Twinsprings Research Institute

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.

Posted in Radon Mitigation | Comments Off

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.

Posted in Diversions | Comments Off

LEED Awareness and Education

Posted on September 22, 2014 by ellen

Increasing awareness for LEED, its mission, its requirements, the benefits and features is one of the categories for gaining points for LEED certification. I had an opportunity to talk about this project at the Fort Collins Sustainable Living Fair on Sept 20-21st. It was a great fair for many good ideas about sustainability; a chance to see lots of electric vehicles, greenhouse and growing ideas, vendors large and small, and exchange ideas with a like minded or just interested public.

I was in the Green Building Tent and presented our LEED Gut Rehab project from 3-4 on Sunday. There were about 10 attendees and I spoke about our project, our LEED provider, our design team, durability issues, and solutions. Featured solutions were the Waffle Mat system for dealing with our expandable soil problem, our radon mitigation research, our air intrusion solutions and other general information about starting and documenting a LEED project.

There were several good questions and it appeared some interest in the certification program for Homes including what to look for when purchasing a home for a gut remodel. I hadn’t really given that much thought but I emphasized looking at the whole property as much as the house. Solar orientation, water availability, site location from amenities like transportation and green space, etc.

Thanks to our friends, Chris and Tom, for putting us up for the weekend at their idyllic, ranch/homestead too!

Sustainability Fair Presentation

Poster at Fair Presentation

Information at the presentation tent’s entry

Posted in Green Building Interests, LEED Project | Comments Off

Home Comfort (in an unfinished house)

Posted on August 21, 2014 by ellen

We are pretty comfortable here in this unfinished house. When we moved all our stuff to the garage, we decided to bring some furniture inside. Some of the old hickory was out in the garage and it is better to have it inside anyway. So we set up a living room space and a table and chairs in the unfinished area. Just this week I thought I would bring in the log furniture for the kitchen and start laying it out. I’m sure there will be changes but it is kind of fun to see the kitchen and living room taking some shape. This furniture is all used and it is being “repurposed” in our new home. We will gather it together and tarp it when we get to the drywall stage.

Living Room furniture

Living room with stove

Kitchen view

From dining area

Bar table

Cabinets

Posted in Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off

Washer/Dryer Temporary Install with Dryer Repair

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

We are now washing and drying clothes in our unfinished house. Of the appliances that came with the house; dishwasher, stove top, and built in oven, the washer and dryer are the only items that we didn’t donate to Habitat for Humanity. (We also kept the gas water heater thinking we will eventually use it for hot water storage.) We stored these appliances first in the garage and then in the garden shed. I was getting tired of taking our laundry out of the house to wash, even though the kids never seemed to mind. Since we are in remodeling mode for the long term, I decided to bring them inside and find out if they worked or not. Eventually we will replace them with Energy Star models but for now it is great to have this convenience again.

I had already hooked up a kitchen sink near the utility area and had to work around that and the existing gas pipes that will need to be moved, so the placement is not ideal but it will work for now.

Washer Dryer Install

I connected a washer kit to one of the water loop supplies and the drain kit to the stand pipe in the utility area. Then I reconnected the gas and flue to the dryer. To connect the washer supply kit I used the pex cinch clamps instead of sharkbites. The cinch clamps require a spear type of connection that the pex slips over and then the clamp is cinched together with a special tool. This type of connection is a cinch that is for sure!

Cinch ring connections for washer kit

I brought over one of the dangling electric lines to a new box and installed an outlet and cover. It was a 20 amp fused line that was originally in the utility room. The washer hookup is attached to the top of one of the water loop connections. There are two in the same area which helped turn this corner to cross the room as well as providing one supply for the bathroom and one for the utility room.

Electrical box and washer hookup

The drain kit was connected to a stand pipe that was vented with a roof air pipe to one further down the line, however, this vent is not necessary because there is a wet connection just down the pipe so it will be fine to disconnect it end with the stand pipe and reroute the vent pipes.

Washer hookups (Ox Box from Supply House)

The temporary sink is actually hooked up to the original washer and dryer lines that are not part of the loop but extend from the boiler itself–this line provides hot water that is not tempered and is so close to the boiler that the water is hot immediately. However the washer is the first connection on the loop and it also has hot water flowing immediately–it is the far connections that have to wait for the hot water.

The plumbing inspector recommended we make more use of air inlets in addition to venting to the outside. This is the kitchen drain setup that was supposed to be the vent for the floor drain and will be enclosed in the utility room wall. Not all the pipes are glued so they can be reconfigured when the sink is moved.

Air inlet and kitchen drain between washer and dryer

The washer connections all worked the first time. I cleaned up the washer, plugged it in, ran a load of just hot water and it was ready to go. The dryer hookup was a bit more tricky as I had to scrounge the original flue pipe, reconfigure it, and drill out some old rivets. The existing gas line was close and long enough so it was easy to use yellow gas tape, check for leaks, plug it in and start up the dryer.

Dryer Hookup with bathroom water connections limiting its placement

Although the dryer tumbled when it was turned on, it didn’t heat up. Quick research on the internet turned up the most likely culprit, the igniter. Luckily this model had a small access door to the gas heat mechanism so the dryer did not have to be taken apart to fix it.

Dryer access door

I ordered an igniter from Amazon because of their quick shipping. I couldn’t find a Maytag igniter with Prime so after more research I ordered a Whirlpool part as these are very common and do work across brands.

Dryer igniter replaced

Gas dryers are very simple and it was fun to learn about how they work. The igniter glows red and when it is hot enough a flame sensor opens the gas valve and the gas ignites. Then the igniter turns off and the gas burns until a temperature sensor is activated when the dryer is hot enough shutting off the gas. When the temperature drops, the sensor tells the igniter to glow again and the process is repeated. The igniter is very fragile so it is often the first part to break, especially if the dryer has been moved a couple of times like ours has. It would also be easy to replace the flame sensor and the coils in the gas valve, two other parts that could have been bad.

So now we are set to both wash and dry our clothes in our unfinished home. What luxury.

Posted in Appliances, Maintenance and Repair, Plumbing | Comments Off

Distractions=Lack of Progress

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

OR–What we did instead of working on the house!

1. Kids bought a new house that needed a lot of work! Besides bath renovation we also helped paint and tear out old flooring.

Kids’ new house–Wallpaper removal

Master bath tear out

New tub main bath

New floor main bath

2. Renovated Arizona house in order to sell quickly. (We hoped!)

Had interior painted–took a long time–vendor delayed the job and sent non-pro workers–lots of redo required

Installed new fans and some new light fixtures–including one that “disappeared” after the painters removed it.

New front patio started by landscapers

Refinished front door, replaced door hardware, and had new carpet installed

Garage floor cleaned and epoxied, garage painted.

Cleaning and staging

Stoop repaired and painted

New entry patio and tons of landscaping done

We did sell the house about 2 weeks after it was listed, but then we waited 6 more weeks for the sale to go through. Still we were happy it sold and we can move on to other projects.

3. Went birthday camping!

RV at campground

Lake scene

RV across water

4. Visted moms in New York and Chicago.

Mom in Chicago

5. Helped fix up kids old house for sale.

Master bath redo with grout paint

Garage entry trim

Installed baseboards

6. Prepared RV for cross country trip.

New water pump and pressure tank

Tried to repair awning

7. Three week RV trip to Indiana and Illinois with grandkids!

Grandson’s food list

Getting started

Resting at a playground

Watching movies

Indiana!

Another visit to Grandma Grand

8. Another camping trip during the week of July 5th.

Columbine at Golden Gate Canyon State Park

View from hike

9. A month of preparing for our son’s wedding in California and the actual wedding!

Favors

Dramatic sticks for hall

Flower arrangements

Fascinators and carry sign for grandkids

Flowing arches

Table decor

The dress

The bouquets

Rehearsal

The ceremony

Korean Paebaek Ceremony

10. An end of summer camping trip and visit with friends.

The beach

S’mores

Hanging out with friends and fresh peach cocktails

Friends’ garden–hope ours looks like this someday

Chickens!

Posted in Diversions | Comments Off

Hot Water Recirculation Problem

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

Earlier when I had trouble with the hot water circulation pump breaking the boiler flow control, I decided to install a pressure regulator/reducer between the pump and the cold water input for the hot water side of the boiler and for this function I used a 1/2″ threaded Watts EB45 with settings between 10 and 70 psi. It ships at 45 psi. Although the boiler doesn’t specify the maximum psi input, I assumed that 45, which is a common household water pressure, would work fine. I also installed the pump a few feet above the incoming line–an idea I got from some online source–and installed a shutoff below it as recommended for maintenance and change out.

Taco 006 Stainless Pump (dark blue) Installed–Watts pressure reducer just visible on the left of the red tank.

At some point after the fix, the hot water recirculation was not working. I’m not sure when it quit but when I noticed we were not getting hot water after turning the pump on for a few minutes, I just unplugged the recirc pump. So we were washing our hands in cold water and collecting the 5 gallons of shower water that it took to feel hot water coming out of the faucet in a bucket and taking it out to the garden. Finally I had some time to troubleshoot the system.

At first I thought the pressure regulator was not high enough for the boiler to recognize the flow. But setting the pressure higher did not get the water heater to come on when the pump was on. I adjusted it back down, but now I have no idea now how low or high it is set!

Second, I thought it must be the pump. I had trouble with another ebay pump that I ordered so I thought it might just be a bad purchase and I looked for another recirculating pump that I could use instead. I settled on this Laing hot water pump, it has the energy saving ECM technology (Electronically Commutated Motor) and the E3 is the larger of the two models, able to pump more than 75′ of water circulation piping. It also has a variable speed setting to manually set it for the system that is using it. But a temperature sensor would have to be installed separately.

Laing E3 Pump

As I started to install the new pump, I noticed that the ball valve that isolated the pump for maintenance had been left OFF! So no wonder the pump was not starting the hot water boiler, it wasn’t the pump that was not delivering water, there was no water getting to the pump! I was lucky that the times that it was pumping without water flow did not wear out the pump. It actually worked fine when the valve was reopened. As there is a temp control on the pump, when the water reaches the preset temperature, the pump shuts itself off when plugged in directly, but there had to be another way to turn on the pump to initiate hot water.

The Taco D’Mand system had a wireless remote system to turn the pump on so I decided to replace the timer with a remote control system. I needed something that would work from the furthest bathroom so a simple lamp system didn’t seem powerful enough. I settled on the Skylink system and as an added benefit, the receiver (PA-318) allows for setting a time limit for the on signal.

Both the receiver and remote (TC-318-1) were reasonably priced on Amazon and the operating distance is rated at 500 ft. This system is working great. I set the timer for 15 minutes but the water gets hot about 5 minutes after pressing the remote, an easy wait to start taking a shower with no water waste. Since the pump shuts off when it reaches the design temperature, and on again when it gets cooler, we can just let it run for those 15 minutes until we are ready to shower.

Posted in Energy Efficiency, House Systems, Plumbing | Comments Off

Caulking and Insulation

Posted on August 20, 2014 by ellen

As required by LEED, the outer shell must be fully sealed. All the sills, corners and rafters were recaulked–most were caulked on the original build but there were a few gaps.

Sill caulking

Rafter caulking

Much of the Roxul rock wool was installed before the move. Two layers of 5.5″ in the ceiling and one layer of 5.5″ in the walls–R 46 and R 23 respectively.

Roxul installed

Although some areas are not yet filled, there is quite a bit of insulation left. We estimate we over ordered about 6 23″ bales and maybe 3-4 16″ bales.

Roxul Remains

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

We’ve Moved!

Posted on May 22, 2014 by ellen

Start of unloading the moving truck

And that is about all the progress that has been made on the energy efficient house, i.e. none!

We did the move ourselves of course and even with help from family it took three straight weeks of packing and cleaning. Then we drove a 24′ Penske truck from Tempe, Arizona to Arvada, Colorado and hired some movers to help us get everything into the garage. It was funny to help the movers as they kept having to take breaks (lunch and 2 o’clock) while they said that the contents of the truck “might not fit” into the garage. I was amazed at that notion since the garage is larger than inside area of the truck and it had all fit in the truck. But after about three hours they had muscled most of it into the space. We left the wheelbarrow and ladders outside. Later we had to move around some of the stuff to get to the tool cabinets etc. but now the garage is very packed with “stuff” from the move. Moving took almost all of March and I went back in April to get the house ready for sale which was another nightmare of workers being late and taking longer than they estimated and lifting a light fixture that they removed for the painting as well and all manner of other leftover stuff that went missing from the garage. I rented a small uhaul trailer and purchased and installed a hitch for the Impala and drove back to Colorado with the rest of the stuff by the first week of May.

Small uhaul trailer for things that we left behind the first time.

The most exciting news is that our kids bought a new house that was larger and much closer to us and the schools, but it was a short sale and left in a pretty big mess. So we pitched in and helped them get the house ready to move into and we are also helping with the old house to get it ready for sale. Between all this sprucing up our projects are going by the wayside. But our Arizona house is on the market finally and hopefully it will sell in the next month or two and give us capital to get things accomplished at a faster pace.

Posted in Diversions, Moving | Comments Off