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Regular reports of my grabber activity and that of others, plus information on QRSS software, hardware and technique that comes my way

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Improvements to my air conditioning system as observed on the ON5EX grabber

Several nights ago I had my mept on 40m and recorded it's reception on the ON5EX grabber using SiteShoter then stitched the grabs together to see how I did over the long term.  I have described this technique previously on this blog.  Here's what it looked like:
So, what's this got to do with my air conditioning?  When we first moved to this QTH the air condx would cycle on and off on a hot summer day but as the years went by it got to the point of running continuously 24/7 and our electricity bill rose accordingly.  Over the winter we had an energy audit courtesy of the local power company and the auditor recommended we have our ductwork checked for leaks and add more insulation in the attic.  We followed his advice and as the temps began to climb into the upper 90's (37 C) earlier this month it was a relief to note the air condx was once more cycling on and off.  I meant to make a few measurements but haven't had time so far....until the night I recorded the above data.

My mept at the time was a QRP Labs kit which I have found to drift with changes in room temperature and I can see that drift on the ON5EX grabber. It shows the air condx to come on for 10 minutes then off for 10 minutes.  The change in temperature is several degrees F based on a previous calibration also describe on this blog.

Consider the irony.  I have without intending to do so remotely sensed the performance of my air conditioning system via a facility located in Belgium.

de w4hbk

3 comments:

  1. It's good to know that you followed the advice of the auditor. Some people don't. May I know the size of the duct? And do you, in any chance, check it regularly?

    Darren Gersol

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  2. So it turned out that the reason why your AC system isn't performing well is because of some leaks and lack of insulators? The auditor did give you some great advice right there. Glad that you’er enjoying the system now at a fair cost. :)

    Darryl Iorio

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  3. If you feel like there’s something wrong with your air conditioner, it’s important that you let an expert inspect your unit. By doing so, you will be able to determine the real problem and you can apply what needs to be done. This will make your air con last for a long time. I wish your AC Unit is still running smoothly, Bill. :)

    Harold Rhoads

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