Car will make peak MPG at it's torque peak if you can have the throttle as close to wide open as possible without triggering acceleration enrichment - this is due to pumping losaes. Diesels get part of their MPG bump from having no throttle blade and from having more BTU per gallon of fuel. Gear a slippery car well and it could get more MPG at higher speeds but in the end the resistance is exponential so I wouldn't expect the best top speed to be really really fast.
That said - I'm okay with speeding since most limits are set a bit lower than I'm comfortable with and the rest of the folks around me it seems. However giving "passes" to speed seems a poor idea since generally it's the differences in speed among those traveling along together that seem to bring on the most accidents. I'm a fan of going fast but find this idea a bad one...
Head over to http://lime-technology.com/ as they have exactly what you want. Pay for play but not uber expensive and it will solve the issue you're trying to solve. I run two of these boxes and 16 drives isn't an issue. It will do spin-down for you as well as data protection. It stores parity on a single drive and uses ReiserFS on the data drives. If you lose a single drive no biggie, swap it and go. If you lose two at once you lose the data from those drives but not the rest of the data and you can use ReiserFS tools to recover from those drives. Check out the forums for more info and give the free version a spin to see if it's compatible with the hardware you have. Because parity is stored on a single drive it must be as big or bigger than the rest but you can run any cat or dog drive in any other slot no problem. Mixing IDE and SATA is also not an issue, the OS boots from a USB stick so no space is taken up by the OS - low end hardware is fine too but DO use Gig ethernet! One caveat - if you're watching a movie on a drive paired with another sleeping drive and THAT sleeping one is needed for something the video will pause while the other drive spins up - this is a Linux issue and one that Limetech it trying to get around through various means. It doesn't ever effect me but something you ought to be aware of no matter what solution you go with using Linux.
IMO this solution is way better than what you are currently planning and it solves the power issue nicely - tailor made for you methinks:-)
I have your solution - unRAID. unRAID uses a standard ResierFS filesystem for all of it's drives and stores parity on a dedicated drive. When a drive isn't in use the drive spins down. If a drive goes bad you're still protected and it can be swapped out without data loss. If you lose TWO drives at once you do lose data - from those two drives only. Unlike many RAID solutions this doesn't span data across all of the drives along with parity so you don't lose ALL of your data. Since the f/s is standard you can also use data recovery tools on the data to try and recover it offline. the software is pay for play but not uber expensive and it WILL support 16 drives. There's a free version you can use to test hardware compatibility. It boots from a USB stick too so no issues with the OS taking up space you would prefer to use for data storage. It's fast enough to feed media no problem although to max it out you'll want a gig ethernet network. I've been using this for YEARS without issue and have two of these servers running now. Good stuff IMO! http://lime-technology.com/ They have a forum for discussion hardware and software stuff if you've got questions.
IMO this is way better than storing multiple copies of the media as yuo plan...
I use an ION based HTPC. I have two of them and both are about the size of a Wii. The decoding is done via the NVIDIA chipset and VDPAU under Ubuntu. My ASROCK has a DVD drive - it's not needed. My Zotac is small enough to mount on the backside of the TV if I wish. I get 1080P video just fine and I get surround sound as well. Visit the XBMC forums and peruse the Linux section for hardware help - I post there too. Hardware I use is quiet, power saving, and produces little heat. The Live distros work well IMO with a little tweaking - plenty of help for that.
As for feeding this beast - I use unRAID as a NAS. I have 2 of them with quite a few TB of video rips and TV shows from my HD TIVO. I can play this all fine with a 100meg NIC but I happen to prefer a Gig NIC for speed of copying rips to my NAS. My entire video and music library is contained in these servers, I can access anything quickly and it wasn't a million bux to build...
No I haven't and had hoped to try and do it myself but sans camera and other bits not much chance of that. I will be looking for an auditor soon though. Is it better to do this in the colder months or warmer months? I know I have lots of simple things I can do to further improve things around the house but it would be interesting to see what a good audit would find too!
Well, this thing heats the water instantly yes. So quickly that in areas of hard water like mine a softener is required or the boiler will scale quickly! The gas line wasn't resized that I know of. The water heater was moved from the center of the home venting up so a side wall venting sideways anyway.
I have been hearing about the new heat pump water heaters. I don't think they existed when I did mine. for me to have had one large enough to fill a good sized tub though would have cost a fortune. Others I know who had big tubs done ended up with HUGE tanks, I'm happy to get along with a heater the size of a carry-on piece of luggage! My usage is showering, laundry, cooking, an occasional bath.
Bottom line is I'm seeing a savings on gas usage in the Summer when the only thing using it is the water heater. It runs for just long enough for meto use whatever water I need and then is completely off the rest of the day. No complaints at all from me:-)
Oh and naturally I own a diesel and ended up with a short commute! That will be changing soon to a longer one but in the Winter it wasn't even warming up -( Filling just once a month was nice though...
The roof isn't tin, it's a coated metal and I am pretty sure it's ferrous. Not really checked though to be honest. It's what the roofing guy specc'ed and it's rated at something akin to 50 years. I doubt I'll be changing it anytime soon. It's a fairly dark color though, hindsight says I should have gone lighter but it contrasted well with the siding.
House is located in Virginia West of DC. When I bought the place the crawlspace for both the main section of the home and the addition from the previous owner had ZERO insulation. The walls are plaster and someone blew in some insulation at one point. I swear I'd give my right arm for a FLiR camera to look the place over! When I did siding I had rigid foam placed under it, sadly I hadn't done Tyvek back then as I didn't know better. the second story addition though is done WELL.
As for the crawlspace. I have considered sealing block with the paint on sealant, covering the walls and dirt floor with plastic, covering the walls with rigid foam, and blocking all the vents. This would be tough as there's support posts I'd have to work around but if done right this would probably make for a much warmer home! I've considered DIY foaming it too. Tiger isn't the only ones making kits but frankly from all I've read I think it's best to have a pro do it. I may yet get an estimate on having this done, it sure would make the place more livable downstairs in the Winter. Thankfully I have gas heat that works great!:-)
Right, that allows you to avoid pumping losses. I think that's why some cars run really lean, or part of it, so that you have to have the throttle opened up pretty good to get any power. Honda did this awhile back and was one of the first to use W/B O2. This is part of the reason why diesel get better MPG - no pumping loses from a throttle plate. More BTU per gallon helps too as does the compression ratio. With direct injection car makers are starting to look into compression ignition this for cars running gas too but I don't think anyone has gone to it full time yet. Lots of ways to bump up efficiency. Pretty sure I wouldn't want an engine so small it was WOT at cruise though, passing would suck! Maybe with a really steep geared CVT?
Yes, I did absolutely listen. There were times when he followed what I wanted and there were times when I was politely overruled. When I wanted things that were more expensive than budgeted he told me so and explained what others had done and why - I was usually willing to spend the extra and he helped me save money. I was probably a PITA but he was a good guy about it and patient. We got along well and he was there most every single day before I was ready to leave the house just sitting in his truck waiting. Very impressed with his work ethic and he oversaw his workers well too. Sometimes you really should listen to the guy who's the expert else why hire them?
Well, he had looked at the SEER rating for the smaller model and it was a good bit lower than the larger model I got and prices were close enough to not matter apparently. The guy was a pro, he actually sat down an did the calcs having measured the space etc. instead of just eye balling it. Actually had them work on a friend's home - same guy - and again I was impressed. Don't think he was selling me a bill of goods and thus far it's been both reliable and appears efficient. The lower rated model would have run more, hopefully this one runs enough to hit it's rating. I did question him on it and he assured me so like on other things I went with what the pro was telling me. Sometimes you just have to let the guy you're paying be the boss.
As for cars - engines run best at peak torque not max HP or RPM. We may be saying the same thing but having tuned the EFI in more than a few cars I know BSFC is best at peak torque.:-)
I don't think the metal roof is reflecting IR like a radiant barrier would. The objection to doing what I wanted was concern over the roof decking. Both my contractor and the roofing guy said not to do it - I was overruled. It felt like a risk and this job was expensive enough I didn't wish to have to redo it in 5 years! Depending on what you read and whom you believe this issue isn't a problem.
As for the crawlspace - this was a second story addition. The crawlspace was untouched other than to add some supports for the second story support beams. It's presently dirt with crappy insulation batts shoved between floor joists - by ME. It had NO insulation when I moved in and was over 60 years old at the time. I was stunned!
Figuring out what to do in the crawlspace has vexed me for YEARS. I hate drafts and I have them right now. Vapor barrier on all the walls, some rigid foam, maybe spray foam? If I leave vents open then cold air comes right in - haven't I defeated the purpose? Very frustrating to try and figure out and sure not much room to work under there either - especially alone:-(
Funny thing is how I found out about it.... I was at a home show and knew I needed a toilet along with a dozen other things for the new addition. the bathroom was a HUGE thing for me having only had little tiny closets before this. So i walked up to a plumbing company display, pulled a plumber aside, and asked him what he recommended. Now he wasn't selling this at the show but he was a pro and had worked on lots of toilets. He told me get a Toto Drake. He said they WORKED and that when repairs were needed it was simple. That toilet is now over 3 years old and has yet to need a single part! If I were doing it again I'd get the taller model and the slow close lid but change nothing else. I'll be upgrading my other toilets soon:-)
BTW - by sourcing my own contractors\fixtures for the bathroom over a specialty boutique place I paid less than $12K for my big bathroom including a heated tile floor (do this!) and granite counters. One place had estimates starting in the $30K range and the lowest anyone would talk was close to $20K. At the time my contractor had no tile guy but has since gotten one back under his wing. I WILL be calling him for work in my other bathrooms soon!
Yeah, you're correct. My point though is that if you want to do things that aren't bog standard you will get pushback. Standard isn't alway best and code doesn't always keep up. It was interesting to find out that people will cut corners on things like insulation just to save some bux up front when in the long run the good stuff REALLY makes a difference! How I wish I could build a place from scratch right now, I learned so much just doing this addition. I am glad that my contractor was knowledgeable and VERY happy with his work. I did even spot one thing that looked "off" but when I questioned him he had a perfectly good explanation. It was still "off" but only because it had to be or I might not pass inspection. Crazy but true, common sense and code inspections don't always work together it seems.
The funniest part was when he asked two inspectors how best to do one thing and they disagreed - and proceeded to argue in front of him! So, he walked away, got us through inspection by leaving that thing alone (electrical to the garage) and then after inspection had his electrician come in and do it the way he felt was right. Problem solved. Some of the stories he told were scary - professional framers that gave up contracting and went to work as inspectors. The one guy was doing electrical inspection his 2nd day on the job - alone - on something that was NOT his specialty. My guy just shook his head and made sure the folks he used were good and the job was safe.
Anyway, I can see where Scott was coming from. Things seem to change very slowly in the building industry even as newer and better materials are found\made. Unless code specifies it you may not see it done very quickly. I'm still pissed my architect got away with 2x4 vs 2x6 studs via a loophole in the new code acceptance!
I'm not sure I follow you - I only produce heated water when I need it. It runs on gas which I already had plumbed. Ignition is a spark which on some units is produced via a water wheel spun by water flow (not on mine though). My gas bills went DOWN from my previous tank water heater so I know it works. The tub is only used occasionally and while not being uber green it is comfortable which was my primary concern;-)
Solar shingles are interesting but fairly low efficiency right now. I have a tin roof so mounting racks to it is pretty attractive if ugly. Shading is my major problem for solar. Solar hot water returns money VERY quickly supposedly but in my case with no tank makes little sense. In your case with a tank it might work well.
Attic isn't a conditioned space sadly, too much concern about the roof decking. I may yet do a radiant barrier though!
Your idea is a good one. I've considered it some yes but not done it. I think you're probably onto something though and that might be a good way to go. Perhaps heavy ply plastic down to keep moisture out, rigid foam board on the walls, then maybe spray foam the walls? It's a dirt crawlspace now and yucky to crawl around in but I'd love to make it more friendly and easier to work in. Thoughts? It's maybe 3-4foot high in the main part of the house. Walls are block, there are some vents along two sides. Moisture would be a concern I think but not insurmountable maybe. Hrm, I'm all ears to suggestions...
This wasn't new construction so what was existing remains. The back of the house is heavily shaded by a gigantic Oak tree that stands a good 4+ stories tall. That's on the North side. South side has nothing shading it except some incidental shade from neighbor's giant Oaks to the SouthWest, West side is pretty well shaded. I have a 4 story tall Holly tree too but it's not providing shade. Most windows face South with only the upper story getting sunlight in them. Were it not for the partial shading I get from neighbor trees I'd likely have a couple of solar racks up there and will try in the future.
Perhaps not the best engineered setup but the rear of the house is cooled in Summer by the Oak and in Summer the sun isn't heating things up too much thanks to coatings and insulation. Original home was built circa 1940 BTW and it's no mansion but I enjoy it.
Solartubes just like the AC below. I have a light kit in one of them too, not sure how you change the bulb in that sucker! lol
These are rigid tubes which are better than the flexible kind. The light output is damned good even with my domes being on the backside of the house. Be aware they work both ways so lights on in the house make little lights show on the roof like a spaceship. The light output is so good that a full moon is enough light for me to see in my bathroom, stairs, or closet just fine. Do NOT put these in your bedroom unless you get a cover for the diffuser. You also do NOT NOT NOT want one of these anywhere near a ceiling fan unless you want a disco strobe effect. Great for large closets and bathrooms, my stairs are also well lit with one of these. I'd use more if there were places they made sense. They cost me like $500 apiece and were VERY well worth the investment.
Northern VA. He's a pretty small outfit and times are tough so I don't know if he's hiring but I'm sending people his way as often as they tell me they are looking for a good contractor! B&R Contracting was the company name as I recall. Ronnie is the owner and his wife is the one who answers the phone - very pleasant to work with as well.
I worked with the A/C guy. He did the calcs and found that the size recommended was so small that it would be pretty inefficient so he bumped it up one size to a unit that would be more efficient. I can tell you that my bills have been pretty low and that I've not had moisture issues. It doesn't often run especially when I keep that zone blocked off. Unfortunately, and as Scott seems to indicate, actually knowing\measuring just how efficient it really is can be tough!
Funny, I see Scott preaching about radiant barriers. that's different in some aspects to what I wanted to do with spray foam but not so different in the possible issue of cooking the roofing surface and plywood. I may still do this myself with some rigid foil backed foam tacked up under the roof. It wouldn't be super expensive but hot as hell to install! This is one area I really want to investigate in the future. That and spray foaming my damned crawlspace but if I do that access to much of anything under there like wiring, plumbing, and running CAT5 will plummet
I did some work on my home - added a second story etc. while living in it - an adventure for sure! I learned some things. For one my contractor was a good ole boy who was so honest it wasn't funny. He did it ALL without a signed contract and he stuck to his original price despite having to wait a YEAR to begin! It took a year to get permits and to get the damned architect to properly do the plans, we waited on weather some too. Jackass architect drew in 2X4 walls and not 2X6, not noticed by me till they were banging nails - grr. The first few sets of plans were a joke and the very first time my contractor caught a GLARING error before he even got out of their office. The architect hated my contractor but my contractor knew how to build and was catching all sorts of errors. Thankfully he worked around the ones in the final plans just fine.
So, I wanted to do some odd things my guy hadn't seen before. For starters I had a specific toilet in mind. You know, a low flow toilet that WORKS! Toto Drake for those wondering - just wish it had more water in the bowl so keep a brush handy. He thought it was silly to want a specific toilet and darn it the thing cost MORE. Wow, it works he finds out. Guess who now has two in HIS home:-) I wanted "solar tubes". What in the world are those he wonders. Well the guy puts them in and wow, lots of LIGHT from outside. My contractor thinks this is pretty cool - don't think he's bought any yet. I wanted a tin roof. Now he's seen these and he's had them done. I had a good quote from a guy but when the guy came out to look over the job he made the cardinal sin of ignoring my contractor - this pissed him off. My contractor got his buddy on the phone and shaved multiple thousands of dollars off the price just to spite this jerk - likely burned a favor. Took the guys maybe two hours to put up that roof too. Rolls off the reel through an extruder and up go the panels onto the roof. I wanted spray foam insulation too. Why would I want that? Well the downstairs leaked like a sieve and I wanted it quiet. Research I found said to spray it under the roof decking and make the attic a controlled space. Contractor and roofing guy not happy, insulation guy not so sure. Govt. studies say this saves money bigtime but if the roof decking gets too hot and fries I'm out big bux. Never mind that Govt study was partially conducted in Florida. I relent but I still have the stuff in my walls and attic - it rocks! My contractor also does Tyvek wrap, rigid foam with foil, and the insulator guys sealed every nook with caulk too. End result is awesome but pricey. Insulator says they never do this in homes but in businesses all the time. A/C and heating guy nearly passed out when I told him what we had for insulation - my heat pump doesn't have to work at all but is sized for efficiency. Tankless hot water heater and softener system. Why would I do that? Well endless hot water for the big tub I had installed and the efficiency is off the chart compared to the previous somewhat new water heater. Literally - the two charts don't overlap the new one is so good! I wanted good windows - Pella is what I chose. All sorts of coatings and stuff. I had gotten a ballpark at a homeshow on price. Pella only sells through regional dealers if you buy their good stuff - price is sky high. My contractor is NOT happy and talks them down a couple hundred per window. Love this guy! I get a seriously good attic trap door with insulation and gasketed seals - everyone thinks I'm nuts till that sucker goes up and seals like a drum. I wanted good temp compensating shower fixtures - I buy them online for way less than local. Plumber freaks at the puzzle he has to build to plumb it. I use a local tile and granite guy instead of a big box store or boutique bath place. I save TONS and the guy is very happy to have my business - I've been back for more stuff twice.
So in the end I saved a bunch and obviously went over budget. Every single time I wanted to do something "odd" I got questioned and quizzed. If you aren't
They aren't pumping console crap into PC games - they are building games for crappy consoles and porting them to PCs! I was all set to purchase the latest Supreme Commander "sequel" until I found out they did this and the interface was dumbed for consoles! Oh and it was STEAM only - F that. No sale! I finally found my old CD for the previous game and I play UT2K4 when I want a FPS. How sad is it that i play a six year old game just to enjoy gaming on my computer? That's how bad it is now...
Oh great - as I was reading this I was recalling that the ONE machine I have with ATI is my primary laptop. It's a bit long in the tooth being all of about 2-3 years old I think. It currently runs XP Pro and I've pondered Ubuntu on it. I read a bit further along and gee - it's the same T60 model YOU currently have. I guess that answers that question - and here I thought it was just the audio I'd have issues with
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Car will make peak MPG at it's torque peak if you can have the throttle as close to wide open as possible without triggering acceleration enrichment - this is due to pumping losaes. Diesels get part of their MPG bump from having no throttle blade and from having more BTU per gallon of fuel. Gear a slippery car well and it could get more MPG at higher speeds but in the end the resistance is exponential so I wouldn't expect the best top speed to be really really fast.
That said - I'm okay with speeding since most limits are set a bit lower than I'm comfortable with and the rest of the folks around me it seems. However giving "passes" to speed seems a poor idea since generally it's the differences in speed among those traveling along together that seem to bring on the most accidents. I'm a fan of going fast but find this idea a bad one...
Okay one more attempt to reply to this
Head over to http://lime-technology.com/ as they have exactly what you want. Pay for play but not uber expensive and it will solve the issue you're trying to solve. I run two of these boxes and 16 drives isn't an issue. It will do spin-down for you as well as data protection. It stores parity on a single drive and uses ReiserFS on the data drives. If you lose a single drive no biggie, swap it and go. If you lose two at once you lose the data from those drives but not the rest of the data and you can use ReiserFS tools to recover from those drives. Check out the forums for more info and give the free version a spin to see if it's compatible with the hardware you have. Because parity is stored on a single drive it must be as big or bigger than the rest but you can run any cat or dog drive in any other slot no problem. Mixing IDE and SATA is also not an issue, the OS boots from a USB stick so no space is taken up by the OS - low end hardware is fine too but DO use Gig ethernet! One caveat - if you're watching a movie on a drive paired with another sleeping drive and THAT sleeping one is needed for something the video will pause while the other drive spins up - this is a Linux issue and one that Limetech it trying to get around through various means. It doesn't ever effect me but something you ought to be aware of no matter what solution you go with using Linux.
IMO this solution is way better than what you are currently planning and it solves the power issue nicely - tailor made for you methinks :-)
I have your solution - unRAID. unRAID uses a standard ResierFS filesystem for all of it's drives and stores parity on a dedicated drive. When a drive isn't in use the drive spins down. If a drive goes bad you're still protected and it can be swapped out without data loss. If you lose TWO drives at once you do lose data - from those two drives only. Unlike many RAID solutions this doesn't span data across all of the drives along with parity so you don't lose ALL of your data. Since the f/s is standard you can also use data recovery tools on the data to try and recover it offline. the software is pay for play but not uber expensive and it WILL support 16 drives. There's a free version you can use to test hardware compatibility. It boots from a USB stick too so no issues with the OS taking up space you would prefer to use for data storage. It's fast enough to feed media no problem although to max it out you'll want a gig ethernet network. I've been using this for YEARS without issue and have two of these servers running now. Good stuff IMO! http://lime-technology.com/ They have a forum for discussion hardware and software stuff if you've got questions.
IMO this is way better than storing multiple copies of the media as yuo plan...
Check out the prices on those add-on cards these days. Ouchie!! The Crystal-HD got way expensive once folks saw the damned last I looked.
I use an ION based HTPC. I have two of them and both are about the size of a Wii. The decoding is done via the NVIDIA chipset and VDPAU under Ubuntu. My ASROCK has a DVD drive - it's not needed. My Zotac is small enough to mount on the backside of the TV if I wish. I get 1080P video just fine and I get surround sound as well. Visit the XBMC forums and peruse the Linux section for hardware help - I post there too. Hardware I use is quiet, power saving, and produces little heat. The Live distros work well IMO with a little tweaking - plenty of help for that.
As for feeding this beast - I use unRAID as a NAS. I have 2 of them with quite a few TB of video rips and TV shows from my HD TIVO. I can play this all fine with a 100meg NIC but I happen to prefer a Gig NIC for speed of copying rips to my NAS. My entire video and music library is contained in these servers, I can access anything quickly and it wasn't a million bux to build...
No I haven't and had hoped to try and do it myself but sans camera and other bits not much chance of that. I will be looking for an auditor soon though. Is it better to do this in the colder months or warmer months? I know I have lots of simple things I can do to further improve things around the house but it would be interesting to see what a good audit would find too!
Well, this thing heats the water instantly yes. So quickly that in areas of hard water like mine a softener is required or the boiler will scale quickly! The gas line wasn't resized that I know of. The water heater was moved from the center of the home venting up so a side wall venting sideways anyway.
I have been hearing about the new heat pump water heaters. I don't think they existed when I did mine. for me to have had one large enough to fill a good sized tub though would have cost a fortune. Others I know who had big tubs done ended up with HUGE tanks, I'm happy to get along with a heater the size of a carry-on piece of luggage! My usage is showering, laundry, cooking, an occasional bath.
Bottom line is I'm seeing a savings on gas usage in the Summer when the only thing using it is the water heater. It runs for just long enough for meto use whatever water I need and then is completely off the rest of the day. No complaints at all from me :-)
Oh and naturally I own a diesel and ended up with a short commute! That will be changing soon to a longer one but in the Winter it wasn't even warming up -( Filling just once a month was nice though...
The roof isn't tin, it's a coated metal and I am pretty sure it's ferrous. Not really checked though to be honest. It's what the roofing guy specc'ed and it's rated at something akin to 50 years. I doubt I'll be changing it anytime soon. It's a fairly dark color though, hindsight says I should have gone lighter but it contrasted well with the siding.
House is located in Virginia West of DC. When I bought the place the crawlspace for both the main section of the home and the addition from the previous owner had ZERO insulation. The walls are plaster and someone blew in some insulation at one point. I swear I'd give my right arm for a FLiR camera to look the place over! When I did siding I had rigid foam placed under it, sadly I hadn't done Tyvek back then as I didn't know better. the second story addition though is done WELL.
As for the crawlspace. I have considered sealing block with the paint on sealant, covering the walls and dirt floor with plastic, covering the walls with rigid foam, and blocking all the vents. This would be tough as there's support posts I'd have to work around but if done right this would probably make for a much warmer home! I've considered DIY foaming it too. Tiger isn't the only ones making kits but frankly from all I've read I think it's best to have a pro do it. I may yet get an estimate on having this done, it sure would make the place more livable downstairs in the Winter. Thankfully I have gas heat that works great! :-)
Right, that allows you to avoid pumping losses. I think that's why some cars run really lean, or part of it, so that you have to have the throttle opened up pretty good to get any power. Honda did this awhile back and was one of the first to use W/B O2. This is part of the reason why diesel get better MPG - no pumping loses from a throttle plate. More BTU per gallon helps too as does the compression ratio. With direct injection car makers are starting to look into compression ignition this for cars running gas too but I don't think anyone has gone to it full time yet. Lots of ways to bump up efficiency. Pretty sure I wouldn't want an engine so small it was WOT at cruise though, passing would suck! Maybe with a really steep geared CVT?
Yes, I did absolutely listen. There were times when he followed what I wanted and there were times when I was politely overruled. When I wanted things that were more expensive than budgeted he told me so and explained what others had done and why - I was usually willing to spend the extra and he helped me save money. I was probably a PITA but he was a good guy about it and patient. We got along well and he was there most every single day before I was ready to leave the house just sitting in his truck waiting. Very impressed with his work ethic and he oversaw his workers well too. Sometimes you really should listen to the guy who's the expert else why hire them?
Well, he had looked at the SEER rating for the smaller model and it was a good bit lower than the larger model I got and prices were close enough to not matter apparently. The guy was a pro, he actually sat down an did the calcs having measured the space etc. instead of just eye balling it. Actually had them work on a friend's home - same guy - and again I was impressed. Don't think he was selling me a bill of goods and thus far it's been both reliable and appears efficient. The lower rated model would have run more, hopefully this one runs enough to hit it's rating. I did question him on it and he assured me so like on other things I went with what the pro was telling me. Sometimes you just have to let the guy you're paying be the boss.
As for cars - engines run best at peak torque not max HP or RPM. We may be saying the same thing but having tuned the EFI in more than a few cars I know BSFC is best at peak torque. :-)
I don't think the metal roof is reflecting IR like a radiant barrier would. The objection to doing what I wanted was concern over the roof decking. Both my contractor and the roofing guy said not to do it - I was overruled. It felt like a risk and this job was expensive enough I didn't wish to have to redo it in 5 years! Depending on what you read and whom you believe this issue isn't a problem.
As for the crawlspace - this was a second story addition. The crawlspace was untouched other than to add some supports for the second story support beams. It's presently dirt with crappy insulation batts shoved between floor joists - by ME. It had NO insulation when I moved in and was over 60 years old at the time. I was stunned!
Figuring out what to do in the crawlspace has vexed me for YEARS. I hate drafts and I have them right now. Vapor barrier on all the walls, some rigid foam, maybe spray foam? If I leave vents open then cold air comes right in - haven't I defeated the purpose? Very frustrating to try and figure out and sure not much room to work under there either - especially alone :-(
Funny thing is how I found out about it.... I was at a home show and knew I needed a toilet along with a dozen other things for the new addition. the bathroom was a HUGE thing for me having only had little tiny closets before this. So i walked up to a plumbing company display, pulled a plumber aside, and asked him what he recommended. Now he wasn't selling this at the show but he was a pro and had worked on lots of toilets. He told me get a Toto Drake. He said they WORKED and that when repairs were needed it was simple. That toilet is now over 3 years old and has yet to need a single part! If I were doing it again I'd get the taller model and the slow close lid but change nothing else. I'll be upgrading my other toilets soon :-)
BTW - by sourcing my own contractors\fixtures for the bathroom over a specialty boutique place I paid less than $12K for my big bathroom including a heated tile floor (do this!) and granite counters. One place had estimates starting in the $30K range and the lowest anyone would talk was close to $20K. At the time my contractor had no tile guy but has since gotten one back under his wing. I WILL be calling him for work in my other bathrooms soon!
Yeah, you're correct. My point though is that if you want to do things that aren't bog standard you will get pushback. Standard isn't alway best and code doesn't always keep up. It was interesting to find out that people will cut corners on things like insulation just to save some bux up front when in the long run the good stuff REALLY makes a difference! How I wish I could build a place from scratch right now, I learned so much just doing this addition. I am glad that my contractor was knowledgeable and VERY happy with his work. I did even spot one thing that looked "off" but when I questioned him he had a perfectly good explanation. It was still "off" but only because it had to be or I might not pass inspection. Crazy but true, common sense and code inspections don't always work together it seems.
The funniest part was when he asked two inspectors how best to do one thing and they disagreed - and proceeded to argue in front of him! So, he walked away, got us through inspection by leaving that thing alone (electrical to the garage) and then after inspection had his electrician come in and do it the way he felt was right. Problem solved. Some of the stories he told were scary - professional framers that gave up contracting and went to work as inspectors. The one guy was doing electrical inspection his 2nd day on the job - alone - on something that was NOT his specialty. My guy just shook his head and made sure the folks he used were good and the job was safe.
Anyway, I can see where Scott was coming from. Things seem to change very slowly in the building industry even as newer and better materials are found\made. Unless code specifies it you may not see it done very quickly. I'm still pissed my architect got away with 2x4 vs 2x6 studs via a loophole in the new code acceptance!
True so let me correct that:
B & R Contracting & Fencing
12750 Old Church Road
Nokesville, VA 20181-1618
(703) 361-6232
I'm not sure I follow you - I only produce heated water when I need it. It runs on gas which I already had plumbed. Ignition is a spark which on some units is produced via a water wheel spun by water flow (not on mine though). My gas bills went DOWN from my previous tank water heater so I know it works. The tub is only used occasionally and while not being uber green it is comfortable which was my primary concern ;-)
Solar shingles are interesting but fairly low efficiency right now. I have a tin roof so mounting racks to it is pretty attractive if ugly. Shading is my major problem for solar. Solar hot water returns money VERY quickly supposedly but in my case with no tank makes little sense. In your case with a tank it might work well.
Attic isn't a conditioned space sadly, too much concern about the roof decking. I may yet do a radiant barrier though!
Your idea is a good one. I've considered it some yes but not done it. I think you're probably onto something though and that might be a good way to go. Perhaps heavy ply plastic down to keep moisture out, rigid foam board on the walls, then maybe spray foam the walls? It's a dirt crawlspace now and yucky to crawl around in but I'd love to make it more friendly and easier to work in. Thoughts? It's maybe 3-4foot high in the main part of the house. Walls are block, there are some vents along two sides. Moisture would be a concern I think but not insurmountable maybe. Hrm, I'm all ears to suggestions...
This wasn't new construction so what was existing remains. The back of the house is heavily shaded by a gigantic Oak tree that stands a good 4+ stories tall. That's on the North side. South side has nothing shading it except some incidental shade from neighbor's giant Oaks to the SouthWest, West side is pretty well shaded. I have a 4 story tall Holly tree too but it's not providing shade. Most windows face South with only the upper story getting sunlight in them. Were it not for the partial shading I get from neighbor trees I'd likely have a couple of solar racks up there and will try in the future.
Perhaps not the best engineered setup but the rear of the house is cooled in Summer by the Oak and in Summer the sun isn't heating things up too much thanks to coatings and insulation. Original home was built circa 1940 BTW and it's no mansion but I enjoy it.
Solartubes just like the AC below. I have a light kit in one of them too, not sure how you change the bulb in that sucker! lol
These are rigid tubes which are better than the flexible kind. The light output is damned good even with my domes being on the backside of the house. Be aware they work both ways so lights on in the house make little lights show on the roof like a spaceship. The light output is so good that a full moon is enough light for me to see in my bathroom, stairs, or closet just fine. Do NOT put these in your bedroom unless you get a cover for the diffuser. You also do NOT NOT NOT want one of these anywhere near a ceiling fan unless you want a disco strobe effect. Great for large closets and bathrooms, my stairs are also well lit with one of these. I'd use more if there were places they made sense. They cost me like $500 apiece and were VERY well worth the investment.
Northern VA. He's a pretty small outfit and times are tough so I don't know if he's hiring but I'm sending people his way as often as they tell me they are looking for a good contractor! B&R Contracting was the company name as I recall. Ronnie is the owner and his wife is the one who answers the phone - very pleasant to work with as well.
I worked with the A/C guy. He did the calcs and found that the size recommended was so small that it would be pretty inefficient so he bumped it up one size to a unit that would be more efficient. I can tell you that my bills have been pretty low and that I've not had moisture issues. It doesn't often run especially when I keep that zone blocked off. Unfortunately, and as Scott seems to indicate, actually knowing\measuring just how efficient it really is can be tough!
Funny, I see Scott preaching about radiant barriers. that's different in some aspects to what I wanted to do with spray foam but not so different in the possible issue of cooking the roofing surface and plywood. I may still do this myself with some rigid foil backed foam tacked up under the roof. It wouldn't be super expensive but hot as hell to install! This is one area I really want to investigate in the future. That and spray foaming my damned crawlspace but if I do that access to much of anything under there like wiring, plumbing, and running CAT5 will plummet
I did some work on my home - added a second story etc. while living in it - an adventure for sure! I learned some things. For one my contractor was a good ole boy who was so honest it wasn't funny. He did it ALL without a signed contract and he stuck to his original price despite having to wait a YEAR to begin! It took a year to get permits and to get the damned architect to properly do the plans, we waited on weather some too. Jackass architect drew in 2X4 walls and not 2X6, not noticed by me till they were banging nails - grr. The first few sets of plans were a joke and the very first time my contractor caught a GLARING error before he even got out of their office. The architect hated my contractor but my contractor knew how to build and was catching all sorts of errors. Thankfully he worked around the ones in the final plans just fine.
So, I wanted to do some odd things my guy hadn't seen before. For starters I had a specific toilet in mind. You know, a low flow toilet that WORKS! Toto Drake for those wondering - just wish it had more water in the bowl so keep a brush handy. He thought it was silly to want a specific toilet and darn it the thing cost MORE. Wow, it works he finds out. Guess who now has two in HIS home :-) I wanted "solar tubes". What in the world are those he wonders. Well the guy puts them in and wow, lots of LIGHT from outside. My contractor thinks this is pretty cool - don't think he's bought any yet. I wanted a tin roof. Now he's seen these and he's had them done. I had a good quote from a guy but when the guy came out to look over the job he made the cardinal sin of ignoring my contractor - this pissed him off. My contractor got his buddy on the phone and shaved multiple thousands of dollars off the price just to spite this jerk - likely burned a favor. Took the guys maybe two hours to put up that roof too. Rolls off the reel through an extruder and up go the panels onto the roof. I wanted spray foam insulation too. Why would I want that? Well the downstairs leaked like a sieve and I wanted it quiet. Research I found said to spray it under the roof decking and make the attic a controlled space. Contractor and roofing guy not happy, insulation guy not so sure. Govt. studies say this saves money bigtime but if the roof decking gets too hot and fries I'm out big bux. Never mind that Govt study was partially conducted in Florida. I relent but I still have the stuff in my walls and attic - it rocks! My contractor also does Tyvek wrap, rigid foam with foil, and the insulator guys sealed every nook with caulk too. End result is awesome but pricey. Insulator says they never do this in homes but in businesses all the time. A/C and heating guy nearly passed out when I told him what we had for insulation - my heat pump doesn't have to work at all but is sized for efficiency. Tankless hot water heater and softener system. Why would I do that? Well endless hot water for the big tub I had installed and the efficiency is off the chart compared to the previous somewhat new water heater. Literally - the two charts don't overlap the new one is so good! I wanted good windows - Pella is what I chose. All sorts of coatings and stuff. I had gotten a ballpark at a homeshow on price. Pella only sells through regional dealers if you buy their good stuff - price is sky high. My contractor is NOT happy and talks them down a couple hundred per window. Love this guy! I get a seriously good attic trap door with insulation and gasketed seals - everyone thinks I'm nuts till that sucker goes up and seals like a drum. I wanted good temp compensating shower fixtures - I buy them online for way less than local. Plumber freaks at the puzzle he has to build to plumb it. I use a local tile and granite guy instead of a big box store or boutique bath place. I save TONS and the guy is very happy to have my business - I've been back for more stuff twice.
So in the end I saved a bunch and obviously went over budget. Every single time I wanted to do something "odd" I got questioned and quizzed. If you aren't
They aren't pumping console crap into PC games - they are building games for crappy consoles and porting them to PCs! I was all set to purchase the latest Supreme Commander "sequel" until I found out they did this and the interface was dumbed for consoles! Oh and it was STEAM only - F that. No sale! I finally found my old CD for the previous game and I play UT2K4 when I want a FPS. How sad is it that i play a six year old game just to enjoy gaming on my computer? That's how bad it is now...
Oh great - as I was reading this I was recalling that the ONE machine I have with ATI is my primary laptop. It's a bit long in the tooth being all of about 2-3 years old I think. It currently runs XP Pro and I've pondered Ubuntu on it. I read a bit further along and gee - it's the same T60 model YOU currently have. I guess that answers that question - and here I thought it was just the audio I'd have issues with