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- 27 Jan 2008
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Brick and concrete will absorb and emit a lot of energy and so if during the night one can ventilate the house and cool it then closing vents in the morning the house will stay relativity cool during the heat of the day.
So opening windows at 3 am and closing at 7 am does work. However there are a number of draw backs.
1) Security.
2) Assessing if going to be a warm day.
3) Getting up in middle of night to open windows.
Using fans would get around the security problem, but as to switching fan on and off that's more of a problem. Thermostats are cheap, but it's comparing inside to outside that is required. As I write 4:00 am inside this room 24.8°C and outside on windowsill it is 16.7°C so windows are opened. OK computer makes this room warm, bedroom near open window is 19.8°C.
The chimney effect means leaving upstairs rooms with top window open during the day does not warm the house much, but neither does opening bedroom windows at night cool it much. Open downstairs window at night and air starts to flow quickly cooling rooms.
Only really required for 2 months of the year so don't want to spend too much and also don't want draft in the winter months.
So thoughts on methods please. I have over the last two years kept records of temperatures in my office and outside on windowsill plus humidity and pressure. Humidity in the house goes up in the summer I tend to look at dew point rather than relative humidity as former is not dependent on temperature. So Winter average around 6°C and Summer 14°C in the house so relative humidity 38% Winter to 48% Summer. This room never seems less than 19°C mainly around 21°C and does hit 25°C when door is closed.
House central heating is controlled by a timed thermostat down stairs with TRV on most upstairs radiators house designed to be heated with single central gas fire using an open plan main problem is stairs have no door so living room heat quickly over heats bedrooms in Winter.
I have considered a heat recovery unit to both ventilate and move upstairs heat down stairs. But their physical size is a problem. Clearly those with heat exchanger in the tube to outside will not work with open plan.
So ideas please.
So opening windows at 3 am and closing at 7 am does work. However there are a number of draw backs.
1) Security.
2) Assessing if going to be a warm day.
3) Getting up in middle of night to open windows.
Using fans would get around the security problem, but as to switching fan on and off that's more of a problem. Thermostats are cheap, but it's comparing inside to outside that is required. As I write 4:00 am inside this room 24.8°C and outside on windowsill it is 16.7°C so windows are opened. OK computer makes this room warm, bedroom near open window is 19.8°C.
The chimney effect means leaving upstairs rooms with top window open during the day does not warm the house much, but neither does opening bedroom windows at night cool it much. Open downstairs window at night and air starts to flow quickly cooling rooms.
Only really required for 2 months of the year so don't want to spend too much and also don't want draft in the winter months.
So thoughts on methods please. I have over the last two years kept records of temperatures in my office and outside on windowsill plus humidity and pressure. Humidity in the house goes up in the summer I tend to look at dew point rather than relative humidity as former is not dependent on temperature. So Winter average around 6°C and Summer 14°C in the house so relative humidity 38% Winter to 48% Summer. This room never seems less than 19°C mainly around 21°C and does hit 25°C when door is closed.
House central heating is controlled by a timed thermostat down stairs with TRV on most upstairs radiators house designed to be heated with single central gas fire using an open plan main problem is stairs have no door so living room heat quickly over heats bedrooms in Winter.
I have considered a heat recovery unit to both ventilate and move upstairs heat down stairs. But their physical size is a problem. Clearly those with heat exchanger in the tube to outside will not work with open plan.
So ideas please.
