Heat Pump Refrigerant Uncertainty

charlie123 · May 12

I just wanted to thank you guys for your input/ advice, i appreciate it!

hot_rod · May 13

with the info we have on your home and system, I’m not sure you're a good candidate for an A2whp? Just from a cost and return perspective if nothing else.

charlie123 · May 13

I've decided against A2W and ducted, I need the tank out now and they both sound too involved (and apparently A2W pretty much isn't done here at this time).

I have someone coming Friday for an actual Manual-J and I'll get quotes on:

a) A2A (I like the simplicity, the dealer says that a service contract will leave the cleaning to them (though I want to be sure about that), I'm hoping that by avoiding oversizing I'll be comfortable, and the cost should be lower that the 1st 2 above I think), or

b) a new tank either with-or-without the New Yorker you mentioned. He's familiar with the unit.

Hopefully I'm looking at this correctly, and if I do the boiler I have a procedure worked out that makes installation of the Midea window inverter AC pretty painless.

mattmia2 · May 13

i don't know if any of the mini split cassettes are going to solve the cool draft problem even if sized properly. the end consumer isn't the person buying most of them, it is mostly builders and developers and such so price is much higher up on the design criteria than comfort or durability. be very careful with "name brand". there are only a few manufacturers and a whole lot of stuff is just something they bought and slapped their name on.

charlie123 · May 13

I would be looking at the hyper-heat versions of Mitsubishi or Fujitsu so I think I'm dealing with the good stuff.

I understand that the mini splits run at a very low output, so what you described makes sense, how even a slight draft could throw that out of whack/ compete with that airflow.

I'm guessing that your home, like mine, isn't the tightest envelope, and as such, maybe not a good match for A2A? Or did you work on your home and seal/insulate, and you still don't like the A2A?

Related question: do baseboard radiators often last far beyond the ~40 year lifespan I've heard of?

I haven't done any maintenance beyond cleaning the outer cover, would hate to go for a new boiler and find that these also need to be replaced.

mattmia2 · May 13

i don't know if there is good stuff, just less bad stuff.

the air from the cassette is the draft, it isn't very warm so if it has enough velocity when it gets you for you to feel it, it will feel cold

i would expect fin tube baseboard to last 100+ years unless you physically damage it or have a leak that is letting a lot of makeup water in to the system or have it very overpumped so you have erosion. it is a closed system and it is copper so it is pretty corrosion resistant to begin with and there is no continuous source of oxygen to corrode it.

ChrisJ · May 13

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896469#Comment_1896469

We have an LG mini split in our office and never once has the air from it felt cold, even at 0F outside.

For that matter, I don't think I've ever felt a mini split produce even remotely high velocity air.

charlie123 · May 14

@EBEBRATT-Ed: one website shows the following as the punchlist for the annual oil service: would you say this is thorough or missing things?

New oil filter
New oil strainer
New burner nozzle
Clean and adjust electrodes
Clean oil lines
Check for proper flue discharge
Examine all electricals
Start up and run through of system

*Note: If soot vac is required, additional charges will apply

Steamhead · May 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896546#Comment_1896546

They forgot to include a combustion test, which includes a smoke test. The smoke level should be zero. Burners made in the last 40 years or so should not make any smoke or soot, period. If they do, something is wrong.

EBEBRATT-Ed · May 14

agree with @Steamhead

But I don't agree that they should charge extra for cleaning the boiler of any soot.

Why?

Because if they screw up the burner adjustment then you have a problem a couple of months later then YOU have to pay for the cleaning.

and as steamhead mentioned the combustion test is one of the most important things.

mattmia2 · May 14

isn't inspecting the combustion chamber and cleaning the blower on the burner in there along with cleaning the combustion chamber?

that isn't a service contract, it is a fixed rate quote. a service contract has some risk that you may need to do more work sometimes. it is like the dealer that the service writer decided the problem with my car was alignment, charged me a lot to do an alignment and didn't fix the problem.

ChrisJ · May 14

What is "clean oil lines" ?

mattmia2 · May 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896555#Comment_1896555

if i read that again it looks more like some ai skimming rather than someone's service contract. some of that stuff is hard and unnecessary and other stuff is not how the trade would describe it and stuff that is more important and easier than the hard stuff in the list is missing

mattmia2 · May 14

testing the safeties is also missing there

ChrisJ · May 14

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1896573#Comment_1896573

Maybe that's under "Examine all electricals"

EBEBRATT-Ed · May 14

The Op stated that his service company is in and out in 1/2 hour.

They are basically doing a nozzle and a filter and that is all.

charlie123 · May 15

I would say 1/2 hour is the norm, and that service list came from an hvac dealers website, thx.

Heat Pump Refrigerant Uncertainty

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