Best Of
Re: Actual Performance of Cold Climate Heat Pump in Upstate NY
@Kaos said: "A properly sized modulating heat pump will run much quieter and deliver more event comfortable heat than any fuel burner I've seen."
That might be true when compared to a forced-air furnasty, but it will never be more comfortable than a well-operating steam or hot-water system.
Re: Interior line set runs?
Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. I've decided that changing to a ducted system will be best for the long term viability of the house. An air handler in the basement may be able to use some of the original gravity powered heat ducting to supply both floors. An air handler in the attic can supply the second floor. I did save the original gravity "octopus" furnace, resealing the firebox. I'm keeping that as a "functional antique". Again, Thank you!!
akjim
Re: 1950's Baseboard
We seem to have 2 separate threads going here. Could the authors please clean them up? Thanks.
Re: Replacement for Old School Dual drain slop sink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H7IUbwFG40
pecmsg
Re: Actual Performance of Cold Climate Heat Pump in Upstate NY
The BOM cost different between a cooling only fixed speed 3 ton AC only and a fully modulating cold climate heat pump air handler is about $2k. If I was comparing a modulating AC to the heat pump the cost delta would be a couple hundred.
Definitely something, but compared to install costs, pretty much noise.
A properly sized modulating heat pump will run much quieter and deliver more event comfortable heat than any fuel burner I've seen. The biggest complaint people have is they don't even notice it is running.
Kaos
Re: heating oil tank manufacturer's warranty voided by transfer of oil from the old tank?
I don't recommend placing any oil from any steel tank into any new tank. That is a result of experience.
- Do you know for sure that there are no TBD Tank Bottom Deposits (contaminants/sludge) in the oil that is in the old tank? I can guarantee you that there are. They are also black and smell awful
- Can you be absolutely sure that those TBDs will not get into your new tank? I can guarantee you that they will.
- Will those contaminants be stopped from entering the oil pump and/or nozzle during the subsequent winter operating season?
- Do you like it when you have a burner failure when it is very cold?
If you can answer YES to all these questions then by all means put the old oil in the new tank
Regarding the slight up and down you will get in a new fuel line regardless of the reason, that will not be a problem. Especially when using the Tiger Loop.
EDIT:
Case History: This actually happened to me. As a result of the previous fuel dealer's poor tank maintenance policy for years, there were a number of homes in Ocean City NJ that had a problem with clogged nozzles. This one homeowner that suffered from this problem was told by the city that they needed to replace the buried sewer pipe that connected their home and the neighbors home. Since the fuel oil tank was over the buried pipe, they needed to remove the tank and could replace the tank after the work was completed. due to the age of the tank, the city would also purchase the new replacement tank.
I provided the estimate for the needed work and included putting a temporary fuel supply in place so the home would not be without heat and hot water as a separate line item from the replacement tank quote. I also added an option to keep the three 55 gallon drums as a temporary tank until the old oil was used up. This would ensure that no old oil would be introduced to the new tank. The city declined to pay for that option and the homeowner wanted to save $$$ and elected to just pump the old oil back into the new tank. Against my strongest recommendation to use up or throw the oil. Away, the customer (who is always right) instructed me to put that old oil from the three 55 gallon drums back in their new tank. That winter there were 3 service visits to replace a clogged nozzle that also included a new filter and pump strainer service.
This customer wanted an explanation as to how this dirt crud and sludge could have possibly got into the new tank? I explained that the former fuel oil dealer was not using any additives in the oil they have been delivering for the last 30 years since the son took over the business from the father. This saved him $$$ but as time went on all the tanks that were served by that company were accumulating copious amounts of tank bottom deposits (TBD). I kept a sample of what we pulled out of the old tank before the scrap man removed that tank from the property the previous year. I also showed him the 2 oil filters and nozzles that were covered with those TBDs. I left them in a plastic container in the boiler room because I had a suspicion that I might need them in the future.
Now the customer understood why I strongly recommended paying a little extra for the temporary fuel drums to use up the oil. When the customer asked what can be cone about this problem. I gave him a more expensive option that would include running the fuel oil tank to near empty. I would then set up a containment system in his backyard so I could lay the new contaminated fuel tank on its side and take 20 gallons of new oil, clean oil and pump it through a hose with a spray nozzle on the end of the hose. This was in order to use the clean oil like you might use a garden hose to wash down your driveway or sidewalk. The pressurized oil would force the TBSs off the bottom of the 1 year old tank and allow another pump to suck out the contaminated oil with all of the TBDs that were suspended in that oil. After 4 rinses (5 gallons at a time) all the contaminants were virtually gone. Then I reinstalled the tank and had a delivery of fresh oil delivered with an extra tank cleaning additive to be added to each delivery.
The following winter there were no plugged nozzles reported by this customer. Since you will be using oil from your old tank, I can not tell you that you will have that same problem, however I can tell you that this customer’s attempt to save $$$ by not throwing that old oil, cost them much more than they had planned. But at least the toilets were flushing properly now.
