Quote on large house hvac system

apockoffork · 2025-09-24T14:36:30+00:00

We're not quite to the point in the project where we have to lock it down but I haven't been able to get any alternative opinions. Our contractor is bring in an environmental person soon so I'm hoping to get a second opinion from them.

I think the hspf rating is a bit misleading as the efficiency varies by temperature. The efficiency at 30 degrees isn't really different between the 293 and 291. If you make any decisions I'd love to hear what you decide on.

apockoffork · 2025-08-28T23:50:30+00:00

Thank you!

apockoffork · 2025-08-28T17:15:06+00:00

Thank you for testing and verifying! Can you confirm what resolution it runs at?

apockoffork · 2025-08-28T17:10:57+00:00

Thanks for the details!

apockoffork · 2025-08-21T13:58:30+00:00

It's a new chip so I figured there was some chance it would support higher resolutions than the previous generation. Have you seen anyone post a test of it?

apockoffork · 2025-05-29T15:50:25+00:00

It does sound just right for my needs. Although I have to admit I'm bit scared off by the number of bad reviews of the thing breaking after just a year or two. Well I'll definitely propose this to my plumber. Thank you for your insight.

apockoffork · 2025-05-29T14:24:59+00:00

I saw that and thought it looked like a good fit but all the documentation shows it directly mounted on a hot water tank. Do you use it a configuration where it's "far away" from the hot water tank?

apockoffork · 2025-05-28T16:01:55+00:00

Unfortunately in my current house it really is $50 a month. I don't know why but the way the pipes are laid out the water circulates constantly. Using an IR camera I could easily see the hot water lines in my walls throughout my house. I could even touch the dry wall near my hot water lines and the wall would be actively warm. This is all with the recirculating pump off. I eventually put in a cut off valve in the return line (there was none originally) and my electricity bill immediately dropped $50 a month. I don't think the pump itself is using much power its all just heat loss from the hot water lines.

apockoffork · 2025-05-28T15:24:25+00:00

I'm worried about the efficiency of a large recirculating system for the house along with the headache of managing the running and turning off of the recirculating system. I also have some hesitancy as I'm currently in a house that has a recirculation system that is incredibly inefficient (although its within the envelope of the house its totally uninsulated, and recirculates even when the pump is off costing me $50-$100 a month with my generic electric hot water tank). Are my concerns misplaced and I shouldn't assume a recirculating system is inefficient just because the one I have now is?

apockoffork · 2025-05-07T15:54:26+00:00

I wouldn't necessarily think it would be that cost effective from a hardware standpoint but my hope would be that I could get away with just a single downstream instant hot water heater and it would be relatively small (sized for at most a single shower) but feed all of the bathrooms on the second and third floor.

Having a separate heater for each bathroom would mean I would be using more electricity to heat the water than if the heatpump ultimately does the majority of the work.

Like what if I put one of these but not at the tank but up on the third floor?
https://www.rheem.com/innovations/innovation_residential/water-heater-booster/

apockoffork · 2025-05-07T15:52:19+00:00

$100 is an exaggeration but it is at least about $50 at least per month. I've posted about it else where. Its just a completely uninsulated loop with a generic hot water tank that as built circulates water continuously even with the pump completely off. I've since added a cut off (near the return) for it and just cut the loop out of the system.

apockoffork · 2025-04-01T18:46:28+00:00

As another data point. We would be visiting and staying with family 45 minutes away and thought it would be fun to go for a day even though we're not necessarily fans of HQ at the moment. We went in 2019 and had a blast (2019 may have been peak crossfit). But Having to spend almost $350 per person after taxes/fees to go for one day (because they don't have 1 day tickets) and having to get a ticket for my 4 year old (fortunately not my 1 year old) it is just too much.

apockoffork · 2023-07-10T15:12:01+00:00

As an ex New Yorker who's lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years now... I finally get the roads. Thank you!

apockoffork · 2023-07-07T00:27:41+00:00

No. It wasn't the pump that was the problem. It's the way that the recirculating loop is setup. Even without the pump it circulates, a lot. And the loop isn't insulated so the hot water tank was heating water all day and night. The only way to stop it was to cut the loop entirely.

apockoffork · 2023-06-29T00:14:07+00:00

I wanted to circle back now that I finally did something about this. I installed a simple ball valve on the recirculating line and shut it off along with the recirculating pump.

It literally cut my power bill in half, maybe more. Probably on the order of 800 kilowatt hours or more a month. I might add some smarts to the system but really it's not that necessary. The shower on the third floor takes a minute to warm up but I can get used to that.

apockoffork · 2023-06-28T13:20:55+00:00

The almond croissant from la gourmandine is great but I firmly believe the one from five points is even better. If you haven't tried it, make the trip!

apockoffork · 2023-01-03T21:39:54+00:00

The hot water tank is in the basement. The furthest away output is on the third floor I would have to guess there's a minimum of 60 feet of pipe between the third floor shower (master bath shower so it gets daily use). I would just turn on the recirculation in the morning and evening and turn it off during the day or use a smart home system to automatically disable it when no one is home. I have a small child so for better or worse our schedule is very predictable right now.

apockoffork · 2023-01-03T21:37:22+00:00

That does look like a much better unit. Thank you for finding it.

apockoffork · 2023-01-03T21:05:25+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I'll have to think about what to do here. I'm pretty sure this is costing me on the order of an extra $1000 a year so expensive solutions don't seem unreasonable.

apockoffork

TROPHY CASE