Remote Living > Heating
Question about weatherization
jlsoaz:
Hi -
Someone I know has a unit in a multi-story building. The heat is central in the building, but the AC equipment seems to be specific to their unit. The building is a co-op. I've noticed during this cold spell here in the US that an area behind one interior door, near the AC, is extraordinarily cold.
I've tried to suggest a professional energy auditor (or similar) be brought in to help assess if any measures can be recommended to revise the setup of the AC Unit (perhaps as a seasonal measure, or perhaps as a permanent measure). Or, perhaps something else that I don't understand should be done. I don't have any really good knowledge of weatherization matters. I do see some information at energy.gov, but still, maybe there are folks here who can provide some insight.
So, the question becomes - any pointers from the folks here as to weatherization, particularly as to winter/cold matters?
Maybe it's not important, but I think I've seen a neighbor in Arizona putting some sort of covering on a roof HVAC-related unit during winter. Not sure. (On my own house, the heat pump doesn't have ventilation, so I guess that's why it's not something that has come up).
Mary B:
Have them build a simple cover to put over the AC unit on the inside. I re-purposed a Styrofoam cooler that had meat shipped in it to cover mine. 2" thick foam walls so around R-12 or so. Also blocks air entry, most AC units leak air badly.
SparWeb:
Mary has put her finger on the usual culprit - air leaks. Try to put a stop to leaks both in and out.
Before you spend a lot of money for a professional opinion, there are plenty of things you can do yourself.
A few tools that are cheap and easy to use:
* Laser thermometer - find the coldest spot on the wall/floor/surface
* thin (1 mil) poly sheeting - trim to fit over a window frame and tape around it, if it bulges then it's holding back a leak you need to fix
* Neoprene foam strips - some have self-adhesive backing - stick to door jambs to fill the gaps
* Expanding spray foam, magic stuffBTW, it's -33C (-27F) here right now.
jlsoaz:
Ok thanks. I think the hard part will be the human part - I can't get them to listen to me, but yes, the technical recommendations make sense.
MattM:
Allison Bailes has a blog that will interest you.
http://www.energyvanguard.com
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