Efficient use of Air conditioner

[Timm Simpkins]

Shutting the windows only works if no direct sunlight never hits the windows. If it does, the temperature will increase faster inside the house than it would with the windows open, especially if the floors are concrete. It also depends on the thermal mass of your insulation. The higher the thermal mass, the slower the walls are to change temperature. This is usually a good thing where temperatures change above and below a desirable temperature from day to night. It causes the temperature to somewhat regulate inside. That's why underground is at a relatively constant temperature.

[jimp]

Actually, it was the cost of getting water vapor out of the house that is in contention.

Because that's what it was when I wrote it.

It is called a sample problem.

The volume was "given".

It is a sample problem.

ASHRAE humans may be comfy at that, but over 40% is NOT comfy for me.

If it got to 78%, I would move elsewhere.

[Michael Moroney]

Speaking of which, there is some potential cooling assist in the condensate. The condensate will be about the temp. of the evaporator when it's formed, that is, rather cool. There is cooling ability both in warming this water, and in re-evaporating it. Let's say you either use this water to cool the freon going into the condensor coil or that leaving the condensor. Which is more efficient (in amount of cooling per kWh)? The freon going into the condensor is hot, so maybe the water will re-evaporate, taking with it more heat. Or the condensate cools the freon leaving the condensor coil, cooling it even further, meaning the freon entering the evaporator coil will be cooler, meaning the A/C output is cooler, but it is less likely to evaporate. (Both the warmed condensate and evaporated condensate are dumped outside)

Any thoughts?

[The Ghost In The Machine]

In sci.physics, Wayne

wrote on Thu, 22 Jul 2004 13:28:05 GMT :

There are certain difficulties with high heat and humidity which we nevertheless muddle through; of course another option is simply walking away from the house (after closing it up) and going to the nearest air-conditioned theater (which basically means one pays for the owner's A/C therein by buying a movie ticket), or to a swimming hole (either natural or artificial), which now means a tradeoff between cooling, water exposure, and sun exposure (too much sun = sunburn, ouch; waterproof sunblocker will of course help here), or the beach (around here, the Pacific's relatively cool, which means the beach is, too; I don't know if the Atlantic is the same or not but would hope so) or even go on a trip to where it's still winter, if one has a good excuse to, say, purchase a plane ticket to certain parts of Australia (it's winter down there, season-wise), South Africa, or South America below the equator.

Or simply go north enough to where the heat is more bearable. The main problem (AFAIK): mosquitoes in the very far north during summer are reputed to be voracious.

[jmfbahciv]

That's an extreme position. I live just fine :-). But you can make living style decisions that will reduce costs. Doing the hot cooking outdoors may be one. Not turning on lights from habit is another. Turning off lights is another. Two 60W light bulbs seem to raise the temp in my living room a couple of degrees. My Dad keeps complaining about how hot it is but still turns on two halogen lights at night. Those things could almost heat the house.

/BAH

Subtract a hundred and four for e-mail.

[Stormin Mormon]

Actually, yes there is electricity in a car AC system. The clutch on the compressor takes electricity. There are often controls which turn the clutch off and on, which are electric. My GM vehicle has an electric low pressure cutout switch for the suction side.

[Stormin Mormon]

More inserted.

[Richard Henry]

Yesterday we had a break in our cooling routine. An automobile took down a power pole a couple of blocks away, so we were without power until dark. We spent some of the time in the breezy shade watching the power company crews repairing the damage (the pole taken down was right at the boundary of opverhead and underground cables, and the accident sheared off the descenders, so as well as a new pole, a length of the underground cables had to be pulled out of the conduit and new cables fed in). I got a couple of bags of ice from the mini-mart and put the meat, milk and mayo in coolers. Then we all went over to the country club for the afternoon and sat around the pool.

[Richard Henry]

Our local utility, SDG&E, is offering free replacemnts for halogen torchiere lamps. I haven't traded yet, but I presume the new lights contain fluorescent bulbs.

[Stormin Mormon]

Put back of refrigerator through an exterior wall. Or put the coils on the bottom ducting in and out through PVC pipe like the new furnaces.

Of course, this is likely to be impractical. But a cute idea. "Oh, them pipes? I didn't get a 90+ furnace, that's just my refrigerator".

[Stormin Mormon]

Might be mercury or sodium.

If the light is bluish, it's mercury. If it's yellowish, it's sodium.

I am told the bulbs may be the same size, but they are not interchangable.

[Wayne]

[e-mail] wrote in news:4100f562$0$5626$ [e-mail]:

I do most of that already. I use our grill and sideburner for most meals and even plug in the crockpot on the patio instead of the kitchen. Almost every light fixture in our home is equipped with a compact fluorescent, and most are kept off unless really needed. We're currently renting, so making modifications to the house is out of the question, as is any extensive planting for shade.

[jmfbahciv]

If you wish to communicate on newsgroups, please don't toppost.

Moving the fridge into a pantry (which doesn't exist in houses anymore) is also another way. Putting yet another hole in a wall will create heating loss in the winter and critter access into the house.

I thought about putting the fridge on the porch but that won't work for winter.

Will venting make the fridge not work? I don't know how they're constructed these days since I'm too weak to turn one upsidedown.

/BAH

Subtract a hundred and four for e-mail.

[jmfbahciv]

I bought and used my first ones this spring. They still generate heat.

Not being allowed to make mods to the place you live can also be considered a feature :-). Making a deal with a landlord about mods is an option to explore. Hanging rugs on the inside of outside walls can substitute for insulation if you're not allowed to do that stuff. Caulking works for both summer and winter. Duct tape is a gal's best friend. I spent one weekend one winter feeling for leaks. Then I taped it. It made interesting decor but I wasn't cold.

/BAH

Subtract a hundred and four for e-mail.

[jmfbahciv]

It's not, and never will be, more efficient when the postings are conversations. It is not unusual for me to have 100 going at the same time. It is very usual for three or four drifts of conversation to be within one post. Having a history of a discussion before I reply to it is useful for me, and it gives context to the conversation for those who dropped in for second.

Newsgroups, by design, is a conversation that doesn't happen in realtime.

/BAH

Subtract a hundred and four for e-mail.

[Michael Baugh]

If you want to have people ignore your post, rather than scroll past all the stuff they've already read because you haven't learned to edit the post before you send it, be sure to post at the bottom. Much more efficient.

[Wayne]

[e-mail] wrote in news:41024269$0$5644$ [e-mail]:

But not as much as incandescents, and so do candles, human beings, and dogs and cats, so what's your point? You can't live in the f$#^@& dark. If you need light, you need light. I wouldn't get rid of my pets or avoid inviting people over because they add to the heat load.

Quite honestly, I'd rather pay the electric bill and crank up the a/c or furnace. I take only the conservative measures that I find acceptable. Beyond that, my time, effort, personal energy, and personal comfort are of more value to me than hunting down leaks. Besides, the house we're living in is brand, well constructed, and well insulated. There probably isn't much *within reason* that would be worth doing.

[Stormin Mormon]

In theory, it is possible to duct air under the fridge (or behind it) to duct the heat out of the house. I've never seen it done, though.

[Stormin Mormon]

Please trim excess text before replying.

[Stormin Mormon]

Plan B (to get your messages ignored) is to leave multi level forwarding, and plenty of ch icken scratches.