Did you research how the humidity control works? As I understand it you
need to continue to cool the air below the temperature setpoint to
reduce the humidity level, then heat the air to get it back to the
desired setting. This is really inefficient. I was wondering if they
just recirculate some of the hot exhaust air to bring the incoming air
back up to temp. That would make the most sense efficiency-wise. Back in
the wild west days of climate control you had a heating element in the
airstream after the evaporator.
Jon
Scott Hall wrote:
>
> we put in a carrier weathermaker (I think...it's their top-of-the-line,
> most expensive, etc.). highest seer they carry, though I've forgotten
> what that is now. two-stage, scroll case, blah, blah, blah.
>
> maybe, *maybe* I'd do it again. we had nightmares with it because the
> moron installer (a client) was totally freaked out by the thing from day
> one. had to order it, didn't know how to set it up, took about four
> times longer than it should've, etc. having since taked to other a/c
> guys, it shouldn't have been any more difficult than any other setup,
> with the only added wrinkle being the humidistat and outside temp
> setup. it isn't installed anyway (he couldn't figure it out and I told
> him to get lost).
>
> anyhow, it is quiet. it is also efficient. we live in tallahassee,
> which has more or less perpetual 100% humidity, and our house gets a
> good sun soaking, and we have vaulted ceilings, so the a/c has to be up
> to the task (that was my thinking for getting this one).
>
> unfortunately, I can't tell you how much more efficient or quiet mine is
> than the old one because the old one died right after we moved in and I
> never used it. but our electric bills are about half my mom's and she's
> got a seer 12.x unit, and we have an electric water heater, she doesn't.
>
> it's fairly quiet in absolute terms, but don't expect miracles - the
> best noise solution is put it on the other side of the garage or away
> from where you sleep, or behind bushes, or something. I half-expected
> not be able to hear mine and I can. it just kicked on, as a matter of
> fact. now it's not bothersome at all, but it isn't totally *silent*.
> maybe I should find a db meter and I could get absolute numbers for
> you. and, it's located about four feet behind my head right now, and
> the wall's a 2x4 (not x6) wall, and there's a honkin' great window in it
> right in front of the a/c as well. but not bad.
>
> and, even under the best projections, the system will only break even in
> terms of money saved, and that's not factoring in the time value of
> money. so you're paying for quiet.
>
> so if you want advice: 1) be willing to accept that it'll cost more, 2)
> only use an installer that doesn't bat an eye, and says, "yeah, we do a
> lot of those" (everybody I talked to tried to talk me out of buying
> one), and 3) if you have a choice, locate it away from the areas you
> want quiet, and/or put something(s) big and thick between you and it if
> you can't move it. ours will to move for the porch, and I'm going to
> move it around the corner if I can, and see if I can't get an additional
> wall between it and the house.
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