Our geothermal heat pump has been doing fine so far - it's 12°F here now - hasn't turned on the resistive strips yet. It's supposed to get to -7 Monday so that will be a real test. The house is a "modular home", code for a gussy'd up double wide, 1600 sq. ft., and leaky.
On Fri, Feb 12, 2021 at 9:44 AM Curt Raymond via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Our wood stove is a Jotul 118 which is a big stove, it'll accept 24" > wood. It's in the basement which is usually considered a negative but our > house is small enough (just over 900sqft) that it heats the whole place > pretty well although the bedroom stays pretty cool. I set the oil burner > thermostat at 62 and then use wood to bring the house to 69-70 all day. Its > back down to 62 by morning but I can have it back up to temp within 2 hours. > This week I've been teaching, for that I sit on our enclosed porch and run > one of those oil filled electric heater. There is hydronic out here but the > circuit is shut off. I figure for only 5-6 hours a day it doesn't make > sense to run the oil heat. With the door open the heat from the rest of the > house gets in too. Usually start the electric heat 2-3 hours before class > and shut it off 1 hour before class ends. Figure less than $1 a day... > -Curt > > On Friday, February 12, 2021, 9:12:31 AM EST, Jaime Kopchinski via > Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > We have a Jotul wood insert which is outstanding. Its been cold, under > freezing for a few days for the most part. I heat with my minisplits and > the wood insert, but the large 3 zone split stopped working earlier this > week. This meant we were running with one 12k split on one end of the > house and the wood stove. Still managed to keep the living room in the low > 70s. It would fall into the 60s overnight after the insert started to burn > low. > > The failure of the Fujitsu was interesting... I self installed, so assumed > no warranty. Initially the failure showed on the indoor units as no > communication to the outdoor. The outdoor unit showed no power to the main > board, but was supplying power to the indoor units. I found a blown fuse > on one power supply board, soldered on. I ordered a new fuse from > McMaster, checked the obvious places I could for a short, then soldered it > in when it arrived. The unit powered up then, but wouldn't heat and gave a > code for the outdoor unit fan after a while, which wasn't spinning. More > testing showed 400V DC (!) to the fan connector and open circuit on the fan > motor. I ordered up a new fan and installed it yesterday and all is good > now. > > Cost me about $300 to fix. If I did it by the service manual, I would have > had to replace the power supply board, the main control board, and the > fan. Probably would have been a $2000 repair if I called someone. > > But its a nice reminder how powerful the Jotul insert is. Worst case, I > can run the oil fired steam heat still, but it generally costs a fortune. > > On Thu, Feb 11, 2021 at 6:52 PM Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > Actually it does have an insert, with a blower etc and it will throw out > a > > lot of heat. I just hate messing with it. > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > On Feb 11, 2021, at 5:46 PM, Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > A fireplace is about the least efficient device imaginable, most of the > > heat of the fire shoots up the chimney. A small insert stove would > > dramatically increase the heat output. It'd be cleaner too since it would > > have a door that would be closed. > > > > > > Wood is still a messy way to heat. I've had our wood stove lit pretty > > much every day this year. We've gone through probably twice as much wood > as > > normal but its just because I've been home. At the same time we've burned > > maybe half as much oil as normal. > > > > > > It gives me something to do and makes the basement a nice place to sit > > with a wobble pop and read. > > > > > > -Curt > > > > > > On Thursday, February 11, 2021, 6:20:07 PM EST, Kaleb Striplin via > > Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > I like heat pumps. If it comes down to it we also have a wood burning > > fireplace. I never use it though as I hate the hassle of messing with it. > > > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > > > On Feb 11, 2021, at 5:12 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > The heat strips are fine, it’s more an issue of a heat pump not > > producing the “hot” air people are often accustomed to with gas forced > air. > > They’re not terribly efficient, either, but that’s the drawback of > having a > > heat pump. > > > > > > > > I found it sort of weird with our Indiana house as it has a > > conventional gas furnace, so the air that comes out the vents is HOT! > > That’s after living in houses with heat pumps for years. > > > > > > > > -D > > > > > > > >> On Feb 11, 2021, at 6:07 PM, Floyd Thursby via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> You should look into some propane backup heaters or something to tie > > into your heat pump system. A friend has a heat pump and some sort of > > propane system in her house, she is always complaining about having to > run > > the propane heater but I told her it was better than the electric heat > > strips. > > > >> > > > >> --FT > > > >> > > > >>> On 2/11/21 5:56 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes wrote: > > > >>> And it’s tripped again. Basically if the aux heat runs for any > > amount of time it trips. I will shut down the system and swap a couple of > > breakers around and see what happens. > > > >>> > > > >>> Sent from my iPhone > > > >>> > > > >>>> On Feb 11, 2021, at 4:54 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > >>>> > > > >>>> I guess I could go swap a couple of breakers around in there and > > see if the problem follows the breaker. I do not have a clamp on meter. > > > >>>> > > > >>>> I could also see if I can get into the air handler. > > > >>>> > > > >>>>> On 2/11/2021 4:50 PM, Dan Penoff via Mercedes wrote: > > > >>>>> I would suspect the breaker before I would suspect the heat > > strips. Heat strips don’t short typically, they fail open. Got a clamp on > > ammeter you can use to check the current draw when they’re on? Then you > > would know for sure. > > > >>>>> > > > >>>>> Might want to give the air handler a look to make sure there’s > > nothing amiss, like something across the heat strips. > > > >>>>> > > > >>>>> -D > > > >>>>> > > > >>>>>>> On Feb 11, 2021, at 5:47 PM, Kaleb Striplin via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > >>>>>> It is in the 20's today and will be into the single digits this > > week. One thing I have noticed for quite a while is every now and then > the > > breaker for the aux heat will be tripped. I usually just reset it and > its > > fine but the aux heat does not have to run much as it has not been that > > cold. When we got back I had it set for 65 and the breaker was tripped > > again. I set the temp back to 68 and checked later and the breaker was > > tripped again. I reset it and just now checked it and temp is now up to > 68 > > and the breaker tripped a 3rd time. In other words, I need to get this > > addressed. What could be the cause? Thought about swapping out the > > breaker in case it was getting weak but what else could be the cause? Is > > it likely something is shorting in the heat strips itself? Not sure if I > > should investigate and resolve or just turn in a service request to the > > home warranty company. > > > >>>>>> > > > >>>>>> > > > >>>>>> _______________________________________ > > > >>>>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > > > >>>>>> > > > >>>>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > >>>>>> > > > >>>>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > >>>>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > >>>>>> > > > >>>>> _______________________________________ > > > >>>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > > > >>>>> > > > >>>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > >>>>> > > > >>>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > >>>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > >>>>> > > > >>>> _______________________________________ > > > >>>> http://www.okiebenz.com > > > >>>> > > > >>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > >>>> > > > >>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > >>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > >>>> > > > >>> > > > >>> _______________________________________ > > > >>> http://www.okiebenz.com > > > >>> > > > >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > >>> > > > >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > >>> > > > >> -- > > > >> --FT > > > >> > > > >> _______________________________________ > > > >> http://www.okiebenz.com > > > >> > > > >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > >> > > > >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > -- > Jaime Kopchinski > http://www.jaimekop.com/ > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > -- OK Don "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." Mark Twain “Basic research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I am doing.” Wernher Von Braun 2013 F150, 18 mpg 2017 Subaru Legacy, 30 mpg 1957 C182A, 12 mpg - but at 150 mph! _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
