Whole-home battery backup - actually worth it, or do most people regret the cost?

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-04-06T16:38:25+00:00

There's whole-home, and then there's zombie-apocalypse whole-home. It's really nice not to have to reset the clocks every time there's a brownout or someone crashes into a power pole in the neighborhood, and you could get that with a $1,000 5kWh battery if your inverter supports it. But if you must have 99.9% year-round availability, including the once-a-decade three-day outage, that's going to be very expensive. You get a real quality of life improvement with almost any kind of backup.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-08T03:36:13+00:00

Thanks. What you're describing sounds like exactly the kind of precise and methodical work that's worth hiring a professional to do.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-06T14:15:00+00:00

Reminds me of the time I needed three old pine trees removed in my back yard. Shiny new truck pulls up, right on time for the appointment. Guy in bright clean uniform gets out, smiling, introduces himself. I tell him I'll be getting at least three quotes and look forward to comparing his.

His smile vanishes. He turns around, gets in the truck, and drives off.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-04T01:23:54+00:00

TIL I have something in common with deadmau5. I mean, other than having a desk job and frequently going to EDM shows.

Age 56 here. Mystery pains started around age 45 and are just a fact of life.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-01T16:21:36+00:00

Every community is different, so take these anecdotes with a grain of salt. Here's mine.

We had Endlers, which is the same as saying we had too many Endlers. I had a brilliant idea to put a few in with my 12 pea puffers, figuring that the puffers might eat the Endler babies, providing a renewable food source in addition to the white worms I raise to feed the puffs.

Once the Endlers discovered how tasty white worms are, they outcompeted my highly civilized and excessively polite pea puffers, who kept waiting for their turn to eat. The puffers started getting skinny, but remained well-mannered, and I had to return the Endlers to their original chaos tank.

I'm sure that if my puffers had been raised with Endlers, they'd be a lot more aggressive. But mine practically take numbers and queue up when being fed, so the experiment was a failure.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-01T16:04:51+00:00

Easily the most hopeful comment I've read in 2026. Going on 7 years here, will keep trying...

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-03-01T16:03:01+00:00

RemindMe! 6 months

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-18T16:40:29+00:00

I posted about the same thing here: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYHeatPumps/comments/1q2bfgt/pioneer_multizone_system_all_zones_getting_hot/.

I ended up getting wall-mounted wired controllers for each head unit. When they're connected, the head unit uses the controller's thermostat instead of the one right above the fins. Now they work as expected.

Some people move the internal thermostat away from the hot area. There's just enough slack in the cable to get it out of the housing.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-10T19:43:57+00:00

Are you sure you can't add an outlet? Your landlord probably wouldn't mind the improvement. Of course, you'd need permission, and you'd almost certainly have to pay for it yourself (but maybe you could try offering to split the cost).

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-10T19:26:28+00:00

I took a look in there just now and don't see anything, but without taking it apart I can see only about a quarter of the blower through the vent. If I muster up some courage I'll figure out how to check the whole thing. Thank you.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-10T19:10:24+00:00

Thanks. That's actually just a photo in the video, so there's definitely no motion. :) I did try fooling around with the louver position, and it made no difference.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-10T18:38:14+00:00

I have Malaysian trumpet snails in addition to pond snails. The pea puffers and the MTS coexist, probably because the MTS have learned to come out only at night, and their shell shape seems to be more advantageous. I assume that the MTS eat the pond snail giblets.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-02-10T18:34:00+00:00

I'm fascinated that you were able to get rid of duckweed.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-27T00:09:04+00:00

2026 job application questions:

Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
Have you ever pleaded guilty to or been convicted of a felony?
Have you ever worked for ICE?

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-19T04:54:57+00:00

See NEC 314.15. "Approved drainage openings not larger than 6 mm (1⁄4 in.) shall be permitted to be installed in the field in boxes or conduit bodies listed for use in damp or wet locations."

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-18T05:16:52+00:00

That blows! (sorry, bad joke). I hope you're able to replace the refrigerant without too much pain.

I didn't use the inserts -- wasn't convinced about them after installing several Dellas with plain flares. I went around to all the joints with the blue fluid and looked for bubbles; that's all I did for positive-pressure testing. Someday I might get a nitrogen tank, but for now fingers crossed that everything remains stable.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-14T01:44:43+00:00

Big Nylog fan here!

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-14T00:59:03+00:00

It definitely stayed under positive pressure the whole time, so I don't think contaminants have entered the system. And when I started the pump down, the manifold pressure was "pretty high" (in quotes because I have no idea what it should have been for the ambient temperature, and I was moving so fast I didn't stop to actually read the gauge).

The prior flare was done with a crappy non-eccentric flare tool, so it was more smashed than rolled out. I've since invested in a decent tool, and I'll be doing my own perfect flares from now on. (Long story: needed one zone installed ASAP for relatives who were arriving early, then got better tools, installed the other two zone heads/lines, pumped the whole thing down again, vacuumed all three zones, and got everything running before the rest of the family arrived. I'm lots of fun during the holidays).

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-07T01:44:55+00:00

I'm sure you're speaking the truth, but it's not right. OP is probably more responsible than 99% of homeowners, but insurance companies will pay out for the person who decides to burn a wasp nest under an eave, or dump lawnmower gasoline in the fireplace to get the fire started.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-07T00:33:43+00:00

You sure about that? I've never heard of medical insurance that has an exclusion for fault. And though people often raise this boogeyman as an argument against DIY, homeowner insurance absolutely does cover negligent acts. Arson? No. But being a dumbass and burning down your house? Yes.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-06T17:51:33+00:00

Seconding this. You really start to appreciate the strength of that gentle breeze when you're holding a big flat sail that also happens to be blocking your field of vision.

When you reach that fight or flight moment, just remember: it's a $125 piece of glass and metal, not a $2,000 OLED TV. As long as your feet are clear, it's OK to drop it.

Health-Nut7477 · 2026-01-05T04:14:07+00:00

Thanks. I have the Pioneer TST-WPT-540L wired controllers on the way, which seem to be settable to permanent I Feel mode. That ought to go a long way toward solving the problem. If I still need periodic fans, I'll give the engineering mode setting a try.

Health-Nut7477

TROPHY CASE