Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
On thing that might help as well is to keep the fan running on your furnace all the time. That will help circulate the air and keep it at a more constant temp. Set the thermostat to on vs auto and the fan will run all the time (but won't won't heat the air all the time). I agree to add more clothing too. We keep our thermostat at 68 during the day and that is comfortable BUT we have on a turtleneck or long sleeved shirt with a warm sweater over that.
Humidity is your problem. Total enthalpy is what you need to learn about. Dew points will be the number you'll be using in the future. Dehumidifiers and humidifiers will help you tremendously in locations like Texas. You'll likely use the dehumidifier more than the humidifier but in a year like this, you'll be thankful for the humidifier.
You'll likely use the dehumidifier more than the humidifier but in a year like this, you'll be thankful for the humidifier.
While humidity is definitely important for feeling comfortable for breathing and keeping the skin moist, adding humidity to the air will not solve the cold feeling in his house.
Relative humidity only feels warmer if the temperature is high. In colder weather, humidity makes the air feel colder.
I still contend that the OP simply needs to put on some clothes. Nobody's house feels warm at 69 degrees wearing lightweight clothes and bare feet inside.
"Its FREEZING in the house, and it always is" - running?
If this is a heat pump, call a tech. You have a Freon leak on the outside unit. Also if you need more heat in another room then the tech can make a new connection on the air handler and run it directly to that room (most likely the cold room is at the end of a conduit or split off the end of one).
Also have an electronic thermostat installed if there isn't one there already.
"I have a ceiling fan in the living room" - Theres a switch on it, reverse the spin and see if it helps.
Last edited by Pruzhany; 02-13-2010 at 11:25 PM..
Reason: edit
"Its FREEZING in the house, and it always is" - running?
The OP didn't mean the furnace is always running. He simply meant that it's always freezing in the house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilVA
"If this is a heat pump, call a tech. You have a Freon leak on the outside unit. Also if you need more heat in another room then the tech can make a new connection on the air handler and run it directly to that room (most likely the cold room is at the end of a conduit or split off the end of one).
The cold room is cold because it has super high celings. But installing extra duct work to the room couldn't hurt.
How much do you think it would cost to run some duct work and add one or two more vents, maybe in the ceiling? Right now they are in the wall. We have two vents to heat and cool the entire living room, which is very open and high ceilings.
And no, the unit isn't always running. Its always freezing in the living room, which gets frustrating. I'm sure the vents would help.
I'm guessing its a rancher. Is the air handler is under the house? or in the garage?
Hopefully the vents are near the floor. Heating the ceiling won't help (heat rises). Also if you need more heat in another room then the tech can make a new connection on the air handler and run it directly to that room (most likely the cold room is at the end of a conduit or split off the end of one).
If the ceiling fan has a light fixture on it, place 60 watt light bulbs in it and leave it on (no flourescents). The heat will radiate downward. from the fan. If it doesnt have one, replace it with one.
I'm guessing its a rancher. Is the air handler is under the house? or in the garage?
Hopefully the vents are near the floor. Heating the ceiling won't help (heat rises). Also if you need more heat in another room then the tech can make a new connection on the air handler and run it directly to that room (most likely the cold room is at the end of a conduit or split off the end of one).
If the ceiling fan has a light fixture on it, place 60 watt light bulbs in it and leave it on (no flourescents). The heat will radiate downward. from the fan. If it doesnt have one, replace it with one.
Since the OP is in Houston, I'm 99% sure the air handler is in the attic and the vents are in the ceiling or close to it. Pretty standard around here.
While humidity is definitely important for feeling comfortable for breathing and keeping the skin moist, adding humidity to the air will not solve the cold feeling in his house.
Relative humidity only feels warmer if the temperature is high. In colder weather, humidity makes the air feel colder.
I still contend that the OP simply needs to put on some clothes. Nobody's house feels warm at 69 degrees wearing lightweight clothes and bare feet inside.
Actually with the cold weather they've been having in Texas, once it mixes with inside air, it's likely very dry in the house. 69-70°F temps can be comfortable or uncomfortable, it just depends on a large number of variations and the person/s. If they have a larger than normal infiltration rate -- a problem exaggerated in the winter compared to the summer with denser air and higher winds-- then humidity can play a major role. After-all, the relative humidity gives a perfect illustration as to how fast a person's sweat evaporates and since evaporation is a cooling process they go hand-in-hand.
It's important not to forget total enthalpy of air increases with higher humidity.
Quote:
The psychrometrics of air show us that at 70 ° F air can hold about 12 times as much moisture as 10 ° F air, and when 10 ° F outside air is heated to 70 ° F the humidity level goes from 70% to 7%. Normal household functions (such as cooking, showering, laundry) also have an impact on the relative humidity within your home and hence on your comfort.
How much do you think it would cost to run some duct work and add one or two more vents, maybe in the ceiling? Right now they are in the wall. We have two vents to heat and cool the entire living room, which is very open and high ceilings.
And no, the unit isn't always running. Its always freezing in the living room, which gets frustrating. I'm sure the vents would help.
What you're probably suffering from is the lack of load calculation during install and non-adherence to manual D standards.
Installing a New System (http://www.acca.org/consumer/installing/ - broken link)
http://www.acca.org/article.php?id=87 (broken link)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
how much?
