Found A Place To Live! NF

[solopaddler]

As many of you guys know it's been a stressful couple of weeks.

 

On the plus side we sold our house in Grimsby privately in a week simply by sticking a sign in the lawn.

 

On the downside the closing is June 25th and we've been scrambling to find something to purchase.

 

Arriving back from my brook trout trip we drove through the night and I got home around 9am.

Was home for an hour and my wife had me out the door looking at 5 properties LOL!

 

We've looked relentlessly for the last 8 days with zero luck. In fact it's been amazingly depressing.

Probably been through 30 or more houses in a very specific search area.

In this sellers market anything decent in my area is going very quickly, many times for more than list.

Most of the properties are just gross.

 

Anyhow we looked at a property on Sunday and loved it to death.

It's a massive upgrade in every way to our current place in Grimsby,

and needless to say we put an offer in.

 

Just received the official word that it's ours.

Guys I'm so happy right now you wouldn't believe it!

 

Anyhow I have a question.

 

Apparantly there's a new "Aqua Thermal" furnace in this house.

I've never even heard of the term before.

I searched on the net and there's very little info out there..

 

Is anyone familiar with these things?

Are they any good?

 

Thanks

[Gerritt]

Water Source Heat Pump... same idea as a ground source heat pump.

 

The one issue i have seen with this setup, is while the heat may be free... the hydro to power the system is not.

 

I built a massive high end house in The Bridle Path area. Albeit it was a geo thermal system... hydro bills were close to 2k a month!

 

Mind you this was a HUGE modern house...

 

Ask to see the electric bill... especially in the winter months.

 

G

 

Edit to add... Do you if they are using radiators or in floor?

Edited May 18, 2010 by Gerritt

[wuchikubo]

Don't know much about the aqua thermal. But congratulations none-the-less! Now I can look forward to some more fish porn posted by you.

[solopaddler]

Water Source Heat Pump... same idea as a ground source heat pump.

 

The one issue i have seen with this setup, is while the heat may be free... the hydro to power the system is not.

 

I built a massive high end house in The Bridle Path area. Albeit it was a geo thermal system... hydro bills were close to 2k a month!

 

Mind you this was a HUGE modern house...

 

Ask to see the electric bill... especially in the winter months.

 

G

 

Edit to add... Do you if they are using radiators or in floor?

 

 

Thanks for the info Gerritt. I'll get more info on the unit later this week.

 

But all I know it's a standard duct system with a fan driven furnace.

It's hooked up in conjunction with a normal looking water heater.

 

No rad's or in floor heating...

[Gerritt]

seems a bit odd.. normally at least from what I have seen is the water is pumped to manifolds and distributed throughout the house... unless there is a heatpump involved as well I suppose exchanging the heated water to heated air.. I would be interested in seeing this system

 

So where abouts are you moving?

[Big Cliff]

Water Source Heat Pump... same idea as a ground source heat pump.

 

 

I built a massive high end house in The Bridle Path area. Albeit it was a geo thermal system... hydro bills were close to 2k a month!

 

Mind you this was a HUGE modern house...

 

 

Edit to add... Do you if they are using radiators or in floor?

 

2K a month? what part of the house was the grow op in?

[solopaddler]

seems a bit odd.. normally at least from what I have seen is the water is pumped to manifolds and distributed throughout the house... unless there is a heatpump involved as well I suppose exchanging the heated water to heated air.. I would be interested in seeing this system

 

So where abouts are you moving?

 

I'll let you know for sure.

For what it's worth the guy said there was a 60% savings on heating bills.

 

We were specifically looking west mountain since I work at the airport and my wife in downtown Hamilton.

 

The place we bought is in a dead end street just off 20 Rd. Basically the corner of Garth and 20.

 

Great area, great house, wicked lot and most important great school right around the corner.

[DRIFTER_016]

2K a month? what part of the house was the grow op in?

 

 

You haven't seen the houses on the Bridle Path have you?

The houses are so big they have multiple HVAC systems.

[Gerritt]

LOL! this house was huge! extremely modern.. all the floor were light weight concrete.. it has been in a number of ads and commercials! they thought it would reduce costs.. but given the windows it hindered it!

 

My link

Edited May 18, 2010 by Gerritt

[DRIFTER_016]

LOL! this house was huge! extremely modern.. all the floor were light weight concrete.. it has been in a number of ads and commercials! they thought it would reduce costs.. but given the windows it hindered it!

 

My link

 

Ya broke your link Gerritt.

 

Here is my ex business partners place on Mississauga Rd. It is a little $$$$ to heat and such too.

You have to go down to the bend in the road.

 

Little House on the River

[Terry]

sounds like they just use a ground source heat pump and a heat exchanger to the plenum and duct work for heat and cooling from the ground source water

 

I like what I have read about it

Edited May 18, 2010 by Terry

[JohnF]

I looked it up and here's what I found.

 

http://www.richardcollins.net/renheat_aquathermal.html

[JohnF]

I looked it up and here's what I found.

 

http://www.richardcollins.net/renheat_aquathermal.html

 

What's the water source?

 

JF

[DRIFTER_016]

What's the water source?

 

JF

 

 

It's a loop that is taken off the hot water heater.

[JohnF]

It's a loop that is taken off the hot water heater.

 

Generally there's another source that extracts ambient heat or cold from available water like a pond or the grey water from the household plumbing. Taking it all from the water heater does nothing to conserve energy. It just puts all the heat generating pressure on the water heater. Sounds wrong to me.

 

Assuming there was another ambient source involved there would be a supplementary heating device in the furnace/fan unit.

 

JF

[HTHM]

So we ain't gonna be neighbours, eh? Congrads on the house!

[solopaddler]

I looked it up and here's what I found.

 

http://www.richardcollins.net/renheat_aquathermal.html

 

 

Generally there's another source that extracts ambient heat or cold from available water like a pond or the grey water from the household plumbing. Taking it all from the water heater does nothing to conserve energy. It just puts all the heat generating pressure on the water heater. Sounds wrong to me.

 

Assuming there was another ambient source involved there would be a supplementary heating device in the furnace/fan unit.

 

JF

 

John that's not it at all.

It's hooked up in conjunction with a standard water heater.

I think there's simply a coil/heat exchanger in the outlet duct of the furnace that's fed from the hot water tank.

Think of it as a giant version of a car heater.

 

 

 

 

So we ain't gonna be neighbours, eh? Congrads on the house!

 

Actually bud as the crow flies my new place is precisely 3.9km from your front door.

[JohnF]

John that's not it at all.

It's hooked up in conjunction with a standard water heater.

I think there's simply a coil/heat exchanger in the outlet duct of the furnace that's fed from the hot water tank.

Think of it as a giant version of a car heater.

 

Some of the builders around here are now installing a furnace/water heater combo unit. I wonder if that's what you've got. I don't remember the brand names on the units.

 

JF

[Terry]

When a First Co. Aquatherm® "Combo Heater" (air handler) is connected to an adequately sized natural gas, LP, or oil fired water heater, the water heater becomes a dual function appliance that can provide comfortable, efficient space heating as well as hot water for domestic use.

 

First installed in California in 1974, there are now over a million Combo systems in operation from Canada to Florida and in both single and multi-family applications.

 

 

 

 

ok that's interesting and no what I expected

 

I think to have the water the right temp for domestic hot water, the temp is too low for efficient heat exchange in the furnace..but who knows

Edited May 18, 2010 by Terry

[solopaddler]

Some of the builders around here are now installing a furnace/water heater combo unit. I wonder if that's what you've got. I don't remember the brand names on the units.

 

JF

 

I think it's pretty new technology at least in this area.

 

I'm just not sure if it's any good.

 

I hate being a guinea pig.

[Jer]

When a First Co. Aquatherm® "Combo Heater" (air handler) is connected to an adequately sized natural gas, LP, or oil fired water heater, the water heater becomes a dual function appliance that can provide comfortable, efficient space heating as well as hot water for domestic use.

 

First installed in California in 1974, there are now over a million Combo systems in operation from Canada to Florida and in both single and multi-family applications.

 

 

 

 

ok that's interesting and no what I expected

 

I think to have the water the right temp for domestic hot water, the temp is too low for efficient heat exchange in the furnace..but who knows

 

 

The hot water tank can be run at a higher temp and the domestic hot water supply can then be sourced through a tempering valve combining hot and cold water to reach the desired temp at your tap.

[Terry]

oh yeah, somewhere in my brain I knew that...LOL

[danbouck]

I'll be in the Bridle Path area tomorrow, I'll ask a couple builders and see if they know anything about it.

[solopaddler]

I'll be in the Bridle Path area tomorrow, I'll ask a couple builders and see if they know anything about it.

 

Thanks Dan

[rock34]

Im glad you found a place Mike. Not as glad as you I am sure though.....Attawapiskat here you come!

 

I dont know anything about that type of furnace but I could get any info that you want about it so let me know, what you need to know lol.