[Greenbuilding] New HVAC unit

[Sacie Lambertson]

Bobbie,  Following Bob Klahn's always good, well expressed advice with
anything better is an impossibility but I concur on the need to thicken,
well insulate and tighten up those walls (and ceiling of course).  As far as
replacing the windows, I wouldn't.  Rather I would build a frame on the
inside around each one, essentially extending the interior sill and the
thickness of the wall to get the depth you need for proper insulation.  Deep
sills look great and given the fact that you wanted a smaller house anyway,
the extra inches out of each room shouldn't be a problem.

You could start with the main living areas, closing off the bedrooms and
lesser used rooms, moving to complete those as time and budget allows.

Re AC, I bet, if you insulate and tighten property, install fans in each
room, get a good dehumidification system (that's the difficulty), you could
get away without AC except for a few miserable days a year.  We do up here
in humid NE Kansas, but then we're that much further north which may make
all the difference.

Your house btw is very attractive.

Cheers,  Sacie

*On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 9:10 PM, Bob Klahn <Home-NRG at dnaco.net> wrote:
*
>
> * Bobbi,
> I agree that blowing cellulose into the walls and ceiling are your best
> initial reinsulation options. With caveats.
>
> 1) Blowing the attic can be an easy DIY - assuming that you have good
> access and that it's all open, flat attic - no kneewalls or "slopes" (the
> top floor ceiling that follows the rafter line.  If it's a walk-up attic, so
> much the better.  Is any of it floored for storage?* *
>
> 2) Prep work to seal * *all penetrations of the ceiling plane.  This will
> require digging through/displacing the existing insulation to find them and
> to get sealing access.  It's labor-intensive, and in that heat best done in
> the winter or on rainy days.  However, it is essential to avoid losing
> much of the insulation value you (will have) worked hard for.  (I know of no
> insulation contractor in this market willing to even consider doing it, even
> though - or perhaps because - it could easily double the cost of the job.)
> After that, adding insulation is easy.
>
> 3) I agree that you would be wise to blow the exterior wall cavities
> yourself - unless you can find an insulation contractor - and, more
> critically, installer who is familiar with dense-pack blowing techniques and
> will include in the contract assurance that all cavities were located and
> filled- and that all were filled to dense-pack densities.  Offering to
> verify with an infrared scan, or agreeing to an independent one you contract
> yourself, is a strong plus.  If they don't offer one, you should find
> someone who will do one independently.* *
> If you decide on - or are forced into - doing it yourself, email me; I'll
> be happy to send instructions or talk you through it.
>
> 4) Look for an Energy Rater in your area, with either RESNET or BPI
> certification, to run a blower door test on the house to locate the air
> leaks; a house that age is very likely to have lots and controlling them is
> critical for controlling comfort, costs, and the mold potential.  The Rater
> could also do a full analysis to determine what the "design load" (how big
> an A/C you really need) is - and what it will be after you re-insulate and
> air tighten.  Ask your HVAC dealer if he ran "ACCA Manuals J, D, and S on
> the house to determine the size units (condenser and evaporator) you 'need';
> the duct sizing and reductions for the proper delivery flows and what the
> design flows are for each room.  In my experience, most don't; it's too
> time-consuming so they rely on "rules of thumb".  The only thing the ROT's
> will guarantee is that you will not get the most efficient installation. *
> *
>
> Too large an A/C unit will keep you cool, but will not run long enough each
> time it cycles to adequately dehumidify.  When allergies and mold are
> concerns, this is critical.  Mold, and a number of other allergen producers
> just love the elevated humidity...* *
>
> I don't know what your cost and completion limitations are, but I always
> advise clients to plan these upgrades in stages - but never to do something
> that will have to be undone, or redone, to implement the next stage.
> Blowing the walls * *and adding a layer of wall/insulation can make an
> expensive job astronomical.  The sheath wall can be added as a later stage.
> *
>
>
>
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