cchilton1999 asked:


We have a Ruud gas furnance. In the past we have used geothermal. This is the first time we have used the A/C after in the spring. Last fall we turned the pilot light on. I have never had gas heat before and know very little about it. The A/C does not cool our house.

ADHD

Rainbow asked:


I have a turnkey panoramic lake view home for sale. The price is way under what we have put into it, yet no bites. I assume it is because it is rural. How can I get the word out(without a realtor) that my home is worth a look? We need to sell fast because my husband is sick and can not live at the 4000 elevation.

For Sale By Owner

Stephanie Larkin asked:


Rising oil prices should no longer be a shock to anyone. The fear and trepidation of the uncertainty about how high they will climb is common. Planning for ways to reduce our reliability on fossil fuels is the logical next step. For those who live in the northern half of the northern hemisphere heating the home is a major concern.

Pellet stoves may be the answer for many folks. The pellet stove offers a low-cost fuel with very little mess. Unlike oil, propane, and natural gas it is not directly affected by the rising oil prices. It also does not have the mess factor associated with regular wood and coal burning stoves. Installation is fairly simple and the cost-benefit ratio is very good.

Pellet stoves cost between $800, for a low-end, basic model, and over $3000 for a more decorative, or larger model. The pellet fuel for these stoves varies in price by region, but generally runs around $225 per ton. There are many variables that must be factored in when looking at the efficiency of the pellet stove. The size of the structure being heated, the insulation factor, the regular maintenance and cleaning of the appliance and the outside temperature are all important pieces to the puzzle.

To understand the savings potential of a pellet stove, it is first important to look at the options. Electric heat can be expensive to install and the trade off in a higher electric bill may not really off-set the cost of oil. Coal is a very messy and inefficient, as well as environmentally unfriendly, method of heating. Solar heat is very “green” but expensive to install and at times very inefficient.

A wood stove or wood furnace can certainly supply the needed heat to keep a house warm through even the harshest winter. The problem is that even the cost of wood is climbing and you have to have storage for the wood, for the stored wood and the wood being burned. This translates into a lot of mess. Woods efficiency as a heat source varies depending on the type and the method of burning. If a stove is lit and allowed to burn out and cool and must be re-lit, a lot of heat is lost to reheating. The wood itself has differing BTUs depending on type. The biggest cost with a wood stove, after the cost of installing a chimney, and proper installation of the stove, is the labor. It is a labor-intensive means of heat.

That brings us to fossil fuels. Propane can be an effective heating source, but it is not a great choice for heating large areas. Natural gas is another great choice for the fireplaces or room heaters, but not as cost effective in large areas. Fuel oil is the most common full-house heating fuel. Oil furnaces were very popular a short time ago due to their convenience. You could set the thermostat and then, as long as there was oil in the tank, your house would stay at that temperature without any effort from you. That was until the prices climbed to uncomfortable, and then almost impossible, heights. Now, to heat an average home through the winter it takes around 800-900 gallons of oil. When the price was down around $1.50 per gallon, heating costs figured out to $1200-$1350 per winter. Now, with a projected price of $5.00 per gallon, that heating price tag climbs to $4000-$4500.

Now, in steps the pellet stove. For that same home to heat with pellet heat over the same winter it would consume about 3 to 4 tons of pellets. This, at the current price of $225 per ton, would come out to $675 to $900 in heating costs. Factor in the cost of a mid range pellet stove ($1500) and installation ($300) and you still have a total first year cost of only $2700. That is still a savings of $1300 off what the projected oil heating cost would be for the same time frame.

It is not hard to see the benefit of a pellet stove when the numbers are examined. The pellet stove is a very efficient heating appliance. It has very little ash production and a 40 pound bag of pellets will last 24-48 hours depending on the size of the space being heated and the temperature being maintained. Those who still need the convenience of set it and go heating will find the thermostat control on the pellet stove convenient. Many people are using a combination of oil and pellet heat to cut down on overall oil use and reduce heating costs. Burning 1 ton of pellets can reduce oil use by up to 500 gallons. This has the potential of saving the homeowner $2275 in heating costs for the winter. That savings is hard to argue or ignore.



Heat Pump Service Maryland

bprince asked:


I am trying to sell my mobile home in Texas, and purchase one in Florida at the same time. I am relocating for my job, but I need it to all happen together. Any thoughts? Thanks in advanced.
I thought about renting mine but it is just to far apart, and I wont feel safe. No help from my employer.
It is actually located down in the Valley.
Thanks Frank, I will look into it.

Selling Home

MomofOneSpnkyGrl asked:


Hi. I have a home that was new construction. It was originally painted white. I absolutely hate white and tan walls. All of the rooms have color, and when I say color I mean eggplant purple, red, hunter green…The home’s floorplan is very boxy, each room is a box and there aren’t many halls, so character definition is paramount. If the home was just white, or tan, it would be one large big box. Plus, I am a ‘vivid’ person so I wanted my home to reflect who I am, not following the latest trend. I’ve read that such colors are a turnoff to buyers. Is that true? I don’t want to repaint it tan when it is time to sell because it would cost thousands (the home is over 4500 sq ft). It has been my understanding, at least for me personally, that what helps sell a home is if the buyer sees something in it that they like. There’s got to be people who can appreciate color.

Selling Home

Nick asked:


Do you think a house will sell in this market? Nothing special, just a brick raised ranch on chciago’s nw side. Currently valued at 364k, but we only would need about 345k to buy another home. Also, what real estate co. should I go with when selling to speed the process?

Selling Home

Jess asked:


I have an air conditioner in the window of my apartment… It was only bought about 2 months ago and I know is in fine condition…

Lately though the air hasn’t been as cool. I live in Brooklyn so we have to clean the filter a lot and we leave it on a good amount because it is the only escape from the heat.

Could the filter need all together replacing? Or could there be another issue?

How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer

SusanS, Incognito asked:


Yes, I was able to tear myself away from polls and surveys long enough to start fall house cleaning. I have been scrubbing with detergent and a tooth brush to no avail. I know these little buggers can really make you sick so I really want to get them off! Thanks in advance if you have anything to offer.

ADHD in Children

JennJ99738 asked:


I replaced my heat pump (roof mounted) in May, 2008. I wasn’t told I had a split system with an air handler mounted in the ceiling in my condo. The contractor then went out of business. I am having problems since I turned on the heat that the system is running constantly. I was told I need a new air handler since the new heat pump has a different efficiency than the air handler. Is this true? Also, if I have a refrigerant leak in the air handler that can be repaired, should I go ahead and replace the it anyway? How much should a ceiling mounted air handler cost to replace? I want to keep costs down since this place has been a money pit.
The first serviceman that came out told me it would cost $5,200 to replace the air handler. He never recommended doing a leak test. He did charge the system with refrigerant and the system starting working normally, with the unit turning on and off regularly. The second opinion I got, said that if adding the refrigerant worked, then there is a leak somewhere and he recommended doing a leak test but that I should have the air handler replaced. He estimated $3,000. These are very high prices. I guess it’s because it’s in the ceiling?

air conditioner service

Milafel Hope Awe asked:


The HVAC system uses three closely related functions, namely, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. These functions are uniquely set up so that they can regulate temperature and humidity in residential homes, public offices, and other building facilities with respect to the overall design of the structures.

Heating

Most modern structures in colder regions in the world and in countries with temperate climate such as the United Kingdom usually install a heating system. This mechanism is used to regulate temperature in residential homes, public offices, and other dwellings.

The heating system can either be central or local. The most commonly used setup is the central heating system where the heating is concentrated in one area—central—and is then circulated for various heating processes and applications. Heat values of fuels are based on BTU to cubic foot measurement for HVAC.

In the central heating system, there are three common components used. A furnace is an enclosure used for heating and can be found at the basement or at the attic. Different cultures have various interpretations of “furnace.” For the Americans, it is similar to kiln while for the British, it is equivalent to industrial furnaces. Whatever it may be, it still uses the same principle for heat distribution—that is, it transfers heat using an intermediary distribution system. A boiler, meanwhile, is a type of furnace—in fact, a closed vessel—that distributes heat through steam.

Thermodynamic principles are the bases for a heat pump. This device causes the temperature to rise through heat transfer. A heat pump is very effective especially for very cold air since it has the ability to heat it at the shortest period. An efficient heat pump uses lesser energy and thus power.

A radiator is a heating device that circulates steam or hot water through pipes found inside an upright metal structure. This term is also commonly applied to some types of heat exchangers. It is a common perception among people that heat is transferred from a heat exchanger through radiation when, in fact, it is not. It transfers heat by convection, which uses currents.

Please note, though, that the central heating system is completely different from your hot water supply. For instance, the water used in the former is not the same as your tap water.

Ways of Central Heating

There are a number of methods for central heating. In electric heating, an electrical heater is used. It is a device that transforms electrical energy into heat. Every electric heater contains an electric resistor, which acts as its heating element. Right now, there are many variations of electrical heaters that deliver different amounts of heat, but all of them use the same principle: Joule heating. An electric current that converts electricity to heat is allowed to pass through the resistor. In hydronic heating, heat produced is commonly transferred to fins found along pipes in baseboard HVAC registers. You can also use coal, propane or natural gas, pressurized oil, or earth, which is used as a heat pump.

Air-conditioning

Over the years, air-conditioning has changed home lifestyle. A lot of London homes right now take advantage of wall-mounted air-conditioning systems. They are often placed in the living room, bedroom, kitchen—in almost all over the house. Most buildings and offices also have hidden condensing units. Cooled places become refuge to those who are tired with the rising temperature outside.

There are various air-conditioning systems in the market, but they all function just the same. They control temperature, ventilation, and humidity in an enclosed environment. Hilsch air-conditioning uses a vortex tube called Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube for cheap spot cooling when you there is compressed air. However, it is not as efficient as usual air-conditioning equipment.

It is advisable that homes, buildings, and other offices have sealed windows to maintain the quality of air produced by the system. Furthermore, it is better to check the dwelling first to make sure that air conditioners can really be installed since they often use large ducts. But you really don’t have to worry too much if it isn’t. You can still take advantage of remote coils or use the split system. Yet it is always preferable to maintain the cleanliness of the ducts to prevent the growth of pathogens that can definitely cause illness. Sometimes chemical monitoring of HVAC systems is needed to always ensure indoor air quality.



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