Enjoying my ductless heat pump along with my self sustainability

I can deal with heat and humidity during the day with a fan

It’s rather nice to be living off the grid. I’ve been living this sort of lifestyle for just more than two decades. But it’s still always funny the first time somebody comes out to my house. Granted, I live way out in the wilderness so it’s not like I get a ton of visitors anyway. But it’s always funny to see someone’s face when they come into my cabin and realize that I have residential HVAC. I guess they have this idea that I’m going to be some sort of caveman who’s out hunting for food and water. If that were the case I don’t think I would make it out here. No, I planned living sustainably out in the wilderness very carefully. I have a solar array that provides all the electricity that I could possibly need. And the HVAC technology these days is such that I’m able to use a ductless heat pump for air conditioning. When it comes to heating, I don’t need much help since I have a custom wood stove. But I will say it’s nice when I come home from a trip to be able to flip the ductless heat pump over to heating until I get the fire started. But primarily, I really wanted the ductless heat pump simply for the nights during the summer. I can deal with heat and humidity during the day with a fan. But at night, it really does make a difference when I have some air conditioning. So I’m awfully thankful that I get to live sustainably and yet have certain creature comforts like residential HVAC.

 

cooling representative

Getting dad set with good HVAC

It’s really sort of weird to be looking after my dad a lot more since he decided to move down here. The man was my idol and has been such a great father to me. From the great house with central air conditioning and plenty of cool stuff to helping me get through college, that man was always there for me. So, it’s my pleasure to be able to return the favor now that he’s getting up in years. My mom died more than ten years ago so my dad is pretty much used to living on his own. Of course, it was tough for him when mom passed as they were such great partners. But he stayed in the family home until about a year ago. Then it got to the point that it was just too much for him and he decided to upgrade the HVAC equipment and sell it. Dad was also tired of dealing with a winter that took a gas furnace. I live in the south and have since college. So dad decided to get a condo down here and trade that gas furnace in for a heat pump. It’s actually turned out really great to be truthful. I love the fact that I can give back in whatever way I can for all the stuff my dad did for me. He didn’t have to do all the things he did and just helping him out in this stage of life is an honor. One of the first things I did once he move down here was to straighten out his HVAC equipment. The condo came as is and needed an HVAC equipment upgrade. So I had a buddy of mine, who works for a local HVAC company, take care of that and slide me the bill.

 

cooling specialist

HVAC maintenance is a home essential

I can simply take a walk around my neighborhood and tell who really care about their home and who doesn’t.

It seems so odd to me that anyone fortunate enough to be a homeowner would neglect their responsibilities.

I know that there are some essentials when it comes to taking care of my home. And a very big essential is the quality heating and air in my home. When I bought this house, it was my first time being a homeowner. So there was plenty of a learning curve that included replacing the heating and cooling equipment. While I trusted and relied upon the local HVAC company, I still did plenty of research as part of my due diligence process. I’m certainly not going to spend thousands of dollars on something I haven’t fully understood. And when it comes to the heating and cooling inside my home, I wanted to be sure I was getting good quality. But I also really paid attention to what I could do to get the most value from such an essential piece of equipment. And the answer kept coming back to me that it was all about HVAC maintenance. All the data and everything I read pointed to the fact that HVAC maintenance is simply essential. Once the new residential HVAC was installed, I signed up for an HVAC service plan that centers around HVAC maintenance. So it really surprises me when I do go for a walk around my neighborhood to see other HVAC equipment in such poor repair. I’m not really sure how someone could just let something so essential to a family’s comfort go unappreciated and ignored.

wireless thermostat

Don’t need that space heater as much thus far

This is my second winter up here and it sure hasn’t gotten any easier.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I moved from the south to the north.

For sure, I could have turned down the promotion. But who does that? Had I not taken the promotion, I’d be sitting in the air conditioning of my cubicle forever. You just don’t turn down promotions and expect to get any more chances. Still, I sure could have been more prepared to face the winter up here. When I got up here, I didn’t even have proper outerwear or even boots. There were no snow shovels or any of the sort of winter equipment that I would need. Thankfully, the realtor who found my home made sure that I had a good gas furnace. She took one look at me and realized that I was a complete rookie when it came to winter. And boy was she right. Not only had I never experienced a winter that required even a coat, I was completely unprepared for this sort of climate. It’s really cold here and the temperatures start dropping mid October. Fortunately this year, my neighbor showed me how to prepare my home in order to lower the heating costs and provide more comfort. I’m really glad to have such good neighbors because I don’t have to carry a space heater with me wherever I go when I’m at home. But I do admit to having a space heater under my desk at work and that thing ain’t going anywhere.

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