Honeywell makes thermostats with wireless remote sensors for situations like this. You can shut the sensor off inside the stat and use the remote sensor in a better spot that shows the actual house temperature.
Variable Speed/ Capacity Air Conditioner in practice...
- Thread starter UncleDave
- Start date
I've been setting my AC to 70F at 4am to take advantage of the daily low temperature (for the next 10 days, the daily low temp is between 63F and 70F). At 6am it's set for 80F.
It won't usually get much higher than 77F by 10 pm that same day, even if the daily high was 90F. At around 11pm I set it down to 74F.
So my AC pretty much NEVER runs during the day, at least right now.
EDIT: Any AC unit moves more heat using less energy when run at lower outdoor temps.
It won't usually get much higher than 77F by 10 pm that same day, even if the daily high was 90F. At around 11pm I set it down to 74F.
So my AC pretty much NEVER runs during the day, at least right now.
EDIT: Any AC unit moves more heat using less energy when run at lower outdoor temps.
Last edited:
I didn’t realize it was an automatic machine. I thought those went into sleep mode between uses.
So to be fair to it - it does cycle off after a period of unuse.
Between the wife and I we hit it pretty hard though and keep it on the boil for a while - although Im sure it cycles its heater on and off as well.
It's kind of a household joke that it will seem to shut itself off just as you are approaching it for another cup.
As soon as one of us hears it cycle down - we call out - you want another cup?
I drink too much coffee, and very little booze these days.
Seems more fair to the grid than the sweetheart deals other early adopters got.
It only makes sense if they are paying you for your electricity it should be closer to the wholesale rate they get paid.. not retail rates.
If you got paid retail rates that shifts the grid costs to other consumers that dont have solar while you benefit from being attached to the grid.
Of course A battery system would fix that.. you would be using 100% your own electricity even during peak.
then again who wants to spend 10k on that every 10 years.(numbers are not accurate)
PS This post is not about throwing rocks.. no insults intended.
In Virginia you get "net metering", they credit you for every kwh you send to the grid.
You won't get a $0 electric bill though, you still have to pay a connection fee which for NOVEC is $17.50 a month.
Seems more fair to the grid than the sweetheart deals other early adopters got.
It only makes sense if they are paying you for your electricity it should be closer to the wholesale rate they get paid.. not retail rates.
If you got paid retail rates that shifts the grid costs to other consumers that dont have solar while you benefit from being attached to the grid.
Of course A battery system would fix that.. you would be using 100% your own electricity even during peak.
then again who wants to spend 10k on that every 10 years.(numbers are not accurate)
PS This post is not about throwing rocks.. no insults intended.
It's good conversation.
They basically make 30 % reselling my 8-4 productivity and they make 50% selling my 4-5 productivity.
The battery only returns and ROi if I send power to the grid from it - which cost me cycles and leave me with a semi deplete battery to cover my own peak use.
A sit stands today the battery is a big yank that doesnt make an economic sense.
High seer units- variable refrigerant flow eliminate most service people and companies not for general cleaning but if there's a problem. It takes a company to commit for the training and tools to service this equipment no different from any other high end electronics. Right now and in the near future refrigerate
and controls are constantly changing. There won't be if a unit is short of gas just adding some it will be reclaim, evacuate and weigh in after trying to find the leak.
and controls are constantly changing. There won't be if a unit is short of gas just adding some it will be reclaim, evacuate and weigh in after trying to find the leak.
Right but economics tell you:
The correct reimbursement should be getting the generation rate not the retail delivered rate.. for it to be fairer for all.
otherwise you are shifting grid costs to non solar equipped customers.. 17.50 isnt enough of a connection charge.
The difference for me would be 15.5cents vs 5.1cents.
Why? Does this power get consumed locally? Its not being transmitted back to the power generating system then back out to customers.
What's the equivalent loss?
Always an interesting topic.
Lawrence Berkeley labs analyzed the impact of the nem contracts to poor and non solar provider and found its a pittance - electricity price is far more affected by things like the cost of natural gas and factors outside of nem contracts.
Let's set the grid maintenance aside for a second and just talk about generation.
Generation has a variable cost, not only to produce the electricity, but build the plant, and maintain it.
Genrators are public companies that strive for ever higher profitability and they get to set the price I pay.
Why am I not in control of the rate I sell my generation at back to them?
Why and I forced into being grid connected and forced to sign a contract I have no negotiation power over?
They get to make free money by arbitraging rates without the cost of the plant fuel or maintenance.
In a separate thread we analyzed californias daytime solar output and pegged the cost of that generation at 10B dollars to replicate. Take the solar off the grid and the companies have to spend 10B more to make the same power - who do you think gets that bill?
Non solar ratepayers are unburdened by the cost of the plant or the panels to generate this, but only pay a fractionally higher rate to the panel owners who subsidize this plant cost out of their own pocket.
What happened in Cali with nem 3 is a hat trick pull off by the public companies and corporate interest to get even cheaper power so they can push profits up even further. It's a scam.
Probably doesn't get consumed any further than the nearest few customers, assuming a 10kW array.
This is a hugely involved discussion.. and many points get ignored.
There are many "kinds" of power needed to make a grid run
you dont just turn on a couple power plants and everyone gets power.
.. residential solar provides very little of what is needed.. therefore alot of extra work to make it happen.
it also forces out standard generation so now you need peaker plants.. which cost more to operate etc etc.
its not as simple as they buy the solar produced energy for 10cents and sell it for 20.
And that is as much as I am going to say... unless its a meeting with good beers and great food.
There are many "kinds" of power needed to make a grid run
you dont just turn on a couple power plants and everyone gets power.
.. residential solar provides very little of what is needed.. therefore alot of extra work to make it happen.
it also forces out standard generation so now you need peaker plants.. which cost more to operate etc etc.
its not as simple as they buy the solar produced energy for 10cents and sell it for 20.
And that is as much as I am going to say... unless its a meeting with good beers and great food
.This is a hugely involved discussion.. and many points get ignored.
There are many "kinds" of power needed to make a grid run
you dont just turn on a couple power plants and everyone gets power.
.. residential solar provides very little of what is needed.. therefore alot of extra work to make it happen.
it also forces out standard generation so now you need peaker plants.. which cost more to operate etc etc.
its not as simple as they buy the solar produced energy for 10cents and sell it for 20.
And that is as much as I am going to say... unless its a meeting with good beers and great food
It is, and likely best for its own thread.
I always try to understand all the sides of this multi edged sword and am always interested in learning something I dont know today.
I have preached the merits of inverter-driven HVAC units for years. I'm more of a fan of the Daikin and Mitsubishi systems, tho.
I've seen the results of investing in the Daikin systems with power bills. First was my mother's house about 2 years ago (since sold).
The second is a current co-worker who finished a 3300 sf home in central GA. I designed two systems for his home, both single port condensing units, one a 4-ton system and the other a 1.5 ton system for upstairs. 5.5 tons on 3300 square feet is unreal in Georgia, they keep their house at 68-69 in the summer during the day (wife is at home) and 64-65 at night he tells me.
The house is spray-foamed, as I recommended.
He said he power bill for the month of June was $132. This is an all-electric home with a heat pump water heater, 4 occupants and they stay more than comfortable. Conversely, my 2500 sf home is poorly insulated, 6 tons of AC, gas water heater, gas cooking but two pool pumps and we keep it at 68-69 at night and setpoint when we are away is 80 (never gets to 76). Our power bill in June, July and August averages $320/mo for the last 6 years.
I need to bite the bullet and take my own medicine and install a 5-ton multi-port condensing unit and new air handlers. I suspect I would reduce our annual energy costs by $2400+ per year. That savings would pay for the new system in 3 years.
I've seen the results of investing in the Daikin systems with power bills. First was my mother's house about 2 years ago (since sold).
The second is a current co-worker who finished a 3300 sf home in central GA. I designed two systems for his home, both single port condensing units, one a 4-ton system and the other a 1.5 ton system for upstairs. 5.5 tons on 3300 square feet is unreal in Georgia, they keep their house at 68-69 in the summer during the day (wife is at home) and 64-65 at night he tells me.
The house is spray-foamed, as I recommended.
He said he power bill for the month of June was $132. This is an all-electric home with a heat pump water heater, 4 occupants and they stay more than comfortable. Conversely, my 2500 sf home is poorly insulated, 6 tons of AC, gas water heater, gas cooking but two pool pumps and we keep it at 68-69 at night and setpoint when we are away is 80 (never gets to 76). Our power bill in June, July and August averages $320/mo for the last 6 years.
I need to bite the bullet and take my own medicine and install a 5-ton multi-port condensing unit and new air handlers. I suspect I would reduce our annual energy costs by $2400+ per year. That savings would pay for the new system in 3 years.
You have gas fired pool heater?
also is 320 both bills or just electricity?
if you have electric pool heating I can only imagine how much gas would save.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2022
- Messages
- 3,670
I thought the idea of variable speed is that the condenser is almost always running, but at a lower capacity. While it’s running, it’s comfortable as it’s dehumidifying. Which is why oversizing in theory doesn’t work (4 ton when 3 ton is properly sized). In theory the space is cooled down so fast it short cycles and not comfortable. So variable should be the ultimate in comfort, unless there is only one unit and there are two floors…I was told it works best with multi zones and a condenser for each zone.
The one thing I know not about. We got a single stage and the tech said you made the right decision variables always break down (I have two floors variable should have 2 condensers we have 1)
The one thing I know not about. We got a single stage and the tech said you made the right decision variables always break down (I have two floors variable should have 2 condensers we have 1)
Can you please tell me where you interpreted that I have a gas pool heater?
Our power bill .....
you misread what I said.
of course I didnt know exactly what you were saying
which is part of the reason why my reply wasnt clear.
I was hoping you had a gas pool heater.. electric pool heat and pumps might cost as much as cooling your house(on a yearly basis)
or you use solar heating?
You mean you didn't compose a clear question?
Similar threads
