Where to install your new mini-split??

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Xringer

...The problem is what to do with the 20x25 hole??
Wife don't like a complete seal-up idea. So, besides a window, what cool thing could I install in the hole and not be too lossy.?.

How about a nice ant farm?

It would give you and your wife endless hours of fascinating viewing.

-AC

[Xringer]

I was thinking along those lines too. I remember seeing a great Honey Bee hive window at the Boston Museum of Science.
Visiting the Boston Museum of Science with kids

http://mamasmiles.com/blog/media/201...1531_thumb.jpg

But, I think the space is a bit too small for a normal sized hive..

[Xringer]

That's what experience is teaching me.

Even with light snow (starting around 16:30), the Sanyos were sucking
in so much snow, the HX coil air-flow was very restricted.
Causing efficiency to drop like a rock. Defrosting lasted < 1/2 hour, before re-clogging.
The Humidity >45% indicates times when it was snowing.


In normal (snow-less) operation, the Sanyos will do okay at 8 to 10F.. Below 8, I shut them off.

Had it not been for the blowing snow, we could have had ASHP heat right up until midnight.
But, because of the snow clogging, I had to shut them off at 18:00 and start burning oil..
That's 6 extra hours of burning oil, because of snow.. Not low temperature.

Now that the snow has slowed down a lot, it's 6.9°F and the Sanyos wouldn't be much good.
I'm running three $eating space heaters in the LR & Den, trying to keep the oil burner off.
Sounds nutty, but I believe burning more oil will cost a lot more than the kW hours.

Anyways, if you have an open area (well ventilated) under your deck or addition,
that is always dry and free of snow, with at least 1 or 2 feet of over-head clearance,
you should consider installing your outdoor unit under there..

There is a lot of area under my Den (addition) that would be suitable for installing an outdoor unit.
A snow storm would have to be horrific for snow to reach, even a few feet under the over-hang.

Some newer Mini Splits can work to very low temps these days..
But, I fear their achilles heel is blowing snow, over long periods of time.

The other reason for a roof overhead is of course the shade it provides during the summer months.
I hope we have some summer months this year!

I have some little make-shift roofs over my Sanyos, but they aren't large enough, for this blowing snow.

[Daox]

Another solution may be to elevate the unit a couple feet off the ground?

Also, how much does your oil cost and how much does your electricity cost? Also, how efficient is your boiler? I know oil is expensive, but I still think it would beat out electric resistance heat.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Daox

...how much does your oil cost and how much does your electricity cost? Also, how efficient is your boiler? I know oil is expensive, but I still think it would beat out electric resistance heat.

I had a friend who lived in an RV, and he had a propane heater, but when he ran the numbers, it turned out that resistance was cheaper.

His propane heater was about 70% efficient, and the cost of propane was high. The resistance heater was 100% and the cost of electricity was also high, but it came out cheaper for him. Gary's fuel calculator will tell the story...

I tried to convince him to hack his kaput de-humidifier to warm his RV, but he just wouldn't budge. Didn't want to let the evil ghosts escape from the de-humidifier.

Some people...

-AC

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by Daox

Another solution may be to elevate the unit a couple feet off the ground?

Also, how much does your oil cost and how much does your electricity cost? Also, how efficient is your boiler? I know oil is expensive, but I still think it would beat out electric resistance heat.

It's not piled up snow, it's airborne snow flakes being sucked into the HX coil.
It's not the traditional ice/frost layer caused by the cold HX and moist air.

Imagine using a shop-vac with a mesh screen over the nozzle, to clean the snow off your driveway..

~~

The oil burner isn't real efficient, but can also burn wood and coal etc.
So, it can be used during a grid failure. (That's why I like it).

I purchased this oil a few years ago, and have no idea what we paid.
But, I know the prices today aren't that great.. Around $4 a gallon.
$4 = 23.5 kWh.. That's about 8 hours of running the space heaters @ 1kW each.

I'm not running just space heaters, the oil and space heaters are both on.
The space heaters are just keeping down the amount of oil being burned.

When (if) it gets a little warmer outside, I'll defrost and restart
the Sanyos for as long as they will run.. It's going down to 1F tonight.

I have no temperature monitor connected to the burner, and no run-time clock.
If this global warming trend keeps up, I'll have to re-think my back-up heating plan.
For now, it seems that the back-up is becoming the primary.

Sun is trying to peek between the clouds.. Gotta go clean solar panels.

[Daox]

Ahah, snow in the air. That is much harder to deal with.

Here is my quick math on the heating cost:

1 gallon heating oil = 138700 btu
$4 / 138700 = $0.00002 per btu

1 kWh = 3412 btu
$.12 (my guess) / 3412 = $0.000035 (almost twice as pricey)

Now, this doesn't account for efficiency of your boiler. If its only about 60% efficient, then its basically a wash between the two. If its 80% efficient then its a different story. But, I also don't know your real world $/kWh either. I pay $.12/kwh, but with fees I'm at $.20/kWh.

[WyrTwister]

Electric resistance heat is basically 100% efficient . Only difference between heaters is how efficient / effective the heater distributes the heat to the people . And , to a lesser extent , the fan is , if there is a fan ?

A heater that is 100% radiant or convection & has no fan , I guess , would have a little better total efficiency , du to the lack of the motor . And quieter .

And a free standing heater would not have the duct loss , of a ducted heater .

I have no experience with an oil fired heater , other than a " salamander " heater ( burning diesel or kero ) , in a shop or on a construction site .

At home , we have always used gas heat . Our furnace is a 92% condensing furnace . Add into that 8% , duct lodd and energy for the fan . Do not know what rate we are paying for gas ? Or electricity ?

God bless
Wyr

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Daox

Here is my quick math on the heating cost:
1 gallon heating oil = 138700 btu
$4 / 138700 = $0.00002 per btu

1 kWh = 3412 btu
$.12 (my guess) / 3412 = $0.000035 (almost twice as pricey)

I'm really surprised that you didn't use Gary's calculator.

HERE_IT_IS

Incredibly useful!

-AC

[Xringer]

We got some sun and it warmed up!




Around noontime, we shut off all backup and went back on the Sanyos..



They work pretty well at 11.7 degs F.. Even better when it got up to 17F !
Coasting along at 990 watts total..