Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·Insight Communic..
| reply to Koil
Re: Help blocking heat from sun SE side of house I have the insulated drapes in the bedrooms of my apartment. One of the rooms has 3 walls facing outside so it gets real hot with windows on 2 sides in the summer and real cold in the winter. After I added the heavy shades it made a good 15 degree difference. |
|
 KoilPremium
join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC
kudos:1 | reply to nightdesigns
said by nightdesigns:How about a portable AC unit (freestanding, not window)? I got one a few years back for the bedroom which is located on the southwest corner of the house in AZ and was poorly insulated. Works great, easy setup and only a few hundred $$. Plus it is movable if needed.
I'll check into these...Any idea of how hard that hit your power bill? |
|
KoilPremium
join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC
kudos:1 | reply to Bamafan2277
said by Bamafan2277:I have the insulated drapes in the bedrooms of my apartment. One of the rooms has 3 walls facing outside so it gets real hot with windows on 2 sides in the summer and real cold in the winter. After I added the heavy shades it made a good 15 degree difference.
Any particular kind, or just something heavy? I would imagine that even if they absorb the heat from the window, it'd still just heat up the shade and thus heat up the room, no?
Was wondering if it needed to be reflective.
--
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.- Edward Everett Hale
My Blog - Raising Connor |
|
| There are special thermal backed shades that work wonders, they're $15 each at Wal-Mart. |
|
|
|
Talis
join:2001-06-21
Houston, TX | reply to Koil
|
|
Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to Koil
Some heat may come through the windows, but most is coming through the walls. The surface of the walls is much larger than the surface of the windows, and realistically no insulation will help when the siding heats to 140-150F.
Get a portable A/C - that's pretty much your only realistic solution. |
|
 JtmoPremium
join:2001-05-20
Novato, CA | reply to Koil
I had the same problem on the south and west windows here in California. When I lived in Phoenix, everyone used Gila Film.
I found it here at Home Depot 10 years ago, still on the windows today. Grey tone, or the bronze. Grey is totally unnoticible from the outside, bronze is a little bit noticible.
Way less heat, no more fading of carpets or wood floor (Slider).
Still looks good after 10 years and cuts the 'glare' allowing me to work on the PC and stil have the natural light.
»www.gilafilms.com/en/Default.aspx |
|
Reviews:
·Comcast
| reply to Koil
A lot of the heat is likely coming from the roof especially the darker it is.
I had a new roof put on an got the lightest (almost white) shade of shingles I could.
Proper attic ventilation is important too.
Get ridge vents installed if possible.
Soffit vents if applicable need to be big enough.
A cheaper alternative to a new roof is to snow-coat the roof.
I tried running a Proliant DL380 server in my office.
That heated up the office a lot so it's now in the garage.
We use very thick fabric shades in the upstairs loft and when they are closed the loft is easier to cool.
Good luck to you.
Dave
--
I may have been born yesterday. But it wasn't at night. |
|
KoilPremium
join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC
kudos:1 | reply to Jtmo
said by Jtmo:I had the same problem on the south and west windows here in California. When I lived in Phoenix, everyone used Gila Film.
I found it here at Home Depot 10 years ago, still on the windows today. Grey tone, or the bronze. Grey is totally unnoticible from the outside, bronze is a little bit noticible.
Way less heat, no more fading of carpets or wood floor (Slider).
Still looks good after 10 years and cuts the 'glare' allowing me to work on the PC and stil have the natural light.
»www.gilafilms.com/en/Default.aspx
How hard was the film to apply, and is there a chance of taking it off with minimal pain? I really didn't want to go this route, but looking at the alernatives open to me, this may be the cheapest.
--
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.- Edward Everett Hale
My Blog - Raising Connor |
|
JtmoPremium
join:2001-05-20
Novato, CA | Very easy to apply, they also sell a low suds soap, xacto knife and tiny squeegee to go with it. Cut a little larger, spray the solution, put on the film, slide it around, trim and squeegee if I remember right. The Gila site has install instructions. |
|
Reviews:
 ·T-Mobile US
| reply to Koil
It pulls 900w/hr when running. It actually saved me money because I didn't have to cool the entire house for 1 room. I did a write-up on the original which is here: »Re: Thoughts on Portable Airconditioners . It's been 3 years and still going strong, used almost daily and during the summer for 8-10 hours/day. About once a year I do open it up and clean everything out and grease up the fans, but cooling wise still strong.
--
This Space for Rent... |
|
KoilPremium
join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC
kudos:1 | reply to OldCableGuy
said by OldCableGuy :There are special thermal backed shades that work wonders, they're $15 each at Wal-Mart.
I checked my WalMart, and they didn't have any..happen to have a link? |
|
ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
 ·VOIPo
·Verizon Broadban..
·RoadRunner Cable
·Northland Cable ..
| reply to Koil
said by Koil:said by nightdesigns:How about a portable AC unit (freestanding, not window)? I got one a few years back for the bedroom which is located on the southwest corner of the house in AZ and was poorly insulated. Works great, easy setup and only a few hundred $$. Plus it is movable if needed.
I'll check into these...Any idea of how hard that hit your power bill? I'm in the same boat as you are. I've got full tint on the windows, insulating drapes, fully insulated garage, the works.
The only way you're going to fix this issue is to put active cooling in that room (either via window A/C, portable A/C or getting your house A/C adjusted/fixed/whatever to address this). I have an LG 13kbtu upright AC unit »www.lg.com/us/portable-air-conditioners that vents out the window on a dedicated 20A circuit.
Even with 2 registers and a return in that room, the house air just can't keep up with the heat demands of that room (even with the electronics off).
When the time comes to put a new A/C system in the house (probably in the next 5-8 years, system is 12 years old now) I'll ask a lot of questions about how to cool that room without using the upright. Until then, that's the only solution.
I'd say, middle of summer cranking full blast, it adds probably 50-75 to the bill.
Also, because the house air takes care of the humidity, this thing *never* needs to be drained. Ever.
Stay away from the Frididaire products. They're made by Whirlpool now and they SUUUCK. My first upright was a Fridge. It worked one day. I turn it off and unplug it to go on vacation. Come home a week later, plug it back in and it would only dehumidify. It wouldn't cool.
The warranty process suuuucked. Eventually got a replacement. It died 8 months later. Got an LG and have been happy since. |
|
ke4pymPremium
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC Reviews:
·VOIPo
·Verizon Broadban..
·RoadRunner Cable
·Northland Cable ..
| reply to workablob
said by workablob:I tried running a Proliant DL380 server in my office.
Why on earth? I'd hate to see your power bill. And can you still hear?  |
|
KoilPremium
join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC
kudos:1 | reply to ke4pym
said by ke4pym:I'm in the same boat as you are. I've got full tint on the windows, insulating drapes, fully insulated garage, the works.
Thanks for the post.
I read on another site that adding a return to this room may help things....anyone have any thoughts on that?
--
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.- Edward Everett Hale
My Blog - Raising Connor |
|
| reply to Koil
Not sure if I am allowed to post links as a guest, but a simple search of Wal-Mart.Com for Thermal Backed Curtains found this:
»www.walmart.com/ip/Premiere-Ther···10924062
I have the shorter ones on my windows since they're smaller windows. |
|
 davidgGood Bye My FriendPremium,MVM
join:2002-06-15
none | reply to Koil
cheap method is foil on the inside of the windows. tape it up and in the winter just pull it down. IF this gives the needed results, then you can work towards buying proper black out curtains.
--
Lack of Preparation on YOUR Part does NOT Constitute an Emergency on Mine! |
|
| reply to Koil
Low-E window film. Dark tint is useless unless it is Low-E.
You can get rolls of it a Lowes or HD.
»www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDispl···dow+film
Or replace the windows with triple-pane Low-E windows....you can get 2 Low-E coatings & argon layers in a window like this.
If you're going to be in the house a while, consider planting some pyramidal cedars near the window (2'-3' away). You can get them up to 7' tall at most nurseries and if you water them 3+ times per week they will grow about 2' per year until they reach about 20' tall. This will prevent a lot of the solar gain from reaching the windows in the first place.
Consider what you're using the machines for - can you downsize to a newer set of laptops for better compute power and less heat? How about Intel Atom or equivalent powered machines? |
|
 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8 | reply to Koil
^This^
The only thing I'll add is not to get film that goes on the inside of the window. It can ruin windows. Only get products that apply to the outside of the window. |
|
| reply to Koil
said by Koil:said by sempergoofy:Are you sure it is the solar heating through the windows and not radiant heat from your ceiling that is the biggest culprit? I am presuming your upstairs office ceiling is adjacent to the attic space. If there is not adequate attic cooling and ceiling insulation, you could be getting a lot of heat that way.
Now that is something I hadn't considered. I don't know if thats the case or not, but it does get pretty damn hot up there....but it's also insulated pretty well. I forget to which rating, but its the cellulose stuff, and pretty deep. But you're right, it is right against the attic. Is your roof properly vented? If it is then the temperature in the attic should NOT be much more than ambient air temperature.
What colour are your shingles? Black? If so, re-roof with a lighter colour - grey, driftwood shades, etc.... |
|
