As usual, my experience with John Jones Electric was perfection. Or close to it. But I bit off a big piece to start, and another chunk came with it.
I went through the long list of electrical upgrades I suggested earlier. I got a big estimate, and agreed to all of it (the "dream" pieces being less expensive than the essential ones). But before the day was over, I agreed to even more, though somewhat contingently. I agreed to re-open the other side of the sound absorbing wall built and wired by Rob in February. It turns out the Rob did not do the electrical wiring to code, and I have agreed to have the wall corrected. John has given me the name of the builder he often works with, calling him a genius, and he will (if he agrees to do this, and I haven't spoken to him yet) rebuild the hall side of the wall with double sheetrock and green glue, AND do the hall floor with the same vinyl flooring as the Queen's Room. I had been planning to do those two jobs later, as part of a phase II remodel, but I've decided to go along with John's strong desire to have the electrical code issues fixed. It's work that needs doing anyway, the only question for me was whether to do them asap, in early April, or later in May as part of a mega remodel (which now I'm thinking of putting off until June).
Today John and his son T.J. added the ceiling mount for the Queen's Room fan, replaced the 4 outlets in the Queen's room, and 3 of them with point-of-source GFCI outlets (that was my strong preference, and John charged me full pop for it) with independent GFCI action (the 4th outlet is connected to a GFCI circuit), and added the new dedicated 20A circuit for A/V in the King's Room.
He is to return on April 9 to do the security cameras, installing the actual fan (which I ordered today), installing the new back yard light and switch, adding a new outlet in the garage and replacing another one, replacing several 20A breakers with 15A ones, adding timer switches to the bathroom light and fan, replacing the actual bathroom fan motor, and adding 4 CAT-6 connections between the two sovereign bedrooms and the Kitchen. And re-doing the wiring on the hall side of the Queen's Room Wall. Or at least as much of that as can be done in two days.
Given a not unreasonable estimate for the CAT-6 connections, even though that was kind-of in my dream category, I decided to go for it. But perhaps between now and April 9 I'll go even further. Here are some changes I'd like to give John next time:
a) The CAT-6 panel for the King's Room should have two RG-6 coaxes as well.
b) Add an outlet to the reconstructed wall. It would be nice to have an outlet on the hall side for a bass cancelled or vacuum cleaner.
c) Add an equivalent CAT-6 panel for the living room and computer room
d) King's room breaker should be GFCI breaker
On top of all this, I decided to take a big plunge on the ceiling light and fan. I'm skipping all the second best options, and going straight for the best, regardless of price. And as a friend at work said on Tuesday, I could buy 5 fans for the price of the one I'm buying. Actually I could possibly buy more than 5. But that's what it takes to get the best. I ran this choice by John Jones, and he approved, calling Casablanca the Cadillac of fans. I've decided to get a Casablanca Bel Air in Snow White.
So now I have two more names for the Queen's Room, the Bel Air room, and the Snow White room. I like the Bel Air room, that really fits this one.
The Bel Air fan has these advantages:
a) lower than usual distance from ceiling to fan blades, good for low ceiling.
b) by far the lowest distance from ceiling to light bottom, allowing almost 7 feet of clearance (the Casablanca Le Fleur would provide little more than 6 feet of clearance) The bottom of the light fixture is higher than the doorway. No other fan that is not a wall-mount can do this. Most are at least 5 inches lower.
c) intelligently designed and professional looking wall panel that fits in existing light switch box, provides coded wireless control through RF, but not needing batteries, and with automation features.
d) The existing light feature will provide excellent quality light from a halogen bulb, up to 1600 lumens with dimming, using only 100 w (less than two 60w bulbs) but provding 150W of light. One could get by with no other lights (though my friend also has bedside light and desk light).
e) Highest quality motor (Casablanca's top-of-the-line XLP) with incredible (too much?) fan output, but low speed operation as well with 6 possible speeds.
f) actual ball-style ceiling mount, the best.
g) I get to call this room the Bel Air room and wonder if movie stars have fans this good
My main concern, other than the cost, is the halogen light system's efficiency. Although the halogen light is somewhat more efficient than old fashioned incandescent lights, it is not as efficient as CFL's or LED lights. I am committed to phasing out CFL's in my house because of mercury, and going to LED whenever possible. That *might* be possible to do for this lamp, at some time in the future. There are already many LED bulbs having the same miniature candelabra base. But they also will need to provide 1600 lumens of light, and operate from within a small mostly enclosed space. I suspect that LED light technology is not good enough yet. But possibly in 5 years or less there will be a suitable high-output super-high-efficiency LED with mini candelabra base that can operate in a small space.
I'm also a bit concerned that the high output of this fan will overwhelm the small room it is in. Some fan guides suggest about 5000 CFM for a room this size (120 sq ft) but this fan has 7100 CFM output, one of the highest for a residential fan. But I believe this will not be a problem because the fan has so many speeds, and because high CFM is a "feature". A high CFM fan is great when you have worked up a sweat and went to cool down fast. Or when you are in the process of working up a sweat. I think I want one for my bedroom too. And I think the difference between 7100 CFM and 5000 CFM is not dangerous, it is just 40% higher, shouldn't be a problem even at full speed. I'm not sure I trust those fan guides that make the suggestion that smaller rooms have low output fans. We'll see.
Now stuff I need to do before April 9.
1) Talk to the new contractor.
2) Obtain green-glue, green-seal, and sound-clips as needed for part or all of wall
3) Obtain Armstrong LUXE Best flooring and underlayment.
4) Bring bathroom fan to Post TV for repair.
5) See about fixing pomagranate tree in back yard
6) Seal around ceiling fan opening
7) (asap) tape around plugged wall opening where electrical work was done
8) Manage finances to make extra work possible
I went through the long list of electrical upgrades I suggested earlier. I got a big estimate, and agreed to all of it (the "dream" pieces being less expensive than the essential ones). But before the day was over, I agreed to even more, though somewhat contingently. I agreed to re-open the other side of the sound absorbing wall built and wired by Rob in February. It turns out the Rob did not do the electrical wiring to code, and I have agreed to have the wall corrected. John has given me the name of the builder he often works with, calling him a genius, and he will (if he agrees to do this, and I haven't spoken to him yet) rebuild the hall side of the wall with double sheetrock and green glue, AND do the hall floor with the same vinyl flooring as the Queen's Room. I had been planning to do those two jobs later, as part of a phase II remodel, but I've decided to go along with John's strong desire to have the electrical code issues fixed. It's work that needs doing anyway, the only question for me was whether to do them asap, in early April, or later in May as part of a mega remodel (which now I'm thinking of putting off until June).
Today John and his son T.J. added the ceiling mount for the Queen's Room fan, replaced the 4 outlets in the Queen's room, and 3 of them with point-of-source GFCI outlets (that was my strong preference, and John charged me full pop for it) with independent GFCI action (the 4th outlet is connected to a GFCI circuit), and added the new dedicated 20A circuit for A/V in the King's Room.
He is to return on April 9 to do the security cameras, installing the actual fan (which I ordered today), installing the new back yard light and switch, adding a new outlet in the garage and replacing another one, replacing several 20A breakers with 15A ones, adding timer switches to the bathroom light and fan, replacing the actual bathroom fan motor, and adding 4 CAT-6 connections between the two sovereign bedrooms and the Kitchen. And re-doing the wiring on the hall side of the Queen's Room Wall. Or at least as much of that as can be done in two days.
Given a not unreasonable estimate for the CAT-6 connections, even though that was kind-of in my dream category, I decided to go for it. But perhaps between now and April 9 I'll go even further. Here are some changes I'd like to give John next time:
a) The CAT-6 panel for the King's Room should have two RG-6 coaxes as well.
b) Add an outlet to the reconstructed wall. It would be nice to have an outlet on the hall side for a bass cancelled or vacuum cleaner.
c) Add an equivalent CAT-6 panel for the living room and computer room
d) King's room breaker should be GFCI breaker
On top of all this, I decided to take a big plunge on the ceiling light and fan. I'm skipping all the second best options, and going straight for the best, regardless of price. And as a friend at work said on Tuesday, I could buy 5 fans for the price of the one I'm buying. Actually I could possibly buy more than 5. But that's what it takes to get the best. I ran this choice by John Jones, and he approved, calling Casablanca the Cadillac of fans. I've decided to get a Casablanca Bel Air in Snow White.
So now I have two more names for the Queen's Room, the Bel Air room, and the Snow White room. I like the Bel Air room, that really fits this one.
The Bel Air fan has these advantages:
a) lower than usual distance from ceiling to fan blades, good for low ceiling.
b) by far the lowest distance from ceiling to light bottom, allowing almost 7 feet of clearance (the Casablanca Le Fleur would provide little more than 6 feet of clearance) The bottom of the light fixture is higher than the doorway. No other fan that is not a wall-mount can do this. Most are at least 5 inches lower.
c) intelligently designed and professional looking wall panel that fits in existing light switch box, provides coded wireless control through RF, but not needing batteries, and with automation features.
d) The existing light feature will provide excellent quality light from a halogen bulb, up to 1600 lumens with dimming, using only 100 w (less than two 60w bulbs) but provding 150W of light. One could get by with no other lights (though my friend also has bedside light and desk light).
e) Highest quality motor (Casablanca's top-of-the-line XLP) with incredible (too much?) fan output, but low speed operation as well with 6 possible speeds.
f) actual ball-style ceiling mount, the best.
g) I get to call this room the Bel Air room and wonder if movie stars have fans this good
My main concern, other than the cost, is the halogen light system's efficiency. Although the halogen light is somewhat more efficient than old fashioned incandescent lights, it is not as efficient as CFL's or LED lights. I am committed to phasing out CFL's in my house because of mercury, and going to LED whenever possible. That *might* be possible to do for this lamp, at some time in the future. There are already many LED bulbs having the same miniature candelabra base. But they also will need to provide 1600 lumens of light, and operate from within a small mostly enclosed space. I suspect that LED light technology is not good enough yet. But possibly in 5 years or less there will be a suitable high-output super-high-efficiency LED with mini candelabra base that can operate in a small space.
I'm also a bit concerned that the high output of this fan will overwhelm the small room it is in. Some fan guides suggest about 5000 CFM for a room this size (120 sq ft) but this fan has 7100 CFM output, one of the highest for a residential fan. But I believe this will not be a problem because the fan has so many speeds, and because high CFM is a "feature". A high CFM fan is great when you have worked up a sweat and went to cool down fast. Or when you are in the process of working up a sweat. I think I want one for my bedroom too. And I think the difference between 7100 CFM and 5000 CFM is not dangerous, it is just 40% higher, shouldn't be a problem even at full speed. I'm not sure I trust those fan guides that make the suggestion that smaller rooms have low output fans. We'll see.
Now stuff I need to do before April 9.
1) Talk to the new contractor.
2) Obtain green-glue, green-seal, and sound-clips as needed for part or all of wall
3) Obtain Armstrong LUXE Best flooring and underlayment.
4) Bring bathroom fan to Post TV for repair.
5) See about fixing pomagranate tree in back yard
6) Seal around ceiling fan opening
7) (asap) tape around plugged wall opening where electrical work was done
8) Manage finances to make extra work possible
No comments:
Post a Comment