[lit-ideas] Re: The Refrigerator Lady Steps Away From Her Desk
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "lit-ideas" <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:01:52 -0400
> [Original Message]
> From: Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 7/16/2005 7:39:31 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The Refrigerator Lady Steps Away From Her Desk
>
> Andy Amago:
> > I was under the impression that heat pumps are effective where winters
are
> > not severe.
>
> Yes, that's true, air-to-air heat pumps are most efficient in mild
climates.
> But they'll work in any environment. Ground-based heat pumps -- where
the
> condenser piping is buried in the ground -- take advantage of the fact
that
> at a certain depth the earth temperatures remain a constant 50 or so
> degrees -- great for both heating and cooling. It you live shoreline
around
> a large lake, you can take advantage of deeper water coolness as well.
> Seattle had many water-based heat pumps -- "many" meaning I'd never seen
any
> before. Seattle has a mild maritime climate and heat pumps are ideal
there.
> Air to air heat pumps in places like Memphis where the temperature can
vary
> from below zero to over a hundred degrees Farenheit fare less well with
heat
> pumps, but since almost air conditioners here are designed for 95 degree
> max, systems just can't keep up with the heat load in temps over that.
90 %
> of the time, though, Memphians wouldn't know a heat pump from a
telephone.
> With ground-based or water-based heat pumps, they'd never know. So it
all
> depends.
>
> You can't retrofit conventional air conditioning systems with heat pumps,
> you can only replace them.
>
For heating I use oil. I just prepaid my fuel company for next year's fuel
oil. I also installed a new furnace three years ago, so for better or
worse, I'm committed to oil. My house has southern exposure, so I get a
natural offset with passive solar heat, not to mention that there's
something delightful in having a house flooded with sunlight in the winter.
I thought about installing solar panels but the cost/benefit wasn't there
at the time. Maybe as oil gets more expensive it might be worth it.
Regarding air conditioning, by the end of summer I like to feel as if I've
had a summer. I therefore use the a/c pretty sparingly. It helps that my
house is organically cool, lots of windows, patio door, ceiling fans. It's
why I shovel my own snow instead of having it plowed. Especially after
dark, with the moonlight on the snow and the wind in the trees, sometimes I
do more than necessary just to stay outside. I even get a kick out of
mowing the lawn in hot weather. It's either that or roller coaster rides
and cotton candy. A no brainer as far as I'm concerned.
> I'd be happy to do that for you.
>
I appreciate the offer, but for the foreseeable future a fuel pump isn't in
the cards. I would love to have you do it if anything changes.
Andy Amago
> Mike Geary
> Memphis
>
>
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