Better off sleeping in the basement?
Forced Air HVAC balancing’s non-existent in our 3 yr old 2300 sq ft 2 Story 4BR Colonial. A problem all year long, but in the winter can work around with electric blankets or mattress pads.
5 days into A/C season now and I’m ready to move into basement.
Background:
Conventional thermostat placement (NE Corner) in Living room (SW corner of 1st floor), maintains 1st floor of house at desired 72 degrees.
Meanwhile the 2nd floor of house (MBR is in NW corner so it gets afternoon and early evening sunload) is sweltering at 83-85 degrees. Basement is at 62 degrees.
MBR is the only regularly occupied room, we’ve shut floor registers in other BR’s & the corresponding dampers off supply trunk in basement.
All BR doors are shut due to keep cat out. There is 1/2″ or so gap to carpet at bottom of doors.
Air returns near ceiling display adequate suction (they’ll hold a piece of cardboard fast).
Like anyone else, we’re trying to save energy (aka $), 1 way we figure is only heating-cooling rooms in regular use.
Is the closing of doors / floor registers / dampers in any way counter-productive?
Should I block air returns in these unused rooms as well to promote greater flow in occupied rooms?
Any other thoughts / suggestions to remedy?
Thanks everyone!
Replies
This seems to be a typical problem -- 2nd post on this topic this week. And I thought I was the only one with this issue! What I do is to totally block off the 1st floor registers with a piece of plywood that fits snugly in the register box. This gets a bit more cool air to the 2nd floor, but not a whole lot. I'm doing an addition this summer and plan to put an air handler above the 2nd floor & I'll use that to cool the 2nd floor via ceiling vents & use the furnace only for heat. In my experience, if you cool the 2nd floor, the first floor is fine, but not vice versa.
I have also wondered if installing some sort of in-line booster fan(s) in the ductwork to the second floor would help. Anyone ever try that?
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I've no experience with the booster fans but figure something like this:
http://www.espenergy.com/5_inline_duct_fan.htm
is what you mean. The same site also has a thermostatic controller.
I'm willing to try this, but like yourself would like to know if anyone out there can comment on whether they're effective.
I put one in a duct to my mother's porch that I enclosed. Made a large difference for that small (12x14) space. Don't forget return. And don't expect miracles.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I've got a 50+ year old cape cod (2 stories). When I had my old furnace unit, (and also 1st floor walls were not insulated, but 2nd floor was), it would be about 80 upstairs and about 73 on first floor and maybe about 67 in basement.A few things that helped even out the temps:1) Got new furnace with variable speed blower
2) I did not have low-e glass windows (although they ARE Anderson windows). So I bought some of that solar tint film and wow, what a diff. Nice and cool (comparatively speaking).
3) I leave the fan on the furnace/AC running all the time. It will help circulate the air in the basement and even out the temps.
4) Keep the door for the 2nd floor shut
5) Had cellulose blown in the walls on the 1st floor. Basement was already insulated, BTW.Now, on a 90 degree day, the first floor is about 73, 2nd floor about 74-75, and basement will be about 70.