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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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 Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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Before we look at the barn door automatic opener install, a few more
comments about calculating energy use for cooling during summer heat waves.
It is important to understand the huge amount of electrical power it takes to run a central air conditioning system.
To put it into perspective, a ton of air conditioning is 12,000 btu's and an average central air system is usually 3 to 6 tons.
On a recent renovation project, the homeowner had 6 tons of cooling installed as a retrofit to a large older home without much insulation. A central air system is more efficient than a small window unit, 14 SEER or
higher vs. 10 SEER, but it still would take about 10 times more electricity with all zones running to power the 6 ton
(or 72,000 btu) CAC system than a 6500 btu portable window unit.
To illustrate, the annual cost of electric power consumed
by a 72,000 BTU/h air conditioning system operating for
1000 hours per year (average summer) with a SEER rating of 14
and a power cost of $0.22 per kilowatt hour (kW•h) may be
calculated as follows:
unit size, BTU/h × hours per year, h × power cost, $/kW•h ÷ (SEER, BTU/W•h × 1000 W/kW)
(72,000 BTU/h) × (1000 h) × ($0.22/kW•h) ÷ [(14 BTU/W•h) × (1000 W/kW)] = $1131.00 annual cost.
The same annual cost of electric power consumed by a 6,500 btu portable window unit (coupled with a super-insulated, energy detailed building envelope) is calculated as follows:
..... annual cost of electric power consumed by a 6,500 BTU/h air conditioning unit operating for 1000 hours per year with a SEER rating of 10 and a power cost of $0.22 per kilowatt hour (kW•h) may be calculated as follows:
unit size, BTU/h × hours per year, h × power cost, $/kW•h ÷ (SEER, BTU/W•h × 1000 W/kW)
(6,500 BTU/h) × (1000 h) × ($0.22/kW•h) ÷ [(10 BTU/W•h) × (1000 W/kW)] = $149.50 annual cost
The difference in savings is dramatic. Also we can see over a ten
year period, about $10,000 in energy savings can be realized and
if we factor in eliminating the cost of a CAC installation, about
$15-20,000 in our area, a very substantial amount is saved which
in most cases will more than offset the cost of additional
insulation, framing and energy detailing for upgrading
the building envelope.
The corresponding reduction in greenhouse gases is also an
eye opener. When this kind of energy savings is coupled with
intelligent design for winter time passive solar heating, daylighting,
energy efficient lighting and appliances, it is not hard to see the
benefits this kind of building system can have for occupants
and the environment.
As a footnote to our previous discussion on passive cooling,
the massive early July heat wave dissipated after about 3 weeks.
This past week we returned to cooler day and night time temperatures
and with passive cooling techniques back in place, our small window
unit was turned off until the next extreme heat wave.... probably in mid-August if
current weather trends continue.
Last edited by cousinbirgco on Sun Aug 01, 2010 9:38 am; edited 1 time in total |
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csintexas
millennium club
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 2452
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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You are operating this house with one window unit?
_________________
-Chris Stewart
http://bcshdb.blogspot.com >
The B/CS Home Design Blog |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, a half ton (6500 btu/9.7 SEER) window unit cools/dehumidifies
2400 sq. ft. on the first floor main living area and about 500 sq. ft.
on the second floor guest bedroom(s)/hall bath area. Target temp.
is 78 F and relative humidity of 50 - 55%. Only minor drawback is
the second floor bedroom door needs to be left open so that conditioned
air can flow down the staircase to the main living area.
We expect to replace this window unit in the near future with a small,
half ton solar powered split A/C unit. |
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csintexas
millennium club
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 2452
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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That is good, I would have guessed if nothing else air circulation would have been a problem. I think this again points to good passive design where you are not picking up a lot direct gain in the summer.
_________________
-Chris Stewart
http://bcshdb.blogspot.com >
The B/CS Home Design Blog |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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It's important to choose the right size openers when automating your barn doors. This inner pair of 4 x 8 doors weighed in around 200 lbs. each so we could use the light duty model openers. You also want to be sure the doors pivot on the hinges smoothly without any binding. Weatherstripping these doors can be a little tricky, especially the center fit between the doors. We used the heavy duty black rubber stripping on the entire perimeter of each door (more on how to later).
The first time install takes a few hours, mostly carefully reading the instructions ensuring the wiring is correct so you don't short out the control boards.
The following is a composite of the basic steps for installation:
carefully measure and pre-drill holes for all brackets and controls
jamb bracket installed..
after leveling, master control arm bolted on...
door bracket, leveled and bolted on.....
slave side control arm bolted to door...
master control box and slave control with basic wiring config.
note: control box batteries need to be charged 12 hours before install...
mounted slave control box with pre-installed electrical outlet to power low-voltage transformer...
The master control box contains multiple programmable functions including static force, controlled timing and speed.....
here's the video, hope they work...................
<br/><br/>barn door openers 040.avi |
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svenglezz-ASMEIL
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Posts: 127
Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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dam!
I want one for my balcony door  )
Very cool, and the quality of the "nut's and bolts" look good.
_________________
ASMEIL Drawings and M&E Designs |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 5:51 am Post subject: |
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The unit appears to be of good quality. There are other
swing type door openers that modify a standard garage door
opener with extended rods to the doors but they don't look
like they would perform as well. These openers are also very quiet
when operating, a big plus if your garage is under a
living/sleeping space.
A minor issue is the limited range for the remote opener
(about 20 feet) but I'm working on that....... |
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Checkpoint43
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 257
Location: Lexington, VA
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:47 am Post subject: |
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| Are two motorized arms needed, or can both doors be connected and operated by a single device? |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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There is another type of unit that looks like a modified
standard garage door opener (center ceiling mounted)
with extended long rods to each door.
Not sure how well this kind of opener works but it probably
also gets the job done. |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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Just about everyone has heard the saying, "the eyes are the windows
to the soul", or "eyes are mirror to the soul" or "wow what beautiful
eyes you have".  , but in any event when it comes to windows, they
have been called the eyes of the house and therefore reflect its' character
or soul.
Buying and replacing windows, especially in an older home,
can present a challenge for most of us trying to replicate an
authentic or historic look without breaking our budget.
Usually when windows get past a
certain age, maintaining them becomes expensive (especially
energy wise) or requires extreme patience and skill for handypersons
who like to do it themselves.
Once you make the decision to replace your old windows with new,
it is important to choose a brand that will do justice to the architectural
integrity of your home.
Here is a look at what you can do to economically upgrade
your windows whether building new or restoring your old Victorian.
Previously, we looked at building flared window jamb extensions
to let in a little extra light and give a more open, traditional look to
the interior view.
The windows we used for our traditional new home project are
above average in quality, but all by themselves, not very exciting to
look at. The first thing we did when ordering the new windows was to specify the kind of glass, in this case Low-E High Performance
with a SHGC of .47. This allows enough sunlight through the glass
to warm the house on a cold winter day, but not so much that late
afternoon sun during the summer would overheat the interior. We
also specified tilt-wash, a dark brown vinyl coated exterior (my one
concession to convenience of a maintenance free window exterior)
equal top and bottom sashes, and a single vertical muntin bar to give
the window an early traditional look.
Once these somewhat simple looking windows are installed, we add
a couple of special features to set them back a few years.
On the exterior, we take vertical grained Douglas fir and rip the width to
about 3 1/4 inches. It's important to use a piece of wood for the casing
that will allow it to project beyond the siding. This is critical to create
the proper proportion between details and to highlight when light and shadow is cast upon the window. (in our example we used 2x 4's in order to project about 3/4 inch past the clear 1 x 8 cypress siding).
We also add a lower beveled sill cut from vertical grained pressure
treated wood that takes the abuse pretty well without using exotic
woods like mahogany or teak.
Note the groove cut in the bottom of the sill which help
prevents draining water from dripping directly onto the siding.
After the casing and sill are installed using 3 1/2 inch deck screws, a decorative molding is installed under each end of the sill.
The projection of the molding is also slightly beveled.
It's important to leave a gap at the bottom of each casing leg to keep
any stray water from being trapped behind the casing. You can also
see the wood plug used to cover the hole made by the large head of the deck screws. Heavy duty deck screws are used because they resist rust
and withstand the torque required to tightly fasten the deep casing and sill
pieces to the underlying window framing.
At the top of the head casing, a wood drip cap is ripped and beveled from
scrap doug fir and covered with a copper drip cover.
Note the spacing left above the drip cap to prevent the siding from
absorbing any water. We also make sure each piece of siding abutting
the leg casing has about an 1/8th gap for siding expansion. This gap is caulked with 35 yr. acrylic latex sealant to prevent water infiltration behind the siding or window casing. Also before the windows are installed, wide rolls of weatherproof flexible flashing tape is installed over the housewrap and around the window frame to make a weather tight seal.
These authentic exterior window upgrades, coupled with other
historic architectural detailing, lends a sense of a time past
but not forgotten.
Next we'll look at upgrading the interior window details... |
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cousinbirgco
Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 7:18 am Post subject: |
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Selected on-site upgrades to stock windows and close attention to
detail makes it possible to create an authentic look for
traditional/historic homes without ordering super expensive
custom-made windows.
window with painted sashes, casing and sill....
We carefully follow specified wood or mdf casing trim details
from our plans and then add a few hardware pieces that lend
a custom look.
In addition to size, glazing and exterior finishes, we order our
windows with a raw wood interior finish so the wood sash and
frame can be hand painted/brushed to match or compliment the
selected interior colors. Factory sprayed interior finishes
usually are too shiny and limit color choices. A site applied eggshell
trim paint gives the wood a softer hand made finish.
The finished interior opening of our main windows is about
38" by 66" so they can let in a lot of daylight and
passive solar heating as well.
Most window manufacturers offer a few upgrades that make
the window easier to maintain, such as sashes that tilt in for
faster/safer cleaning and hardware upgrades like a heavy
duty window locks. We upgraded the locking mechanism to
oiled bronze units to match other hardware throughout the house.
The special order locks are substantial and give the window a higher
quality look compared to the stock plastic locks.
.......stock plastic lock
.......installed, upgraded sash lock.
The other item you may want to add to the lower window sash
(especially if you like opening and closing your windows for passive cooling)
are sash lifts.
Sash lifts are available from a number of hardware specialty
stores and are practical as well as traditional.
The finished window, jambs and casing await a decorative
window treatment that will also add additional insulation
to the opening.
........with winter just around the corner, it's time to order the
insulated window treatments for our traditional carriage house windows.
.......more on this later. |
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