Even though the days are still hot (in the high 90s), nights are getting down into the 60s. I have set up a whole house ventilation system to take advantage of the cool nights.
Once the temperature outside drops below the temperature in the house (usually about 80), I turn on two fans in upstairs windows (Devon and Derek’s rooms) blowing air out. I open windows and doors downstairs and in my bedroom, and the fans pull the air through the house cooling it off. We are needing light blankets before the early morning.
We close and lock downstairs windows and doors while we are sleeping, of course, so the air then comes in through our bedroom only. As soon as we get up we reopen the downstairs. Then once the outside temperature rises above the house temperature again, we shut the system down. The house stays cool much longer in the morning, and the air conditioners don’t come back on again until mid-afternoon.
I’m sure it saves a little on the cooling bill, and it’s nice to have the fresh air moving through the house. For a total outlay of about $35 for the two fans, I’m sure it has already paid for itself.
Ideally the fans would blow air into the attic instead of out a window, thereby cooling off the attic too, but that’s a much bigger project. Maybe someday.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Richard // Sep 26, 2013 at 5:40 am
Yep. That’s a good way to lower fuel bills for cooling. People have been using such techniques for hundreds of years, but we seem to have gotten lazy with our ability to just set a temp on a thermostat. What you need to do now is automate the process with a whole house automation system.
2 Mom // Sep 26, 2013 at 7:37 am
Surgery was a good thing if it slowed you down from basketball and hiking for a few weeks, and you did a very worthwhile project.
3 Daryl // Sep 26, 2013 at 6:02 pm
Mom, actually I set it up last spring, but I haven’t been able to use it for a few months.
4 Donna // Sep 27, 2013 at 5:36 pm
I’d like to have an evaporative cooler.
5 Daryl // Sep 28, 2013 at 11:16 am
I would like an evap too, but it’s hard to retrofit on our houses. The vent system can’t support the higher pressures compared to AC.
A window evap is a possibility, though it needs a water supply.
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