Air Conditioning for my house

[The_Rural_Juror]

Most of ambient should be insulated away, right?
Tesla owners know that tinting doesn't remove that much heat.

[rage2]

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Those look pretty slick, I'll have to look into those. Most of mine are wood though to match the floors unfortunately.

I chased the smart vent route, but realized it's useless. I simulated smart vents by closing off vents through different floors through the day, and it barely made a dent in differentials. Now I have fully open vents, and rely on circulation to get the basement cold air around the house. If anything, I want smart vents in the intakes so I can block off the fan drawing air from main and upstairs floors.

I'll bet if I can manage to just pull circulation air from the basement on a hot day, I could cut my AC running by 20%.

[benyl]

If insulation from ambient was so good, why do we need to heat our houses in winter? The very same heat that escapes in Winter out to the world, comes back into the house from the world when it is 34C outside. Windows or not...

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Most of ambient should be insulated away, right?
Tesla owners know that tinting doesn't remove that much heat.

[The_Rural_Juror]

One thing is for sure. I am no thermo EIT.

[revelations]

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Closing some vents can actually make it worse if you end up with insufficient airflow through your furnace.

Whats a % of vents closed before things start to be noticed?

For eg my brothers house, a 5000 sqft, basic 2 story box - walk out basement always too cold, in summer and winter.

I closed off some of the basement vents in the summer (less AC) in the basement and it was a noticeable difference - now the airflow is mostly directed upstairs and the AC/furnace has to run less often.

Conversely, in the winter I ill close off some of the upstairs vents and open the basement vents up.

Bad idea?

[Mitsu3000gt]

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I chased the smart vent route, but realized it's useless. I simulated smart vents by closing off vents through different floors through the day, and it barely made a dent in differentials. Now I have fully open vents, and rely on circulation to get the basement cold air around the house. If anything, I want smart vents in the intakes so I can block off the fan drawing air from main and upstairs floors.

I'll bet if I can manage to just pull circulation air from the basement on a hot day, I could cut my AC running by 20%.

Yeah if I run the HRV and furnace fan it's kind of a catch 22 - it does keep the entire house slightly cooler as I think it's pulling most of the air from my basement, and the A/C doesn't kick in as much, however that also means it isn't sending the really cold A/C air upstairs. Basically it gives me a slightly higher average temperature for longer, rather than a lower minimum temperature.

[rage2]

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Yeah if I run the HRV and furnace fan it's kind of a catch 22 - it does keep the entire house slightly cooler as I think it's pulling most of the air from my basement, and the A/C doesn't kick in as much, however that also means it isn't sending the really cold A/C air upstairs. Basically it gives me a slightly higher average temperature for longer, rather than a lower minimum temperature.

That's why you have an ecobee, multiple sensors, and program where temperatures are used during different parts of the day and room activity for determining firing the A/C. If it's hot upstairs when upstairs is being used, it'll fire the A/C. Everywhere gets cooler, A/C stops firing and temperature redistribution continues.

Once it's all programmed, it's literally set temperature and forget.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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That's why you have an ecobee, multiple sensors, and program where temperatures are used during different parts of the day and room activity for determining firing the A/C. If it's hot upstairs when upstairs is being used, it'll fire the A/C. Everywhere gets cooler, A/C stops firing and temperature redistribution continues.

Something like that is plan B. Plan A I think will be tint + ceiling fan, and I am hoping that's enough. We will see!

[ExtraSlow]

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Whats a % of vents closed before things start to be noticed?

For eg my brothers house, a 5000 sqft, basic 2 story box - walk out basement always too cold, in summer and winter.

I closed off some of the basement vents in the summer (less AC) in the basement and it was a noticeable difference - now the airflow is mostly directed upstairs and the AC/furnace has to run less often.

Conversely, in the winter I ill close off some of the upstairs vents and open the basement vents up.

Bad idea?

DOn't know a percentage, probably varies based on plenum and blower motor size. But I used to have freezing issues with some vents closed, and now I don't.

[rage2]

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Something like that is plan B. Plan A I think will be tint + ceiling fan, and I am hoping that's enough. We will see!

Celing fan does fuck all for some bizarre reason. I added the ceiling fan to my automation when Lutron released their switch, and I would use the fan to move air in the great room from 12am-4am in hopes of moving the warm air stuck in the ceiling and help redistribute. I mean I feel it push the air down but I suspect the warmer air just rises up elsewhere away from the fan's and stuck further away, hence not getting picked up by the intake vents sitting on the floor 2 stories away.

I have a balcony right beside the great room ceiling fan and it always drove me nuts that warm air would sneak into my bedroom which upsets the overall balance.