ATOT Home Owners: help with a hot room

[mmntech]

It's getting warm outside again, and a little too warm inside for my liking. My bedroom, it gets too hot in the summer. Warmer than the rest of the house.

Second floor. It's only got one outside wall and I don't get much of a breeze through the window. I have central AC but it doesn't seem to make any real dent in this one room. I use part of it as an office so the electronics in there don't help. The air just seems to stagnate in there. I do have a small fan I use, which helps a bit but its not a permanent solution.

Short of buying a window shaker, is there anything that can be done?

 

[Bignate603]

Can you close the other vents in the house partially to force more air to the hot room?

 

[webdave]

Can you install a ceiling fan?

 

[Away]

Ceiling fan.

 

[JEDI]

Can you install a ceiling fan?

is there an effective diff between a ceiling fan and his small fan?

op- buy a window AC unit

 

[mmntech]

I've thought about installing a ceiling fan. Not sure how easy it would be to route wiring up into the attic.

is there an effective diff between a ceiling fan and his small fan?

op- buy a window AC unit

Seems a bit extreme but yeah, I've considered that too. Walmart has a small, portable unit for $299.

It's worst in the evening, so it makes sleeping difficult at times. Temperatures shoot up to 82F while the rest of the house is usually between 76-78.

 

[lxskllr]

Plant a tree. You generally want deciduous trees to the south and west to block the sun in the summer, and conifers to the north and east to block wind in the winter. I recommend oak. They're the best trees on the planet.

 

[KaOTiK]

I was in a similar situation for my computer room that I sleep in half the time when I'm working on a project. In the end I just bought a window AC unit, I'm very happy now.

Edit:

I have/had a ceiling fan in the room before I got the AC for it. It helped some, but very minor overall. Not worth getting one imo.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I've thought about installing a ceiling fan. Not sure how easy it would be to route wiring up into the attic.

Is there not an overhead light fixture in the middle of the room? If so you can replace the light with a ceiling fan + light kit, that way you don't have to run any new wire.

 

[lxskllr]

Is there not an overhead light fixture in the middle of the room? If so you can replace the light with a ceiling fan + light kit, that way you don't have to run any new wire.

Yea, that's super easy. You can get a reasonable looking fan at WalMart for not too much money, but even good ones are worth he price as long as you stay away from the ones with fancy glass.

 

[DrPizza]

Is your computer in that room? Some computers give off a hell of a lot of heat (high end graphics cards, etc.) If your computer is using 500 watts, you could effectively replace it with a 500 watt heater. Likewise, if you have a high end system that you're gaming on, and while gaming, it's using energy at a rate of 800 watts, you're heating your room with a roughly 800 watt heater. I'd say they're exactly the same, but I suppose one could make an argument that if there's a window, some of the light from the monitor escapes before being converted to heat.

 

[DrPizza]

Is there not an overhead light fixture in the middle of the room? If so you can replace the light with a ceiling fan + light kit, that way you don't have to run any new wire.

This is dangerous to do, unless you know that the electrical box is rated for holding up ceiling fans. Of course, it's not too difficult to figure out. But, the last thing I'd want to be doing is sleeping under a spinning ceiling fan, aware that at any moment, the thing could fall on me.

 

[mmntech]

Is there not an overhead light fixture in the middle of the room? If so you can replace the light with a ceiling fan + light kit, that way you don't have to run any new wire.

Nope. Not too many houses built in the 80s have them. So I would have to run new wire. It's not a big deal, it's just convincing my dad to help me since he knows how to do that stuff.

Yes, I do have a lot of electronics in there. Mid-range gaming system, PS3, AV unit, and a TV. It's a big part of the problem but I don't have anywhere else to put them. The other part of the problem is poor ventilation upstairs. The hot air from the lower levels rises and pools.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

If you don't need a full blown window a/c and ventilation is the main problem some thing like this might work

 

[Demo24]

Ceiling fans are quite nice and I use them all the time (they use very little power). While it won't of course cool down the room it will make those temps feel more comfortable. Alternatively if you leave the window open and its cool outside you can run the fan 'backwards' and it can sort of pull in air from the outside. Or the easier method is to stick something in the window and pull in that way. I prefer ceiling fans as they are much quieter and large enough that the 'wind span' will generally cover the whole room.


Ever thought about an attic fan? They can be sort of loud (although I'm sure newer ones are better about this), but they work really well in pulling outside air in your house and pulling the hot air out.

 

[Crusty]

Ceiling fan, keep the doors open to the room, and decent blinds or drapes to cover the window.

 

[AlienCraft]

Place lattice outside away from the wall to partially shade it.
See if the Hot air return filter is cleaned / replaced.
See if a Hot Air Return needs to be located upstairs.
Place a fan in the corner of the room pointing at the ceiling to move the hot air off of it. Leave it on.

 

[zinfamous]

What is a hot room? Is this where you have your hot lunches?

:hmm:

 

[Imp]

If it's south facing, the sun is likely heating the walls and inside through windows. Curtains may help a bit, but depending on your insulation, you may be screwed by the wall.

Get an HVAC person to check on your central A/C or make some minor changes?

 

[JimW1949]

If it were me I would install about a 7,000 BTU window air-conditioner. Perhaps a 9,000 BTU unit would be better if you get some really hot days during the Summer months. An air-conditioner would do two things for you, cool the air and remove moisture from the air, both of which would help cool the room, your equipment and you.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

It's worst in the evening, so it makes sleeping difficult at times. Temperatures shoot up to 82F while the rest of the house is usually between 76-78.

I don't think it is unusual for the upstairs to be a few degrees warmer than the downstairs. I have a similar situation with my man cave (second floor) and here are my recommendations:

1. Keep the house cooler than 76-78 degrees. I'd recommend no higher than 72 when it is inhabited; if you have a programmable thermostat, you can have it let the house go up to 76/78 during the day and down to 72 by the time you get home.

2. A ceiling fan is a good idea, as others have said. If your register isn't putting out very much flow in your room upstairs, you can see about getting a booster fan for it. I've had some moderate success with them.

3. In the summer, close the air vents downstairs and open them upstairs; the reverse is true in the winter.

4. In my house, the main hall on the second floor gets REALLY warm, so at least in the case of our master bedroom, I typically close the curtains and run the ceiling fan with the door closed. It seems to cool the room off nicely. That wouldn't work in my man cave due to the equipment I have running 24/7, however.

5. Window AC unit is probably a good option. In my case, that won't work because I have casement windows. I would basically need to get a portable AC unit and then have a special plexiglass insert with a hole for the hose made and I have considered it.

 

[Tsavo]

I had the same problem. Office is much hotter than the other rooms in the house, single window, not much draft.

I installed solar sheeting on the windows, put in a ceiling fan and got a portable AC unit to give the central AC a boost when it's 95+F outside. I also installed vents in the closet ceiling under the theory that this would help create a draft and it works wonderfully in that regard.

The end result is this room is the same temperature as every other room on the 2nd floor.

 

[Tsavo]

This is dangerous to do, unless you know that the electrical box is rated for holding up ceiling fans. Of course, it's not too difficult to figure out. But, the last thing I'd want to be doing is sleeping under a spinning ceiling fan, aware that at any moment, the thing could fall on me.

They sell installation kits for this. It comes with a giant metal rod that you affix to the studs upon which you hang the ceiling fan. I pulled out the electrical box and replaced it with the ceiling fan kit and it easily held my weight (185lbs).

 

[Kwatt]

If you have floor register(s) in that room clean it(them) out. A lot of dust and debris can build up and cause a flow restriction.

Do you keep the door open or closed? If the door is closed return air cannot escape. NO AIR OUT = NO AIR IN.

Can you put a fan near or in the stairway to push hot air down to the return register?

If the window receives a lot of sun see if you can find a nice looking permanent window awning. This will also reduce sun damage to the furnishings in the room. It should be installed to block the higher summer sun and allow lower winter sun.



.

 

[ElFenix]

I don't think it is unusual for the upstairs to be a few degrees warmer than the downstairs. I have a similar situation with my man cave (second floor) and here are my recommendations:

1. Keep the house cooler than 76-78 degrees. I'd recommend no higher than 72 when it is inhabited; if you have a programmable thermostat, you can have it let the house go up to 76/78 during the day and down to 72 by the time you get home.

2. A ceiling fan is a good idea, as others have said. If your register isn't putting out very much flow in your room upstairs, you can see about getting a booster fan for it. I've had some moderate success with them.

3. In the summer, close the air vents downstairs and open them upstairs; the reverse is true in the winter.

4. In my house, the main hall on the second floor gets REALLY warm, so at least in the case of our master bedroom, I typically close the curtains and run the ceiling fan with the door closed. It seems to cool the room off nicely. That wouldn't work in my man cave due to the equipment I have running 24/7, however.

5. Window AC unit is probably a good option. In my case, that won't work because I have casement windows. I would basically need to get a portable AC unit and then have a special plexiglass insert with a hole for the hose made and I have considered it.

if you're not planning on moving any time soon a mini split AC system is an option as well. higher up front cost (~$1000 for the unit, possible to wire it yourself if you know what you're doing), but very efficient, programmable, not ugly, etc.


also, shade your outside units.


as to the oak tree, takes a few decades but they're great.