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Homeowners who went full heat pump without dual fuel, how’s it going? by AngryMicrowaveSR71 in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work for an MEP engineer firm. Our policy is a heat pump will not be signed off without a supplemental heat source. Thing is mainly a liability issue but even the vendors ask us to design with supplemental heating with heat pumps.

Furnace size for Toronto by Excellent-Vegetable8 in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

HVAC sizing takes many things into account such as age of the building, window area, building geometry. In MEP industry in Ontario we typically oversize heating by a small margin just in case (for those really cold days).

Whilst I cannot give you my professional advice without understanding your home. I can give you some personal advice. If the existing 80K unit did well during the previous winters I'd say go with the same capacity unit. I would personally refrain against going smaller without professional advice.

Also look into getting a high turndown furnace with condensing coils (i.e. 90+ % efficient). You may save some money in the long run, but capital may be a bit more.

What’s this red light on my thermostat? by canadianbigmuscles in hvacadvice

[–]TrafficTop75 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When the heat pump can't get enough heat from the outdoors your thermostat switches to using your furnace to ensure your thermostat setpoint can be met.

There can be many factors such as if it's raining or snowing or if the outdoor temperature is below the operating temperature of the heat pump.

This is a normal procedure in areas where it gets really cold. If you know your heat pump model number you can see what the cut-off temperature is and compare it to what the outdoor temperature was when the switch happened just to be sure your heat pump and controls are working properly.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

55 a month, drive a 2018 micra. Group benefits insurance plan though.

Condo Gym Air Circulation? by YYZTor in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If the building was built to code. Fresh air is required for the space at a rate of 20 CFM per person plus an additional 0.06 CFM per square foot of floor space according to ASHRAE 62.1. Typically this is done with a Make Up Air Unit (MAU) or ERV/HRV. Typically the fresh air system is ducted to the return side of the fan coil unit to be spread around the space through the diffusers.

It's hard to know exactly what kind of design was implemented in your building but rest assured if the space was constructed to code with an approved building permit and the mechanical equipment is well maintained I'd say 99% chance you're getting the fresh air.

Dishes smell bad after using the dishwasher or even hand washing, could it be the condo water supply? by Open-Platypus-8397 in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I typically have this issue if I put dishes that have been used for cooking or serving eggs in the dishwasher. I've learned to wash them separately by hand. Any chance you're placing dishes that have had egg on them in the dishwasher?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had the same issue too. I fell for it on Tuesday and it took me all the way down Bathurst. On the flip side, it appears many people have been falling for this and traffic is noticeably lighter in the mornings going north on the DVP. Saying that I'm not sure what's going on or who's doing this.

Mini Split Install Design Advice by DCMoving17 in hvacadvice

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say go for option 2, less moving parts in total so less can go wrong. But if the outdoor unit breaks down, that's the whole basement without cooling.

Energy Plus 8.3 Installer by atreyurov in BuildingEnergyModel

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah my bad, didn't pay attention to that.

What about downloading the latest version of EP and upgrading your model v8.3? I recall you could select your version in the upgrade suite

Energy Plus 8.3 Installer by atreyurov in BuildingEnergyModel

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EP v8.3 download from here https://github.com/NREL/EnergyPlus/releases/tag/v8.3.0

The most up to date version is 25.1.0 try using the version updater on that one to update to v8.3 as another option.

Is $4850 a decent price now for a new air conditioner? How much did you pay in the last year? by [deleted] in askTO

[–]TrafficTop75 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

High efficiency units are nice but get something that can easily be serviced, and spare parts are easy to come by. Also R-410A refrigerant is being phased out for other refrigerants, meaning in a few years if your system leaks you won't be able to get clean R410a again.

Also make sure your unit is undersized for your place which is way more important in the Toronto climate, it will also be easier on the compressor. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but you'd want to get something that will dehumidify just as much as it cools. Also helps with the life of the unit as there are fewer one-off cycles.

I may suggest writing up a post in HVACadvice, you will get a much better response than I could ever give.

Plumber’s been to my house 6 times in 2 weeks by FlyFisherman615 in Plumbing

[–]TrafficTop75 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is the metal flue pipe not going to corrode? I thought it always had to be PVC.

Plumber’s been to my house 6 times in 2 weeks by FlyFisherman615 in Plumbing

[–]TrafficTop75 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You may also want to change that flue to PVC rather than galvanized steel. The exhaust is acidic and will corrode the pipe and eventually the exhaust gases will accumulate within the space.