. I imagine the switches will be close to the same. I could save money by ordering from Chinese sellers, but I don't want to wait forever to get the goods. Now I wish I hadn't given away all of those old VCRs and CD players...

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20170927_135346.jpg
Views:	320
Size:	486.5 KB
ID:	7912   Click image for larger version

Name:	20170927_135334.jpg
Views:	319
Size:	439.5 KB
ID:	7913  

Last edited by jeff5may; 09-28-17 at 09:19 AM..
jeff5may is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design