Home cooling - ceiling fans?

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D.W

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#207549 1-Jan-2017 21:16

Looking at options for cooling an upstairs open-plan living area.

Total size is approx 10m x 8m, 2.7m stud height with plenty of windows to let sunlight in.

We have a pellet fire so heating is sorted, however due to sun exposure it gets very hot in summer afternoons with no easy way to cool down.

Originally thought about getting a heat pump installed, but seems a bit excessive if its only going to be used to cool on the hotter summer days (which there aren't an excessive amount, am in Christchurch), and I suspect cost may be at the higher end as its a two storey house.

Has anyone found ceiling fans to be an effective means of cooling a larger room? Or any other suggestions?

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#1697354 1-Jan-2017 21:37

We have looked at ceiling fans for the bedrooms. Likely we will do that when finances permit. During my research one big theme kept coming up ... "fans cool people, not rooms". In other words they create a draft that can feel cooler to a person in the draft area, but will NOT cool a room. DC motors are quieter but they cost a lot more. Avoid the cheap hardware store fans if you want long lasting and quiet motors, and wooden blades are quieter.

That's as far as I have got.

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tdgeek

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#1697355 1-Jan-2017 21:38

Ceiling fan wont cool, it will circulate the already warm air.

Im In ChCh, two storey as well.

All I feel you can do is ensure all sun facing drapes are closed.

I would get a heat pump myself. We have two, perfect for todays hot nor west day. Back to back is the cheapest install cost, but if where you want the outdoor unit, and indoor unit, suit, it may well be a back to back, plus an allowance for getting perhaps an external feed up the wall, to reduce cost. Pretty cheap these days

Our place has windows galore, so we can manage solar heat if we want it, or stop it if we want to, that in itself works well.

tdgeek

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#1697356 1-Jan-2017 21:40

scuwp: We have looked at ceiling fans for the bedrooms. Likely we will do that when finances permit. During my research one big theme kept coming up ... "fans cool people, not rooms". In other words they create a draft that can feel cooler to a person in the draft area, but will NOT cool a room. DC motors are quieter but they cost a lot more. Avoid the cheap hardware store fans if you want long lasting and quiet motors, and wooden blades are quieter.

That's as far as I have got.

Maybe a stand up fan is a better option, in that you can have the fan wherever you want for the people cooling factor?

timmmay

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#1697357 1-Jan-2017 21:46

Ceiling fans do make it feel cooler for people, there's one in our holiday rental. At home I wouldn't bother, I use heat pumps to actually cool the room. I use a tall portable fan occasionally too.

scuwp

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#1697370 1-Jan-2017 22:08

tdgeek:
scuwp: We have looked at ceiling fans for the bedrooms. Likely we will do that when finances permit. During my research one big theme kept coming up ... "fans cool people, not rooms". In other words they create a draft that can feel cooler to a person in the draft area, but will NOT cool a room. DC motors are quieter but they cost a lot more. Avoid the cheap hardware store fans if you want long lasting and quiet motors, and wooden blades are quieter.

That's as far as I have got.

Maybe a stand up fan is a better option, in that you can have the fan wherever you want for the people cooling factor?

We have that now. As it is a smaller fan the motor runs faster so is noisier. Purpose for installing ceiling fans is to create a gentle draft for overnight comfort.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

richms

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#1697382 1-Jan-2017 23:18

I find wall fans better than ceiling ones. Might be ok with a 2.7 height tho.

Richard rich.ms

Kiwifruta

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#1697410 2-Jan-2017 06:42

A cold shower immediately before bed on a hot night works well too, as it drops your body temperature.

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D.W

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#1697420 2-Jan-2017 09:13

Thanks for replies. We have a heat transfer system from the living area to the upstairs bedrooms, so thinking about it more, if I did go for a heat pump I can push cooler air into the bedrooms also if desired which would be a good option to have on hotter evenings.

Another point I forgot to mention, I have an elderly family member living in the house who has concerns regarding legionnaires disease when using a heat pump on cooling mode.

I can't find anything to suggest that is a legitimate concern, just that possibly older, larger air conditioning units could have been culprits under certain conditions, but I can't definitively tell her that heat pumps can't cause the issue.

Anybody know more than I do on this matter?

mentalinc

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#1697428 2-Jan-2017 09:46

From the recent outbreaks in Aussie it seems to be focused on water based cooling tower AC, not the type used at home. Maybe use that as a start for your hunt.

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tdgeek

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#1697442 2-Jan-2017 10:08

mentalinc:

From the recent outbreaks in Aussie it seems to be focused on water based cooling tower AC, not the type used at home. Maybe use that as a start for your hunt.

Thats makes a huge amount of sense.

nickb800

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#1697443 2-Jan-2017 10:20

D.W:
Thanks for replies. We have a heat transfer system from the living area to the upstairs bedrooms, so thinking about it more, if I did go for a heat pump I can push cooler air into the bedrooms also if desired which would be a good option to have on hotter evenings.

Heat transfer systems will only work successfully with a very cold or very hot source e.g. a fireplace. You will lose cold/heat through the ducting which is poorly insulated if at all.

If you've set your living room heat pump for 18 degrees, the air in that room will stratify so that you have say 20 degrees near the ceiling, and then it will gain a few more degrees in the hot ceiling space - pumping stifling hot air into the bedrooms

Linuxluver

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#1697480 2-Jan-2017 10:42

D.W:

Looking at options for cooling an upstairs open-plan living area.

Total size is approx 10m x 8m, 2.7m stud height with plenty of windows to let sunlight in.

We have a pellet fire so heating is sorted, however due to sun exposure it gets very hot in summer afternoons with no easy way to cool down.

Originally thought about getting a heat pump installed, but seems a bit excessive if its only going to be used to cool on the hotter summer days (which there aren't an excessive amount, am in Christchurch), and I suspect cost may be at the higher end as its a two storey house.

Has anyone found ceiling fans to be an effective means of cooling a larger room? Or any other suggestions?

Best way to handle heat is the old way: During the sunny period on the side of a house keep the windows closed and have thick, thermal curtains closed as well. This stops warm air coming in any open windows from surfaces outside and the sun from heating the floor in the room. On the shady side, pull the curtains back and open the windows. Add a ceiling fan to that mix and you stand a good chance of keeping the place cool until late afternoon. What you don't do is open those windows that swing out from hinges at the top...and they are usually over a sun drenched wooden deck or stone patio. You may as well turn a fan heater on. The hot air rises and comes straight up and in as though the open window was an inward heat vent. Women, in particular, seem to think opening windows in such a configuration will "cool things down" and provide "fresh air". It won't. But there is no way you can ever get them to understand that. If your partner can....then she's definitely a keeper. I don't think I'm sexist. The three women in my house all behave this way....and it can't be helped, apparently. So I have to accept things as they are (or at least, appear to be).

But if people can't stand the room being dark and brighter lights won't do the job......then get a heat pump. They will not stop moaning until you do. In the winter it's a very efficient heater and emits no greenhouse gases (unlike a woodburner). The other issue with aircon upstairs is that cool air runs downhill......so unless you can shut the area off, you end up cooling the whole house....and the whole planet if doors and windows are open.

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networkn

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#1697484 2-Jan-2017 10:59

If you want to cool a room pretty quickly, grab a fan and point it out of a single open window. Open a window on the other side of the room or same wall of said room.

Maybe not as permanent as some of the other options but fairly effective.

Linuxluver

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#1697485 2-Jan-2017 11:01

networkn:

If you want to cool a room pretty quickly, grab a fan and point it out of a single open window. Open a window on the other side of the room or same wall of said room.

Maybe not as permanent as some of the other options but fairly effective.

I'd add to this: Push air out the sunny side and pull it in from the shady side.....or even better have two shady sides.....(at least part of the day or behind a hill).

If you pull air in the heated side and push it out the shady side, you've turned your house into a slow-cooker. Well done. :-)

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timmmay

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#1697506 2-Jan-2017 11:33

Another thing with heat transfer, is the warmer less dense air rises, so you probably wouldn't push much cool air into the bedrooms. Some though.

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