home cooling questions

Tollster · May 30, 2006

Granted you have an A frame, but in our ranch design about the same size. I removed the light fixture in the hall way which is centrally located and put in an over the rafter house fan. I put it on hinges so I could lift it in the winter and replace the plywood and insulation. Then used the foam rubber seal that they use on truck caps to body. This went on the fan base to keep vibration noise to a minimum, and I tighten it down to the floor with small turn buckles. What I really like though is I was able to replace the light switch with a thermostat, so it will shut off at night once it hits the optimum temp.
One thing worth noting is I pull the switch cord on the fan during the winter to ensure its is off. We burn a pellet stove in the winter. If we ever had a house fire the fan would kick on because of the thermostat.
As for the AC unit, we could not find a suitable place in the house where it would be most efficient; IE...out of direct sun or it would be too noisy in the living room, so I cut a hole in the wall. Sounds extreme, but it looks very professional, and it’s hidden behind a large arbiverite so you cannot see it from outside very well. I also got the manufactures cover for the winter. We use this during extreme heat, for me that’s anything over 80 with a breeze. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hope this gives ya some ideas

Tollster · May 30, 2006

Granted you have an A frame, but in our ranch design about the same size. I removed the light fixture in the hall way which is centrally located and put in an over the rafter house fan. I put it on hinges so I could lift it in the winter and replace the plywood and insulation. Then used the foam rubber seal that they use on truck caps to body. This went on the fan base to keep vibration noise to a minimum, and I tighten it down to the floor with small turn buckles. What I really like though is I was able to replace the light switch with a thermostat, so it will shut off at night once it hits the optimum temp.
One thing worth noting is I pull the switch cord on the fan during the winter to ensure its is off. We burn a pellet stove in the winter. If we ever had a house fire the fan would kick on because of the thermostat.
As for the AC unit, we could not find a suitable place in the house where it would be most efficient; IE...out of direct sun or it would be too noisy in the living room, so I cut a hole in the wall. Sounds extreme, but it looks very professional, and it’s hidden behind a large arbiverite so you cannot see it from outside very well. I also got the manufactures cover for the winter. We use this during extreme heat, for me that’s anything over 80 with a breeze. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hope this gives ya some ideas

rox · May 30, 2006

I see that you are in Pennsylvania, it isn't that hot for that many months is it? Instead of fixing the problem consider going around the problem. Perhaps get some furniture that will provide comfortable sleeping and sleep in another room that you can put in a casement air conditioner. Short term your wife is cooler. You can always sell a used air conditioner if you put in whole house a/c in a year or two.

A year from now your budget may change and you can put in the correct whole house solution.

rox · May 30, 2006

I see that you are in Pennsylvania, it isn't that hot for that many months is it? Instead of fixing the problem consider going around the problem. Perhaps get some furniture that will provide comfortable sleeping and sleep in another room that you can put in a casement air conditioner. Short term your wife is cooler. You can always sell a used air conditioner if you put in whole house a/c in a year or two.

A year from now your budget may change and you can put in the correct whole house solution.

txdon · May 30, 2006

"...two years ago for a mini-split for the greatroom and our bedroom..." 

Forgeblast, Have you received up to date quote for a minisplit just for the bedroom?

I just check out the neighbors minisplit on a old farm house and he has and one evaporator which cools about half of his house. It is a lot quieter than a window/wall AC. I'm still waiting on my estimate.

txdon · May 30, 2006

"...two years ago for a mini-split for the greatroom and our bedroom..." 

Forgeblast, Have you received up to date quote for a minisplit just for the bedroom?

I just check out the neighbors minisplit on a old farm house and he has and one evaporator which cools about half of his house. It is a lot quieter than a window/wall AC. I'm still waiting on my estimate.

Doc_Bob · May 30, 2006

( Hi we have a 1600sf a-frame with casement windows. we have a whole house fan, a great room with fans and our bedroom is upstairs (no windows only sky lights). Needless to say when it gets hot (today 90) my wife heats up and i hear it.
Portable ac does not work, tried it. i am not sure if i want to rip a window out just to put in a casemnt ac. I looked at the installiation and i have to rip all of the window hardware out to fit it in.
we had a quote two years ago for a mini-split for the greatroom and our bedroom, and it came to 5k. Thats more then we can spend right now.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
forgeblast )

Sleep downstairs during the warm weather.
Bob

Doc_Bob · May 30, 2006

( Hi we have a 1600sf a-frame with casement windows. we have a whole house fan, a great room with fans and our bedroom is upstairs (no windows only sky lights). Needless to say when it gets hot (today 90) my wife heats up and i hear it.
Portable ac does not work, tried it. i am not sure if i want to rip a window out just to put in a casemnt ac. I looked at the installiation and i have to rip all of the window hardware out to fit it in.
we had a quote two years ago for a mini-split for the greatroom and our bedroom, and it came to 5k. Thats more then we can spend right now.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
forgeblast )

Sleep downstairs during the warm weather.
Bob

CurlyDave · May 31, 2006

You may think this is goofy, but when I had a similar problem out here in CA, I set up the lawn sprinkler so that it sprinkled the sunlit side of the roof. It was a move born of desperation since I had an afternoon party going and about 100 people roasting in the house.

Anyway, that was the zero-cost trial. It worked very, very well, but used too much water for my liking.

So, after I proved that the concept worked I went to a plumbing shop and got a handful of mister heads (puts out a fine water mist). Then I got about 40' of white PVC pipe and made up a rig that sat on the house with a mist head about every 10' on the roof. Attached a garden hose and it cooled the house better than AC. I had to adjust the water flow every hour or two, so that there was just enough to get a trickle of runoff, but not very much.

You want to set up the mist heads so that the entire sunlit side of the roof is covered with the mist.

The proof test was free, the final installation was under $50 and it worked like a champ for years. The we moved to a tree-shaded house and there was no need for a mist cooler.

CurlyDave · May 31, 2006

You may think this is goofy, but when I had a similar problem out here in CA, I set up the lawn sprinkler so that it sprinkled the sunlit side of the roof. It was a move born of desperation since I had an afternoon party going and about 100 people roasting in the house.

Anyway, that was the zero-cost trial. It worked very, very well, but used too much water for my liking.

So, after I proved that the concept worked I went to a plumbing shop and got a handful of mister heads (puts out a fine water mist). Then I got about 40' of white PVC pipe and made up a rig that sat on the house with a mist head about every 10' on the roof. Attached a garden hose and it cooled the house better than AC. I had to adjust the water flow every hour or two, so that there was just enough to get a trickle of runoff, but not very much.

You want to set up the mist heads so that the entire sunlit side of the roof is covered with the mist.

The proof test was free, the final installation was under $50 and it worked like a champ for years. The we moved to a tree-shaded house and there was no need for a mist cooler.