What did you do today?

[Blue Chips 338]

There was about six inches of snow on the ground when I got up this morning, and I don't have the snowblower back on my 522xi yet, so I brought out the big gun (my Case 480E) and cleared 'most' of the snow off the driveway and turnaround areas with the loader bucket, which was a bit awkward, since there are so many short-radius curves to deal with. Also, it's fairly new asphalt...just a few months old...and I didn't want to damage it with the edge of the loader bucket, so I just scraped off what I could with the bucket in its unlocked mode, with just the weight of the bucket keeping it on the ground, and with the leading edge of the bucket angled up slightly so it wouldn't dig into the asphalt. It's not a very efficient way to scrape snow, since the upward angle wanted to make the bucket slide up over the packed areas, leaving a lot of patches of snow. Oh, well. Good enough for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blue Chips 338]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

In your examples, you ARE assigning value to exchanging air (make up air for range exhaust and shop fume exhaust) so your math will likely be more favorable. 

 

Yes, I think that would help with the math, but to be honest, while enhanced heating efficiency would be something to aim for, I'm actually more concerned about working in the shop in comfort, without a cold draft from the window blowing on me. I guess I'm getting spoiled in my retirement years. 

[ebinmaine 75,297]

4 hours ago, Blue Chips said:

I think it would be a good brain exercise to treat insomnia.

 

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Yeah, I frequently use stumpers like this to put me to sleep.

 

Same. Processing thinkerizations & mullerificating prodigiously  is often cause for sleeperating.  

 

 

 

[adsm08 3,757]

Not so much me as the wife, but she found this idea on the facie-page maybe:

 

[953 nut 62,757]

8 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Ought to start thinking about a replacement.  Back to researching on demand units.

22 years on a tank water heater is living on barrowed time,  We have a Navien tankless water heater going on 15 years with no problems, If you have natural gas or LP that is the way to go.       

[SylvanLakeWH 29,630]

7 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

Not so much me as the wife, but she found this idea on the facie-page maybe:

 

Cool idea, but I'd do shelves... weight on those plastic hanging on those edges might give way... 

[adsm08 3,757]

2 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

22 years on a tank water heater is living on barrowed time,  We have a Navien tankless water heater going on 15 years with no problems, If you have natural gas or LP that is the way to go.       

 

I asked an HVAC and plumbing guy I know about one of those and he said they suck the gas down fast.

[adsm08 3,757]

Just now, SylvanLakeWH said:

Cool idea, but I'd do shelves... weight on those plastic hanging on those edges might give way... 

 

It could, but this rack isn't meant for a lot of weight. These bins are going to be mostly for hunting,fishing, and camping gear. Probably the heaviest bin will have two pairs of chest waders in it.

[953 nut 62,757]

14 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

I asked an HVAC and plumbing guy I know about one of those and he said they suck the gas down fast.

The tankless unit only fires when water flows, the tank type keep on using gas all day. Much more efficient than an electric tank type.         

[ebinmaine 75,297]

1 minute ago, 953 nut said:

Much more efficient than an electric tank type.         

 

 

More efficient.... sure. .. but carefully consider the whole picture. 

 

Our 40 gallon electric water heater was about $400. For the record, installation was discounted and we only paid a couple hundred bucks. If it was a retail job we still wouldn't have had more than $800 or so into it. 

 

For a propane setup we were quoted THOUSANDS. 

Anywhere from $6K up to $15K  NOT COUNTING getting a new tank and regulator. 

 

Point being.....   our experience shows us...

It would take a VERY long time even at a high usage rate to catch and pass the initial investment.  

 

 

Over and over and over again.... I've had conversations with people who get all freaked out about electric heat and/or electric hot water. 

 

It saved us WELL over a thousand dollars per year compared to the old oil system.  

 

 

 

[8ntruck 8,278]

40 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

22 years on a tank water heater is living on barrowed time,  We have a Navien tankless water heater going on 15 years with no problems, If you have natural gas or LP that is the way to go.       

We have LP on site for the Generac.  Venting the unit might need some creative solutions.  The concrete chimney starts below grade and runs up the back side of the house.  I suppose it could be tapped into above the connection for the furnace.  I doubt I could 'T' into the furnace flue pipe....

 

The furnace is about the same age.  We have been thinking about going to LP for the next furnace and getting rid of the oil tank in the basement.  Probably out to go to the next size larger LP tank if we make that conversion.

[lynnmor 8,170]

5 hours ago, 953 nut said:

The tankless unit only fires when water flows, the tank type keep on using gas all day. Much more efficient than an electric tank type.         

An electric tank type uses electricity with 100% efficiency meaning that all of the heat went directly into the water.  The only loss is thru the jacket and that is very little.  A tankless gas heater loses the heat going up the chimney plus all of the residual heat between uses.

[ebinmaine 75,297]

8 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

getting rid of the oil tank in the basement

 

After having been through a spill...

 

I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND everyone does this.  

[953 nut 62,757]

11 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

The concrete chimney starts below grade and runs up the back side of the house.  I suppose it could be tapped into above the connection for the furnace.  I doubt I could 'T' into the furnace flue pipe..

Our tankless LP water heater has two 4" PVC pipes going to and from it, one for combustion air, one for exhaust. You can place your hand on the exhaust PVC pipe and feel a slight bit of warmth. Our water from a deep well enters the unit at an average of 42* and leaves at 120* and will continue leaving the heat exchanger at 120* as long as there is water flowing. When the fow stops the burner shuts off and stays off until the next time you call for hot water, just that simple.

We heat water, cook, heat the home and occasionally use the Gas log fireplace on about 300 to 400 gallons of LP per year depending on the winter. In the summer when we are just using the water heater and cooking with the gas usage the use is not noticeable. Our tank is a 500 gallon unit and I fill it at the end of the summer, unless we have a very harsh winter it will not be refilled until the following summer.

[8ntruck 8,278]

  Like the high efficiency natural gas furnace we have in our Mo. property.

 

I had not considered that.  Back into research mode. 

 

Last night, I was reading about hybred heat pump water heaters.  They operate like a refrigerator, except they take heat out of the room air and put it into the water.  The hybred part means that it also has conventional heating elements to kick on when the heat pump part isn't keeping up.  One of these would be a much easier install than LP fired tankless unit.

 

I checked both elements in the sick water heater with a VOM.  They checked OK.  That pointed at the thermostats, so I picked up upper and lower replacement thermostats while I was out walking the dog today.  I replaced the upper thermostat- only because it was easier than replacing the lower thermostat.  It passed the smoke test, and the water has been at 125 degrees for several hours now.  Looks like it is back up and running - for now.

[Ed Kennell 43,507]

Watched this 13yo lad operate this 10,000 lb. plow machine.    He plowed from 8AM to 4PM with an hour lunch break(for the Belgians).   He turned about 5 acres.

 

[ebinmaine 75,297]

48 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

I picked up upper and lower replacement thermostats while I was out walking the dog today.

 

You just FIND these on the side of the road??!!??

[SylvanLakeWH 29,630]

1 hour ago, Ed Kennell said:

He turned about 5 acres

Proof positive you only need 5 horse power to turn a single bottom plow... 

[lynnmor 8,170]

1 hour ago, 8ntruck said:

Last night, I was reading about hybred heat pump water heaters.  They operate like a refrigerator, except they take heat out of the room air and put it into the water.  The hybred part means that it also has conventional heating elements to kick on when the heat pump part isn't keeping up.  One of these would be a much easier install than LP fired tankless unit.

 

I have been using a GE hybrid water heater for 15 years, the only issue was a factory fault that was fixed for free.  Installation is the same as a standard water heater but clearance around it is necessary so it can move air and a provision for the condensate water is needed.

[8ntruck 8,278]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

You just FIND these on the side of the road??!!??

Sort of.  I FOUND them in one of the older local hardware stores - on the side of the road.

 

This place is the hardware store is the go to when I need something unusual.