HVAC Inspection
Jan. 25th, 2007 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebThe City came out this morning to inspect my new HVAC system and a representative of the company came along. I got all my questions answered.
First I asked about the smoke. That's not from the silicone seal, it's from the oil in which the unit is "pickled" to prevent once. You just have to run it for 30 - 60 minutes with the windows open. They were surprised no one told me this. Urg.
Second, the SEER value. Apparently the SEER value of the outdoor unit is added to the value of something inside to get the total value. Both guys confirmed this and they said you can look this up online.
Third, whether I should take the solar screens off in the winter to let more sun in. I got three answers: 1) Most people don't. 2) It doesn't make that much difference in the winter, just in the summer. 3) The more times you take them down and put them up, the more likely you are to tear them up.
I also learned that a new circuit breaker was installed outside next to the unit so that people working on it can cut the circuit without risking that people inside will reconnect it. "You'd be surprised at how often that happens." Yikes. I made them show me how to get into it. Because telling me didn't work. "Pull open the bottom" is shorthand for "Push that part in and then pull open the bottom."
I also learned that usually wall heaters like mine are disconnected during this sort of thing because they are inefficient. Wall AC units are, too. And my latest research did show that it takes just as much energy to cool one room with a window unit as it does to cool a whole house with a central AC. Crazy.
I'll be getting my rebates in a week and a half. They process them every Thursday, but they won't get to mine today so it will be done next Thursday.
I also got some gifts. The company guy came first with a small red gift bag. I said he looked like Santa. He said he had some gifts for me. I said he is Santa! I got a small flashlight. He warned me that the battery was in backwards--some people don't figure that out and get angry. And when I was opening the next one he said, "That can come in handy," and it turned out to be one of those metal tape measures. Very nice. I'm not sure where I'll put another one, though. The third one he said was less handy. But it's a utility knife in a nylon case you can wear on your belt. It's the kind where the main tool is pliers. There's also a knife, screw drivers, can opener, saw, and ruler among other things.
The City also brought me a gift: a four-pack of 60-watt-equivalent compact fluorescent light bulbs that use only 14 watts. They are compact, too. I would never have expected there to be four bulbs in that box. I've read recently that these have small amounts of mercury in them, so they have to be disposed of carefully, but there's no mention of that on the box. They do mention that it's not for dimmers or timers or outdoor units that are not enclosed. And it may interfere with radio equipment if installed too close to it. Weird.
First I asked about the smoke. That's not from the silicone seal, it's from the oil in which the unit is "pickled" to prevent once. You just have to run it for 30 - 60 minutes with the windows open. They were surprised no one told me this. Urg.
Second, the SEER value. Apparently the SEER value of the outdoor unit is added to the value of something inside to get the total value. Both guys confirmed this and they said you can look this up online.
Third, whether I should take the solar screens off in the winter to let more sun in. I got three answers: 1) Most people don't. 2) It doesn't make that much difference in the winter, just in the summer. 3) The more times you take them down and put them up, the more likely you are to tear them up.
I also learned that a new circuit breaker was installed outside next to the unit so that people working on it can cut the circuit without risking that people inside will reconnect it. "You'd be surprised at how often that happens." Yikes. I made them show me how to get into it. Because telling me didn't work. "Pull open the bottom" is shorthand for "Push that part in and then pull open the bottom."
I also learned that usually wall heaters like mine are disconnected during this sort of thing because they are inefficient. Wall AC units are, too. And my latest research did show that it takes just as much energy to cool one room with a window unit as it does to cool a whole house with a central AC. Crazy.
I'll be getting my rebates in a week and a half. They process them every Thursday, but they won't get to mine today so it will be done next Thursday.
I also got some gifts. The company guy came first with a small red gift bag. I said he looked like Santa. He said he had some gifts for me. I said he is Santa! I got a small flashlight. He warned me that the battery was in backwards--some people don't figure that out and get angry. And when I was opening the next one he said, "That can come in handy," and it turned out to be one of those metal tape measures. Very nice. I'm not sure where I'll put another one, though. The third one he said was less handy. But it's a utility knife in a nylon case you can wear on your belt. It's the kind where the main tool is pliers. There's also a knife, screw drivers, can opener, saw, and ruler among other things.
The City also brought me a gift: a four-pack of 60-watt-equivalent compact fluorescent light bulbs that use only 14 watts. They are compact, too. I would never have expected there to be four bulbs in that box. I've read recently that these have small amounts of mercury in them, so they have to be disposed of carefully, but there's no mention of that on the box. They do mention that it's not for dimmers or timers or outdoor units that are not enclosed. And it may interfere with radio equipment if installed too close to it. Weird.
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no subject
on 2007-01-25 04:20 pm (UTC)But I use them everywhere else and I like them. They take about 30 seconds to get to full brightness, which is a tiny bit disconcerting at first, but then they're awesome.