Heating and Cooling

Overview

The house has multiple sources of heat.  The primary heat come from the forced air HVAC system which itself has 2 heat sources that it can choose between.  The first is the electric heat pump for normal maintaining of heat and also, in reverse, as air conditioning cooling.  The second is propane furnace when more rapid heating is required or during deeper cold times.

In addition, the en-suite bathrooms each have radiant electric heating in the floors with local control.  Two other supplemental sources of heat are the Living Room Fireplace and the Master Bedroom Fireplace.

HVAC Operation

The HVAC system is divided into 4 separate zones of operation:

1. The Kitchen that includes the dining room and living room and entry hallway;

2. The Guest Hallway that includes the 2 bedrooms  upstairs, adjoining bathroom and hallways;

3. The Master Suite that includes the Master Bedroom and Master Bath;

4. The Downstairs that includes all the rooms downstairs.

Each zone has a thermostat controller to set the temperature for that zone and its mode of operation.  The Kitchen zone has the fancy controller that can actually control any of the 4 zones and might be the easiest to understand the operation since the display offers more clues.  In general, all zones operate using 4 time periods per day with a temperature set for each period: wake, work, home, sleep.  Guests should not be reprogramming these settings and should either place a zone in "Manual" mode or "Hold" to override the settings if they don't like the temperature.  I won't try to walk you through how to do this, but will just tell you that Manual means you set a temperate and it will just stay there.  Hold is the same, except that it is really "Hold until" at which point it returns to the programmed temperature (thus Hold is temporary).  

One important thing to note is that the thermostats are generally in the hallways and if the bedroom doors are closed, the heat or cold won't reach the thermostat and it will run longer.  Sometimes, cracking the bedroom door is needed to allow the system to function properly.  

Radiant Heat Operation

Control of the radiant heat is through a LCD display thermostat in each en-suite bathroom.  For most changes, one begins by pressing and holding the center button until it beeps.  Then one presses the up/down buttons and that center "select" button to move through the menus.  Sometimes the power has gone out, so if the displayed date/time is wrong, start by resetting that.  Usually the only other required change is the "Mode" which I generally set to "Home" or "Work" when I arrive and then "Away" when I leave.  "Home" is good during the winter when one might like it to heat all day long.  "Work" is better in the summer when it will only heat in the morning (wake) and evening (sleep) when one might be in there barefoot and enjoying the warm floor.

Fireplaces

Master Bedroom Fireplace

The Master Bedroom fireplace is an old fashioned, wood buring fireplace.  Only use this if you are familiar with such things.  Be sure to open the flue before you start and hopefully you remember to close it when the fire is comepletely out.

Living Room Fireplace

The Living Room fireplace is a sealed gas unit with remote control.  That makes it super simple to use, when it works.

From the remote, pressing the "ON" button (looks like a 0 with a 1 overlaid on top of it) will cycle through the modes of Thermostat, fixed level, or ON-Max.  The up and down buttons will then allow control of the set temperature.  It should be pretty easy to understand, but if not, consult the manual.  If the fireplace doesn't turn on, even when set to MAX, the first think to check is the batteries.

If the remote control is not sitting out and visible, it probably means that we have taken the batteries out of everything so that they won't discharge and leak (which happens in just a few weeks time).  In this case, the remote will be under a panel at the front of the fireplace.  The batteries will be there with the remote.  There are also batteries for 2 other system components.  One is the valve controller part of the system which will have the battery pack of 4-AA batteries disconnected at a connector - this needs to be reconnected. The second item is a "remote receiver" that also takes 4-AA batteries. Also check that the gas valve is open - fully counter-clockwise and aligned with the pipe.

If you have trouble getting the fireplace to turn on, one debug step you can take is to move the switch on the remote-receiver to the ON position.  

• If that doesn't turn on the fireplace within a minute, then there is something else wrong that probably cannot be resolved, so turn the switch to OFF and turn the gas valve CLOCKWISE to shut it off.  

• If it does turn on, then probably one of the 2 sets of batteries under the fireplace are bad.  Spare batteries are kept in the hall closet off the courtyard on the right side.  There is usually also a battery tester there.

Lower Patio Fire Pit

The firepit table on the lower patio runs on a propane tank contained under the table.  To operate:

1. Remove the center round metal lid to expose the broken glass pit.

2. Open the door on the side of the unit to expose the propane tank and controls

3. Turn the valve counter-clockwise on top of the propane tank to turn it on.

4. While pushing in on the knob, slowly turn the control valve on the unit 90 degrees counter-clockwise until you hear it click to spark and light the burner in the center circle.  Continue to push in the knob.

5. If the burner doesn't light, turn the valve back off and wait 10 seconds or more.  It can also help to blow on the ignitor unit to rid it of burnt gases.  Then repeat turning 90 degrees while pressing in.

6. Once lit, continue to hold the valve knob in for about 30+ seconds while the unit warms up so the valve will stay open.

7. Slowly release the knob.  If you hear the gas go off, press the knob in for another 30 seconds.  Repeat this step as needed until the gas stays on when the knob is released.  At that point, the flame can be turned down by rotating further CCW.

8. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING FLAMMABLE IN THE FIRE PIT.  WE LIVE IN A VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER AREA.

9. When finished enjoying the fire pit, be sure to turn the control knob off (CW) and then turn off the propane tank as well (CW).  

10. When the unit has cooled to touch, more than 15 minutes, replace the center aluminum cover over the glass.