Heating/AC Options

Started by bigcountry, October 31, 2011, 06:18:31 PM

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bigcountry

I am at a point in my build where i am deciding what route to take with HVAC. The cabin I am building will be used year-round and is located in central PA. I do not want to spend too much, but at the same time i don't to cheap out!! Here is my plan so far for my 1128sq ft one floor cabin. Pellet stove in the living room with baseboard heat throughout the rest of the cabin. In the summer i am planning on a few window air units for those few hot nights in the summer. Any thoughts??

MountainDon

Rather than window mount A/C give some thought to split minis. Window units never have very good SEER ratings; that means greater operating costs. To my eye they are also 'ugly' and limit your window choices (no casement, no sliders).  Split Minis can be had with very high SEER ratings, at least double thsat of most window units. The outside part, the really noisy portion, can be mounted in unobtrusive places. Only a three inch hole is needed through the wall and the quiet indoor portion can be mounted in many places as well.

Really good ones can run in reverse like most any heat pump and supply some heat too.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Alan Gage

What's the price of pellets doing now? I know a couple years ago pellet users were complaining of the high price. Some found there was no savings over just turning on the gas furnace.

I'm heading a similar route. My house is a single story right around 1000 square feet and super insulated. (roughly r-40 walls and r-75 ceiling). I'll be heating with a wood stove for main heat and electric baseboard for backup. AC will be a window unit. No sheetrock on the ceiling yet so I can't say how it will work out.

Alan

Alan Gage

Quote from: MtnDon on October 31, 2011, 06:40:03 PM
Rather than window mount A/C give some thought to split minis. Window units never have very good SEER ratings; that means greater operating costs. To my eye they are also 'ugly' and limit your window choices (no casement, no sliders).  Split Minis can be had with very high SEER ratings, at least double thsat of most window units. The outside part, the really noisy portion, can be mounted in unobtrusive places. Only a three inch hole is needed through the wall and the quiet indoor portion can be mounted in many places as well.

Really good ones can run in reverse like most any heat pump and supply some heat too.

I seriously thought about a ductless mini-split for AC and backup heat but decided against it based on high initial cost and poor heater performance in our climate zone. It would have been great for AC but just more than I was willing to spend for something I'll really only need a few weeks out of the year here.

Alan

MountainDon

I agree with Alans critique of pellet stoves. They still depend on somebody for the fuel supply. Not much different than gas, oil or electricity, IMO.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


MushCreek

I'm probably going to go with mini-splits, but ours will be a full-time home. In SC, A/C is critical! Some of the better minis have very high SEER ratings (as high as 30!), and can run 4 inside units or more. By the time you get to that level, though, they are nearly the price of a central system. They now make indoor units that mount in the ceiling, and thus look just like a central system duct. For some reason, they cost more than the ones that hang on the wall. If A/C isn't a constant like it is in the south, it might not pay to spend the extra money on the mini-splits.
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.

bigcountry

Thanks for the thoughts...It is a tough decision and i have been going back and forth between many different options. I am going to try doing a spreadsheet with all the possible scenarios and costs. I will let you all know what results i find. Thanks again for all the input!!

metolent

As a data point, I spent just over 4k for my 2 ton, 14 SEER, ~9 HSPF heat pump, including variable speed air handler, outside condenser, line set, all duct work, t-stat, and all the little pieces/parts/insulation you need for a full system install....for my ~1200 sq ft, 28x34 cabin with loft.  There are pics of the install in my cabin build thread.

considerations

This may be different now, but when I was researching wood heat, I never saw a pellet stove that didn't need electricity.  Might be something to consider.


MountainDon

That is a very good point. I believe they all require power, so not much good in grid failure times.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

bigcountry

Considering we lose power on occasion(i.e. the freak snowstorm we got  this weekend) that is definitely a good point. Since i already planned on having a gas cook stove with some gas lighting as back up, i am now looking at gas fireplaces rather than the pellet stove option.

Native_NM

Some of the newer pellet stoves run on a 12v motor.  They use a wall wart.  When there is AC, the wall wart powers the motor.  In a power outage they can hook to a battery. 
New Mexico.  Better than regular Mexico.

TheWire

If you use a gas stove for backup heat make sure you have a battery operated carbon monoxide detector.