home cooling questions

dubba · May 30, 2006

I had a casement window a/c. It cost twice what a normal window air cost (maybe 3x if you are looking at walmart specials). It didn't work as well as the price might suggest.

Is your bedroom kind of a loft? Meaning the bedroom looks out over the great room? If so what's in the wall directly across from your bedroom? Picture window? nothing? It has always been my opinion that the higher you can get an a/c, the better it will work on the whole house.

Of course maybe I'm not the one to get advise from. When we moved into our current house the first thing I did was fire up the chainsaw & make a hole for the new a/c /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

dubba · May 30, 2006

I had a casement window a/c. It cost twice what a normal window air cost (maybe 3x if you are looking at walmart specials). It didn't work as well as the price might suggest.

Is your bedroom kind of a loft? Meaning the bedroom looks out over the great room? If so what's in the wall directly across from your bedroom? Picture window? nothing? It has always been my opinion that the higher you can get an a/c, the better it will work on the whole house.

Of course maybe I'm not the one to get advise from. When we moved into our current house the first thing I did was fire up the chainsaw & make a hole for the new a/c /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

roermo · May 30, 2006

take this for what it is worth: /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I was thinking, you did not mention the type of heating you have. If you have a furance with ducks, go with central air and a a coil on top of the furance. Just a thougth.

Good luck,

Oh hows the insulation too.

Roger

roermo · May 30, 2006

take this for what it is worth: /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I was thinking, you did not mention the type of heating you have. If you have a furance with ducks, go with central air and a a coil on top of the furance. Just a thougth.

Good luck,

Oh hows the insulation too.

Roger

forgeblast · May 30, 2006

Insulation is great.
we tried the portable ac, and i wouldnt recommend that to anyone....the exhaust tube actually raised the temp by 5 degrees.
Our heat is electric baseboards with a woodstove as supplemental.
Our bedroom is an inclosed loft, walk up the stairs and there is a door and then on the far wall a set of double doors and a widows walk. the rest of the walls slope down and have sky lights in the cealing. we have 3 skylights.
one person i recieved an estimate from suggested mini split systems for the bedroom and great room, that was about 5k. sears estimate was 8.5-9k to begin, lol they would knock 5oo if we signed on the spot.

btw our attic insulation is all on the floor, should we also insulate the roof? or will that cause problems in the long run.

thanks for all the help so far
forgeblast

ps our casement windows are not the sliders, they are the ones with the little handle that you crank open.

forgeblast · May 30, 2006

Insulation is great.
we tried the portable ac, and i wouldnt recommend that to anyone....the exhaust tube actually raised the temp by 5 degrees.
Our heat is electric baseboards with a woodstove as supplemental.
Our bedroom is an inclosed loft, walk up the stairs and there is a door and then on the far wall a set of double doors and a widows walk. the rest of the walls slope down and have sky lights in the cealing. we have 3 skylights.
one person i recieved an estimate from suggested mini split systems for the bedroom and great room, that was about 5k. sears estimate was 8.5-9k to begin, lol they would knock 5oo if we signed on the spot.

btw our attic insulation is all on the floor, should we also insulate the roof? or will that cause problems in the long run.

thanks for all the help so far
forgeblast

ps our casement windows are not the sliders, they are the ones with the little handle that you crank open.

Paddy · May 30, 2006

dubba,

I think you hit it. You don't need to use a window opening to have a window AC. Cut/frame the unit in. If you ever up grade to an outdoor AC or Heat pump, just pull out the old unit and patch the hole. Alot of the older style hotels have AC units installed this way.

Patrick

Paddy · May 30, 2006

dubba,

I think you hit it. You don't need to use a window opening to have a window AC. Cut/frame the unit in. If you ever up grade to an outdoor AC or Heat pump, just pull out the old unit and patch the hole. Alot of the older style hotels have AC units installed this way.

Patrick

dholly · May 30, 2006

( Ceiling fans will help with window AC units. It'll also help on heating too. Ceiling fans turn in both directions. In the winter you want them to PUSH air down, in the summer PULL air up. I think that's correct. )

Actually, it is the opposite Bo. In the summer, use the ceiling fan in the counter-clockwise direction (blowing down). The airflow produced by the ceiling fan creates a wind-chill effect on your skin, making you "feel" cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan at low speed in the clockwise direction (pulling up). This produces a gentle convective updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space along the perimiter walls and back up in the center, for the most even heating comfort. Of course, for optimum energy savings, don't forget to adjust your thermostat when ceiling fans are in use.

dholly · May 30, 2006

( Ceiling fans will help with window AC units. It'll also help on heating too. Ceiling fans turn in both directions. In the winter you want them to PUSH air down, in the summer PULL air up. I think that's correct. )

Actually, it is the opposite Bo. In the summer, use the ceiling fan in the counter-clockwise direction (blowing down). The airflow produced by the ceiling fan creates a wind-chill effect on your skin, making you "feel" cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan at low speed in the clockwise direction (pulling up). This produces a gentle convective updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space along the perimiter walls and back up in the center, for the most even heating comfort. Of course, for optimum energy savings, don't forget to adjust your thermostat when ceiling fans are in use.