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C. Letellier wrote:
S Bengi said a mouthful.
The most important one is you are paying to heat your house with the dehumidfier. It makes the house far hotter. In my climate we run swamp coolers that takes outside air and cools it by evaporating water. The phase change from liquid to air absorbs large quantities of heat from the air thus cooling the air. Well in your case you are doing the reverse taking gaseous water and making liquid so if the humidifer doesn't have a mechanism to carry the heat out adds large quantities of heat to your air.(most dehumidfiers do NOT have a mechanism for heat removal as then they would be air conditioners) Worse yet they are relatively inefficient so the energy needed to make this happen also ends up heating air too.
Given your description of needing multiple dehumidifiers I am going to guess your house is poorly insulated and poorly sealed? If this is the case likely and ERV would be wasted effort. Now if your house is tight and well insulated it might get you gain. If poorly insulated and sealed fixing that might be one of the most cost effective things you can do to fix things.
Given your description you might find a window air conditioner more efficient if you have a good place to put it. Location should be shaded during the hot part of the day, have good air flow. My reasoning is this. If your house is poorly insulated and sealed the lower insulation value of the air conditioner itself matters less. Mini splits get much of their efficiency gains thru not creating heat leaks into the house and by having larger outdoor radiators to get rid of the heat. But if your house leaks anyway the heat gains thru the unit matter far less. But the one thing an window air conditioner does is runs the condensate to the outside where the fan splashes it on the condenser thus re evaporating some of that water making it more efficient. So far as I know there are no mini splits that do this. Now if I am hot and super humid, rare in my area, I know a window air conditioner puts more water outside than the fan splash will get rid of meaning it still drips to 2 to 4 gallons per day. If you can route this condensate water to the right location this might keep a shrub alive that keeps sunlight and thus heat off your wall. Gains are small but a percent here and a percent there can still add up if you do enough of them. Even if it simply reduces water needs it is a gain.
So now what about more permies type options.
1. Greenery to shade the building from direct heat.
2. insulate and seal.
3. change your paint color to white or light colors including painting the roof white.
4. Here is another possible solution geothermal cooling. Will only work in areas with cool soil temps that are diggable.
5. and here are 2 video covering another option Will do air conditioning poorly but is a solar powered dehumidifier. The solar panels and other stuff here can also shade the building providing more indirect cooling too.
Now personally I think the dream system would combine 4 and 5 into a single system. Better yet it might heat household hot water too if combined with more systems.
S Bengi wrote:Those dehumidifiers are adding alot of heat to the house and over loading the AC units, It's too hot to run dehumidifiers.
Reduce Heat Source
Outside Clothes Dryers
Outside Showers
Outside cooking in a instapot/onepot
Remove Dehumidifiers
Grow some Vines/Plants to shade the walls/etc
Seal the house from air infiltration.
Install a ERV
This will bring in fresh air but also dehumidify it and chill it with the stale air that is going out
Mini-Split AC
Install a 4-ton mini-split system for alot less, $5000
there might be federal and state programs for "heating" and cooling with a heatpump/mini-split to heat/cool your house.
https://www.supplyhouse.com/MR-Cool-DIY-Multi-Zone-Mini-Split-Systems-31341000
The Mr-Cool mini-split AC units comes pre-charged and so you don't need an actual AC person to come out and install. Just a regular $15/hr handyman. to left up heavy stuff. https://youtu.be/zvFKD95z7IM?si=V5sATnxVctNlzKIk
AC Sizing
Can you tell us what size ac unit you currently have? Maybe you need to add an extra ton, due to lifestyle changes?
AC Demands/Maintenance
How ofter are the coiled cleaned, do you use a filter are those being changed out every 3 months due to the extra dust? Assuming that the AC unit used to work properly before the past 3 years? What has changed, do you now stay home more now and cook more? Do you now have a dog and leave the doors open more often? Is there a "new hole in the wall" letting in more hot air? Did you cut down a tree that used to shade the house. Do you have the AC guy come out and top off the refridgerant in the AC? Did you remove the air filter in the air handler and now the dust is clogging the fancoil in there?
Malfunction Clarification
Is it the AC that is failing or is it the blower? Is it the outside unit or the inside unit? Is it failing due to a shorts? Has the AC guy changed out the controller board the past 3years?
Price Quote Clarification
At the very least ask the contractor for an itemized list for that $17,000 price tag with material and labor seperated. Will all the walls be re-insulated? Will there be all new ducting? Will it be a new geo-thermal heat-pump system? Will it be a new system with zero refridgerant going into the house and instead it will be chilled water?
Grants, No Interest Loans, etc
There are non-profits that might do the labor for free if you buy the material and or there are senior programs that will help, have you checked into any of these programs. I see a $10,000 grant
https://www.homelight.com/blog/elderly-assistance-for-home-repairs-in-texas/
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-5
Deane Adams wrote:Bonnie, I hope you will find a quick fix for your AC unit.
I hope that I'm not treading onto bad ground here, but seriously, tool probation??? I mean jeez Louise like how long? Days, weeks, this month, please don't tell us that it's for --- no, how horrible, LIFE???
Peace
Jack Edmondson wrote:The small units are referred to as Mini Splits. they are more economical if you are cooling small areas; but are more efficient than the older window units (as I have been told). Whole house units are expensive. $17k sounds really expensive. I believe a family member in Houston swapped out a 3 ton unit for about $5k a while back. I have not seen prices in the market in a few years though.
How big a place are you trying to A/C? I know A/C is essential and can't be turned off for a long period in that part of the world. However, you might be able to 'zone' a large house where the a/c in non used rooms run at night to eliminate moisture; and only run the rooms needed during the heat of the day.
If you can find a Goodman or Daikin dealer; ask them if they could get you a better deal on a second. The warehouse often bumps units. If it is cosmetic they will sell to dealers at a discount before they write the entire unit off the books. It is worth asking your A/C service person about it.