So this house I live in it has a really large vaulted ceiling through the living room which runs right through the middle of the house. Each side of the house isn't vaulted. On one side of that vault there is a loft room that sits over the top of the bedrooms basically.
In the summer even with central AC it gets hot as balls up there and the living room in general is by far the warmest room of the house.
Thinking about putting either a portable AC or a window unit in there to cool off that room and help the living room at least a bit.
Anyone have this experience or any advice, I'd appreciate it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TEX:
Yes. I went with 6000 BTU and it does the job. It's a simple one that only has two fan settings (Hi & Low). I usually just run it on Low Fan with the cooling temp set on setting 6 out of a possible 8, and it evenly cools the room. If you want a larger one, step up to 10,000. It's still small, but it's a big enough jump that you will notice a cooling difference in that it will take less time to cool the area initially and will cycle off more . I have a 10,000 BTU that cools my 25' X 25' garage. I use it when I work on my cars. That's probably the way you should go if you have any concerns about the unit's ability to cool the area. Plus, it will help your regular HVAC system cool downstairs even more than mine does. If you go 10,000 BTU, you won't have any issues at all. It's probably a bit more than you need, but in this case, more is better because it's not excessively more than needed.
Plus, IF your main HVAC unit ever goes out, you'll be glad you have the 10,000 BTU unit to tide you over till you get it fixed. I was very lucky to have one during Hurricane Harvey, as the main A/C got flooded. So, I moved the 10,00 BTU from the garage to the den and it was a real life-saver! (Houston in August is a KILLER with no A/C). My GF and I slept up in the loft with the 6,000 BTU A/C, and ran the 10,000 BTU downstairs. We were very comfortable.
Anyway, pics below of my setup - I think it's similar to yours. It may help.
Its similar. The window unit will work great for you and since its so wide open facing the den, you will get the benefit of it downstairs too. If you look at the back of my a/c, you'll see hail damage. It has taken a beating by the weather over the years, but still works very well. I think you'll like the results if you go the window unit route. [Reply]
Originally Posted by neech:
Sounds like the best solution but the most costly.
I'm thinking the window unit by be the best fix though it sounds like putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound.
I'd recommend the turbine vents for anyone, helps keep the attic cooler. As far as the air returns, yes its more expensive than a window unit, but it sure helps year round on the heating and cooling. The furnace and heat pump were the killer. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TEX:
Its similar. The window unit will work great for you and since its so wide open facing the den, you will get the benefit of it downdtairs too. If you look at the back of my a/c, you'll see hail damage. It has taken a beating by the weather over the years, but still works very well. I think you'll like the results if you go the window unit route.
Sounds like a good idea, also luckily my loft has a regular window. The rest of my house has those stupid crank out windows that were popular in the 90s. [Reply]
The portable units don't work that well. If you don't vent them through the window, they are useless. Even if the hot air is vented, they still suck up cool air from the room that gets vented outside. As they suck in cool air, somewhere, there is hot outside air coming into the house. And most don't have a setup where there is an intake and outake that is both outside with a re-circulating inside like a standard house AC.
The window units can work. I find them super, noisy, annoying but some people aren't as bothered by the sound. I didn't want to give up the bedroom window either.
I finally got a mini-split just for my bedroom/office. It is on the sunny, south side of the house. I wanted to be able to cool my bedroom/office without having to make the entire rest of the house freezing (and getting complaints from the rest of the family). I wanted to use it at night so I wanted it quiet and, again, didn't need it for the entire house.
Cons:
Expensive.
Pros:
Everything else. It is super quiet and works great.
You probably don't need to worry too much about trying to decide the correct size. Just get somebody to come out and give a free estimate and they recommend a size. [Reply]
Look at having a mini split in if you have to add equipment.
Man I was just checking in quickly for news and see this. I have an appointment but I will be back later and read through and see if there are any additions in suggestions I would make beyond the obvious. Have the unit serviced clean both coils etc. If you have not leave the fan ON not in AUTO position on the T-Stat. Ceiling fans If you have any make sure they are on and lifting toward the ceiling. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
So this house I live in it has a really large vaulted ceiling through the living room which runs right through the middle of the house. Each side of the house isn't vaulted. On one side of that vault there is a loft room that sits over the top of the bedrooms basically.
In the summer even with central AC it gets hot as balls up there and the living room in general is by far the warmest room of the house.
Thinking about putting either a portable AC or a window unit in there to cool off that room and help the living room at least a bit.
Anyone have this experience or any advice, I'd appreciate it.
Insulate the dog shit out of the attic above that room. That'll help a lot, if it's still not good enough, go with a ductless unit. Also, install ceiling fans wherever possible. [Reply]
Where is your return grill at? I see the T-Stat. Normally the Thermostat is near the return grill so that it gets an accurate reading on the temp of the air being circulated.
On the window unit it depends on how many square feet you are trying to actually cool, a lot of the cooling will fall to the living room below. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Flachief58:
Insulate the dog shit out of the attic above that room. That'll help a lot, if it's still not good enough, go with a ductless unit. Also, install ceiling fans wherever possible.
There's no attic above the loft or the great room. That sun just beats through that roof and ceiling [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Where is your return grill at? I see the T-Stat. Normally the Thermostat is near the return grill so that it gets an accurate reading on the temp of the air being circulated.
On the window unit it depends on how many square feet you are trying to actually cool, a lot of the cooling will fall to the living room below.
There's one in the loft it's right behind where that TV is. I have another one high up on the wall of my great room. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Where is your return grill at? I see the T-Stat. Normally the Thermostat is near the return grill so that it gets an accurate reading on the temp of the air being circulated.
On the window unit it depends on how many square feet you are trying to actually cool, a lot of the cooling will fall to the living room below.
Yep. He needs better air circulation.
And don't waste your money on a portable unit. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Ceiling fans If you have any make sure they are on and lifting toward the ceiling.
That's a good point. Make sure they are rotating in the correct direction. Summertime should rotate in a counter-clockwise direction (leading edge up), winter should rotate clockwise (leading edge down). [Reply]
I would turn the fan to the ON position if you haven't and leave it there.
Some people will tell you that it cost "so much more" to run the fan all the time. Which is not true. It will cost a little more but not but a few dollars. Did you know that every time a motor starts it pulls 4.5 times more amps to start the motor than it does to run the motor? The industry standard is that a unit will have an average cycle time of 12 to 15 minutes.