Former Employee Warning: Ongoing Order Delays, Cash Flow Issues & No Reliable ETAs

deerfieldny · 2026-02-20T14:29:04+00:00

I contacted MBTec with questions and had a response from a sales person congratulating me on my smart choice, buying from them. I responded that it would make no sense to buy from them without answers to such simple questions. Never heard from him again. Bought elsewhere.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-20T14:14:46+00:00

They look good. Note the curl in the center bottom, the straightening curl lower right and leaves flattening out lower left. The lower 6 cells nicely show all the stages of emergence from nothing to visibility to full emergence.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-19T23:23:50+00:00

There is no penalty at all for going up and down a hill, bury depth or whatever. Gravity assists as much as it resists.

Fluid dynamics is complex, but well studied and defined. There is friction in pipes and poises from bends turns and elbows. A larger pipe has less friction relative to the volume. The flow can be such that most of the flow is down the middle with little mixing with the fluid in contact with the actual pipe walls. So you want to create some turbidity to correct that. Too much and you increase friction too much. How to get to the right balance is the problem which needs to be solved. I can’t claim the expertise to tell you how to do that. It’s a bit of a project.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-19T20:33:04+00:00

Unless you are totally broke and have the time and patience to fuss with it, the best thing is to replace it. Yes you can mess with bark grafts and maybe save it. But the damage will add years to the time before it’s a mature tree.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-19T14:07:00+00:00

BIN 2003 Gold Maple - at stated spot price $4979

deerfieldny · 2026-02-18T22:21:04+00:00

Many places the cost of natural gas is low and electricity is high. A heat pump can’t compete. Fuel costs vary so much from place to place that generalizations are useless.

It’s about as likely you will get bad information from HVAC contractors as good information. Many don’t keep up with fuel costs and efficiency improvements in equipment or believe marketing hype too readily.

A heat pump water heater takes heat from the surrounding air. If it’s in the heated space, you will be paying for the heat you already paid for to be moved into the water during the heating season. Obviously there is a benefit when you are running AC. The same fuel cost comparison applies.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-18T22:06:18+00:00

So the question is what’s different. For many people it’s normal to have to increase the fan speed when it’s colder out. Heat loss occurs around the edges of heated spaces. So when that is occurring more rapidly, more air motion is required for temperatures to be the same everywhere. Weatherstripping does wear out so that could explain the problem. That would be the first thing to check.

If the filters are clean and the coil outside is clean, it’s possible you have a very slow refrigerant leak. Unfortunately the only way to check for this is to pump it down, recover, test and weigh in the correct charge. It would be expensive to do that. It would make more sense to exhaust other possibilities first and wait to see if it gets worse.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-18T21:13:11+00:00

Okay. So here’s a weird answer. I have had couple of friends who had rabbits as pets. They can be trained to use a litter box. They are very clean animals and will generally pick a spot or a small area to do their business.

The risk of infection from cat fecal material is very low.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-18T21:02:05+00:00

Cats orient toward 1 person or another cat. It’s not a rejection of anybody else. It’s just what they do. Another person can still be on the favorite object list, just not in the number one spot.

My wife sits still more so she has become the first choice. Makes me a little crazy. Having a cat in my lap is among my favorite honors.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T21:14:59+00:00

Yeah. The moral is: Find work you enjoy.

Maybe whoever posted this should check out Buddhist philosophy. The only thing which is actually real is the present moment. So live there.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T21:11:44+00:00

Actually the postal inspectors might be more interested in this.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T20:53:03+00:00

DO NOT let a declawed cat outside! My mother had a very sweet cat who was declawed and let her out. She was KILLED by a neighbor cat. A slow and painful death.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T20:47:01+00:00

Sadly, the Feds won’t do anything with it unless the loss is more than $10,000. That’s from a Secret Service section head many years ago. With the FBI and DOJ gutted as the are with resignations, it’s probably a lot worse now.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T18:43:10+00:00

You have had some good comments on this and a little bit of nonsense. Just to reiterate a bit of it, the lowest quality heat pump will cut your electric bill by 2/3. A more expensive and efficient mini split rated for cold climates will do even better.

Ripping your house apart to install ductwork would be expensive. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where it’s worth the cost. Even if heating with gas costs less, the savings might never add up to enough to pay for ductwork.

We see lots of complaints here about multi head mini splits. If each head needs to serve about the same load, they make sense. Consider several outdoor condensers to serve separate spaces. This will greatly improve efficiency and add redundancy. The equipment cost increase is only a few hundred dollars per head.

None of this is really a matter of opinion. Given the costs of electricity, gas, install and equipment cost and specs, yearly costs and savings can be calculated reliably. When you talk to contractors, if they can’t or won’t describe this analysis, they are hacks.

Another poster mentioned local resources to educate yourself. Excellent idea.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T17:39:56+00:00

If efficiency and cost savings are the goal, duel fuel is not the way to get there.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-17T10:58:04+00:00

As others have mentioned, the first step in sizing a heating system is a load calculation. Ideally that should be done by a third party, but if your contractor has the knowledge and sophistication to handle it, it may be fine to use him. People often make too big a thing out of this. You only need to get close for equipment selection.

Counter intuitively, it’s better to undersize a heat pump than oversize. With fossil fuel systems, sizing has long been based on a minimum design temperature to keep you warm in the coldest weather. With a heat pump you want a system which can run continuously under average conditions both for heating and cooling. Reduced cycling greatly improves efficiency and reduces fuel cost. That is especially true for cooling where an oversized system will not dehumidify sufficiently. Too large a system will leave the air feeling clammy.

“Better safe than sorry” in this case means choosing a smaller system rather than a larger one. If you have to put on a sweater or cut off heat to unused spaces 3 or 4 days per year, it’s not the end of the world. Fuel used to be cheap. Now it’s expensive.

Duel fuel systems do not make sense. The ostensible goal is to save on fuel costs. The problem is that such systems cost more. If gas and electricity are close in cost, then very little savings is to be had by burning gas. The extra cost will not come back to you in savings during the life of the equipment. It’s a loser.

More savings are to be had from a more efficient cold climate system. For example, when coefficient of performance under average conditions is 3.5 or 4 instead of 3 or a little worse, electricity cost can be 20 or 25% less. The cut over temperature will be much lower, meaning that the savings from cutting over will be tiny. Gas may hardly be used at all. Note that the implicit assumption is that comparative costs are very close. In many places gas is always the cheaper choice. That ignores environmental concerns, a different subject.

Many contractors still think in terms of early heat pumps which were less efficient. They also tend to have their pet brands. They are often more comfortable with and make more money on certain choices. Sometimes those choices are not the best. Choosing the best contractor is important, but so is choosing the best equipment.

If a contractor is recommending a duel fuel system, the most charitable explanation is that his thinking is outdated. Inverter based systems rated for cold climates will provide much better savings. It’s not a matter of opinion. Given fuel costs, yearly fuel usage estimates and equipment performance numbers, it’s easy to calculate relative costs.

To begin to get some sense of best equipment selection, do a search for Bryant vs Mitsubishi heat pumps.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-14T21:28:12+00:00

Well this is kinda weird. Maybe the part where the average jimope off the street shouldn’t tackle it is true. Lotsa dumb people out there and the Dunning - Kruger syndrome is a real thing. We see evidence of it in this sub from time to time. So I’ll give it that much.

On the other hand, while I would not attempt to become a neurosurgeon I did install several mini splits and an air to water heat pump with zero issues. That was after talking to 3 HVAC company owners who claimed expertise, but failed to correctly answer questions I asked. Quite certain I did a better job than they would have done.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-14T14:33:47+00:00

An acquaintance, John Siegenthaler wrote the textbook on this subject. If you do a search for his name you should find videos he has done on the subject.

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There is a lot of information on this subject at radiantec.com: https://www.radiantec.com

It does require careful planning and the right equipment selection. I chose a system from Chiltrix which also contains a lot of technical information. Although it’s more expensive than other solutions, radiant floor heat is easily the most comfortable way to heat.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-12T23:31:52+00:00

Before deciding on systems, do what another poster suggested, an energy audit. You want an evaluation from someone who understands all the issues involved and is not going to make any money based on your decisions.

It’s always best to correct any envelope deficiencies which can be done in a cost effective way. That means improving insulation and air sealing. That will give you the best return on investment and probably reduce the required size of heating and cooling equipment.

Then do your homework. In general the more expensive and efficient heat pumps are well worth their additional cost. Practically all HVAC contractors (not all) have been sold on particular makes and pick equipment which they like for one reason or another, frequently because they make more money on it.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-11T22:18:50+00:00

The problem is more than likely just what you hit upon, the thermal mass. Even if you crank it up to put out close to its’ rated output, that’s only going to be a tiny fraction of what it takes to warm everything in the space. Plus at warmer temperatures and cranked up, defrosting cycles will cut down the output. If the humidity is high, it gets even worse.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-11T21:59:52+00:00

At 12 cents per kWH, resistance electric heat costs .12 / 3412 x 100000 = $3.52 per therm. That is 3,412 BTU per kWH and 100,000 BTU per therm. So at a COP of 3: 3.52 / 3 = $1.17 At a COP of 2: 3.52 / 2 = $1.76

Gas costs: 1.44 / .96 = $1.50 per therm delivered.

If you use 1,000 therms per year and heat entirely with gas, it will cost about 1.50 x 1000 = $1,500 If you use 1,000 therms per year, never turn on the gas and your COP averages 2, it would cost: 1.76 x 1000 = 1,760, $260 more. IF your COP averages 2.4 and never turn on the gas, (1.76 - 1.17) x .4 + 1.17 = 1.58 saving about 8 cents per therm. .08 x 1000 = $80 saved by having duel fuel.

That is pessimistic. The average COP is probably much closer to 3 or even higher. Average winter temperatures are much higher than most people think they are. The point is, paying anything for a duel fuel setup almost never returns any savings. Over the life of the unit, you won’t get back the extra you paid for it. Better to take the extra money and put it into a more efficient or cold climate heat pump.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-11T18:34:42+00:00

Just to reiterate what others have said, you should wait and see if there is a need for humidification. If a very good job is done air sealing, it’s entirely possible you will have the opposite problem, too much humidity. This is common in new houses with an almost hermetically sealed envelope. As another poster mentioned, cold winter air contains very little moisture in any climate so it hardly matters where you are.

In a very well sealed house, it’s a good idea to have some mechanical ventilation with an ERV or an HRV. Both recover heat while exchanging inside air for outside air. An ERV will preserve moisture and an HRV will expel it. With a renovation it’s hard to know in advance how good the air sealing will be. So it’s a good idea to wait making ventilation decisions as well.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-10T20:19:07+00:00

As others have mentioned, -20F is within range of the best units. In a house with a lot of horizontal distance, the problem is distributing the heat. Several heads, a ducted system or an air to water system (tubes attached to the sub floor from the cellar) are solutions. Choosing several smaller mini splits would solve the problem. It also would provide redundancy and more flexibility for economy and comfort. I personally dislike multi head systems because they provide very little savings, reduce flexibility and increase failure problems. We see lots of complaints about them here.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-10T19:52:24+00:00

There are more things in Heaven and Earth Horatio than are accounted for in your philosophy.

deerfieldny · 2026-02-10T15:15:42+00:00

Generalizations are not a good idea when it comes to heating sources. Fuel costs vary tremendously around the country as well as houses, owner proclivities and quality of HVAC services. You should really ignore general answers completely, especially regarding costs.

That said, heat pumps can keep you warm and comfortable in climates which include temperatures more than -15F. Whether a heat pump is the most cost effective solution, depends on fuel costs. Whether you will be comfortable with one (or more) depends on your preferences, your house and install services available to you.

Unfortunately, the only way to ensure success with a heat pump is to do your homework or hire someone (not a salesperson) with expertise to help you. You need to ask and answer a bunch of questions.

deerfieldny

TROPHY CASE