A simple idea

[firsthouse]

I bought a newly built house. But I cannot have an A/C installed on the ground until landscaping has been done by the builder. And I cannot have one installed on the wall, cause it looks like they gonna have to repoint (redo all mortar joints between bricks for) the whole house.

Since warm weather is on our doorstep and since I have a very comfortable basement, I got the idea of installing some sort of fan at the 4 cold air return on the second floor to draw basement cold air into the rooms on the second floor. Opening the end of the cold air plenum in the basement will allow plenty of basement air in to be drawn up the cold air return and into the rooms.

I was thinking to install regular bathroom fans to draw the air up the cold air return and into the rooms. What do you think? Or do you have another suggestion? Thanks.

[luskys a/c]

Keep it simple is right!! Have your unit installed in the location you want it and be done with it. How much landscaping are you really going to do to interfere with the 4' x 4' area needed for the condenser??? Let your hvac guy install the unit and work from there and leave enough room for a service guy to bring his tools in and work on the unit when needed.:D

[Shophound]

Trying to pull up enough cold air from the basement to cool a second story with a fart fan or two??

Tell your builder the landscaper can work around the condenser. Everyone else does. Just insist that the landscaper does NOT put holly bushes around the condenser! Nothing more annoying than trying to work on a condenser and those stupid thorny leaves poke you in very impolite ways.

[johnsp]

Sure the basement is cool now, but wait for the humidity when summer really comes.
Remember basic thermo-dyamics: hot air rises, cold air falls. A few small bathroom fans are not going to do much for you in July. I don't get it. You're letting your landscaper decide where your condenser is gonna be? I'd put in the most efficent, least noise noticable location and get the landscaper to earn his money and hide the unit.

Go geo-thermal, roof mount package, or a chiller based unit you can land 100 ft from the home, In all these cases, I think you'll find the budget is better suited if you let the landscaping work around the unit.

[BigJon3475]

Trying to pull up enough cold air from the basement to cool a second story with a fart fan or two??

Tell your builder the landscaper can work around the condenser. Everyone else does. Just insist that the landscaper does NOT put holly bushes around the condenser! Nothing more annoying than trying to work on a condenser and those stupid thorny leaves poke you in very impolite ways.


LOL...funny you mention that I have 12 buildings of them I have to work through..

[Shophound]

LOL...funny you mention that I have 12 buildings of them I have to work through..

Apartment complexes are the worst about doing that, but I've fought it at commercial buildings as well...they're even planted around my central plant...stupid things! I want to find the guy who put the idea into landscape architect's brains that any time they see a condenser pad there must be a holly bush there...and help him understand what those leaves do!

[BigJon3475]

I'd like to fill his house with em....where when he opens the door....he gets to feel what its like trying to haul all your equipment back there on one.

[firsthouse]

When you buy a house in here, there's a clause in the purchase agreement that stipulates that if you install anything at all on the ground prior to the builder doing the landscaping, then you relieve the builder from any obligation to do the landscaping.

Also, I have 4 cold air returns, so that would be 4 fans. I was thinking to get the expensive type. In the 250+ cfm and low sones. That would give me about 1000 cfm or airflow. I thought 1000 cfm would be a decent amount.

[BigJon3475]

Why not just get some window units for the mean time...they wont be able to cool the whole house but you can use it in the area your in....you could probably get 3 for just over $300 maybe a little more...then you could use them later in the shed or wherever till you get your system installed.

[gonekuku]

1000 cfm of cold air from the basement would last 10 minutes, then the air would warm up faster than the basement walls & floor could cool it. If you mounted 1000's of sq ft of aluminum heat sinks to the basement walls & floor, the soil immediately adjacent to your home would heat up in a few hours. Believe me, I've done the math.

How about a $150 window unit? You could get a fancy one with a remote control.

[tpa-fl]

Window shaker ACs are the answer! I have 2 of them here which I've been using to provide some relief until the new AC is installed. As soon as everything's up & running, they're going up on Craigslist.org.

[firsthouse]

All windows in the house are casement windows... :o So I can pretty much forget about window A/C. Only the basement has sliders. And I don't think it makes sense to install A/C in the basement window?

[Sam-the-man]

how did you take posession of the home before completion? How long will it be until the AC is installed?

The guys here are right, the fart fans won't have the desired effect.

[Shophound]

All windows in the house are casement windows... :o So I can pretty much forget about window A/C. Only the basement has sliders. And I don't think it makes sense to install A/C in the basement window?

There are window a/c models that fit casement windows.

Here's a simple idea...hang out in the basement until you can get a condenser on the ground.

[firsthouse]

The building code allows the builder 12 months after taking possession to complete landscaping and driveway pavement. My guess is that it will be done in late summer or fall. Just my luck that all the mortar joints have to be redone. Otherwise a 13 SEER could have been installed on the wall prior to landscaping.

AFAIK, windows A/C that can accomodate casement windows have a tiny reservoir that must be regularly emptied. Not practical when you are away from home during the day. Moreover, cooling 3,000 sq with A/C window just won't cut it.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I won't be wasting my time and money installing fans. Guess we'll hang out in the basement with the spiders and other orphan creatures. :eek:

[Shophound]

AFAIK, windows A/C that can accomodate casement windows have a tiny reservoir that must be regularly emptied. Not practical when you are away from home during the day. Moreover, cooling 3,000 sq with A/C window just won't cut it.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I won't be wasting my time and money installing fans. Guess we'll hang out in the basement with the spiders and other orphan creatures. :eek:

You may be thinking of a spot cooler. A window a/c shaped for a casement window will dispose of condensate just like any other window a/c....through a slinger ring on the condenser fan.

[firsthouse]

Well, thank you very much for making my education. I wasn't aware that there was such a beast, an a/c for casement window. I just Googled it and found there is. That just solved my problem. Thank you.

[BigJon3475]

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/BigJon3475/allergybegone_1948_420329.jpg (http://www.allergybegone.com/portableac.html)

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i25/BigJon3475/allergybegone_1946_72469514.jpg


Well nevermind I guess I am a little late on that one.