11,000 BTU DX GEO Heating

[stevehull]

Jeff,

Ironic that you mention this as I have just bought four roll around storage racks for my shop (72 inches tall x 18 inches deep, six 36 inch wide racks on 3.5 inch wheels).

One is dedicated to plumbing, another to painting stuff, another to electrical and a forth to car repair/oil change stuff. Got them from Amazon for about $80 each.

I can see buying another two or three . . . (one for HVAC stuff already).

The roll around feature makes floor clean up simple and I can roll the entire rack near to where I need it, but them slide them all close together for storage out of the way.

The old non roll around cheap metal storage racks were crap and I took particular joy at putting them out at the street. The local scrap metal guy might have gotten them or maybe someone else for their garage.

I know this is outside the thread, but I only wish I had done this a couple decades earlier . . . .

Was getting VERY tired of all the stuff mixed together - and although I kinda knew where stuff was at I was getting increasingly irritated at myself for not being better organized and WASTING time.

Thanks for this astute, but completely off topic thread. Maybe our posts will save thousands of hours of cumulative time and untold amounts of "I know I have it, but where the hell is it!"


Steve

[jeff5may]

I believe the needle valve will teach you much more about your rig and tuning it than any of us can. There are many factors that interact with each other in ways that are more difficult to describe than observe. Experiments with your metering device will reveal many of these relationships, as well as fill in many theoretical blanks in your knowledge base.

[MEMPHIS91]

Jeff, you are so right. I grew up in a shop that had ZERO organization. It would take 10-45 minutes to find parts/tools. A buddy of mine was the opposite, he has boxes of tools like steve mentioned and every set (HVAC, wood working, metal working, ect ect ect.) each has exactly what is needed. He has double and triple of the same exact tool just in different boxes, but he always has what he needs and doesn't spend time looking.
I have started doing this, I have started buying the correct tools and making sure they are in the right boxes and buying extra of the parts. (I bought 4 flare nuts and only needed two). I also have all my HVAC in the Rigid Tool Box Set from Home Depot RIDGID 22 in. Pro Gear Cart, Black-222573 - The Home Depot Its a really nice set.

If you plan on being a life long hacker, this behavior is a MUST. I could understand one project, but with a list of things needing to be done, buying multiples is the wisest choice.
The shop is starting to get better, and I am spending less time looking and waiting on parts than before. It makes working so much more fun.

[MEMPHIS91]

I missed your above comment, we must have both been typing at the same time.
Yes I am looking forward to messing with it, and scared at the same time. I will post as much info as I can to hopefully shed some light for the next person to try to fine tune a homemade machine.

[jeff5may]

Originally Posted by stevehull

Jeff,

Ironic that you mention this as I have just bought four roll around storage racks for my shop (72 inches tall x 18 inches deep, six 36 inch wide racks on 3.5 inch wheels).

One is dedicated to plumbing, another to painting stuff, another to electrical and a forth to car repair/oil change stuff. Got them from Amazon for about $80 each.

I can see buying another two or three . . . (one for HVAC stuff already).

The roll around feature makes floor clean up simple and I can roll the entire rack near to where I need it, but them slide them all close together for storage out of the way.

The old non roll around cheap metal storage racks were crap and I took particular joy at putting them out at the street. The local scrap metal guy might have gotten them or maybe someone else for their garage.

I know this is outside the thread, but I only wish I had done this a couple decades earlier . . . .

Was getting VERY tired of all the stuff mixed together - and although I kinda knew where stuff was at I was getting increasingly irritated at myself for not being better organized and WASTING time.

Thanks for this astute, but completely off topic thread. Maybe our posts will save thousands of hours of cumulative time and untold amounts of "I know I have it, but where the hell is it!"


Steve

I know exactly how you feel. My dad still works with the bucket system. When a project starts, he fills one bucket with tools, another one with materials. During the project, tools and materials are picked from the buckets and end up everywhere. Meanwhile, he makes trips between the job site, the tool room, and the hardware store to fill in the blanks. At the end of every day, all the loose tools and supplies get thrown in buckets and locked away wherever. The next day, all the buckets are pulled out of the vault and the process is repeated. Every morning, a ritual of cursing while hunting through buckets is performed the first hour or so. When the project is completed, all the buckets of random stuff are loaded into his van and unloaded at the tool room. Usually the stuff doesn't get sorted out until the next project.

While I was young and didn't know any better, I followed this method. After a few projects and hunting/camping trips, I figured out how to wear a tool belt and carry a gear bag. I have since been caught sitting and standing around waiting patiently for hours upon hours at many, many jobs for people to get their crap together. The only thing that bothers me is that the same people want to borrow my stuff when they can't find their own. Especially my dad.

[MEMPHIS91]

I ran the unit tonight, boy did I underestimate the power of this larger compressor! This thing is awesome!
So my cap tubes are to restrictive. Needle valve all the way open and 27psi suction, 227 psi discharge. 185F discharge and 71F suction. I was heating the greenhouse very quickly. But I know my suction pressure need to come up. I was only pulling 750 watts.

So I will cut some off the cap tubes tomorrow and recharge.

[MEMPHIS91]

So I got the cap tubes cut and system recharged. I guess I'm a big chicken because I again didn't trim enough as I should have. Though I think they are very very close to being right.



Of course I am checking the cheap china meters with my nice meters and the china ones are pretty close, close enough for me.
The 48.1F is the temp in and out of the condenser in air mode. The temps/pressures will never need to be the high the greenhouse is 80F right now, I only need 65F. So more tuning will happen when it gets colder. I will also cut even more off the cap tubes and fill with R1270 instead of R290 that I have in it now. MAPP is too expensive to waste on test runs.

Funny thing happens, when I turn the system off and wait 30 minutes to an hour and go look at the pressure it says around 125 psi on both gauges, then over night it will dropped like to 110 psi or so. This has happened every time, so of course my first guess was a leak, so I super check everything, but found nothing. What I am think is the system is cooling down and storing refrigerant in the DX loop therefore dropping my pressure. Does this sound right?

[Fordguy64]

So at my work we use Parker flow control valves to meter the air flow for out pneumatic cylinders. Wonder if they would work better than a needle valve

Parker - N400B

[pinballlooking]

Your gauges look really good.

[MEMPHIS91]

Thanks pinballlooking I wish I had done the same for the heat pump water heater.

Fordguy64. that valve looks nice, but it is very expensive. Parker N400B Needle Valve New No Box | eBay
Unless that is you have a few extra you might would send my way. lol That valve will be what I go to if this one doesn't work. I am hoping since the cheap $5 one worked that the $10 will work even better.