scott2000
Well-known member
How did you do this? I've been wanting to do the same since recently deciding against water misting...
(Not so)Smart power meters
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I did water misting a couple of years and since we were having $500/month irrigation bills* I passed. You can definitively see current drop.
(*Far cheaper than replacing grass and a forest of mature trees.)
For shading I used an umbrella table umbrella and base weighted with Haydite blocks not directly blocking the condenser fan exhaust which exhausts from the top. The sun I was blocking was from about 11AM to 3 PM and the elevation around 30-35° so I could offset the umbrella and cast a shade. Stepping under it felt a good 20-30° cooler despite all the hot condenser air.
I've entertained the thought of installing eyehooks in the eave facia boards and using an angled tarp staked at the far end. Sort of like a camping dinner fly arrangement.
As long as were talking cooking I did entertain the thought of cooking bisquits in the mailbox and direct grilling on the tailgate. I'm pretty sure I could have fried eggs and made waffles or pancakes. The recesses in the tailgat, when folded down look like they could be used for cornbread.
(*Far cheaper than replacing grass and a forest of mature trees.)
For shading I used an umbrella table umbrella and base weighted with Haydite blocks not directly blocking the condenser fan exhaust which exhausts from the top. The sun I was blocking was from about 11AM to 3 PM and the elevation around 30-35° so I could offset the umbrella and cast a shade. Stepping under it felt a good 20-30° cooler despite all the hot condenser air.
I've entertained the thought of installing eyehooks in the eave facia boards and using an angled tarp staked at the far end. Sort of like a camping dinner fly arrangement.
As long as were talking cooking I did entertain the thought of cooking bisquits in the mailbox and direct grilling on the tailgate. I'm pretty sure I could have fried eggs and made waffles or pancakes. The recesses in the tailgat, when folded down look like they could be used for cornbread.
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scott2000
Well-known member
Dang... I'm in an HOA... I don't have much room before I encroach on my neighbor so I'm not sure I can plant around far enough away .... And I'd have to get approval....
I heard you can recycle the condensate water or rain (won't hurt coils) with a crazy setup to mist but it sounds like a lot of work... Timing and electronics...
I like the idea of passive cooling (shade).
unfortunately commercial canopies don't look long enough. I have half considered planting privacy shrubs around the heat pump compressor.
If tall enough these could block summer sun and the winter winds....
You can see the hole where the old thru-wall air conditioner was... Now there is nome mold discoloration on the housing so it might not be getting too much sunlight?
until the wind picks up. I have a patio nearby that was enclosed when I bought the house, but termites ate it... If I added a roof to the patio I could extend that another 10-15 feet to capture the compressor... or just do nothing.
pass.... I've seen news reporters cooking eggs on hot sidewalks, I never saw them eat those eggs (but that was before all the homeless sidewalk residents).
JR
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
I have been thinking about doing a smallish "ground" mounted solar array arranged to also shade my condenser units which are on the south side of the house (I would have sited the house differently, but we didn't build it). I mentioned this to the AC guy when we upgraded two units this past spring and he mentioned the required 14' vertical clearance for the exhaust heat. I think I can still manage that. Good to know it works.
W.R.T. spying...our electricity is provided by a regional company, while our gas and water are from the municipality. We have a gas tankless water heater, a gas pack on one air handler, and gas logs in a ventless fireplace (yuck). Our monthly electric bill also has estimates for usage that are wildly wrong (heating water is always a significant percentage, for example). In reality our pool pump and electric dryer are the big secondary draw after AC and the electric stove. I'm pretty sure they can't tell my Deluxe Reverb from a computer or TV. Or my soldering station from a curling iron.
scott2000
Well-known member
That's what I'm leaning towards. I have a couple of tall Hawaiian ti I may transplant around the units. Someone locally has some Majesty palms for sale I was thinking about since I have one I planted outside and it's getting big.
Just not sure how either of these will handle direct sun for 6 hours.
I swear we are the only ones with totally exposed units and they are clobbered from about 11:30am-4:30pm...
I do have a mangrove of all things on the west side of the units but the sun has already moved by the time it's of any shade to matter. Cutting the grass on that side you can feel pockets of what must be 120+ degree air....
Edit....went ahead and transplanted them.....it's a moving target but it will help some.... I don't think it'll cause a ruckus or interfere with access to the lines.... going to try taking some shoots and potting them as I hear that works.....may tap off the condensate lines to help water them unless that's not code or something...need to look
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Nice... My compressor is on my eastern wall so mainly gets morning sun.
JR
JR
scott2000
Well-known member
I don't know why I never noticed but it seems inefficient to face the 1 condenser the way they did. The main coil area is basically pulling from between the units and the house.
I see how the line set might be a pita to get at if it were facing out but still....
voltage is sagging to 114V today..that's the minimum afaik... My most usage happens when it's like this but, it's also during hot time so it's hard to know if the sag is making my ac run longer or just the heat. Or both....
My meter in my office is a direct 20amp feed from the panel at the power meter and not from the sub panel in the garage ...
I see how the line set might be a pita to get at if it were facing out but still....
voltage is sagging to 114V today..that's the minimum afaik... My most usage happens when it's like this but, it's also during hot time so it's hard to know if the sag is making my ac run longer or just the heat. Or both....
My meter in my office is a direct 20amp feed from the panel at the power meter and not from the sub panel in the garage ...
scott2000
Well-known member
They were on this one quick... I actually saw that video of the scientist .... it wasn't muted...lol
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...limate-change-is-scam-fact-check/70435058007/
Not to veer into climate change but I heard another scientist today critical of the global warming thesis. His claim based in analysis of ancient ice cores*** suggests that they based the climate change temperature rise from the lowest temperature point in multiple centuries.
JR
**** I originally questioned the scientist's claim (question everything) that they could tell what the ancient temperature was from the ice samples so I dug a little deeper and scientists can impute the ancient air temperature from the oxygen isotopes (?) in the melted water.
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I do baby back ribs in the slow cooker now using an America's Test Kitchen technique of standing them on end dry laying up against the side with no added liquids. The fat they render serves as the liquid and they come out moist and tender. I do a dry rub and brown them in the oven at 400° for a few minutes to give them some bark and then transfer them to the Crock Pot. Probably the same thing you do.
I highly recommend an Instant Pot®. I don't use mine enough. That thing will barely blip your Smart Meter.
@JohnRoberts "until the wind picks up." Wind? I had forgotten what wind was. Good point however and the reason why I took the umbrella down when it started getting cooler and rain possibilities increased.
My compressor is on a south wall and a plant screen casting a shadow would be best. I have a cedar coming up in just the right spot but it needs a few more years.
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My cuisinart slow cooker can do 400' so you can brown meat, before the long slow cooking process, but I don't.
I may be a little paranoid about cancer but so far I have lost a father, a step father, an older brother, a younger sister, and two cousins, to cancer.WWW said:
Those look interesting, but I like way vegetables cook long and slow (7 hours at 185'), so I am not in a hurry.
I am starting to forget what rain was like, but wind is still around. Water stress makes trees weaker so they still drop plenty of branches. We are under a burn ban right now because of the drought.
+1
JR
Ive been looking at the exact same canopy for the new place , comes out at around 500 euros for a 3m x 1.5m , theres a UK company producing them , Canofix ,
Ive seen a few installed as outdoor smoking areas in pubs etc , they look like a great job ,
Thats an interesting tip about doing the ribs in the slow cooker , so its almost like its heat conduction via the bones does the work ,
I did a chilli with chunks of steak last night in the pressure cooker , 20 minutes under pressure and everything melt in the mouth tender . 1lb of stewing steak is 4.50 euros , 1lb of sirloin is only 5.20 euros some of the extra cost of the better cuts of meat is offset by shorter cooking times , that seem like a good deal .
The other thing about all this as we get older we might not have the same chewing power we once had , if food isnt properly chewed the body will have more difficulty extracting the nutrients ,
Things that are cooked very tender not only eat well as we've all agreed , but its also less work for the body to process them .
The one thing you want to watch out for in a pressure cooker or instant pot is not to add any thickeners to the cooking stock before the main cooking , they tend of fall out of suspension in the liquid, land on the bottom of the pot and proceed to scorch and burn .
Its goes to show theres many energy saving methodologies out there and its more related to how we use the power than any new fangled invention ,
Ive seen a few installed as outdoor smoking areas in pubs etc , they look like a great job ,
Thats an interesting tip about doing the ribs in the slow cooker , so its almost like its heat conduction via the bones does the work ,
I did a chilli with chunks of steak last night in the pressure cooker , 20 minutes under pressure and everything melt in the mouth tender . 1lb of stewing steak is 4.50 euros , 1lb of sirloin is only 5.20 euros some of the extra cost of the better cuts of meat is offset by shorter cooking times , that seem like a good deal .
The other thing about all this as we get older we might not have the same chewing power we once had , if food isnt properly chewed the body will have more difficulty extracting the nutrients ,
Things that are cooked very tender not only eat well as we've all agreed , but its also less work for the body to process them .
The one thing you want to watch out for in a pressure cooker or instant pot is not to add any thickeners to the cooking stock before the main cooking , they tend of fall out of suspension in the liquid, land on the bottom of the pot and proceed to scorch and burn .
Its goes to show theres many energy saving methodologies out there and its more related to how we use the power than any new fangled invention ,
You can't see it in the photo from 4 years ago (time flies) but there is some mold stain visible on the front bottom left corner. The compressor is getting partial shade from the roof overhang and some shading from the chimney. At the right time of day I can see the shadow pattern protecting the mold.
I will need to study the sun patterns more but I might be able to shade this from direct sunlight without extraordinary effort.
JR
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@JohnRoberts Is the grade in that photo above the brick weep holes and beam wall? If so there's an entry point for termites.
not really but the weeds are not trimmed very low, there are termites everywhere and except for the recent drought the ground was always damp, that encourages them. Thanks for the reminder I spray around the base of all exterior walls a couple times a year, probably due...
To the left of that photo is a concrete patio, that was enclosed when I first purchased this house. Termites pretty much infested that wooden structure built on a concrete base. I didn't think it wise to keep it that close to my house.
JR
Returning to the discussion about energy consumption while cooking, I have a more than passing interest as long as the food cooks properly and tastes good.
One of my regular meals is meat loaf, baked in one cup pyrex freezer dishes (75 minutes at 340'F). This was satisfactory but I decided to experiment with cooking in one large batch inside my slow cooker. This allowed me to cook it long and slow (simmer) to provide the ideal taste and texture of all the vegetables. I used this approach last week and it was a success, next time I will use a lower fat hamburger so there is less grease.
Speaking of energy use I have a plug in power meter so I could measure the actual power consumption of the slow cooker, but I don't know how to estimate my oven power usage for comparison. I know that when I use the oven it heats up my house more than using the slow cooker does.
At this point the flavor result matters more to me than the energy difference, that I can't measure easily. IMO the slow cooked version is superior.
JR
One of my regular meals is meat loaf, baked in one cup pyrex freezer dishes (75 minutes at 340'F). This was satisfactory but I decided to experiment with cooking in one large batch inside my slow cooker. This allowed me to cook it long and slow (simmer) to provide the ideal taste and texture of all the vegetables. I used this approach last week and it was a success, next time I will use a lower fat hamburger so there is less grease.
Speaking of energy use I have a plug in power meter so I could measure the actual power consumption of the slow cooker, but I don't know how to estimate my oven power usage for comparison. I know that when I use the oven it heats up my house more than using the slow cooker does.
At this point the flavor result matters more to me than the energy difference, that I can't measure easily. IMO the slow cooked version is superior.
JR
One thing that always will skew our observations of taste, is that new tends to taste better...
Just bought a broken professional bain marie for next to nothing. I'll repair that tomorrow. Just a few parts, so shouldn't be a mystery. And if I can't repair it, I'll use the inox parts for another project: a giant ultrsonic cleaner.
Just bought a broken professional bain marie for next to nothing. I'll repair that tomorrow. Just a few parts, so shouldn't be a mystery. And if I can't repair it, I'll use the inox parts for another project: a giant ultrsonic cleaner.
I have experimented with cooking (and everything else) for improvements. One earlier experiment was hard freezing the vegetables after preparation, before cooking. This delivered a fully cooked texture, without over cooking them.
More recently the long low simmer cooking (7 hours @ 185') delivers a firmer texture, not raw and not mushy, with rich vegetable flavor.
I had to search that one. Bain Maries are AKA water bath double boilers....
JR
Yes, John. Couldn't immediately process it into English.
The double boiler is already repaired. Someone disconnected the heating element. No leftover screw, so I wasted some time testing insulation. No problem. Then I wasted some time looking for the right screws. Unfortunately not common in my stock. There's a Phillips and a sec Torx in there now. Might confuse the next guy...
The double boiler is already repaired. Someone disconnected the heating element. No leftover screw, so I wasted some time testing insulation. No problem. Then I wasted some time looking for the right screws. Unfortunately not common in my stock. There's a Phillips and a sec Torx in there now. Might confuse the next guy...
