After we got the geo installed I asked the HVAC guy about permanently installing a temp / pressure gauge in the T&P ports so I could monitor the loop temps and pressure. He recommended that I not do that since the T&P ports are not designed to have something in them all of the time.
If I remember correctly, we would of needed a 3.5 ton furnace for our heat and AC load. Waterfurnace does not make a 3.5 ton furnace. I made the call on going to a 4 ton unit.
We generally burn around 1.5 cords of mixed hardwoods per year. Last year was a different story. The majority of the wood is White Ash. The wood furnace is EPA tested at 76% efficient.
Yes. I let is run yesterday for 4:42 and it consumed 2.27Kwh of electric. I probably should of let it run longer but I am kinda of cheap a$$ and turned it off.
The rim joists and sealed with closed cell foam down to the second block. The walls are sealed on both sides. It is a walkout with a door. The door has low E glass in it and has also been sealed with foam and caulk. The sump crock is not sealed but I have that on my to do list. Unfortunately I think it is just something you have to live with if you have a basement.
Thanks. The foam broke our budget but IMHO it is worth every cent.
No water intrusion. The basement was back filled with river rock and then about 6 inches of topsoil. Basement concrete floor is not insulated but it does have about 6" of river rock under it along with 6 mil plastic. We do have a sump pit that is open to the basement. The basement is naturally drained but I put a sump pit in just in case gravity stopped working.
Looking back it was probably a bad decision. I should've listened to the excavation contractor. House has gutters.
We do not have a HRV or any type of active ventilation. We try to keep the windows open as much as possible when weather permits. During the winter we will sometimes crack a window or door.
I will have the HVAC guy verify the fan settings on the furnace this week. They possibly could be set too high so the house is not being properly dehumidified in the summer by the A/C. Our thermostat has an option that runs the fan 15 minutes every hour. During the summer I usually have that on but not so much in the spring and fall since the windows are usually open.
Using your yearly real # (93Mbtu), it all fits, ruling out any heating issues, even with the wood heat use during last years cold winter. Your house is obviously pretty air tight and well insulated. Your average electric use is right in line with what the geolink report expected your hvac system to use. I'm even now more sure that you won't find any major electric users lurking.
I learned something today. I probably should invest in a hygrometer that shows RH. Maybe the house really isn't that dry in the winter or as moist in the summer as I think it is.
That's a really good point.
Yes, I hope not too. The loop was pressure tested to 50SPI for 48 hours after it was put in. Hopefully it just air in the loop from when it was filled. Overall I have been very happy with the geo. The heat is okay, but the A/C is great.
