Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[Jim Shooz]

yeah, ever since I was a kid I kept hearing about the "Golden years"... just wondering when they might show up!!

I have this poster on my wall

 

[hunt4570]

I have this poster on my wall

LOVE IT!! Where do I get one?

 

[hunt4570]

I have a heat pump and it is efficient and little maintenance. They are best in moderate climates like ours. I burn wood when in the 30s and below since they are not ideal in low temperatures. Newer units can go well below mine. When the termperature is moderate outside and we use the heat pump the electric bill only goes up by $20 or $30 a month.

I have a heat pump out in my armory, for unoccupied space they are fine.

The one I had was in a house in Texas..

 

[John_Mc]

I have a heat pump and it is efficient and little maintenance. They are best in moderate climates like ours. I burn wood when in the 30s and below since they are not ideal in low temperatures. Newer units can go well below mine. When the termperature is moderate outside and we use the heat pump the electric bill only goes up by $20 or $30 a month.

Modern Cold Climate Heat Pumps are effective down to below 0F. The efficiency is much better than the older units as well. They get less efficient as the outside temp drops, but they have gotten VERY popular in
My area (VT). Several friends have them and report good heating down to -10F. You do need a backup system for extended periods below -10. For many, that's their wood stove (if the stove is not their primary). Some still have their propane or fuel oil boilers for the colder spells. Others have an electric resistance heater (often as part of the heat pump installation). Electricity is expensive here, but the system is so efficient the rest of the year (when it's above 0F) that it more than makes up for this brief periods when they need to use the resistance heating.

Problems with air blowing directly on you are the fault of poor air duct design, not the heat pump itself.

 

[Jstpssng]

So does this Heat Pump heat the house to? And what water heater did mother need to turn on, something like fill a ten gal pail up on a wood fired cook stove? Maybe thats the secret to be 80+ years young. My 35 year old electric is on a 6 hr timer in the evening.

She bought a new oil boiler to replace her old one. They only turned the old water heater on when it was needed. I'm the one who heats water on the wood stove, I'm too cheap to run a water heater in winter when I can just put it on the wood stove.

 

[hunt4570]

Problems with air blowing directly on you are the fault of poor air duct design, not the heat pump itself.

Not really, with a forced air system the air is going to blow.. and its cooler than the human body, so it feels cold.. never again!

 

[Reb954]

The discussions about heating systems makes me think of my current situation. Even though it is off topic I will post it so maybe it will give someone a heads up if they are having some work done.

My wife and I own a large house that was built in the mid 60's. When we got it it needed a lot of repairs and fixed up which we have been doing as money and time allows. Last summer the major project was to replace the membrane roof and add 2" more insulation. That project was very expensive but it would partially be paid back by reduced energy costs.

Then mid November one of the two gas furnaces goes out. We look at the cost to repair it versus a new more efficient furnace and go with the new furnace.

Life is good now, no leaks in the roof and the house is warm.

Fast forward to last spring, wife comments how since installing the new roof our gas and electric bill has gone up $200 per month. Over the next several months I check what I can but can't come up with a reason for the bill to go up. The price of electricity did go up some but not enough to make $200 difference.

The first part of August my wife and daughter were in the driveway doing something and smelled gas. My sense of smell is very poor so I tell them to do the hound dog thing and try to find the source. They can't so I called the utility company to bring their sniffer out. While the utility guy is checking for gas I start checking to see where the breeze is coming from which is off the roof and the furnace vent is close to the eve. Up on the roof we go to check the furnace vent and sure enough, the sniffer shows high concentrations of gas coming out the vent.

Back down we go to check the furnace. Sure enough, high concentrations of gas are inside the furnace. It turned out the flex line coupler had only been hand tightened to the incoming gas line. Once that was tightened, all signs of gas were gone.

Now I need to go back through 2 to 3 years of gas usage to try to determine how much gas leakage there was and does that explain all of the $200 increase or do I need to check further. And of course, once I have all that I will have a discussion with the furnace installer.

 

[Rustyiron]

Reb I'd count my lucky stars that you and your family didn't blow up if I were you!
Hope you have some luck with your installer concerning your gas bill.

 

[Jstpssng]

Reb I'd count my lucky stars that you and your family didn't blow up if I were you!
Hope you have some luck with your installer concerning your gas bill.

I always thought that the provider did a pressure test before they would hook up to a system. It seems like somebody dropped the ball there, also.

 

[Reb954]

I was glad the furnace was designed to vent the cabinet out the roof vent and the design also starts the blower a few minutes before starting the burner to clear the cabinet of any gasses.

But yes, the installer and I will have a little visit.

I don't think a pressure test would have found that, only a gas sniffer would. I'm glad my wife's and daughters sniffers are good.