davek804's recent activity
-
Comment on ‘Hopeless and broken’: why the world’s top climate scientists are in despair in ~enviro
-
Comment on Spring gardening thread in ~hobbies
davek804 Link ParentMine arrive tomorrow! Bought two. Super pumped. How are they?Mine arrive tomorrow! Bought two. Super pumped. How are they?
-
Comment on What your next water heater will look like in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentEchoing all these comments. With my heat pump water heater in the basement, it's not as good as being in the garage. But the electricity use savings are shocking. My resistive would fire up at...Echoing all these comments. With my heat pump water heater in the basement, it's not as good as being in the garage. But the electricity use savings are shocking. My resistive would fire up at 4500 watts, whereas the new one runs at 300 watts. It's hilarious, the electricity savings.
-
Comment on A variety of beginner home server questions in ~comp
davek804 LinkIn the NAS world I have a Truenas SCALE OS installed. What I like about it was a simple system for deploying helm charts / Kubernetes solutions easily. Think of docker compose on steroids on my...In the NAS world I have a Truenas SCALE OS installed. What I like about it was a simple system for deploying helm charts / Kubernetes solutions easily. Think of docker compose on steroids on my home network.
-
Comment on Question for those in colder climates: Pellet HVAC/boilers? in ~life.home_improvement
davek804 Link ParentAlso, that winter bill is tough. My commiserations! With the size of my array, I had a $135 bill in January or so. This march bill was $35, and the April one should be back to negative. This was...Also, that winter bill is tough. My commiserations!
With the size of my array, I had a $135 bill in January or so. This march bill was $35, and the April one should be back to negative.
This was my first year with geo and solar, but not a completely full year. 2024 will be my first where I'm generating solar any earlier than May. So I'm hopeful that this next winter I can keep my negative electricity balance through the year. But I'm not sure.
I'm lucky in that I intentionally bought my house with a perfectly south facing roof on purpose.
-
Comment on Question for those in colder climates: Pellet HVAC/boilers? in ~life.home_improvement
davek804 Link ParentI've almost pulled the trigger on a heat pump / ventless about five times in the last few months. Negative comments keep taking me off the precipice. I'm sure it'd be totally fine and worth it. My...I've almost pulled the trigger on a heat pump / ventless about five times in the last few months. Negative comments keep taking me off the precipice. I'm sure it'd be totally fine and worth it. My iotawatt on my panel proves the resistive dryer is easily the largest load other than EV charging at this point.
It's hilarious, actually, seeing a clothes dryer take 3x the load of my whole house heating or cooling.
Heat pump water heater was so much better than resistive as well. The desuperheater doesn't do much in the winter, but even just filling its tank in the winter (in the basement) lets the water come up by about 5-15°F compared to what it comes in as from supply.
-
Comment on Question for those in colder climates: Pellet HVAC/boilers? in ~life.home_improvement
davek804 Link ParentAh, we meet again in the heat pump department. Some numbers as I did em just today. 2360.x kWh to heat and cool my 2082 sq. Ft home from 2/21/23 until today on my geothermal heat pump. Zero other...Ah, we meet again in the heat pump department. Some numbers as I did em just today.
2360.x kWh to heat and cool my 2082 sq. Ft home from 2/21/23 until today on my geothermal heat pump. Zero other sources of heating or cooling, other than ya know, my resistive dryer (gross), my electric oven, or my vampire heat pump water heater. Oh, and the desuoherheater gives me some solid free hot water in the summer months.
If you take the EPA's estimate of ~33 kWh per gallon of gasoline, it has taken 70 gallons of gasoline to do all heating and cooling of my home in that time. Which amounts out to .16 gallons a day. My electricity is a bit crazy expensive at .21c a kWh. A grand total of $496 for all that time in electricity.
I'll take it. Especially when you I don't factor in that I generate the electricity on my roof.
I don't miss my 2x a year $600 propane bills.
-
Comment on Question for those in colder climates: Pellet HVAC/boilers? in ~life.home_improvement
davek804 LinkI'd say you might want to read about heat pumps more in depth. They're really way more effective at lower temperatures than the zeitgeist / paid marketing might have led you to generally believe.I'd say you might want to read about heat pumps more in depth. They're really way more effective at lower temperatures than the zeitgeist / paid marketing might have led you to generally believe.
-
Comment on Where are you on the spectrum of vacation planning? Detailed to the hour or floating like a leaf in the wind? in ~travel
davek804 LinkBoy. Sometimes I'm either. I put together a vacation one time, which I haven't gone on yet, called my Austro-Hungarian Empire tour. It's just a trip from Vienna, Budapest, Prague. With train times...Boy. Sometimes I'm either. I put together a vacation one time, which I haven't gone on yet, called my Austro-Hungarian Empire tour. It's just a trip from Vienna, Budapest, Prague. With train times picked, and a few core sights to see in each location. I had a lot of fun researching and putting together that plan.
But, in my day to day life, I can't really handle lists traditionally. They get me stressed. "If it takes 5 minutes, do it now." and "If you didn't remember, it wasn't important enough".
So, often on vacations, I really appreciate unstructured time. Very little planning. But then, a lightbulb switches and I'm frustrated at having no goal or target. At which point, I need to find something to do. Walk to a specific museum, etc.
I try to think of these things as in balance, and that I don't need to lean too hard towards the organized or the relaxed side. But as I grow older, I realize I do need to make sure I have enough of a core of a plan so as to avoid any big frustrations about "wasted time".
-
Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 Link ParentDAST, right? Yeah, you're right. That was a fun one!DAST, right? Yeah, you're right. That was a fun one!
-
Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 Link ParentI agree with your points, being only a 14 year viewer. I'd like to underscore what you've said about ground effect and simplifying the wings: based on my time watching through reg changes, we'll...I agree with your points, being only a 14 year viewer.
I'd like to underscore what you've said about ground effect and simplifying the wings: based on my time watching through reg changes, we'll see the relatively simple front wings of the current regulations get more and more complex each year. Regs will be relaxed slightly, complexity will increase with the params of the regs, and we'll see the massively complex wings again. My opinion, of course.
Now. Complex aero? Fine! In fact, I love to see the war. I loved seeing the double tusks, single tusks, whatever the Caterham did, etc. Some worked, some failed. I understand and respect the arguments around needing to control cost for competition as well. But yeah. Meh.
Regarding engines, weight, efficiency, and emissions. I deeply miss the V8 and V10 noise. I get that was wasted efficiency. But what hooked me on Formula 1 was the volume and percussion at the track. It wasn't until I was there in person that the sport hooked me.
I remember hearing the cheers for Danny Ric in Australia in the first year of the turbo hybrid era and just being crestfallen. Show me 2% better conversion of fuel to power than a traditional engine. And show me that progression year over year. I don't need to lose the noise. 😰
I get the inherent contradictions and dissonance in some of my perspectives. But it's how I feel. Thanks for sharing your breath of perspective on the sport. I appreciate it.
-
Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 LinkSo, I had an experience I don't have every race. After Alonso pitted in the last third of the race to ditch his softs for the mediums, I appreciated watching him take back a few places. But I was...So, I had an experience I don't have every race.
After Alonso pitted in the last third of the race to ditch his softs for the mediums, I appreciated watching him take back a few places. But I was looking from his spot up the intervals and it was clear nothing else was going to happen, throughout the order.
At that moment there were just two cars within 1.5-2 seconds of each other.
That was combined with a few of the final laps where there were some shots from the end of the back straight, and you could see the gap between Max, Lando, and Perez. And then just a gulf behind them.
I'm not looking for some magic. And I get how Formula 1 is. But yeah. I mean. End of the day I'm watching a massive global emissions entertainment event in so many ways. I started watching F1 in 2010. My older brother was a fan in the 90s and the Schumi years. I was a Vettel fan and got shat on for supporting him during his four wins, only to see what true dominance meant in the Mercedes years. And now I'm watching the Red Bull years of true true dominance.
I think I'm mostly irked by tight regulations and an inability of the teams to shake up a calcified pecking order during each window of stable regulations.
It feels artificial. It's always been artificial. Why do I still care week in, week out? Formula 1 is just something I do. But I pine for more competition and I pine for more engineering intrigue.
When was the last time someone rocked up with ground effect and we had some genuine conflict with everyone moaning? Ferrari got in some private trouble for burning engine oil or something when it was VET/RAI or VET/LEC. I can't think of any other spicy tries since.
I enjoyed the race. But I could have enjoyed it a lot more if it was better.
-
Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 Link ParentAs a fellow multiviewer willing to tinker with a quieter chat than a discord full of all r/formula1... hi?As a fellow multiviewer willing to tinker with a quieter chat than a discord full of all r/formula1... hi?
-
Comment on USA, 101 Freeway: Major Los Angeles highway to undergo weeks of closures for wildlife crossing construction in ~enviro
davek804 Linkhttps://101wildlifecrossing.org/ Awesome.https://101wildlifecrossing.org/
Awesome.
-
Comment on ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ renewed for Season 4; ‘Lower Decks’ to conclude with Season 5 in ~tv
davek804 Link ParentI'm certainly excited for SNW's next season. I know the wait between SNW has been long each time, I agree, but at least there was a pandemic and then a significant labor dispute resulting in...I'm certainly excited for SNW's next season. I know the wait between SNW has been long each time, I agree, but at least there was a pandemic and then a significant labor dispute resulting in positive gains for individuals!
-
Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
davek804 LinkDuring my workdays, I spend a decent amount of time in my plex library, but some days when I want to focus I do the lo-fi type mixes on Youtube. But this week I've spent most of the time...During my workdays, I spend a decent amount of time in my plex library, but some days when I want to focus I do the lo-fi type mixes on Youtube. But this week I've spent most of the time re-listening to World of Warcraft zone music.
-
Comment on US aiming to ‘crack the code’ on deploying geothermal energy at scale in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentHa. I misread your comment, backwards. 👀Ha. I misread your comment, backwards. 👀
-
Comment on US aiming to ‘crack the code’ on deploying geothermal energy at scale in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentThe opposite! Ground source is more efficient in cold weather than air source as it has no outdoor components. It relies exclusively on temperature deep underground. The temperature 400' down is...The opposite! Ground source is more efficient in cold weather than air source as it has no outdoor components. It relies exclusively on temperature deep underground. The temperature 400' down is remarkably stable over the year. And more than sufficient to facilitate the physics involved in the evaporation and condensing of the closed refrigerant.
-
Comment on US aiming to ‘crack the code’ on deploying geothermal energy at scale in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentCool. 9000 BTU ... gonna need a few of those suckers to do the job! That being said, we'll see this in higher BTU and lower prices as it conquers the market. When these units are installed, if...Cool. 9000 BTU ... gonna need a few of those suckers to do the job! That being said, we'll see this in higher BTU and lower prices as it conquers the market. When these units are installed, if you're a math-oriented person, the idea that they generate more units of heat than electricity they consume is just fucking awesome. I remember explaining it to my partner and being accused of fuzzy math.
Ripping out an 82% AFUE propane furnace that was louder, polluting, and woefully inefficient was my pride and joy. When you're talking about 400%, 600%, or 800% efficiency, we're really on the margins of "holy shit, this is so good, what does it matter". I'm so happy to see this shit growing.
-
Comment on US aiming to ‘crack the code’ on deploying geothermal energy at scale in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentThat's awesome to see! Love it. Sadly I can't find that one on Goodman's site yet. Seems like maybe it's not really very available just yet. I wonder what the cost of that unit would be. Also ......That's awesome to see! Love it. Sadly I can't find that one on Goodman's site yet. Seems like maybe it's not really very available just yet. I wonder what the cost of that unit would be.
Also ... "Cold Climate Field details: No" seems a bit concerning if it's actually going to be your whole-house sole solution here in the Northeast US!
Love to see the tech continuing to improve. We desperately need it.
Big recommendation on KSR's The Ministry for the Future. I really enjoyed the read. It was fascinating to think about when ecological terrorism becomes the morally right thing to do.