Regulating Air Temperature in Bi-Level Home

We have on eceiling fan and have been considering getting two more for other reasons, this may just push us over the edge.

Well, they've installed today 4 dampers - 2 x 6" and 2 x 8"
and so far at least, it seems to be doing the trick. Suddenly both floors feel almost identical. They did say they might from time to time need to be manually adjusted, but only on extremely cold or hot days. Temps around here don't normally hit extremes, so maybe this will prove true.

After all the great insight from this board, we did get them to put in writing it would (a)solve the problem (b)not require constant adjustment (c)not effect efficiency

I greatly appreciate the input offered here.

GO HVAC guys (and gals)!

Ophelia

I guess I'm naive, I thought everyone put balance dampers in every run.

Quote:

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Originally posted by ophiela
I own a two-story home with one HVAC unit ("Goodwin" or "Goodman", I think). There's one thermostat - it's not zoned.
When the outside temp is 75, and the tstat is set to 74, downstairs temps fluctuate from 71 to 78, while upstairs temps fluctuate from 80-89 degrees.
I recently spoke with a HVAC company who recommended a zoned system. It's a relatively new home and the HVAC system is actually still under builder's warranty, which is soon to expire. (Warranty states temps shouldn't fluctuate more than 5-6 degrees between rooms.)

Now the same company (the one the builder contracts for the warranty work) is telling me they can install more dampers to regulate the air, but I'm concerned the builder is just trying to get out of the expense and buy time until after the warranty expires. I know the builder doesn't want to go to the extra expense of installing a zoned system, and I don't want to get stuck with the expense myself.

Can anyone tell me what the likelihood is that more dampers will actually regulate the system/temps properly?
If dampers will get the job done, that's fine.

Thanks.

[Edited by ophiela on 02-24-2005 at 04:35 PM]

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I think the key here is your builder said temp difference between "rooms" and not between floors of your house. Here in my area it is 8-10 degrees between floors with a system type that you have installed in a multi-level house. Sounds like a tract built house and not a custom house. As your well aware heat rises and with one t-stat and no zone you in the long run not gonna be completly happy. But then again ya bought a Ford house and not a Mercedes. Your actually lucky they installed the manuel dampers, but then again you ALREADY had that option with adjusting your original installed supply registers in each room.

Quote:

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Originally posted by ophiela
We have on eceiling fan and have been considering getting two more for other reasons, this may just push us over the edge.

Well, they've installed today 4 dampers - 2 x 6" and 2 x 8"
and so far at least, it seems to be doing the trick. Suddenly both floors feel almost identical. They did say they might from time to time need to be manually adjusted, but only on extremely cold or hot days. Temps around here don't normally hit extremes, so maybe this will prove true.

After all the great insight from this board, we did get them to put in writing it would (a)solve the problem (b)not require constant adjustment (c)not effect efficiency

I greatly appreciate the input offered here.

GO HVAC guys (and gals)!

Ophelia

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(a)Will most likely need seasonal adjustment,unless the upstairs was too cool in the summer.Hot air rises,cold air falls,winter-reduce air to 2nd floor,summer-increase air to 2nd floor.

(b)see (a)

(c)It has already changed the "static pressure" that the fan operates at,adding dampers will do that.This will add to the operating costs,maybe a little ,maybe a lot,can't tell from here.