New air handler/furnace/gas

[kurt]

The Watt's thing uses the cold water as the "return", but it's only a return until hot water reaches the fixture. Then it shuts down so the cold water side stays cold. So, yeah, Jim and I are talking different things. I misread his post.

The Watt's thing works. Nolan's works, I've talked to a few other folks around the country that use it and tell me it works, so I'm going with it working.

[Tom Raymond]

I was not aware the watts pump shut down at temperature. We have all seen hot water between 130 and 140 at a fixture, and that is the trigger range for most residential sprinkler heads.

The most common configuration for a residential sprinkler system is to feed the heads with the supply to the most distant fixtures. I am reasonably certain the heads will trip whether the 140 is water or air temps.

[Marc]

I read about it: the pump doesn't shut down at temperature. It's activated and deactivated by a 24 hr timer much like those HWH timers. Timer is set by the homeowner. The valve is like Kurt described, it allows water to pass when when temp is under 98 degrees but the timer must still be calling for pump operation before water will flow.

At least, that's how the current Watt's product works.

Marc

[Nolan Kienitz]

I've set the timer on the pump (at top of W/H) to turn on/off two different times per day. Morning and evening use basically ... a few hours on for the AM and PM cycles.

Water diversion magic happens in the device connected to the Hot/Cold lines below the sink(s) in the 'distant' bathrooms. Sometimes have a bit of warm water when I first turn on the cold valve, but only about 2-3 seconds at most. And ... only notice that when the timer has cycled the pump to run.

We love it. As I noted I used to have to wait 6-10 minutes to get hot water in those same distant bathrooms. That is a lot of water down the drain waiting for a shower.

[hausdok]

I've never seen fire sprinkler systems like you guys are describing. Out here, there's usually a single pipe coming into the house and it splits just after entry into two separate lines - each with it's own cutoff - and the sprinkler sides are fitted with an anti-backwater valve, so potable water is unaffected by sprinkler water regardless of how long it sits in the pipes.

[tim5055]

OK, back to the original topic.......

I like to keep folks updated -

I'm going with a SEER 18 A/C, heat pump for heat and LP Gas as "emergency" heat. To be honest at 2,300 feet in altitude the summer "heat" is a short duration period. While we have owned this house and our previous property down the street we have kept the windows open probably 6+ months a year. I don't think any higher a SEER rating is going to gain me any "savings".

At this point all of the CSST has been removed and the black iron is installed except for a couple of 6" pieces. The HVAC guy is on notice/scheduled to remove/install later this month.

Thinking about it I am probably going to have the crawlspace encapsulated in/around the same time and finish up in the crawlspace. For those that have followed my moves, our current house has an encapsulated crawlspace. The pest control company that hold our termite bod did their inspection last week and found that the crawl in our current house (encapsulated) has a moisture reading on the joists/sills of 12% and the crawlspace showed a humidity level of 51%.

[Les]

Hey Tim,

Is 51% a desirable level? We have no crawlspaces up here.

[kurt]

12% isn't bad for the lumber. Around here, bone dry dimensional in the lumber yard, covered, in the middle of winter is about 7-8%. In humid summer weather, I get about 12%. 51% is kinda high if it was the house, but it's not crazy for a crawlspace. Encapsulated crawls that I've been in read about 45%-50% RH.

[Marc]

51% is a value seldom realized here, even within the house during the summer. Frigid winter nights, it'll get below 50%. That's when we break out the humidifiers.

Marc

[tim5055]

Just to close out this thread, the new HVAC is installed. All of the "old" is gone and a new system installed. All CSST removed and replaced with black iron. It seems there is only one guy in about three counties that still installs the stuff. Everyone else has switched to CSST.

[Marc]

There are times when it's good to be the only guy your side of the table, times when you know you're right.

Marc

[Nolan Kienitz]

I just browsed through the thread again and note that you were considering an "on demand" (I'm guessing tankless) water heater.

I don't believe the recirculating pump I mentioned and that Kurt linked in a few comments up are OK with tankless systems. I believe it is that tankless systems that don't "approve" such circulation pumps.

Need to look into to verify.

[Trent Tarter]

You can put circulation pump on a tankless water heater, many of the tankless manufactures make circulation pumps for their tankless units.