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mafoose posted:I loving love this place especially now that I live in a house with a nice dry AC instead of a worthless swamp cooler. Someone clearly hasn't gotten their first summer electric bill.  Ours averages about $400 in the summer. 5.5 ton a/c on a ~2300 sq ft house with high ceilings.  It's not nearly as hot as Phoenix (our peak high here tends to be around 105, occasionally 110, on the hottest days of the year), but it's far more humid. It was closer to $700 before we added tons of blown-in insulation, swapped out the coils on the air handler, and swapped out the outside unit for a much newer, more efficient unit (the one that was there when we moved in was from 1994, I think the one we have now is mid to late 2000s).Refrigerated a/c is incredibly awesome, but holy poo poo the sticker shock the first time we moved into a house with it.... having your summer electric bill jump from $30-40 to several hundred hurts. I've sworn that when I finally buy, it'll be an older house with window units for each room (adding a ton of insulation in the attic, but only cooling the rooms I'm actively using), or something I can retrofit multi-zone HVAC with occupancy sensors into. I'd still love to track down the previous (original) owners of this house and ask them why the gently caress they hacked up the original HVAC. It was originally a heat pump, with a gas furnace for backup (we still have the same furnace). Their contractor pulled new 4 conductor wire to the thermostat, cut wires to anything related to heat pump operation in the outside unit (literally just cut the wires flush with the wall and left them, and ripped out some wiring from the outside unit), swapped the control module in the furnace for a non-heat pump version, tossed in a new thermostat, and they were told they had a "new" system. It would be so much cheaper to heat this house in the winter had they not done that, our gas bill is painful from December to March (on par with our summer electric bill). The only way to ever go back to a heat pump + furnace backup would be to pull new wire all the way from the furnace to the outside unit (since the wires were cut flush with the brick wall), pull new thermostat wire, replace the control module in the furnace (preferably the whole furnace, since it's 20 years old), and replace the outside unit. This is the only house in the entire subdivision with primarily gas heat, everyone else still has the original heat pump setup. Shady contractors: 
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 09:14 on Jul 9, 2014 |
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Jul 9, 2014 09:07
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blk posted:I was wondering the other day what an essential AI reading list would look like (besides servie manuals). Post your ideas, I'll start with:
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Jul 9, 2014 09:13
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A programmable thermostat (I have a nest, but any good one will do) combined with switching to a peak plan (cheaper all day, expensive as gently caress from noon-1900) dropped my bill from 300+ during the summer to less than 200. It's low enough we "equalized" the monthly bill to 135. I have figured out that pre-cooling the house to 69/70 in the two hours before noon hits then letting it coast, when our normal temp is set to 76.
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Jul 9, 2014 10:09
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blk posted:I was wondering the other day what an essential AI reading list would look like (besides servie manuals). Post your ideas, I'll start with:
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Jul 9, 2014 10:26
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For the people with AC, supposing you didn't have AC what does the temperature actually get up to?
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Jul 9, 2014 10:51
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KozmoNaut posted:James May on Cars Legitimately better than all of Clarkson's literature (hah!) put together.
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Jul 9, 2014 10:55
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Geirskogul posted:A programmable thermostat (I have a nest, but any good one will do) combined with switching to a peak plan (cheaper all day, expensive as gently caress from noon-1900) dropped my bill from 300+ during the summer to less than 200. It's low enough we "equalized" the monthly bill to 135. I have figured out that pre-cooling the house to 69/70 in the two hours before noon hits then letting it coast, when our normal temp is set to 76. I've been leaning more toward TXU's "Free Nights" (free from 9pm to 6am) (and I also have a Nest, which is awesome, but all of the scheduling is disabled thanks to our random schedules) Unfortunately, the person in the house who pays the electric bill is a reseller for Ignite (along with many other MLM things), and incredibly aggressive about how fantastic MLM electricity plans are. We would be paying significantly less on TXU's free nights program - daytime kWh would be higher @ 13.9c/kWh (we pay 11.2 now), but seeing as we do the majority of our electricity usage at night - laundry, dishes, cooking (gas stove, but electric double wall oven - electric clothes dryer), halogen landscape lighting, turning the house into a deep freezer at night, it would make a lot more sense to, you know, actually use a peak plan. The people that are home during the day are usually asleep, and every single room in the house has some sort of fan. 2 bedrooms have 52" ceiling fans, living room has a 52" ceiling fan, every other room has a decent floor-standing fan. The a/c struggles to drop the house even 1 degree during the day, but I figure if it got cranked up to 76 during the day, and 72 at night (yay for 3 diabetics with high blood pressure under 1 roof), we would save a fortune with a free nights or other form of peak power plan. We already have a smart meter, so it'd be a few clicks on a website to switch. Reliant also has a free weekends program @ 13.9c/kWh. Not including facility or distribution charges. I thought electricity deregulation was supposed to make energy cheaper.  In Denton (city I used to live in, and would like to move back to), the city still owns the electric distribution. They give out free* CFL bulbs (bring in up to 4 regular bulbs, get 4 CFLs), and charge 5.86c/kWh in the summer (cheaper in the winter for the first 600 kWh) + $8.25 for a facility charge.freelop posted:For the people with AC, supposing you didn't have AC what does the temperature actually get up to? The last time ours broke down, the house was about 120-125F inside on a ~100F day in August (been a few years), with the garage hitting about 140. It was hot enough that the kitchen fridge couldn't keep up; milk/meats/etc had to be thrown out. It's been a very mild summer so far for us this year, but once we start hitting 100+ during the day and not dropping below 80 at night, the a/c will probably run 24/7 until September. The Nest will actually let us know just how bad it is, it's made our HVAC a lot more efficient (simply by running the fan for a minute after switching off the compressor has helped a lot - sucks the last bit of cold out of the coils). According to Nest, our AC ran 276 hours for June, and I fully expect the July report will show far more hours. Dark roof, poorly insulated walls and windows, poorly ventilated attic. We've added a lot of blown-in insulation since the last time it crapped. I'm perfectly comfortable driving my car with the windows down/sunroof open/ac off on the hottest of days, as long as I'm moving and it's not incredibly muggy. I really only turn it on if I'm in traffic, or if the car has been parked awhile. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Jul 9, 2014 |
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Jul 9, 2014 11:05
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Yuck that is some high heat. Over here it's rare to have aircon in houses (I've yet to meet anyone that does have it) Then again rainwater is generally cold already 
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Jul 9, 2014 12:27
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I'm in Phoenix, and having no AC in the beetle is killing me. I have the bucket swamp cooler (without which, I'd be dead already), but today it was 70 percent humidity, which is insane for a place that averages 8 percent during the summer.
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Jul 9, 2014 12:52
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7am, 81F (roughly 27C). We probably won't drop below 78 again until September or October, aside from random storms and tornadoes. Rainwater here is... hot. Not like boiling hot, but uncomfortable. I wear glasses; I can't wear them outside if it's raining in the summer, they instantly fog up. Geirskogul posted:I'm in Phoenix, and having no AC in the beetle is killing me. I have the bucket swamp cooler (without which, I'd be dead already), but today it was 70 percent humidity, which is insane for a place that averages 8 percent during the summer. You're so cute, complaining about 70%.  It's 81 with 58% right now, and that's at 7am!I do feel your pain though - I grew up in the desert (El Paso), which is more like 4-10% (which makes for a lot of fun static, especially with pets). I'm used to the humidity here (since I've been here since 1997), to the point that every time I go back to visit El Paso, it's nose bleed city for the entire visit. Also results in my claiming it's such a beautiful day when pops picked me up at the airport, while my dad calls me "loving crazy" and mentions it's 110. It honestly felt like high 80s in DFW.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Jul 9, 2014 |
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Jul 9, 2014 12:52
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On the road, the motorcycle diaries, and maybe fear and loathing in Las Vegas should be added to the AI reading list.
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Jul 9, 2014 14:19
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My biggest electric bill last year was ~$90. We built our house last year and did 2x6 construction with high rated blown in insulation. Since my wife is home with our daughter (and 38+ weeks pregnant right now) our thermostat is set at 70-71 degrees all day every day. 9 foot ceilings wherever it isn't vaulted, about 2060 square feet on the main level, the basement is the same square footage but it is not finished. It stays cold enough on its own. Edit: we live in salt lake so we regularly see high temps (upper 90's and days over 100) on a regular basis during summer.
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Jul 9, 2014 14:37
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KozmoNaut posted:
HST has got some magazine articles worth reading too. Song of the Sausage Creature is a must. STR, I have seen Clerks many times. This porn shop has no viewing booths. This one appeals mostly to beginners who want to buy their very first sex toy, women who want to buy naughty gifts for bachelorette parties, and regular customers who rent DVDs. It's not sketchy by any means, but it's not upscale either.
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Jul 9, 2014 15:22
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freelop posted:For the people with AC, supposing you didn't have AC what does the temperature actually get up to? 95-100. Which I could deal with if it wasn't 475% humidity all the time (I live next to a river).
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Jul 9, 2014 15:48
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Colin Furze has thought up his most ridiculous idea yet, the Fart@France project! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBj9KAPVGqs
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Jul 9, 2014 15:50
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I get pissy when the humidity is over 20%. 90% humidity, and 95* in Pasadena this week. No a/c in the house either. I'm ready to go back to the sand. Swamp rear end? Nope. Niagara falls rear end.
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Jul 9, 2014 15:51
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cursedshitbox posted:I get pissy when the humidity is over 20%. Come to the northeast and you can experience this every day for several months in the summer. Makes me glad I work in an air conditioned office + shop these days. 
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Jul 9, 2014 16:21
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For comparison, in Phoenix the AC drains drip into the gutters. In the NE and PacNW, AC drains are tied into the sewer.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:34
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Geirskogul posted:For comparison, in Phoenix the AC drains drip into the gutters. In the NE and PacNW, AC drains are tied into the sewer. That's by jurisdiction, and I can assure you that putting a condensate drain into the public sewer is not allowed (and hasn't been for decades) around here. Some people still have condensate going into their weeping tile, which is tied to the public sewer. That is also no longer allowed.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:36
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Geirskogul posted:For comparison, in Phoenix the AC drains drip into the gutters. In the NE and PacNW, AC drains are tied into the sewer. what the gently caress?!
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Jul 9, 2014 16:43
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gently caress every piece of loving poo poo vendor ever. I am so loving tired of people with business where I am TRYING to give them money and they are doing every single loving thing they can to make it difficult. Dollars go in, good or service goes out. HOW loving DIFFICULT IS THAT TO UNDERSTAND. I am so glad I don't do RFQs for a living because I'd probably shoot myself.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:49
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mafoose posted:When I first moved here the monsoon rains were so strong that major roads became rivers That's more to do with the fact that most of Tucson was built with zero mind for drainage. I distinctly remember a big storm in what would've probably been 2003, driving up Euclid towards Sixth and hearing standing water slapping against the floorboards of my GMC while waiting at a light. Though a proper monsoon is loving awesome. I haven't gotten any real rain yet up here, just lots of wind and thunder. Motronic posted:That's by jurisdiction, I think the point was that the amount of condensate an A/C unit in Phoenix makes is roughly fuckall. 
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Jul 9, 2014 16:50
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Welp, that was shot down quickly. I was just going by what I've seen, and I was trying to say it was because of the volume of condensate in high humidity areas. When my parents got AC in 2006 in Idaho, it was tied to the sewer, same with two families homes in the northeast. I don't know exactly why they did that, though.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:51
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kastein posted:Come to the northeast and you can experience this every day for several months in the summer. The only problem for me is that they tend to turn the air conditioning up too high and I end up wearing a hoodie in the middle of the summer
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Jul 9, 2014 16:52
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mariooncrack posted:The only problem for me is that they tend to turn the air conditioning up too high and I end up wearing a hoodie in the middle of the summer I'm happy in jeans and a tshirt anywhere from 50 to 75 degrees, so I mostly don't even notice. If I'm actually moving around and doing something other than computering, make that 35 to 65 degrees.
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Jul 9, 2014 16:57
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Geirskogul posted:Welp, that was shot down quickly. I was just going by what I've seen, and I was trying to say it was because of the volume of condensate in high humidity areas. When my parents got AC in 2006 in Idaho, it was tied to the sewer, same with two families homes in the northeast. I don't know exactly why they did that, though. Except if anything, it's the exact opposite (current code) because of the volume of condensate. The sewer authority doesn't want you putting things down the sewer they they aren't getting paid for. And they typically get paid based on how much water you use. Besides, the amount of condensate you can produce even on the hottest and most humid day is drat near nothing compared to gutter output during even a light rain storm so it's really not a big deal to drop on the ground or into your weeping tile.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:12
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Geirskogul posted:For comparison, in Phoenix the AC drains drip into the gutters. In the NE and PacNW, AC drains are tied into the sewer. hahaha AC in PacNW? Why do you think we all bitch when it gets above 80 outside? No one has AC except in their cars or maybe office buildings. mariooncrack posted:The only problem for me is that they tend to turn the air conditioning up too high and I end up wearing a hoodie in the middle of the summer I had that problem at one of my old offices. It was cold enough that my hands were going numb and my coworkers would come outside with my when I smoked to warm up.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:16
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Multiquoting on the phone sucks so I hope I don't miss anything. Highest bill so far was $125, which is comparable to my old place where the swamp cooler ran 24/7 on high ($70-90 electrical bill, and about $30-40 increase in water bill). House is 1300sqft with a 2.5 ton AC unit/heatpump, vaulted ceilings in every room, all recent double pane windows, and what appears to be original fiberglass insulation in the crawlspace. I bought the fancy Honeywell programmable, mostly because a 3 degree temp swing sucks, but I sure wish it tracked as much data as the nest. The house will be at 85° by around 1030am if I let it, which is what we keep it at when no one is home. I think it hasn't been super expensive because I keep it at 78 when I'm home, 77 when the girl is home, and 76 when we have guests over. The master bedroom and living room have some really nice fans that make a huge difference. Another thing that helps is in the old house, we struggled to be under 85° during the monsoons, and it was incredibly sticky inside the house, so for me 78° feels comfortable. Another thing I love about AC is our chips and snacks last soooo much longer without getting stale. I need to insulate the garage though, as it gets disgusting in there. The ceiling is uninsulated and neither is the garage door. We've got a same as cash home depot offer that I think I'm going to use to buy a swamp cooler and put it on wheels for the garage.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:17
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mafoose posted:Another thing I love about AC is our chips and snacks last soooo much longer without getting stale. I need to insulate the garage though, as it gets disgusting in there. The ceiling is uninsulated and neither is the garage door. We've got a same as cash home depot offer that I think I'm going to use to buy a swamp cooler and put it on wheels for the garage. Those two things don't usually go together. If you are in a high humidity area (which is sounds like it if if you're getting bendy snacks without AC) a swamp cooler is going to be pretty inefficient.
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Jul 9, 2014 17:41
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Oh man, this week is turning out awesome.
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Jul 9, 2014 18:11
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Motronic posted:Those two things don't usually go together. If you are in a high humidity area (which is sounds like it if if you're getting bendy snacks without AC) a swamp cooler is going to be pretty inefficient. I'm in Tucson AZ, except for monsoon season, it is stupid dry out here. If I had a choice I'd have an AC system and evap cooler for the house. In the spring and fall, basically when it is still under 100° with low humidity, they work magnificently.
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Jul 9, 2014 18:35
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Negromancer posted:hahaha AC in PacNW? Why do you think we all bitch when it gets above 80 outside? No one has AC except in their cars or maybe office buildings. We found it useful for about three/four months out of the year. The pacific northwest has hotter areas, and just plain humid areas where AC being used for dehumidifying instead of just cooling, are both very useful. Queen_Combat fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Jul 9, 2014 |
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Jul 9, 2014 19:03
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Geirskogul posted:Welp, that was shot down quickly. If I ever wanted to know more about a topic in AI I would just post something wrong about it and wait for Motronic to swoop down on the post like a falcon.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:04
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Well, at least the three times I saw it done to sewer (not to a vent, but to a drain or direct) there was always a trap or loop so the sewer gases didn't vent up into the whatever-you-call-it (air handler?). Rednecking, but high-class rednecking.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:21
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The Royal Nonesuch posted:Disclaimer: its been probably 8 years since I've hosed around with web hosting, but I used to run a site or two for my friends which usually wound up being image/doc hosts for us. What sucks is that I'm finding out it's expired after the fact. So re-hosting is a given, and the only benefit now to registering his domain would be to restore pictures to my archived threads that I can't edit. I already got a new offer of hosting from another friend so it's basically taken care of now, short of me editing my live threads to point to the new server. Thanks for the advice, I still might do it to reactivate the old threads. Uploading doesn't take all that long. And swedespeed never archives, and I have mirror threads over there for all my projects. I might edit my posts in the project tracking thread to point to the swedespeed threads, that'd at least give anyone looking for my old poo poo a place to see it.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:38
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What really sucks is when it expires and some scumbag company swoops in and registers it before you can, then tries to extort 3 figures from you to get it back. Fortunately I've never had this happen to a domain I cared about. Another tip - once you get the domain, you can find out exactly which images you actually need to restore by looking through apache's (assuming here) access.log for 404'd requests that end in jpg/png/etc. Then just restore those files.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:53
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Geirskogul posted:For comparison, in Phoenix the AC drains drip into the gutters. In the NE and PacNW, AC drains are tied into the sewer. NE yeah, but in the PNW when it's hot enough to need AC, it's also bone dry. We maybe get one or two days in a year where it's warm and humid. Normally it's either warm/dry or cold/wet, no real mixing of the two conditions. My wife, coming from upstate NY, loves how dry the summers are here.
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Jul 9, 2014 19:57
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HotCanadianChick posted:NE yeah, but in the PNW when it's hot enough to need AC, it's also bone dry. We maybe get one or two days in a year where it's warm and humid. Normally it's either warm/dry or cold/wet, no real mixing of the two conditions. My wife, coming from upstate NY, loves how dry the summers are here. Geirskogul posted:We found it useful for about three/four months out of the year. The pacific northwest has hotter areas, and just plain humid areas where AC being used for dehumidifying instead of just cooling, are both very useful. I lived in western Idaho until I was 24. Both of us can be correct - you just can't say "it's always" or "it's never."
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Jul 9, 2014 20:08
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Ew, Idaho  my step-dad is from Boise, but I've still never seen it get as bad there as someplace like Florida or Mississippi
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Jul 9, 2014 20:31
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Ah. Southern Idaho. That's your problem . (it never gets as bad as FL or MS, but it can still get pretty bad with the rockies/salish mountains grabbing weather before it heads east).
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Jul 9, 2014 20:38
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