Thread for Homeowners

[gift]

Quick question to make sure I am making the right decision. I had MassSave come by and we talked about going solar. We had a guy come by and the proposal looks like this:
-Solar panels being installed with no additional fee
-Company will replace the roofing shingles (that was definitely due) and the solar company will cover 50% of the costs (so we only pay $2,500 out of pocket)
-We make 101% of energy, meaning that we shouldn't need to use regular electrical grid, although we are not helping conserve either
-Bill comes out to $101/month with 2.9% annual increments - right now our bill fluctuates but I have been paying about $150+ during these last few winter months

Does this seem reasonable. Basically, to me it sounds like my energy bill decreases in the short term and besides being more green, the only cost becomes the new roof at 50% off, which is something we would eventually have to do anyways.

i am having solar panels put on our house soon. from what you write, it seems in line with what our research showed.

don't forget that if you buy in the next few weeks you get a fed tax credit of 26% of the cost.

also check with MassSave on these questions:
- do they provide an installation warranty, usually 5 years, that any and all damage that may result from the installation process will be covered? (hole in roof leading to ceiling damage, etc.)

- do they offer a 25 year parts and labor warranty?

-check the type of panels (LG and REC are very high quality) and ask about the deterioration rates. mine will loose .25% of their efficiency per year, meaning in 25 years they still operate at 92% efficiency. that is good.

- can you monitor the panels on your phone or computer? this shows if one or more are not working.

- payment plans. i got 12 years at 0% interest. they should also have 20/25 year plans at a low rate.

- did they talk about the buy back rates for the extra power you generate? do you get cash, credit? can you apply this to other utilities automatically? (after my electical costs are covered, i will apply any extra to my gas bill. nice! )

- did they talk to you about how snow affects the panels production? expect lower production in the winter.

- does each panel have its own micro inverter? or is the the entire array served by one large inverter? having one per panel is the best way to go.

basically, with solar you save on electicity, but your monthly loan payments will probably be similar to your electric bills. but, after you pay off the loan you save a lot

and you are absolutely helping the environment. talk to MassSave about the difference it makes.

if you have question, send me message and i can tell you about this more. i live in saint paul, Mn by the way. so winters will affect both our solar system. 

I had solar installed on my roof about 2.5 years ago and I'm very happy with decision. We also installed 2 heat pumps which primarily handle all of the heating and cooling (with the exception of maybe 10 days per year when they can't quite keep up with the frigid temps). So essentially we are leveraging solar energy for heating+electric costs. All energy is expensive, but it's still coming out cheaper than when we were primarily oil and not selling to the grid.

The back of my house is southern exposed for the entire day, which is great. My next project is to passive solar heat the south side as a supplement, which in theory should dramatically cut down heating cost and make the solar generated energy even more efficient.

[jbpats]

Don’t recall seeing a thread out there for homeowners and thought It might be useful.

I’ve recently heard several stories of people having their oil tanks leak, resulting in cleanup costs well over $100k(out of pocket) and some needing to replace their homes foundation due to contamination. Pretty scary stuff...

Do any of you have oil heat, and if so do you have additional insurance protection for oil leaks? I’m curious of the cost and stipulations for coverage, I.E. how frequently the tank needs to be inspected or replaced.

This is a scary thought and one I never assumed could happen being an owner of a home with oil heat.

I purchased my house in 2017 which was still very much in these current bidding war times. My wife and I had a group of towns we were interested in and unfortunately the town we now live in is predominantly oil only. When I purchased my fist home in 2012 I wouldn't even consider a home with oil, however times changed and buying a home in these current market conditions require more settling and compromises then in years past.

Maybe transitioning the whole house to propane is a decent option to consider, I do currently have the hot water running off of propane so setting up a second tank for heat probably wouldn't be that hard to do.

Either way TP for starting this thread.

[Surferdad]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/20/business/leaky-oil-tank-could-cost-young-couple-their-dream-home/?et_rid=933100511&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter

[Amonkey]

Quick question to make sure I am making the right decision. I had MassSave come by and we talked about going solar. We had a guy come by and the proposal looks like this:
-Solar panels being installed with no additional fee
-Company will replace the roofing shingles (that was definitely due) and the solar company will cover 50% of the costs (so we only pay $2,500 out of pocket)
-We make 101% of energy, meaning that we shouldn't need to use regular electrical grid, although we are not helping conserve either
-Bill comes out to $101/month with 2.9% annual increments - right now our bill fluctuates but I have been paying about $150+ during these last few winter months

Does this seem reasonable. Basically, to me it sounds like my energy bill decreases in the short term and besides being more green, the only cost becomes the new roof at 50% off, which is something we would eventually have to do anyways.

i am having solar panels put on our house soon. from what you write, it seems in line with what our research showed.

don't forget that if you buy in the next few weeks you get a fed tax credit of 26% of the cost.

also check with MassSave on these questions:
- do they provide an installation warranty, usually 5 years, that any and all damage that may result from the installation process will be covered? (hole in roof leading to ceiling damage, etc.)

- do they offer a 25 year parts and labor warranty?

-check the type of panels (LG and REC are very high quality) and ask about the deterioration rates. mine will loose .25% of their efficiency per year, meaning in 25 years they still operate at 92% efficiency. that is good.

- can you monitor the panels on your phone or computer? this shows if one or more are not working.

- payment plans. i got 12 years at 0% interest. they should also have 20/25 year plans at a low rate.

- did they talk about the buy back rates for the extra power you generate? do you get cash, credit? can you apply this to other utilities automatically? (after my electical costs are covered, i will apply any extra to my gas bill. nice! )

- did they talk to you about how snow affects the panels production? expect lower production in the winter.

- does each panel have its own micro inverter? or is the the entire array served by one large inverter? having one per panel is the best way to go.

basically, with solar you save on electicity, but your monthly loan payments will probably be similar to your electric bills. but, after you pay off the loan you save a lot

and you are absolutely helping the environment. talk to MassSave about the difference it makes.

if you have question, send me message and i can tell you about this more. i live in saint paul, Mn by the way. so winters will affect both our solar system. 

I had solar installed on my roof about 2.5 years ago and I'm very happy with decision. We also installed 2 heat pumps which primarily handle all of the heating and cooling (with the exception of maybe 10 days per year when they can't quite keep up with the frigid temps). So essentially we are leveraging solar energy for heating+electric costs. All energy is expensive, but it's still coming out cheaper than when we were primarily oil and not selling to the grid.

The back of my house is southern exposed for the entire day, which is great. My next project is to passive solar heat the south side as a supplement, which in theory should dramatically cut down heating cost and make the solar generated energy even more efficient.

First, thank you all for great feedback. This has given me a lot to think about.

Question about heat pump. How does it work? At the moment we have a real old oil furnace that I would like to get rid of but not sure if I should go with gas or with heat pump.

[gift]

Quick question to make sure I am making the right decision. I had MassSave come by and we talked about going solar. We had a guy come by and the proposal looks like this:
-Solar panels being installed with no additional fee
-Company will replace the roofing shingles (that was definitely due) and the solar company will cover 50% of the costs (so we only pay $2,500 out of pocket)
-We make 101% of energy, meaning that we shouldn't need to use regular electrical grid, although we are not helping conserve either
-Bill comes out to $101/month with 2.9% annual increments - right now our bill fluctuates but I have been paying about $150+ during these last few winter months

Does this seem reasonable. Basically, to me it sounds like my energy bill decreases in the short term and besides being more green, the only cost becomes the new roof at 50% off, which is something we would eventually have to do anyways.

i am having solar panels put on our house soon. from what you write, it seems in line with what our research showed.

don't forget that if you buy in the next few weeks you get a fed tax credit of 26% of the cost.

also check with MassSave on these questions:
- do they provide an installation warranty, usually 5 years, that any and all damage that may result from the installation process will be covered? (hole in roof leading to ceiling damage, etc.)

- do they offer a 25 year parts and labor warranty?

-check the type of panels (LG and REC are very high quality) and ask about the deterioration rates. mine will loose .25% of their efficiency per year, meaning in 25 years they still operate at 92% efficiency. that is good.

- can you monitor the panels on your phone or computer? this shows if one or more are not working.

- payment plans. i got 12 years at 0% interest. they should also have 20/25 year plans at a low rate.

- did they talk about the buy back rates for the extra power you generate? do you get cash, credit? can you apply this to other utilities automatically? (after my electical costs are covered, i will apply any extra to my gas bill. nice! )

- did they talk to you about how snow affects the panels production? expect lower production in the winter.

- does each panel have its own micro inverter? or is the the entire array served by one large inverter? having one per panel is the best way to go.

basically, with solar you save on electicity, but your monthly loan payments will probably be similar to your electric bills. but, after you pay off the loan you save a lot

and you are absolutely helping the environment. talk to MassSave about the difference it makes.

if you have question, send me message and i can tell you about this more. i live in saint paul, Mn by the way. so winters will affect both our solar system. 

I had solar installed on my roof about 2.5 years ago and I'm very happy with decision. We also installed 2 heat pumps which primarily handle all of the heating and cooling (with the exception of maybe 10 days per year when they can't quite keep up with the frigid temps). So essentially we are leveraging solar energy for heating+electric costs. All energy is expensive, but it's still coming out cheaper than when we were primarily oil and not selling to the grid.

The back of my house is southern exposed for the entire day, which is great. My next project is to passive solar heat the south side as a supplement, which in theory should dramatically cut down heating cost and make the solar generated energy even more efficient.

First, thank you all for great feedback. This has given me a lot to think about.

Question about heat pump. How does it work? At the moment we have a real old oil furnace that I would like to get rid of but not sure if I should go with gas or with heat pump.

Heat pumps work like refrigerator units in reverse (or just like refrigerators if you're cooling). It transfers cool air out and warmer air in and does so efficiently because it isn't using electricity to create the heat, just to move it.

If you're in a northern climate, you'll need some other source of heat as a backup or supplement if the area you are heating is large or if the temps drop below zero for too long. I was told my Mitsubishi heat pump is more efficient than my oil furnace down to about -5 F and will stop operating completely at -18 F. However, I usually go with my furnace is it dips below 5 F for an extended period of time. I've now had a 3/4 tank of oil last me three winters. I will need to fill before next though. I suspect a full tank can probably last me 4 winters in most cases, whereas a full tank would last 6-7 weeks before the heat pump. So even with the expense of the pump, annual maintenance and higher electric costs (offset somewhat with solar), our winter heating is much cheaper.

[Surferdad]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/20/business/leaky-oil-tank-could-cost-young-couple-their-dream-home/?et_rid=933100511&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter

Susan J. Crane, an attorney who has for more than 25 years represented homeowners dealing with oil leaks, wrote to the legislative committee that cleanup costs among her clients average more than $100,000. A few paid more than $1 million, she wrote.

[Goldstar88]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/02/20/business/leaky-oil-tank-could-cost-young-couple-their-dream-home/?et_rid=933100511&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter

Susan J. Crane, an attorney who has for more than 25 years represented homeowners dealing with oil leaks, wrote to the legislative committee that cleanup costs among her clients average more than $100,000. A few paid more than $1 million, she wrote.

That’s unreal.

[blink]

Don’t recall seeing a thread out there for homeowners and thought It might be useful.

I’ve recently heard several stories of people having their oil tanks leak, resulting in cleanup costs well over $100k(out of pocket) and some needing to replace their homes foundation due to contamination. Pretty scary stuff...

Do any of you have oil heat, and if so do you have additional insurance protection for oil leaks? I’m curious of the cost and stipulations for coverage, I.E. how frequently the tank needs to be inspected or replaced.

TP for you Goldstar88 for a great thread idea!  I am a homeowner in southern california I love these types of information threads.

[Celtics2021]

Quick question to make sure I am making the right decision. I had MassSave come by and we talked about going solar. We had a guy come by and the proposal looks like this:
-Solar panels being installed with no additional fee
-Company will replace the roofing shingles (that was definitely due) and the solar company will cover 50% of the costs (so we only pay $2,500 out of pocket)
-We make 101% of energy, meaning that we shouldn't need to use regular electrical grid, although we are not helping conserve either
-Bill comes out to $101/month with 2.9% annual increments - right now our bill fluctuates but I have been paying about $150+ during these last few winter months

Does this seem reasonable. Basically, to me it sounds like my energy bill decreases in the short term and besides being more green, the only cost becomes the new roof at 50% off, which is something we would eventually have to do anyways.

i am having solar panels put on our house soon. from what you write, it seems in line with what our research showed.

don't forget that if you buy in the next few weeks you get a fed tax credit of 26% of the cost.

also check with MassSave on these questions:
- do they provide an installation warranty, usually 5 years, that any and all damage that may result from the installation process will be covered? (hole in roof leading to ceiling damage, etc.)

- do they offer a 25 year parts and labor warranty?

-check the type of panels (LG and REC are very high quality) and ask about the deterioration rates. mine will loose .25% of their efficiency per year, meaning in 25 years they still operate at 92% efficiency. that is good.

- can you monitor the panels on your phone or computer? this shows if one or more are not working.

- payment plans. i got 12 years at 0% interest. they should also have 20/25 year plans at a low rate.

- did they talk about the buy back rates for the extra power you generate? do you get cash, credit? can you apply this to other utilities automatically? (after my electical costs are covered, i will apply any extra to my gas bill. nice! )

- did they talk to you about how snow affects the panels production? expect lower production in the winter.

- does each panel have its own micro inverter? or is the the entire array served by one large inverter? having one per panel is the best way to go.

basically, with solar you save on electicity, but your monthly loan payments will probably be similar to your electric bills. but, after you pay off the loan you save a lot

and you are absolutely helping the environment. talk to MassSave about the difference it makes.

if you have question, send me message and i can tell you about this more. i live in saint paul, Mn by the way. so winters will affect both our solar system. 

I had solar installed on my roof about 2.5 years ago and I'm very happy with decision. We also installed 2 heat pumps which primarily handle all of the heating and cooling (with the exception of maybe 10 days per year when they can't quite keep up with the frigid temps). So essentially we are leveraging solar energy for heating+electric costs. All energy is expensive, but it's still coming out cheaper than when we were primarily oil and not selling to the grid.

The back of my house is southern exposed for the entire day, which is great. My next project is to passive solar heat the south side as a supplement, which in theory should dramatically cut down heating cost and make the solar generated energy even more efficient.

First, thank you all for great feedback. This has given me a lot to think about.

Question about heat pump. How does it work? At the moment we have a real old oil furnace that I would like to get rid of but not sure if I should go with gas or with heat pump.

Heat pumps work like refrigerator units in reverse (or just like refrigerators if you're cooling). It transfers cool air out and warmer air in and does so efficiently because it isn't using electricity to create the heat, just to move it.

If you're in a northern climate, you'll need some other source of heat as a backup or supplement if the area you are heating is large or if the temps drop below zero for too long. I was told my Mitsubishi heat pump is more efficient than my oil furnace down to about -5 F and will stop operating completely at -18 F. However, I usually go with my furnace is it dips below 5 F for an extended period of time. I've now had a 3/4 tank of oil last me three winters. I will need to fill before next though. I suspect a full tank can probably last me 4 winters in most cases, whereas a full tank would last 6-7 weeks before the heat pump. So even with the expense of the pump, annual maintenance and higher electric costs (offset somewhat with solar), our winter heating is much cheaper.

Yeah, we have gas rather than oil, but we also went with the mini split system when we switched to solar. Our gas bill last January was $400.  This year it was $50, even with a spike in gas rates between last year and this year.  Some of that cost switched to electricity, our overall energy costs were about $300 less this January compared to last January.

[Goldstar88]

Has anyone bought a new car recently? I just started looking and the dealerships are pricing vehicles thousands over MSRP... I have some TP’s ready for any tips/strategies that you may have when dealing with the car sales people.

[Silas]

Has anyone bought a new car recently? I just started looking and the dealerships are pricing vehicles thousands over MSRP... I have some TP’s ready for any tips/strategies that you may have when dealing with the car sales people.

If you can, wait till next year and the car market settles down.

[Celtics2021]

Has anyone bought a new car recently? I just started looking and the dealerships are pricing vehicles thousands over MSRP... I have some TP’s ready for any tips/strategies that you may have when dealing with the car sales people.

Bought one last summer when it was supposedly the same problem, but luckily the car I was interested in wasn’t popular.  There were about a dozen of that model on the lot and they went for about $4k under MSRP.  So… find an unpopular car, but one you might like?  I got a Hyundai Kona Electric, and I love it!

That said, Covid slowed down a lot of 2022 deliveries, so you might find better luck in a few months.

[Goldstar88]

Has anyone bought a new car recently? I just started looking and the dealerships are pricing vehicles thousands over MSRP... I have some TP’s ready for any tips/strategies that you may have when dealing with the car sales people.

If you can, wait till next year and the car market settles down.

People were saying last year, that the market would be better this year. It’s just crazy out there.

[Goldstar88]

Has anyone bought a new car recently? I just started looking and the dealerships are pricing vehicles thousands over MSRP... I have some TP’s ready for any tips/strategies that you may have when dealing with the car sales people.

Bought one last summer when it was supposedly the same problem, but luckily the car I was interested in wasn’t popular.  There were about a dozen of that model on the lot and they went for about $4k under MSRP.  So… find an unpopular car, but one you might like?  I got a Hyundai Kona Electric, and I love it!

That said, Covid slowed down a lot of 2022 deliveries, so you might find better luck in a few months.

Yeah, guess I’m going to have to wait a month or two and check again. I prefer to unload my cars before I hit 100k miles, so I have some time, but definitely want to buy this year. Tp to you and Silas.

[RMO]

does anyone have this core aerator?  If so is it worth it?  Price seems a bit steep.

https://rollaerator.com/