http://iemltd.net/Documents/intellidyne_ac_brochure.pdf

We have offered this product , and others in there line for a while without complaint , all though I personally substantiate there claims , they do offer money back if it fails to meet min advertised savings .

I started tooling around the idea of slapping one on a heat pump a while back and couldn't think of an reason not to . Even though they do not advertise for heat pumps , Y is still Y and cycle patterns are still cycle patterns .

Any way first do you think its worth it ?

Second can you foresee any issues ?

I'm highly skeptical.

The pdf provides little clue as to how the thing works. I infer that it delays compressor cycles. That would have the effect of making them longer. Delaying compressor start for minutes after the thermostat calls merely means the room temperature doesn't match setpoint for that much longer. Stated another way, the marketers of this device are saying that the temperature swings allowed by thermostats are too small and this device will enlarge them in the interest of longer run times and thus fewer cycles. That may increase efficiency but I suspect it'll come at the cost of increased occupant discomfort owing to wider temperature and humidity swings. Thermostat makers aren't fools, but these people would have us believe that thermostat makers are all about throwing money out the window.

We aren't in the heating and cooling business in the eyes of a typical homeowner - we are really in the comfort business, and this thing would likely degrade comfort.

Many's the time I've lain in bed thinking I'm a bit warm and considered getting up to bump the stat down a degree. Then I hear the click of it calling and am shortly thereafter comfortable and fall asleep. I value my attentive, on-the-ball thermostats and certainly don't want anything standing in their way to make me comfortable.

I have Honeywell thermostats. Buried in their installation setup is the ability to set CPH - Cycles Per Hour. I didn't adjust that feature off its default, but I'll bet reducing CPH would have an effect similar to what this gizmo purports to provide, but withou the added cost and complexity

IMO there's a bit of deceptive business practice going on in that pdf, to wit:

1) The Energy Star logo includes the phrase "ask about" From that I infer this gizmo isn't Energy Star rated and that the "ask about" phrase lets them get away with placing the logo in the pdf.

2) UL listing merely provides that the device probably won't start an electrical fire in the building it occupies. A laudable goal, certainly, but that's somthing I assume in electrical appliances sold today, not something to brag about.

I believe this thing is similar to the power factor correction devices endlessly marketed to homeowners not so metered and billed. It may be right up there with various gizmos purporting to increase fuel mileage by swirling or aligning gas or air. None of them work worth a flip, as tested and documented by EPA. If any such technology did work it would be quickly licensed by car manufacturers and included in every vehicle.

In other words, a scam, pure and simple.

Don't do down loads, but if it is a device that simply affects thermostat swings, why wouldn't you do that with a thermostat?
J

How it works is pretty much as engineer stated but it is more complex then t-stats have available , put simply its a variable time delay . the shorter the cycles the longer the delay , if your cycling to a point that it interprets full load 0 delay . The same company makes the Beckett heat manager ( oil boiler ) , which obviously is licenced to Beckett . I share your scepticism in its value but we only install DX ie single stage which is why I was mulling it over . Decreasing cph , adding a fixed time delay relay , on some t-stats decreasing sensitivity . all would accomplish the same , if not better eff. goal . I imagined this would have less negative effect on comfort. But I also think a zoned system would reek havoc on the logic.

Any way general census, save my time ?

One of our thermostats had an "energy efficiency" mode. When I looked in to it all it did was widen the temperature set points. I want to say it was either .5F regular and 1F in economy mode or 1F in regular and 2F in economy mode.

My thoughts are:
Savings not significant vs comfort loss
Oppurtunity for customer complaint
Oppurtunity for call back (one more thing to break)
No free lunch   

I'll pass, but if you use them let us know what customer feed back is.
(I used to tell people "set and forget" until Dewayne and Bill's experiment softened my point of view, my new posistion is "sure try it and let us know how it works")

Joe

I have installed over 50 of these units in the Greater Toronto Area within the last year. I have guaranteed a minimum of 10% savings and payback time within 1.5 years. I have not had to take back any of my installaions.

The IntelliCon®-AC is a microcomputer controlled device that automatically adjusts the compressor cycles to achieve the greatest efficiency and reduce electrical usage, while assuring consistent temperature levels for even the most temperature sensitive homes. IntelliCon®-AC is maintenance free, easy to install by a qualified installer, and is guaranteed to save energy. Sizing of air conditioning systems is based upon a number of factors. When any of the design considerations are not met, the air conditioning system is relatively oversized for the cooling load and thus less efficient.

Patented process reduces air conditioning electric consumption typically 10% to 20%
UL listed, "Energy Management Equipment"
Increased savings without replacing or upgrading costly system components
State-of-the-art microcomputer controller - LED indicators show operating modes
Protects compressor against momentary power outages and short cycling
Simple 15-30 minute installation by qualified installer
No programming or follow-up visits required
Maximum year-round efficiency
Reduces maintenance and extends compressor life
Fail-safe operation
Guaranteed to save energy
15-year replacement warranty for breakdowns or defects

The trouble with "guaranteed to save energy" is that the huckster can say that all day long knowing that, outside of a lab, no one can prove beyond a reasonable doubt whether the device worked or not. There are simply too many variables to enable verifiable comparisons.

Even if one had side by side units submetered for kwh and compared use with heating or cooling degree days, occupant behavior or even variations in wind would inject sufficient uncertainty to discount any conclusion.

If someone got a grant and managed to instrument two systems, one with and one without this device and adjusted for all other variables in a rigorous, verifiable manner and a reasonable savings emerged, I'd reconsider.

Until then I'll stand by my comments made 30Jun2009.

Referring to "I have not" in the above quote, what about others in your company?  Referring to "my installations" in the above quote, what about installations done by others, or have you personally done all installations?  Referring to "take back" in the above quote, were any refunds issued of any kind for this product without actually taking the product back?

Not picking on you, just looking for specific clarification on each of these points.