Twinsprings Research Institute

Crawlspace “Before”

Posted on November 23, 2014 by ellen

My first look at the crawlspace under the back part of the house revealed a bit about how the house is supported in the back but also that the builders were not very tidy–leaving a bunch of extra insulation, plastic, boards etc. behind them. These “before” photos were taken in February of 2012, shortly after we took possession of the house.

The crawlspace has a triple 2 x 12 beam crossing parallel to the wall in the hallway that holds the master bedroom roof on one side and the clerestory and part of the attic on the other.

Main beam with rocky ground

This mess was in the far corner near the vent that is now being used for radon mitigation.

Mess in the corner

Throughout the area scraps of insulation, not only pink stuff used in the floor but also yellow stuff that had been used in the walls were scattered. You can see the radon vent in this photo. It may have just been for cross ventilation in the original plan.

Insulation and plastic scraps–the black circle in the stud wall is the vent pipe

Also there were many short pieces of cut off 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 piled about.

Piles of short boards

And some scraps of plywood discarded in the space.

More boards and insulation

Lots of junk to haul out one piece at a time–crawling army style on my stomach over hard clay rocky ground. At least it was dry!

Boards under the house

This shows the end of the main beam and a diagonal spur beam that crosses to the foundation wall near the back door. Lots of scrap wire, pieces of plastic, insulation, and even hose were under the house.

Bits of insulation and wire

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope | Comments Off

Leaks!

Posted on November 21, 2014 by ellen

The wood boiler is completely plumbed now on the storage side–have not wired anything yet. But I’m having trouble with leaks. I used the air compressor to look for leaks and found a couple of places that I had forgotten to tighten. They were easy fixes.
These two were taken apart, re-sealed with pipe dope and reconnected twice–and they still leak. Figure I stripped the threads by over-tightening so I’m ordering new hex type nipples. I like those better than close nipples.

Hot Side Leak

Cold Side Leak

I would think the leaks were because of the stove-side pipe connections but none of the plugs on other stove outlets leak like this. Hopefully these leaks can be repaired and I can replace the air in the system with water.

Posted in Fireplace Boiler | Comments Off

Wood Boiler–EPA Exempt–plus Safety Certification

Posted on November 19, 2014 by ellen

I didn’t get any comments on the piping layouts at hearth.com, but I did have a forum disagreement with a poster about the safety certification of this foreign made stove.

The statement was made that stoves that are not UL/CSA listed cannot be installed or sold in North America. There seems to be some bias toward UL certification which used to be a non-profit safety testing lab for electric appliances. In 2012 the company became for profit and have influenced some insurance companies to require their certification for wood stoves. This company does not have the facilities to test wood stoves so they use outside certifiers. Some people have had trouble with insurance agents who insisted that UL test their stoves! In fact the poster referred to his insurance agent as the source for his statement and based on his insurance, it was true for him, but non-UL certified stoves are not actually illegal or against any US regulations.

I re-read our home insurance policy and did some online research of other insurance companies and UL listing is not mentioned, it does not seem to be a universal insurance requirement. But some insurance companies get particular about wood stoves more so than fireplaces. Several web sites assert that there is no legal obligation to purchase or sell only UL listed appliances in the US. Consumer organizations respect the brand and recommend “looking for” this safety listing but appliances that are not listed can be just as safe as those that are. European standards also appear to be just as safety conscious as US or Canadian standards.

The Spectra fireplace wood boiler is certified by the Polish Center for Accreditation.

PCA Approved Spectra Stove

The stove has an official letter of certification from this organization and was tested by this independent lab to earn it.

Spectra Stove Certification

Here is the Google Translation of the letter above:

Institute of Thermal Technology
www.itc.edu.pl

A certificate No 331 (image of PCA seal)
Wood-burning fireplace
Spectra / Funke Aqua
a power rating of 25 kW
with the band aqueous
produced by the company:
Cichewicz Boiler C. O. Sp. with o.o
Ilino 20 B
09-100 Plonsk
was examined by the Research Laboratory of boilers, turbines, equipment,
heating and de-dusting and dust-gas emissions
Section Koslow and Heating Equipment
Institute of Thermal Technology
accredited by the Polish Centre for Accreditation
(Certificate No. AB 048) ITC report Reg. No. 8028

and meets the requirements in terms of efficiency, greenhouse gas and safe
operation stipulated in the Polish Standard BS EN 13229

additional Disclaimer
-Unit Water is designed to work in an open heating system
protected open expansion vessel PN-91 / B-02413.
Provide indispensable service-producer and delivery of spare parts.

Validity of the certificate expires on: 24.04.2010 r.

Dyrecktor
Institut Technique Ciepincj

The European standard for wood boilers includes a requirement for specific measurements of the stove’s size, efficiency, output, etc. The table is on the second page of the certification.

Spectra Stove Certification p.2

This is the English version of the data table.

Spectra Certification Data Table

Not only has the stove been tested for PCA certification–it also earned CE certification (an explanation of CE) which is the European safety standard. This is because this wood boiler was manufactured by Cichewicz in Poland but sold by Buderus, a large German company that specializes in boilers of all kinds. Here is a photo of the CE label.

CE Certification Buderus-Lublin

The person who insisted that UL certification was required, didn’t seem to care about EPA certification. At first I thought that was what was being discussed because EPA certification has been required for all wood stoves sold in the United States since 1990.

The EPA requirements adopted in 1988 exempt some types of wood burners.
“The following are not affected facilities and are not subject to this sub-part:
(1) Open masonry fireplaces constructed on site,
(2) Boilers,
(3) Furnaces, and
(4) Cookstoves.”
Further, the requirements are to ensure that stoves meet emission and efficiency standards.
“An affected facility not equipped with a catalytic combustor shall not discharge into the atmosphere any gases which contain particulate matter in excess of a weighted average of 7.5 g/hr (0.017 lb/hr). Particulate emissions shall not exceed 15 g/hr (0.033 lb/hr) during any test run at a burn rate less than or equal to 1.5 kg/hr (3.3 lb/hr) that is required to be used in the weighted average and particulate emissions shall not exceed 18 g/hr (0.040 lb/hr) during any test run at a burn rate greater than 1.5 kg/hr (3.3 lb/hr) that is required to be used in the weighted average.
The estimated efficiency shall be 72 percent if the model is catalyst-equipped and 63 percent if the model is not catalyst equipped, and 78 percent if the model is designed to burn wood pellets for fuel.”

UPDATE: The EPA adopted new rules for wood burning heaters in February, 2015. These rules are not retroactive to units already in use. The new rules include hydronic heaters, but the standard in 2016 is .32 lb/mmBtu particulate matter with a cap of 18g/h per individual burn rate. By 2020 the standard will be .10 lb/mmBtu with a cap of .15 g/h per burn rate. So the new rules for hydronic heaters are less stringent than the 1988 wood stove standard.

In Colorado, wood stoves that are not EPA approved cannot be burned in certain areas on certain days, and they cannot be installed in the Denver Metro area at all. (Colorado Rule pdf) However, the Colorado rules exempt, wood cook stoves, wood boilers and furnaces because no EPA certification for a wood boiler exists. On “no burn” days in Colorado, Phase II or EPA approved stoves may be used. The Spectra wood boiler appears to meet or exceed the EPA requirements for high efficiency and low emissions for a wood burning appliance so we are confident we are doing out part to limit pollution while still safely using a renewable resource for heat.

Posted in Fireplace Boiler | Comments Off

On Second Thought…

Posted on November 19, 2014 by ellen

After working with the components, I changed the wood boiler layout a bit. This is really the 14th version of the piping layout.

Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-14

The wood boiler plumbing is installed and set up for air testing before filling with water.

Wood Boiler Hookup

The main difference between the first and second plumbing configuration (or 13th and 14th) is that the old hot water tank is on the wood boiler side instead of on the gas boiler side. It occurred to me that the gas boiler piping should be kept free of any possible sediment in the old water tank so I put the hot water from the wood boiler into the tank instead of into the heat exchanger.

The pipes from the wood boiler are connected to the side ports of the water heater. I installed a pressure relief valve and an expansion tank on the tank even though the wood boiler piping should not be under pressure. The storage tank is far enough from the open piping on the wood boiler that it is possible that pressure could build up in the hot water tank. I thought it was easy enough to install these safety measures.

Stove to Water Heater

The make up water inlet was easier to connect from the utility room too–so the fresh cold water will enter the wood boiler loop from the storage tank on the return side of the heat exchanger.

Cold Water Connection

This change means that the water from the top of the hot water tank will feed the heat exchanger and return past the water inlet, the expansion tank and back into the water tank. This loop has the pump on it and a Honeywell aquastat. When the water pumping into the heat exchanger from the water storage tank is hot enough, it will circulate through the heating system. When it is not hot, the aquastat will send a signal to the Taco relay to turn on the gas boiler.

Storage Tank Loop

This setup is also different because the radiant heat water will always pass through the gas boiler side of the heat exchanger. The pipes are not far away but the diversion might remove heat from the gas boiler’s hot water. I might have to install another zone valve to stop circulation to the heat exchanger when the storage tank is not hot.

Posted in Fireplace Boiler, Radiant Heat | Comments Off

Polyiso Insulation Boards

Posted on November 12, 2014 by ellen

The polyiso insulation boards have been going up on the ceiling! We purchased a “bunk” of recycled boards from Repurposed Materials. Or it may have been two bunks–or about 60 4×8 sheets. This is the same recycling business that sold us the blue XPS 2 x 8 ft. panels for the foundation perimeter. They have been growing by leaps and bounds and now have expanded to Chicago and soon to Atlanta! I’m glad to see that there is growing interest in reuse and repurposing as well as recycling.

We chose the 1 1/2″ 4 x8 sheets of plain paper backed board. We didn’t need foil backed stuff because that functions as an air barrier and we will have an air barrier inside this layer. In the background you can see the boards ready for application. This may be the first photo of Dave working on the house on the blog. He is putting up the polyiso after working all summer on mostly outside projects. He uses a long bladed utility knife to cut the boards.

Cut to Fit

The 1.5 inch boards will add about R-10 or so to the R-46 rockwool insulation as well as form a thermal barrier at the joists so the wood does not conduct cold through to the ceiling. This is an infrared photo of the thermal bridging at the cathedral ceiling from our initial energy audit. The wooden rafters transmit cold from the outside to the inside enough to see the temperature difference in the photo. The polyiso layer should eliminate thermal bridging.

Thermal Bridging

The walls already have a thermal barrier because there is 1″ foil covered polyiso used as outside sheathing. So the wall near the window does not show colder studs than the insulated walls.

Outside walls with polyiso

Once all the polyiso is installed this will be true for the ceiling too. When we have walls, this will be the family room ceiling. Dave is spraying Great Stuff foam into any cracks between the boards. There is a skylight in this ceiling and allows for updraft cooling in the house on hot days. Skylights are considered energy wasters though. Energy saving is a trade off.

Cathedral Ceiling

Just for the heck of it, I aimed a temperature differential meter at the ceiling where there is partial coverage of polyiso. The temp at the ceiling without insulation was about 58, the temp at the insulation was 70.1 and the temp at the polyise was 74.6.

Flat Ceiling

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Construction, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Wood Boiler Plumbing

Posted on November 10, 2014 by ellen

I am currently connecting the plumbing for the wood boiler. I am pretty sure I’m spending way too much money on this system for its value in our super insulated house. But we are used to heating with wood and since the house has radiant heat it seemed to make sense at the time to install a wood burning fireplace that also heats water for the radiant system.

This is the current rendition of the boiler piping and wiring diagram. It is actually the tenth diagram from the original layout. I found the translation from the Polish manual and the technical language in other resources a bit difficult and this layout took a lot of study.

Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-10

For comparison, this was the first rendition. I was pretty confused about the configuration of the open system above the boiler, as well as how I would get the hot water from the boiler to the heating system. I knew I didn’t want to mix the rolled steel side with the pex, copper, and stainless side so from the beginning I was planning to use a flat plate heat exchanger to keep the systems separate.

Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-1

The most helpful information for the assembly of this system came from Nofossil.org. I found the site through the wood boiler forum at hearth.com. I just posted this diagram to that forum and I’m waiting for comments. It is great to have an interactive site with experts just waiting to answer your questions.

This is the diagram from nofossil that helped me design the system. Of course my 40 gallon water heater does not have enough storage, and I am not using a stand alone Domestic Hot Water (DHW) tank–our hot water is heated instantaneously by the gas boiler.

Boilers plumbing-diagram

Posted in Energy Efficiency, House Systems, Planning, Radiant Heat | Comments Off

RED bedroom!

Posted on November 9, 2014 by ellen

The kitchen set up makes it much easier to cook for ourselves, but the added advantage was moving the kitchen out of the second bedroom and setting up a bed for overnight guests. The red bedroom is a bit shocking to some with its fire engine red walls and orange ceiling. The room positively glows in the sunlight! But it is also kind of cool. (warm?)

Queen sized bed

The hum of the radon fan can be heard in this room, but setting the bed up against the loft wall seems to dampen it a bit.

Bed with loft over

We had been using the room as a sitting room/kitchen/storage area. The kitchen table and chairs were set up when the old hickory furniture first arrived.

Bedroom “kitchen”

The tables and the sitting area worked as a breakfast and lunch eating space. Dinners were served at the kids house. We still go there for dinner almost every night!

Kitchen table in bedroom

We had the basics for a kitchen in the bedroom and did the dishes in the bathroom sink. The dorm fridge set up in the closet worked better for short visits than it did with two of us using it all the time. Glad to have a larger “automatic defrost” model now!

Dorm fridge in closet

We are also looking forward to having some overnight guests!

Posted in Design Style | Comments Off

Used Gas Cooktop

Posted on November 9, 2014 by ellen

About the same time I was shopping on craigslist for kitchen appliances, I found a 30″ gas cooktop for sale. The owner wanted to wait until it was taken out for their remodel, so we waited until just last week to pick up our new cooktop. It has a griddle/grill on one side and two burners on the other. Another “down-sized” appliance for our cabin kitchen.

I also bought a neat log side table for the cooktop, but the downdraft “box” was too wide to fit between the front and back logs, so my daughter gave us a vanity that they were going to use to remodel the bath in the house they sold. The drawers were in the way of the plumbing though, so they bought another one. This vanity is the exact size of the cooktop and is a nice natural oak that blends well with the pine. Nice daughter! (I think I can use the table as a bar sink stand across from the kitchen bar area instead. UPDATE–now the plan is to use it as the family room bathroom vanity.)

Jenn Air Gas Cooktop

The installer put in a tee and capped the gas line that was intended for the eventual cooktop install. Too bad I had not thought to ask him for a shutoff at that point, instead we had to shut off the gas to the whole house and remove the cap. I decided it would make more sense to move the gas dryer line to the vertical and then extend the other pipe to within range of the cooktop.

New gas line from old

The installer pointed the pipe toward the dryer, but there was not room to install the shutoff and still have the dryer against the wall, so we turned the pipe upward instead.The new gas line uses some of the old pipe that was removed–including a shutoff. The pipe extends to the rear of the vanity cabinet and a flexible pipe connects to the stove’s regulator.

Rear view of cooktop

The stove has a downdraft vent system that we will “recirculate” instead using a high quality charcoal vent filter. Downdraft systems can be purchased with what is essentially a metal box that contains a charcoal filter. So I improvised with a higher quality charcoal filter from Amazon. The filter should last 18 months or more and can be refilled with new charcoal instead of replacing the whole thing.

Downdraft vent

Cooking side of kitchen

So the “cooking” side of the kitchen is now complete, if you don’t count the lack of a wall.

True confessions–we had a bit of a gas leak that really stunk up the house. Thank goodness the gas is treated with smelly stuff as a warning. I used gas leak detector on the pipes I installed but the leak was at the dryer connection where I had forgotten to test–I had also forgotten to tighten the pipe before I pushed the dryer back into place. Then I turned on the gas to the dryer–thinking all was good. The smell got pretty bad before I pulled the dryer out again and tested it. The leak was quickly remedied and the smell dissipated with open windows and fans.

Posted in Appliances, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Checking the Task List

Posted on November 1, 2014 by ellen

November 1st, what happened to October? An unbelievably beautiful month here in Arvada. We took a break from working on the house to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and hear the elk bugling. Sounded like rusty gates to us.

Rocky Mountain National Park Trail

But we got a lot done in October too. Here is the old task list with finished items checked off.
Tasks
~~Extend building permit.~~

Revent boiler
Close up ceiling/roof vent
Tape/foam plumbing vents
Remove excess plumbing vents in kitchen.
Move gas pipes from ceiling except in chase. Reconnect to appliances.
Finish insulating wiring chase

Install polyiso on ceiling ~~and remove unnecessary ceiling cross pieces~~
Install membrane/air barrier
Install ceiling battens

Lay vapor barrier in crawlspace
Seal vapor barrier to walls and connect pipe from under barrier to passive radon vent.
Insulate south facing crawlspace wall with spray foam. Seal vent.

~~Treat utility room exterior where wood meets fill dirt.~~ (Decided to skip this–just refilled hole so dirt is not touching the wood.)
Set up wood boiler-~~purchase flat plate exchanger and open system water tank.~~
~~Install air supply to wood boiler~~
Install water supply to wood boiler
Install chimney
Install radon vents/fans

Put evaporative cooler away and reinstall window
Reorganize garage for winter
Cut and fit plywood to closet loft

This list did not include emptying the temp kitchen in the bedroom, setting up the new kitchen, and moving a bed into the guest bedroom. Can’t always stick to a list because other tasks just seem to pop up along the way.

It appears we got about half way through the list in a month. That is with steady working most every day.

What’s left? Looks like the largest tasks are left. Hmmm.

Tasks

Finish insulating wiring chase

Install polyiso on ceiling
Install membrane/air barrier
Install ceiling battens

Lay vapor barrier in crawlspace
Seal vapor barrier to walls and connect pipe from under barrier to passive radon vent.
Insulate south facing crawlspace wall with spray foam. Seal vent.

Set up wood boiler

There is a bit more cleanup needed in the garage and we will set up the bed in the guest bedroom. That was one way of clearing out the garage–bring more stuff inside.

The question is: How much will be done by Thanksgiving?

Posted in Diversions, Planning | Comments Off

Slab Radon Pipe Connection

Posted on October 31, 2014 by ellen

We finished tying in one of the slab radon pipes to the crawlspace radon fan today. There were several days of cutting pipes and several days of procrastinating since the pipe is heavy and the cuts are trouble and the angles difficult and the gluing messy. But finally decided today was the day to finish.
First I had to cut the existing pipe from the crawlspace in a very small area with nice prickly fiberglass insulation touching my arms.

Cut Existing Pipe

Once cut we lifted the outside fan and placed the ABS tee.

Add ABS Tee

The pipe under the slab is PVC so had to switch from ABS with a 4″ x 4″ connector.

Fernco to switch to PVC

The pipe spans the closet roof and then turns at the corner. Cut one pipe a bit too short and didn’t notice until after it was glued, so had to use an extension.

Across Closet

The pipe had to turn this corner so it could go around the beam across the room.

Around under Beam

The pipe follows the main beam and then descends through what will be the bedroom wall.

To Floor Pipe

The full pipe connection took only 3 10′ pipes but I had 4 just in case. Now have some extra pipe for the floor vent on the other side of the house.

Pipe Connection

Another job to cross off the to do list. Whew.

Posted in Radon Mitigation | Comments Off

Gas/HVAC Inspection Passed!

Posted on October 31, 2014 by ellen

Last year I investigated getting rid of the unsightly and in the way gas pipes. I had a guy come out who said the current gas feed was woefully undersized. I questioned his expertise thinking that the pipe measured at 1.25 instead of 1 inch. I was wrong.
These were the black iron hanging pipes that had to get out of the way to finish the ceiling insulation and allow us to move the washer and dryer into the utility room area.

Old gas pipes

Gas line to old boiler in the middle of the room.

Old hanging pipes

I researched folks who worked on gas lines and came up with a company in Broomfield that does only gas (The Gas Connection) and they came out to investigate. Their guy said the pipe was definitely one inch but that it was sufficient to feed the appliances I had on it and intended to have. But they cautioned me that the old pipe could be difficult to pass inspection. Moving the pipe was not the issue, having the old pipe hold air at the required pressure to pass was the issue. If the company had to come out multiple times to fix any issues, the cost would quickly escalate to the same or more than just running a new line.

Of course being a skeptic, I called the Arvada building department and asked how hard it was to have old pipe pass inspection. The answer? It depends. The guy asked me if I had talked to the Gas Connection folks and I said yes, that was the company making the recommendation. He said they are about the best around and they may be seeing something that would require the new line. So that helped us decide to go ahead.

The quote for the new line was less than half of the quote I got before so we thought that sounded reasonable. The company proposed running a line from the meter outside underground into the rear utility room where the appliances are located and next to the kitchen wall where the gas cooktop will be. We had their trenching guys come over and dig for the new line. They only cut the cable line since it had not been marked when the power and phone lines were.

Gas Trenching

Gas Trench at House

The gas connection installer came and laid a 1.25 yellow line to the back of the house and put in 1″ black pipe into the house. He capped it and put on an air pressure gauge but left us connected to the old pipe so we would have our appliances over the weekend.

New Gas Entry

The inspector came out late on a Friday evening. So late that we worried he was not coming at all. But he took some time evaluating the installation and then said he needed to see that the old pipe would be removed and the line drawing for the installation; but it was partially passed and we could have the trench refilled. The next week the gas installer returned to removed the old pipe which was short work for him. He capped all the existing pipes that would remain in the ceiling and hooked up the boiler and the dryer.

Old Gas Piping

Looked really good after the gas pipes were removed!

Gas Pipes Removed

We were able to move the washer and dryer into the utility room corner and then there was room for the oven cabinet in the kitchen.

Washer/Dryer Moved

Today an inspector returned to do the final HVAC. He passed the boiler install as well as the gas pipe install and we just have to have the duct install for the Energy Recovery Ventilator system inspected when that goes in. Feels good to have gotten this job done.
And the cable guys came out the next day to fix the line–laid a new cable from the pole and later a crew came out to bury it from the pole to the house. They only bury it about 6″ down but they put a casing on it this time. That seemed like VERY fast service from the cable company!

Posted in Construction, House Systems, Inspections | Comments Off

Used GE Advantium Wall Oven with Speedcook Technology

Posted on October 30, 2014 by ellen

This is the second week of kitchen set up. We are waiting for a Jenn-Air gas cooktop from someone who is using it until their new kitchen is installed. In the meantime seemed like the next item needed was an oven. After all Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
I bought the log cabinet for the oven first so then had to find an oven that would fit. Since it is narrower than a regular kitchen oven cabinet, I almost bought another cabinet instead but then I ran into an interesting solution.
GE first manufactured a microwave that was supplemented by halogen lights for oven cooking in 1999. They are still releasing these although there have been several improvements over the years. Notably their 240 Volt version now has convection cooking which our 2002 model bought on craigslist for $100 does not.
Microwave ovens are considered about 5 times more energy efficient than conventional ovens and the Advantium is basically a microwave, but when it is time to bake and brown food, it combines heat from halogen lamps with microwaves in a ratio that simulates regular oven cooking but decreases the time needed to cook by 25% or so. GE claims that the ovens are at least 25% more efficient than regular electric ovens. Some foods cook eight times faster than in a regular oven. Tonight’s dinner was set on “hamburger” and was roasted/broiled/done in about 5 minutes.
Energy Star does not yet evaluate residential microwaves or cooking ranges/ovens. But just using a technology that takes less “on” time and fewer watts makes sense that it is energy saving.
There are capacity issues with this type of oven but we are only cooking for the two of us and this should serve us well for the time being. We can make a small tray of cookies or biscuits, roast meat, bake casseroles etc. in this super-microwave!

Notice the cooking trays on the shelf of the cabinet. The ceramic tray is for regular microwave use, one metal tray for speedcook functions, and the other metal tray has ridges for cooking meats directly on the tray.

GE Advantium Oven

The interior looks like a regular microwave but its stainless steel.

Advantium Oven Interior

I ran across this article about Energy Smart cooking that recommends the use of electricity as the most efficient form of cooking while gas is the least efficient, although also least expensive form. Microwaves with bake options are considered a step above regular ovens when it comes to saving energy.

Posted in Appliances, Energy Efficiency, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Used Energy Star Dishwasher

Posted on October 28, 2014 by ellen

Inherently a lazy housekeeper, I am a big fan of dishwashers. I started researching portable models because they are in a covered cabinet and our log cabinets are open below. Our style seems to be a variation on new age industrial; a post modern rustic.

I found a small 18″ dishwasher on craigslist from a student in Boulder who also didn’t like to do dishes and was moving away from campus. It is an SPT black and stainless model with a stainless interior. A stainless interior is a nice, higher end feature.

Its energy star rating is not super efficient, it is 4% better on energy use and 15% better for water use than similar size dishwashers.

SPT Dishwasher Energy Guide

It is installed and is working on its first load as I write this.

SPT 18″ Dishwasher

Dishwasher drain hookup

UPDATE: This drain connection does not meet code because it does not have a trap or an airgap. Using the kitchen sink trap would work or installing a trap here will be necessary.

I had some trouble installing it because it is meant to hook up to a sink faucet and the connections at the end of the hoses didn’t match any pipe threads available in the big box hardware stores nor at the biggest Ace I could find. I believe they are metric. So I just had to cut the connections off and use clamps and pex crimp rings. Luckily the hose diameters accepted 1/2″ inch barbs on the supply and 5/8″ ID hose on the drain side. The drain pipe doesn’t have to hold pressure so I only needed a few inches of hose and two hose clamps.

The supply line needs to hold pressure so the pex barb fitting and cinch rings were a perfect solution. The tee into the hot water line is a shark bite push fitting.

Dishwasher Pex Hookup

Ahh, clean dishes!

Clean Dishwasher Load

Posted in Appliances, Energy Efficiency, Plumbing, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Used Energy Star Refrigerator

Posted on October 28, 2014 by ellen

Energy Star has been around long enough that it is now possible to buy very efficient appliances on the used market. Craigslist is an amazing marketplace for this. It takes a lot of vigilance, but eventually many good deals can be found. Most people are very reasonable about their asking prices–sometimes if they seem a bit high, they are willing to take a lower offer. I like to think I am fair minded and not seeking to rip people off or take advantage of their need to sell, so I often pay the asking price for whatever offers I find desirable.

New Fridge

Although there is some evidence that bottom freezer refrigerators can use less electricity per cubic foot than top freezers, in general top freezer models are the most efficient. In Arizona we had a Maytag energy star side by side and the estimated yearly electricity use was 537 KW for a 21.6 cubic foot model.

Maytag Refrigerator Energy Guide

This smaller top freezer model will use only 378 KW per year–about 150 KW less per year or $17 less per day in about 4 fewer cubic feet. We liked having the nifty water and ice in the door, but they are energy users. Simpler and less expensive is a LEED kind of decision too.

Whirlpool Refrigerator Energy Guide

Will have to hook up the ice maker to be sure it works. I have the piping just need to connect it.

Freezer Box with Ice Maker

Notice the layout of the shelves on the door. This layout is the key to finding the actual model of this refrigerator. There are some broken plastic door shelves. Our Maytag had the same issue. These can be replaced but a little duct tape seems to handle the problem too.

Refrigerator Box

The ventilation grill is in the rear so a bit harder to keep clean, the actual coils are hidden underneath.

Rear ventilation grill and ice maker line.

The compressor is a VEG model that the Embraco website claims is 40% more efficient that similar models.

Compressor

The R134a refrigerant is of course not climate friendly being a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC). It replaced R22 and R12 which had a higher environmental impact (Ozone depleting Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs) but work is being done to reduce or eliminate the use of global warming gases in refrigeration. Hydrocarbon refrigerants are used in most of the world but in the US they are slow to be approved due to their explosive nature. Our RV refrigerator uses Ammonia which is considered environmentally friendly and in 2014-2015 domestic hydrocarbon based refrigerators may be available.

This sizing label is all the information that I could find on the refrigerator though. The model and serial number sticker is missing! The seller said it was a “only a couple” of years old. So I had to do a bit of research to find the approximate year of manufacture and actual model.

Sizing Info

The W8RXNGMW model matches these specs and was manufactured from 2009 to 2013. The W8RXEGMW model is identical except for qualifying for Energy Star and was made from 2010 to 2013. Whirlpool kindly posts all its product catalogs for these years so I hoped to find the same configuration of size and shelving to find the model number. I had assumed that the fridge was the Energy Star model but was confused by the lack of a model number in the unit itself.
The 2009 model catalog lists the sizes and shelving units in text. Only the W8RXNGMW model matching our fridge was made that year and it was not an Energy Star model. The 2010 catalog includes the W8RXEGMW Energy Star qualifying model with text descriptions, but the 2011 catalog shows photos of the interiors of both models. Here is where the door configuration is obviously different for the Energy Star model and matches ours. The part numbers for the W8RXEGMW match our refrigerator while the parts for W8RXNGMW do not. The 2012 catalog shows the same model but by 2013 this model is no longer featured with a photo although it is listed in the specs. Conclusion: the research points to a 2011 or 2012 (even 2013 but that is unlikely) Energy Star refrigerator.

Non Energy Star W8RXNGMW

Energy Star W8RXEGMW

Posted in Appliances, Energy Efficiency, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Fan (tas) tech Radon Fan

Posted on October 18, 2014 by ellen

In the quest to finish the thermal barrier, I need to go under the house into the crawlspace and lay out a vinyl radon barrier on the ground and seal it to the walls. Working under the house usually means a heavy breathing mask and headaches, which I attribute to lack of air circulation and high levels of radon.

So installing a fan to convert the passive radon mitigation system to active was high on our list of tasks. Actually once the fan pipe is completely installed and the pipe caulked and taped, that area of the ceiling can be insulated and ready for the polyiso layer to complete part of the thermal barrier. Installing the fan kills two birds in a manner of speaking. So here is the install of the Fantech HP190 Radon Fan.

Radon Fan Install

The curved pipe keeps the rain out of the system but it is not recommended for this fan–the instructions say to let the pipe end without a cover of any kind. So eventually I may take this upper pipe out and install a rain diversion system on the fan. Otherwise the failure rate of these outdoor installations can be higher than one more protected in an attic install.

I lucked out when choosing the Fernco gaskets to connect to the 4″ pipe. There is a lot of discussion about the specialty gasket that is recommended for this and options for using something else. I gambled on this connector and it is perfect! It is the Fernco P1051-44 Flex Coupling. Amazon doesn’t describe it fuurther but I read elsewhere that it is meant to connect regular 4″ PVC DWV (Drain Waste Vent) pipe with Ductile Iron or Asbestos Cement pipe. It fits over the larger rim of the Fantech fan and over the 4″ pipe.

Radon Fan Closeup

The wiring is on the platform we made over the hall closet. This used to be enclosed without any access like a small attic, but we will have it mostly open to the back as extra storage. I read that many installers just put a cord on the fan instead of a switch so it can be easily disconnected for maintenance etc. So I installed this outlet and used part of a Christmas outdoor extension cord but I used a waterproof conduit connector to protect it where it enters the fan’s electrical box.

Wiring for Radon Fan

Next I will connect one of the slab radon mitigation pipes with this pipe. Routing the pipes through the new construction will be a bit tricky but I have some ideas about how to do it.

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Feeding Air to the Fire

Posted on October 17, 2014 by ellen

The vent piping for the outside air delivery to the wood stove was finished this week. The outside piping was already installed last week.

New external air vent.

Regular dryer venting was used to connect to the pipe where it enters from outside and to the pipe that goes into the ground below the slab.

Air vent connected inside

The chase under the floor that carries the cold water return piping doubles as the chase for the air supply for the wood fire. The pipe will be caulked and joints taped after hookup to prevent leaks into the house so the air will get to the fire without much loss. A wye connector was installed to route the intake air through the chase–the boiler return water pipe (1″ pex) is routed through the vertical part of the wye.

Joins to wood boiler’s return water pipe chase

The entry pipe hangs below the valve manifold for the radiant heat.

Flexible vent pipe under boiler piping

Where the pipe exits the floor at the stove, a tee is installed instead of a wye because I had one on hand. I will use a sharkbite elbow to extend the pipe out to the boiler loop. The vent piping is connected directly to the stove air intake–keeping as much outside air feeding the fire instead of sucking air from the room and providing some insurance against backdrafting smoke into the house when it is sealed up tight.

Flexible vent from cold water chase to wood boiler

Plumbing for the wood boiler has been ordered, maybe we’ll get a chance to try it out when the temperature drops. Lots to do and figure out yet though.

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Energy Efficiency, Radiant Heat | Comments Off

Out with One, Up with the Other

Posted on October 5, 2014 by ellen

Out with One…

I moved the boiler vent from the existing furnace and gas water heater chimney to the utility room wall, so the next step was to take out the old chimney. I also put a 3″ PVC pipe through the wall on the other side of the utility room to route outside air to the stove.

New external air vent and old chimney.

I removed the pipe that extended into the house–by unscrewing the seams on the outside.

Hole from removing chimney pipe

Then I reinstalled the cap with a couple of screws so it would not blow off.

Shorter chimney cap for unused chimney. Air intake vent is on the left.

To cover the hole, I cut a piece of plywood and installed it to prepare it for insulation and the thermal envelope sealing. The plywood was caulked and glued in with liquid nails and then the special air barrier tape was applied.

Plywood patch cut and sealed

Up with the Other…

New Chimney

I also ordered double wall chimney from Menards (Selkirk brand)–as that was the least expensive source I found. I made a couple of errors as usual though. I did not understand that there was a difference between a pipe increaser and a pipe reducer. In face, I did not realize there was such a pipe as an increaser. The difference is in the circumference that the pipe needs to fit together. I jammed the reducer into the upper pipe through sheer force of will and the use of tin snips to open part of the interior double wall to accept the lower pipe. It worked well enough although there will be some rough spots that will catch soot. Not enough to overheat it at the seam I hope.

I also had to take the extension off the 18″ extension pipe that I had ordered since the pipes joined better at the required 45 degree angle from the stove without the extra length. A third piece I found I didn’t need was the stove adapter—the double wall pipe fit on just fine without using that piece. So roughly $50 more pipe than I needed and one wrong $55 dollar pipe that I did not replace. (yet)

The chimney requirements are translated from Polish and the language for the stove directions is a bit hard to interpret but not impossible.

Directions from the manual:

At connecting fireplace flue – should turn attention on following recommendations:

To provide the correct work of device the chimney draught should figure out about 15 Pa. The flue should be performed from heat-resistant steel and leaded straight as possible and with the smallest number of deflecting.

- Connecting flue with chimney should be made at an angle of 45o. (Why 45 degrees? I’m not sure–to extend the length of the pipe to improve the draft?)
- The assembly of simple section after exit from flue connection courts about length min. 30 cm directly. (about 12″ of flue from the top of the stove)
- The connections of flue should be tight.
- Fireplace should be connected to individual flue.
- External chimneys should be insulated.
- Room in which fireplace will be installed should be equipped in ventilations.
- The minimum intersection of chimney is 400 cm2 and height this 6-8 m. (78 square inches and 19-26 ft. tall–taller than our install so hope we have enough draft. We have about 7 ft. inside, 2 ft. in the roof, and 4 ft. outside–or 13 ft–6 ft. too short but I’m not going to worry about it. I’ll bet the stove will draw just fine on cold enough days.)
- Air to fireplace should be brought by channel about intersection=100mm (4″ intake air vent–and I’m using 3″ PVC through the wall but increasing that to 4″ inside–close enough I hope.)

Chimney with 45º angle

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, House Systems | Comments Off

Check and Check

Posted on September 25, 2014 by ellen

Officially renewed the building permit today for another 6 months. We are really moving too slowly right now and the building inspector suggested finishing up by 2015! Yeah, we can do that right? First item on the new list was just checked off–renewed building permit. Now we have until March 25, 2015.

I am rerouting the boiler vent from the old gas furnace chimney to the sidewall. Closing up that big hole in the roof will allow for a tighter thermal envelope. The upper side walls of the utility room are currently just styrofoam–that is the outside insulation underground–4 inches of blue xps which was behind this insulated space, the insulation and drywall were removed so now the styrofoam is left.

Drilling the 3 5/8 inch holes for the 3″ vent pipes in 4″ of styrofoam was very easy. Getting everything lined up to fit was not especially easy. I re-used the concentric vent on the outside. So those pipes were already fitted and the new had to be matched to the old working from both outside and inside. Luckily it all went together and has been caulked too. Just have to refill the hole outside to finish this check mark.

Rerouted vent pipes

Vents through Utility Room Wall

Concentric vent from sidewall

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, House Systems, Planning | Comments Off

Now that Summer is Officially OVER!

Posted on September 24, 2014 by ellen

I’m back at home with no plans to travel for awhile and feeling a bit at loose ends getting back to the gut remodel. I guess that is the trouble with getting away and returning to a relatively comfortable house. Time has a way of getting away.

Dave has made steady progress outside so we are relatively weed free and the garden is producing, and he has a new patch of dry land clover started just to see how it does. He is also making progress on the recycled cement floor garden wall–hoping to have one wall of the four finished by the time the snow flies. He will move to more inside tasks when the weather gets colder.

We decided to post a task list to keep my eyes on the prize–i.e. getting to the next inspection which is the insulation/exterior wall inspection. Although we also have to have the exterior wall wiring roughed in for the inspection which means hiring our electrician too as well as getting our LEED insulation inspection which comes after the new windows and before the interior walls etc. Then we can move to the interior–walls, drywall, electrical, to rough inspection. Finally finish work somewhere down the road.

Task List

I also copied and organized the list for my notes.

Tasks
Extend building permit.

Revent boiler
Close up ceiling/roof vent
Tape/foam plumbing vents
Remove excess plumbing vents in kitchen.
Move gas pipes from ceiling except in chase. Reconnect to appliances.
Finish insulating wiring chase

Install polyiso on ceiling and remove unnecessary ceiling cross pieces
Install membrane/air barrier
Install ceiling battens

Lay vapor barrier in crawlspace
Seal vapor barrier to walls and connect pipe from under barrier to passive radon vent.
Insulate south facing crawlspace wall with spray foam. Seal vent.

Treat utility room exterior where wood meets fill dirt.
Set up wood boiler-purchase flat plate exchanger and open system water tank.
Install air supply to wood boiler
Install water supply to wood boiler
Install chimney
Install radon vents/fans

Put evaporative cooler away and reinstall window
Reorganize garage for winter
Cut and fit plywood to closet loft

Two questions that I always can only guess at are; how long will it take and how much will it cost? These are the two questions that I get asked all the time. My short answer is, “I don’t know.” The long answer includes estimates that take a lot of time to figure but are basically useless when it comes to owner/builder costs and completion targets. If time is money, then we are spending a ton, but if time is retirement fun then we are living this remodel and enjoying it as we go.

Posted in Construction, Diversions, Planning | Comments Off

Another Work Break

Posted on September 24, 2014 by ellen

We spent most of the summer on other projects, trips, family, etc. and just at the end of the summer, my mom fell and hurt her head and was out of her apartment in the hospital and rehab in a nursing home for six weeks. She needed some time to transition back to her independent living apartment where she is very comfortable and involved in the community there.

I spent three weeks with her enjoying retirement living which must not have been that great for me because I got a bad cold and was sick in bed at the end of my visit and when I first returned home. I’m happy to report that my Mom is doing well and practicing safer use of her walker and getting around in general to avoid another bad fall. She was very lucky that she didn’t break anything as many older folks break a hip when they fall. I am lucky that I have antibodies that worked on that cold and I’m getting back to normal myself.

Mom doing the dishes in her apartment.

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