Home Repair forum - Wow it's Hot in here

Author

Wow it's Hot in here

Mike S.

2006-05-31, 4:21 am

The past few days it has been about 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit here. The
AC and whole house/attic fan are not ready to be used yet. So the
upstairs of the house has been about 82-90 degrees Fahrenheit during
the day and nights (depending on the room). We try to ventilate the
house in the evening when the outside temp gets lower then the inside
temp. I've been messing around with the various fans we have to try
find the best way to cool the air. I'm mostly interested in cooling the
rooms on the south west side of the house.

Is there something wrong with the house or insulation if the upstairs
rooms are around 90 degrees? That just doesn't seem right. I know
houses absorb heat in the summer and all that but geez! It's hot in
here.

Any tips on cooling this place down? All the suggestions I've read on
various websites aren't helping. I can't seem to get these fans/window
fans to do much. I know people who use them and they usually get a nice
breeze going through their house but I get nothing.

Steve K

2006-05-31, 11:21 am

In article <1149055190.809165.122560@h76g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"Mike S." <littleboyblu87@yahoo.com> wrote:

> The past few days it has been about 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit here. The
> AC and whole house/attic fan are not ready to be used yet. So the
> upstairs of the house has been about 82-90 degrees Fahrenheit during
> the day and nights (depending on the room). We try to ventilate the
> house in the evening when the outside temp gets lower then the inside
> temp. I've been messing around with the various fans we have to try
> find the best way to cool the air. I'm mostly interested in cooling the
> rooms on the south west side of the house.
>
> Is there something wrong with the house or insulation if the upstairs
> rooms are around 90 degrees? That just doesn't seem right. I know
> houses absorb heat in the summer and all that but geez! It's hot in
> here.
>
> Any tips on cooling this place down? All the suggestions I've read on
> various websites aren't helping. I can't seem to get these fans/window
> fans to do much. I know people who use them and they usually get a nice
> breeze going through their house but I get nothing.
>

If you find an answer let me know! My house is the same way.

But I think mine gets very hot upstairs because I have no soffit vents,
or cool air intake so the hot, hot air in the attic has no circulation.
It just sits there, and with black shingles that doesn't help at all. I
have vents in the attic on both sides of the house.

I gotta get off my butt and do something about it. Our kids can't even
sleep in their own rooms in the summer. Fans placed in their window
blowing air in or out help a little but I'd rather fix it at the root of
the problem, the soffit vents. Or at least I think that is the problem.

Edwin Pawlowski

2006-05-31, 11:21 am

"Mike S." <littleboyblu87@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> Is there something wrong with the house or insulation if the upstairs
> rooms are around 90 degrees? That just doesn't seem right. I know
> houses absorb heat in the summer and all that but geez! It's hot in
> here.

You have a few factors adding heat. First is hte greenhouse effect. Draw
the shades, blinds or whatever. Years ago awngings were common to keep the
sun out. Heat rises so any heat from lights, TV, computers, water heater is
going up and adding to the alrady worm air. People add something like 450
Btu per hour. The attic space above the second floor is probably 20 degrees
hotter than the h ouse itself. Insulation helps to keep it our of the
house, but it also prevents any heat from going up. Not that it would.

>
> Any tips on cooling this place down? All the suggestions I've read on
> various websites aren't helping. I can't seem to get these fans/window
> fans to do much. I know people who use them and they usually get a nice
> breeze going through their house but I get nothing.

Most window fans today are crap. The sides have to be blocked to prevent
the fan from sucking air in the window and right out again. Block the sides
and you will increase the efficiency. Closing some windows may help. This
allows the air to be drawn through the house. Close windows and/or doors in
unused rooms for better draw through the occupied rooms.

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