Since I had an RV tech here, I pulled out my little list of other things that needed looking at. Like why the heck doesn't the residential fridge work off of the inverter? It did when I had it installed. My idea was that when I had that compressor replaced during the 2013 government shutdown while I was at Tamarac NWR, when the refuge manager and LE officer put the fridge back into the space for me, they plugged it into a different outlet so it wouldn't be on the inverter. (Oh my, isn't that quite a sentence?) They didn't know any better, and neither did I. Well, I explained that all to Jason. He was skeptical, but it turned out I was right! He knew how to figure out which outlet was connected to the inverter, and now so do I. :) Hmm...does this open up possibilities for doing a tiny bit of boondocking??? Maybe Quartzsite for a couple of days in January???
Then I had him climb up on top of the rig. When I had the rig washed and waxed last week, I asked the guy how all the caulking on the roof looked. He said the right rear corner needed a little work. Yep, it needed a little silicone, but Jason found something more important near the front of the roof. There was a hole that had been stuffed with a rag, and covered with caulking that had come loose. Not sure what that's all about, but it's now fixed. I saw the rag and old caulking, and he showed me pictures he had taken with his cell phone of the hole and his repair. I have my ideas how this happened about a year and a half ago, but I can't prove it. It's been some time since I've given up climbing on the roof.
There were a couple of other little things I had him look at, and then I held my breath for the bill. He had been here about two hours. Turns out the bill came to $349, and $164 of that was for the new faucet, fittings, and other parts. Money well spent as far as I'm concerned. I've paid much higher rates in the past for less reliable service. Jason has a new customer.
Can anyone tell me what's more economical. Using the propane furnace verses the heat pump on the rig. Propane is very reasonable here, and I actually prefer it to the electric heat. Electric is .11/KWH and propane is $1.27/gal.
Thanks for stopping by... talk to you later, Judy
Posts
Glad you glad all those repairs done. Sometimes it pays to pay. Jim had to change our kitchen faucet last week and it was a two day job with a flood. I just bit my tongue. Lol
ReplyDeleteGlad you glad all those repairs done. Sometimes it pays to pay. Jim had to change our kitchen faucet last week and it was a two day job with a flood. I just bit my tongue. Lol
ReplyDeleteAbout 8 years ago I found some web sites that have calculators to help make the choice of propane/electric.
ReplyDeleteKeep using the heat pump!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou must feel like a ton has been lifted off your shoulders with getting those problems solved.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to read opinions on the Alfa forums about propane vs. electric. The early Alfa models put the propane furnace under the bed, while our later model put the heat pump under the bed and the propane furnace under the oven. Guess which owners favored which heat source?
ReplyDeleteBasically, some people will always be in favor of electric heat because they pay for propane but not electricity, vs. people who feel that trying to air-condition the outdoors is a strange idea.
I would use the propane if you like it better. At Jojoba you pay for both. Use the one you like better! I also like my little space heater as a supplement, but we almost never put it out.
ReplyDeleteI like your new faucet fancy. It pays to keep thing repaired especial since its your forever home.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you are all repaired! We are supposed to be getting a winter storm tonight and tomorrow:)
ReplyDeleteYour new faucet looks great! I'd use the furnace if you like it better, especially with propane being so cheap.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you made an excellent choice in calling Jason and that you now have someone you can trust with any problems you have. Do put a review of him on the RV Service Reviews (http://www.rvservicereviews.com/) so that others will know he's great and he'll perhaps get more business because he helped you so well. Really glad to hear you have someone to depend on. Makes life a lot less stressful I think.
ReplyDeleteYour new faucet looks great and I think it was money well spent. We have had very good luck with mobile Rv techs. It's good to have one that knows you and that you trust. Now that you are a customer, if you call with an emergency, he will be more likely to work you into his schedule much faster.
ReplyDeleteWe have heat pumps built into our AC units. We much prefer them over the furnace, but it has nothing to do with the cost. It is because the furnace is so darned noisy! The heat pumps quit at about 40 degrees and then we use our Quartz infared heaters. They are quiet and work quite well. Of course our plan is to be where we don't need heat, but since we're stuck in Tampa for the winter, we will probably be using it this year.
Nice that you have found a good reir person now that you are mostly in one place.
ReplyDeleteWe have a propane catalytic heater, much prefer that because it makes no noise at all and very economical to run.
But use what you like better.
We learned a long time ago that our best tool is a telephone and a credit card. We have many strengths ... but hands on repair of anything more complicated than a few screws or an easy change out is something that a genuine tech does much better than we do. AND, we do not have to pay someone to fix what we broke while trying to fix what was broken! I have had (nearly) that same faucet for several years in my coach. I upgraded to that model after having the same one in my home, before we left to full time on the road. Mine pulls out far enough that I can put water in a pot on the stove for pasta or whatever, without having to move it. I always wanted a fancy pot-filler in my kitchen! I can also add water to the Keurig coffee maker easily! Good choice, kiddo!!
ReplyDeleteThe best way to get something repaired for us is to a call a reputable repairman.
ReplyDeleteWith that new pull out faucet, you can now shower in the sink and use the shower for storage... ;c)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you found a reliable tech, they are almost as rare as hen's teeth. Good catch on the fridge being plugged into the wrong outlet!
After you have made an analysis showing that electric heat costs more than twice as much as gas heat, I think Mr. Spock would say that your recommending the heat pump, based on the gas furnace blower being noisy, is "not logical". The noise made by an appliance depends on the manufacturer and model of the appliance, as well as where in the coach it's installed. Our gas furnace is an Atwood 9535-IV; it is located under the oven, and it makes a pleasant rushing sound when it runs. Our heat pump and A/C are a Coleman 6536B881; it is located under the bed on my side, and it makes deep bass growling that sounds like the end of the world.
ReplyDeleteAlways good when things work as they are supposed to work!! I find that really irritating, to have to work around something that is not working as it should.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a Blessed Christmas!!
Sounds like you are settling right into the activities there and having a good time...
Hahahahaha!! Paul and Marti really cracked me up with their comment!! As for repairs, even MacGyver says you got a great deal...and to keep that guy on retainer! We rarely us our propane furnace. Our electric fireplace does a great job..and if it's really cold, we have a little space heater too. I say that, but we never have stayed in any park with metered electric..Then it might be a different story!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're all fixed up on the faucet problem... and what a bonus... getting all those other things fixed at the same time. Sounds like you made the right decision!
ReplyDeleteI love my pull out noggle!
ReplyDeleteJason sounds like the perfect repair guy. He seems to know about all aspects of an RV
Glad to hear you are all "fixed up!" I love my faucet sprayer in the motorhome, the kitchen sink faucet in the house does not have a sprayer but the cowboy will be replacing that one when we install new sink and counter tops.
ReplyDeleteNo one thinks I am any good at math, but I know I prefer gas heat when I am trying to sleep. The heat pump is just to noisy:)
ReplyDeletenice job on the faucet installation..sometimes getting a pro to do the work is the best route to go..
ReplyDeleteas for propane versus electric?..we use both..the furnace takes the chill off and then the heater seems to be able to maintain the temperature..as for price point?..we pay .10 a kw..our charge this past month was $98..and the propane..we have a 100 pound rental tank..and we paid about $45 for the month...
Glad you've got a reliable and honest repair guy. That's priceless.
ReplyDeleteI like my RV repairman and have him on a short leash. He replaces faucets, climbs up on the roof, repairs what needs repairing, and he even sleeps with me! Love my Jimmy! :- )
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're enjoying and settling in to Jojoba Hills.
ReplyDeleteLove Emma's little trick to get you to the dog park.
Great bird pictures, especially the Sandhill cranes.
Jan
It is so much better to have someone mobile to do repairs...does not matter the cost.
ReplyDeleteJudy....I've been looking for this formula to compare using campground electric and propane. I searched for your email address to send it to you but was unable to find it on your blog. So, I hope you don't mind if I attach it here. :-) Good luck. Paul
ReplyDeletePropane for RV use is priced per gallon; electricity is priced in kilowatt/hours. They must be equated in a common measure to allow us to compare them. Manufactures of electric resistant heat space heaters state that the input of one kilowatt/hour produces 3,412 BTU’s. That is not the heat output. They aren’t 100 percent efficient. Standard reference guides give conversion of electricity to heat as only 95 percent efficient, producing an output of 3,241 BTUs per kilowatt hour. Each gallon of propane contains 91,691 BTUs of heat energy. Our furnace label claims it is 80 percent efficient, but standard reference guides say burning propane is only 78 percent efficient. Seventy-eight percent of 91,691 BTUs input computes heat output at 71,519 BTUs per gallon of propane. Dividing 71,519 BTUs for propane by 3,241 BTUs for electricity shows that the heat energy of one gallon of propane equals the heat energy of 22 kilowatts of electricity.
If a gallon of propane costs more than 22 kilowatts of electricity, use electric heat. For example, if electricity costs 14 cents per kilowatt, 22 times 14 cents is $3.08. If the cost of propane is $2.70 per gallon, naturally you would use propane.
December 20, 2015
ReplyDeleteYou also have to consider the refilling of the propane tank. Is the propane delivered to the site or do you have to move the rig? Electricity is delivered and does not run out (empty) overnight.
George
Like that faucet! I'll keep it in mind if we ever need a replacement.
ReplyDeleteThose faucets are worth their weight in gold. I like to use them to wash out my garbage cans, wash my hair - when I don't want to take a shower - and clean out anything that doesn't fit in the sink. Glad your getting all fixed up.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I'm dry camping, so a bit different, but when it's REALLY COLD, I'll turn on the furnace in the morning (with the generator) until the chill is gone, then I turn it off and turn on the Wave 3 propane heater, which is silent and uses much less propane. It keeps things warm all day or all night.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI love this kind of faucet!
HVACR Equipment
Cool idea and very useful thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBox-n-Go Self Storage in Long Beach