http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024997103Oh my.
elehhhhna (27,831 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:42 AM
DU Crowdsource: how to cool the upstairs when the a/c is out?
The downstairs unit is fine & working. Upstairs is dead. Waiting for warranty guy to switch it out - in next few days. Houston. 88 high today. Sunny.
I have one standing fan, 2 box fans, and ceiling fans in all the bedrooms.
How can we best configure for the coolest outcome?
drm604 (14,240 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:46 AM
1. Can you sleep downstairs for a few days?
On couches or even mats on the floor?
It was unbearably hot and humid here in the Sandhills of Nebraska last night (Saturday night); as I had a guest, and because of the weather, I slept out on the front porch.
But that's not going to be an option once the insects get thriving.
karadax (107 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:47 AM
2. HVAC or window unit ?
If it's a window unit you might not have enough BTUs to accomplish what you want house wide. You'll have to close off non essential rooms and make the best of a sucky situation.
Historic NY (21,846 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:50 AM
3. Close off doors to unused rooms....
use one fan to push air upstairs, use the second to pull it at the top on the 2nd floor. As the air circulates open one door at a time. Close the blinds and keep the ceiling fans on high, it will balance out. The key is getting the fans working to draw the cool air up....
Silent3 (7,753 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:53 AM
4. Are these window air conditioners?
Is it possible to simply switch them, put the broken one downstairs?
951-Riverside (4,941 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:53 AM
5. A block of ice in front of a fan near an open window
I freeze water in an old ice creme bucket, place the ice on top of a mini grill then put it in front of a fan.
SamKnause (2,080 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:54 AM
6. I'll give it a go.
The ceiling fans downstairs should be set on the winter setting, pulling the cold air from the floor to the ceiling.
The ceiling fans upstairs should be set on the summer setting, pushing the hot air from the ceiling to the floor.
The standing fan should be placed at the bottom of the stairs blowing the cool air up the stairs.
Place one box fan in front of the AC unit to spread the cold air into a larger area.
I don't know where I would place the final box fan.
Hope that helps.
My tips come from experience.
I am pretty good at regulating the temperature in my home when facing difficulties with the AC.
Have a great Sunday.
P.S. Keep all blinds and curtains closed. If there are unused rooms they can be closed off.
^^^that's pretty good advice, spacing the fans to create a certain direction of air flow.
I don't know about ceiling fans, though; I've never lived in a place that had them, and those I've seen tend to look to be mostly for decorative purposes, in a trailer-house sort of way.
Also, they're set to do maybe five or six rotations a minute, never at some high speed.
<<<and so am dubious.
NutmegYankee (6,537 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:54 AM
7. What style of house is it?
I have a cape cod without AC, so I have a house fan and other tools for the summer heat. The downstairs unit will probably keep the humidity out of the entire house. I'd need to know the layout for advice on fans. If you keep windows shut, you'll probably maintain a reasonable temp inside and can sleep with fans blowing on you at night.
Le Taz Hot (17,587 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 09:55 AM
8. I'd like to know that myself.
I only have one story but my AC went out, again, and it's supposed to be 99 today and 100 tomorrow. I've no idea when we can afford to have it fixed. I do have 2 window units, one in my studio and the other one in the office, but it sucks because I still have to clean house & cook in the rest of the house.
NutmegYankee (6,537 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 10:16 AM
11. How big are the window units?
Le Taz Hot (17,587 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 10:25 AM
15. 'bout yay big.
Seriously, I don't know how to answer that. They're just average size I guess. Cost about $125.00 each. Enough to cool down one room.
NutmegYankee (6,537 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 10:35 AM
19. Probably 5000 BTU units then.
How much space do you need to cool?
Le Taz Hot (17,587 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 10:43 AM
21. My house is 1444 square feet.
Tiny by today's McMansion standards.
<<<house (rented) is ancient, decrepit; I'm probably the last person who'll ever live in it.
One story, four rooms, each of them approximately 26'x32' (there were once seven rooms, but long before my time, some walls were knocked down), and then the bathroom, about 18'x20'.
Exterior of house about 60% windows, 40% lumber.
Interior ceilings range from 11' to 12' high, and the windows are generally, usually, about 6" from the floor up to about 6" from the top of the ceiling. No curtains, no draperies, no shades, as don't need them; this is way out in the middle of nowhere, although the bathroom has a floor-to-ceiling "window" made up of those 6" cubed glass bricks so as to obscure everything but light.
Big front porch, big back porch, both wide open.
One person, three cats, the stove used rarely. When people are here, because of the convenience afforded by the Great Outdoors, food's usually cooked outside, and everybody dines on either porch.
<<<has eleven box fans, but even ten times that number couldn't possibly cool this place.
<<<suffers greatly from the heat and humidity during the summer, but looks at it with the attitude that well, it's better to pay for one's sins in this life, than in the next.
This is a long thread, lots and lots of primitive suggestions.
Ms. Hindenberg:
Warpy (76,441 posts) Sun May 25, 2014, 12:12 PM
30. Box fans in windows as soon as the sun goes down
If there are 2 bedrooms, box fan in one exhausting, box fan in the other bringing air in. Ceiling fans to get the worst of the hot air off the ceiling and exhausted.
If more than 2, have box fans exhausting in 2 windows, ceiling fans on.
Go around edges of box fans with cardboard or newspaper or something to make some sort of jerrybuilt seal.
Ceiling fans are pretty good to about the low 90s, air feels cooler if it's moving. Getting rid of as much of the hot air upstairs as possible will help them along.
I lived in Dixie with no AC. What those houses had were attic fans that sucked cool air in the windows and exhausted hot air near the ceilings out through the attic. That and heavy curtains closed against the sun worked fairly well, keeping the place cool until late afternoon-early evening.
