Living in Minneapolis, Minnesota was never my dream. My place of work started to see a lot of booms in business. If you were willing to move you were going to get a huge raise. There were all sorts of locations being opened up in exciting areas. There were big cities. Hot states. Cool names being tossed around. I made a big speech to corporate about how I was a lifer and willing to do whatever it took for the company. Well I got my wish. I got a huge pay jump, moving expenses covered, a fancy title, great office, a company car, and tons of prestige. I just ended up in Minneapolis, Minnesota of all places. So first off there is literally nothing to do here. Second, nobody ever wants to come and visit me in Minnesota. Last, the cold is worth mentioning multiple times. It is super freezing cold. It gets around 6 degrees at night during the winter. I invested in a snowmelt system for my driveway because I couldn’t keep up with shoveling. I have hydronic heating all throughout my home and a boiler running on high. I am still cold though. Snow and I aren’t friends. I have tried to embrace it. I have gotten into seeing hockey games since cold states love their hockey. I have tried skiing and snowboarding. It is just not for me. I am hopeful that someday I can move back to a warmer state. Having a good heating system helps but this weather is horrendous.
Only providing heating for the office
I work totally online from home.
On one hand it is really nice not setting an alarm, getting dressed, packing a lunch, and driving to work. I actually don’t even own a car. I go by bike or use delivery services whe I need something. The weather in Sioux Falls does limit me a bit though. So most of the time I have to pay for someone to bring it to me. Being at home is great because I can’t get laundry done, start the dishwasher, and hire out services. I am always at the house. I have been able to save on HVAC expenses too. I made a smart decision and called up my Sioux Falls HVAC corporation. I told them about my situation and asked what I could do about my HVAC. They capped off the ductwork in my office. I then had a mini-split installed with a smart thermostat. So now my office is on a program. Right at the beginning of my work day the HVAC turns on before I step foot in there. Right when I am about to conclude, it powers down. The rest of my house isn’t getting any HVAC since I don’t leave the office. When I am done with work, I go outside. So that means for about nine hours I am only providing HVAC to a single space. I save so much money doing this. My home HVAC unit is going to last a lot longer. Most of the time it only takes my house an hour to get back to a normal temperature after being off all day. Isn’t that nice?
Smart thermostat for Texas job
I travel a lot for work.
My homebase is in Fort Worth though.
Living in Texas means the majority of the year I am worrying about cooling. I don’t have to be concerned about a hard freeze ruining my pipes and the heating plan going out. That is lovely for someone who travels all the time. There are concerns with Ac during the summer though. If I turn my air conditioner on and quit, I could experience mold growth. Bugs and pests could be coming into my household. So I need to make sure that while I am gone, my Fort Worth home is still adequately cooled. The best investment I ever made was for a smart thermostat. I now can control my heating and cooling system from anywhere there is wireless internet. Anytime I leave on a trip I set my thermostat to low cooling mode. It cools, but to a much higher temperature than when I am there. I also regularly check local, Fort Worth weather and make adjustments on the fly. If it is sweltering outside, I will bump up my thermostat a bit. It is nice that the smart thermostat tells me the home temperature, humidity, and air filter changes. It recommends settings to me and troubleshooting tips. The best is having that peace of mind knowing my house is being taken care of. If my AC stopped working, I would get advanced notice. If not, I could always see that the AC stopped operating when I plugged into my app.
Pairing a dehumidifier with the AC
I live in Birmingham, AL and I have never thought about my indoor air quality until recently.
Even after COVID I just sort of took that as a plan to be healthier.
I thought about running more, eating better, and staying up to date with vaccinations. I didn’t realize that you could do something about your home air until recently. I had a visit from my local Birmingham HVAC business. The guy did indoor air quality testing and told me that he found very high humidity in my home. That means more bugs, insects, and mold growth. It also means it is harder to achieve comfort with AC in the summertime. The HVAC dealer in Birmingham said that I needed a dehumidifier to work with my cooling unit in order to be totally comfortable. I thought about it and then agreed. The dehumidifier was easy, small, and quite cheap. It is installed right now, not the AC unit and now works in tandem with it. Removing that excessive moisture has changed the whole feeling of my house. It actually feels cold in the summer season. I am now considering other parts of my house. How dirty is the air quality? Do I need an air purifier? What about a humidifier in the winter? The Birmingham winter season is quite cold as well. It might be worth thinking about. I think on my fall tune up I am going to have indoor air quality testing again and see if there is more I can do to make the inside of my home fresher and healthier.
Tampa is just too hot for me
When I got a promotion at work at first I was seriously pumped to be moved to Tampa, FL.
That is a fairly large city. There are great professional sporting teams there. A lot of big concert names come to play at the theater. I can see musicals, dances, and new shows in theaters as well. There are also big hotels, zoos, aquariums, neat bars, great restaurants, and tons of shopping. Basically anything you want to do or need to buy, Tampa has it for you. It is really a great location to get all your needs met for a fairly decent price. I just have two complaints however. I don’t like how expensive the area is. Since you are near every sort of convenience, you are paying the big bucks. I can’t afford a house at this point, I rent a small apartment with no land. I also hate the weather. Tampa gets sweltering. As soon as March comes around you better be ready for sunblock. Then it is just getting warmer and warmer. Now factor in the humidity and you sorta feel like you could die ousside. It is best to remain indoors with the AC pumping for 90% of the time. I get where I look forward to cold days and the winter season. I miss wearing pants and not sweating to death. I miss the days that I could just be comfortable in a light jacket. Tampa has so much to offer but I would rather than live here during the summer.
The installation of a snowmelt system
I am not a fan of cold and snow.
I don’t enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling or sledding. When the temperature in my local area drops below freezing, I spend as little time outdoors as possible. Living in Elgin, Illinois, means that I am trapped indoors for the majority of the year. When I initially bought my house, I was forced outside multiple times per day to shovel snow. I devoted hours to clearing the walkways and driveways in the morning before work and again when I arrived home. To protect against the dangerous wind chill, it was necessary to bundle up in layers of sweaters, wool coat, hat, scarf, gloves and heavy boots. Shoveling is very labor-intensive and tiring. I would end up sweaty, sore and exhausted. There was also problems with where to put all that snow. Because my house is equipped with a boiler heating system, I had the option to install a snow melt system. Inside the house, the boiler sends hot water through a series of pipes hidden under the floors and inside the walls. Heat radiates from these pipes to warm up the various rooms. The outdoor system is very similar. A network of pipes is concealed under the cement of the walkways and driveway. The snowmelt system automatically reacts to the combination of temperature drop and moisture and starts up. Heat spreads across the pavement to effectively melt away snow and ice. I no longer need to shovel. There are no huge mounds of snow to deal with. There are no worries ove slipping, sliding and possibly getting hurt falling on the ice.
High-velocity air conditioner for a Florida home
I own a historical condo in St.
Petersburg, FL, the house was built sporadically while in the late 1700’s, however it features the original hardwood floors, doors, moldings and staircase, my husband and I just love the big windows, marble window sills and huge front porch; However, maintaining an older condo presents some difficulties.
My buddy and I have struggled with an electrical system that didn’t meet current safety codes and wasn’t designed to support this week’s appliances and technology. My buddy and I had problems with ancient copper plumbing pipes! One of our greatest challenges was figuring out air conditioner. The former owners got by with a window cooling system in every room. The units looked horrible, ruining both curb appeal and the view, but without air duct, my good friend and I weren’t sure how to accomplish centralized cooling. My buddy and I were unwilling to tear down the original plaster walls to install a duct system. I consulted with a local St. Petersburg Heating, Ventilation and A/C business who proposed a high-velocity AC system. This type of system is ideal for older homes. It features mini-ducts that are only two-inches in diameter. They are flexible and can be snaked through existing walls without disruption. SIx-inch, circular vents offer versatility in location and incorporate seamlessly into the decor. The cooling component is installed into the attic and sends the conditioned air into the many rooms at an especially high rate of speed. It can quickly lower room temperature and has no problem keeping the entire house comfortable. The shorter run times combined with smaller, insulated ducts supply amazing energy efficiency. My buddy and I are totally blissful with the high-velocity cooling system.
High-velocity a/c in Florida
I own a historical loft in St! Petersburg, Florida, the house was built periodically during the late 1700’s, it features the original hardwood floors, doors, moldings & staircase, my fiance & I just care about the large windows, marble window sills & large front porch, then however, maintaining an older loft presents some difficulties.
My friend and I have struggled with an electrical system that didn’t meet new safety codes & wasn’t designed to support this week’s appliances & technology.
My friend and I had troubles with ancient copper plumbing pipes, and one of our biggest challenges was figuring out a/c. The former owners got by with a window air conditioner in every room. The units looked horrible, ruining both curb appeal & the view, without air duct, my buddy and I weren’t sure how to accomplish centralized cooling. My friend and I were unwilling to tear down the original plaster walls to install a duct system. I consulted with a local St. Petersburg Heating as well as Air Conditioning corporation who proposed a high-velocity AC system. This type of system is ideal for older homes. It features mini-ducts that are only two-inches in diameter. They are versatile & can be snaked through existing walls without disruption! SIx-inch, circular vents offer versatility in location & incorporate seamlessly into the decor. The cooling component is installed into the attic & sends the conditioned air into the numerous rooms at an especially high rate of speed. It can quickly lower room temperature & has no concern keeping the entire house comfortable. The shorter run times combined with smaller, insulated ducts give amazing energy efficiency. My friend and I are totally glad with the high-velocity a/c.
High-velocity air conditioning provides a great choice for Florida living
I own a historical house in St… Petersburg, Florida… The household was built sometimes during the late 1710’s, then it features the original hardwood floors, doors, moldings plus staircase, however my hubby plus I just appreciate the sizable windows, marble window sills plus sizable front porch, but however, maintaining an older house presents some difficulties. My friend and I have struggled with an electrical system that didn’t meet current safety codes plus wasn’t designed to support today’s appliances plus technology. My friend and I had problems with seasoned copper plumbing pipes! One of our greatest challenges was figuring out air conditioning. The former owners got by with a window cooling system in every room. The units looked horrible, ruining both curb appeal plus the view, then without HVAC duct, we weren’t sure how to accomplish centralized cooling. My friend and I were unwilling to tear down the original plaster walls to install a duct system. I consulted with a local St. Petersburg Heating plus Air Conditioning supplier who suggested a high-velocity AC system. This type of system is ideal for older homes. It features mini-ducts that are only two-inches in diameter. They are flexible plus can be snaked through existing walls without disruption; SIx-inch, circular vents offer versatility in location plus incorporate seamlessly into the decor. The cooling unit is installed into the attic plus sends the conditioned air into the various rooms at an especially high rate of speed. It can quickly lower room temperature plus has no concern keeping the entire household comfortable. The shorter run times combined with smaller, insulated ducts supply amazing energy efficiency. My friend and I are totally excited with the high-velocity air conditioner.
High-velocity air conditioning is perfect
I own a historical apartment in St.
Petersburg, FL, but the apartment was built sometimes while in the late 1720’s.
It features the original hardwood floors, doors, moldings & staircase, then my partner & I just love the sizable windows, marble window sills & huge front porch, however, maintaining an older apartment presents some difficulties. My good friend and I have struggled with an electrical system that didn’t meet current safety codes & wasn’t designed to support this week’s appliances & technology. My good friend and I had problems with seasoned copper plumbing pipes, then one of our biggest challenges was figuring out air conditioning. The former owners got by with a window air conditioning in every room. The units looked horrible, ruining both curb appeal & the view, without ductwork, my friend and I weren’t sure how to accomplish centralized cooling. My good friend and I were unwilling to tear down the original plaster walls to install a duct system. I consulted with a local St. Petersburg Heating & A/C supplier who suggested a high-velocity AC system. This type of system is ideal for older homes. It features mini-ducts that are only two-inches in diameter. They are bendy & can be snaked through existing walls without disruption; SIx-inch, circular vents offer versatility in location & incorporate seamlessly into the decor. The cooling component is installed into the attic & sends the conditioned air into the numerous rooms at an especially high rate of speed. It can abruptly lower room temperature & has no concern keeping the entire apartment comfortable. The shorter run times combined with smaller, insulated ducts supply amazing energy efficiency. My good friend and I are totally excited with the high-velocity air conditioning unit.