The Heat is On!!!!!!!!!!!!

Months ago, I installed a new furnace, and later new duct work. I knew the furnace worked because when I finally had NW Natural hook up the gas, we tested it, but it was really too warm to know how it would heat.

This week, I vacuumed out all of the duct work as best as I could, (since I had kept it sealed against the dust of construction it was fairly clean), turned on the switch and set the thermostat to run the program. After I remembered to open the valve and bleed the air from the gas line, the furnace fired up without hesitation.

Heat is amazing. What a concept! Warmth when its cold! Programmable thermostats take all of the work out.

I have to say that everything that folks said about 95% efficient furnaces is true. Everyone said, “Oil burns hotter.” The air coming out of the ducts is not crazy hot. But with a perceptual adjustment of expectations, in this case, warmth is currently better then coolth, it doesn’t really matter. Its not like the rush of hot air blowing into your pj’s from that ancient oil burning behemoth, or the slow warming of a freshly kindled wood stove taking the chill out of a cold West Virginia morning. It is heat. The ambient temperature can reach a comfort zone. I have no complaint.

Now all I have to do is get the rest of the house sealed up and replace some broken window panes. If only I could afford to replace the windows with some thermally efficient models…

Scope Creep

Architecture speak for the way in which,  in the course of a project,  other things just keep adding themselves to the list of things to do.  And in my case what seems to be happening on the “home” front. Also what can happen to a procrastinating perfectionist.

Furnace Replacement

Despite the suggestion of my consultant friend to keep the oil burning furnace with its basement bound oil tank, I decided to change my heating system from oil to gas. The primary motivation for this was to eliminate the chimney, making that space available to a powder room on the main floor. Secondary motivations include my perception that it is nice to cook with gas, so having a natural gas stove is a benefit. Plus, my perception is that people looking to buy a house perceive gas appliance as a “luxury” which might make selling easier.

Step 1: Get the furnace

Get help from Vinje and Son Do it yourself heating and cooling These guys walk you through all of the steps and show you how its done. Really great folks to work with. I tried to break the work into manageable pieces. This resulted in multiple trips to the furnace store, but gave me the time to figure out what I was doing.

Step 2: locate the furnace

Final location was determined by existing ductwork, and by the addition of a really nice media filter on the return air side. What is interesting about this is that you end up having to cut a hole in the side of a perfectly good furnace to allow return air. (There are some stampings on the bottom for different applications, but for a side mount return air, you literally cut a square hole in the side of a brand new manufactured box.)

Step 3: Gas Plumbing, Electric Wiring and Venting

Location determined, I could now plumb the gas line and move the existing electrical. Because Gas is under pressure, plumb refers to putting in black iron piping, not necessarily level.

The electricity used the same 15 amp circuit as the previous furnace, but had to be moved to the other side of the furnace. Additionally, to bring the furnace up to code, I added a switch and a gfci outlet to the side of the furnace. The outlet provides power to the water pump (95% efficient furnace produce condensation in their vent lines, the pump is my means of removal) and the switch turns the furnace on and off.

95% efficient furnaces are also know as direct vent, so the exhaust and air supply for burning can go right out through the side wall in the basement.

Finally, I measured the offset for the transition from furnace to main trunk line, went back to the duct store and ordered the transition.

And now after waiting until it got warm, I’ll have heat on Monday. (At Least its not summer yet!)

Remodel, Revisit, Redux

Originally, I was going to start this blog for the specific purpose of sharing my experience and thoughts while going through the process of renovating a house. Maybe this blog will be slightly more then that; for now, this is catch up on what I thought about writing 6 months ago.

So I bought this house, in June, which it turned out was good timing, as my roommates had just done the same thing and my whole living situation was changing. The bad part, it needed to be extremely remodeled. It was almost liveable as it was, basically, I am roughing it in my own house (and it has only gotten worse). So, amidst worries about running out of money and keeping my business going, I have begun to tackle some stuff:

Kitchen: The most major of two major projects, its a complete redux. I am trying to put in a sweet kitchen. Its really hard to find cabinets with the right mix of price, contemporary design, and quality construction.

Front Porch: This is also major primarily because it involved removing the structural supports (usually called columns) and attempting to raise the floor of the bedroom above to eliminate a sag, adding structure, replacing the flooring, and finally putting the columns back with new bases, and no more rot.

Other upcoming projects include a new side porch off of the kitchen, a new half bath, a new furnace, new plumbing, and electrical work, in no particular order.