{"items": [{"author": "Mac", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102343429782", "anchor": "fb-10100102343429782", "service": "fb", "text": "That's how we did it in my youth in SC.", "timestamp": "1563333242"}, {"author": "Sarah", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102343429782&reply_comment_id=10100102645354722", "anchor": "fb-10100102343429782_10100102645354722", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Mac same! But in New Jersey. Our whole house fan was very loud, but maybe they've become quieter since then.", "timestamp": "1563515617"}, {"author": "Jenny", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102344891852", "anchor": "fb-10100102344891852", "service": "fb", "text": "Ditto. Though my thermostat isn't as informative as yours. I have one air conditioner in the guest room for visitors who may not be as used to humid heat, or for me to repair to in extreme weather. I put in ceiling fans (feels much better when you're IN a warm room, even if it doesn't change the temperature). And I had the whole house insulated, which noticeably helps retain interior temps. So much prefer \"live air\" and the easy connection to the outdoors that non-AC life gives.", "timestamp": "1563334631"}, {"author": "Ruthan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102345316002", "anchor": "fb-10100102345316002", "service": "fb", "text": "Have you considered automating any part of this process? (I have! Haven't done it yet, but what is the fun of having crank open windows unless you attach motors to a few of them?)", "timestamp": "1563334960"}, {"author": "Ruthan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102345316002&reply_comment_id=10100102345325982", "anchor": "fb-10100102345316002_10100102345325982", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Not sure about the prevalence of crank windows generally, or the feasibility of setting up the sliding kind to auto-open somehow.
It also occurs to me that automation might be more compelling in a climate where it's less obvious when it would beneficial to have the windows open.", "timestamp": "1563335009"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102345316002&reply_comment_id=10100102346144342", "anchor": "fb-10100102345316002_10100102346144342", "service": "fb", "text": "→ I've thought about it, but it doesn't make sense with the kinds of openings our house has. The whole house fan has a shutter that's on a pulley, which is probably automatable, but the windows are all double hung and I don't think that's easy to work with.", "timestamp": "1563335648"}, {"author": "Alexandra", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102349747122", "anchor": "fb-10100102349747122", "service": "fb", "text": "Ventilation!!!", "timestamp": "1563338448"}, {"author": "opted out", "source_link": "#", "anchor": "unknown", "service": "unknown", "text": "this user has requested that their comments not be shown here", "timestamp": "1563338796"}, {"author": "Melissa", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102350675262", "anchor": "fb-10100102350675262", "service": "fb", "text": "I love this, and try for a partial effect at our house (cool off the inside when it's cool, keep the heat from getting in when it's hot). Two questions: how do each of you do with noise from outside (birds start singing around 4am) and with the breaking of dawn (starts around 5am)? Either of those would wake me and once woken, I struggle terribly with falling back asleep. Therefore... we have AC in our room for nighttime.", "timestamp": "1563339612"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102350675262&reply_comment_id=10100102371134262", "anchor": "fb-10100102350675262_10100102371134262", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Melissa we used to just leave the windows open and sleep through it, but our kids wouldn't stay asleep. I wake up in the middle of the night briefly anyway, so I close the bedroom windows and curtains then. It's not ideal, since you lose the most cooling hours for the bedrooms, but it's better than having kids up for the day at 5am.
If we weren't using blackout curtains to shift the kids schedules later I think it's likely that having their windows open with the curtains closed would work ok?", "timestamp": "1563367335"}, {"author": "William", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102364073412", "anchor": "fb-10100102364073412", "service": "fb", "text": "What's your estimate of how much cheaper it is per day this time of year to do it this way?", "timestamp": "1563363355"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102364073412&reply_comment_id=10100102371852822", "anchor": "fb-10100102364073412_10100102371852822", "service": "fb", "text": "→ William $10 or so? See footnote [2] of the linked post.", "timestamp": "1563367448"}, {"author": "Jan-Willem", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102372860802", "anchor": "fb-10100102372860802", "service": "fb", "text": "Like the thermometer setup. I assume it's one of those ones with a wireless outdoor sensor. Are you happy with it?", "timestamp": "1563368212"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102372860802&reply_comment_id=10100102374307902", "anchor": "fb-10100102372860802_10100102374307902", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Jan-Willem yup! It's good!
You do need to find a permanently shady place with decent airflow for the remote sensor if you want accurate readings though.", "timestamp": "1563369385"}, {"author": "Julia", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102372860802&reply_comment_id=10100102382177132", "anchor": "fb-10100102372860802_10100102382177132", "service": "fb", "text": "→ There are many of these if you search for \"indoor/outdoor thermometer.\" We did kill our first one by closing the window on the wire - now we have one where the outside sensor is wireless (which also allows us to put it in a shady place instead of just sticking out the window).", "timestamp": "1563372957"}, {"author": "Evan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102372860802&reply_comment_id=10100107875059352", "anchor": "fb-10100102372860802_10100107875059352", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Would you mind sharing the make/model of display and/or where you bought it?", "timestamp": "1566583215"}, {"author": "Maggie", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102381433622", "anchor": "fb-10100102381433622", "service": "fb", "text": "We do a version of this with the hassle of no central fan. I find the problem is that the humidity, even if the temp is not that high, really begins to sap the energy of the people! And, I have found that even turning on one burner for a skillet or pot of water for dinner, really heats up the kitchen. For this, I use a single electric burner outside.", "timestamp": "1563372477"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102381433622&reply_comment_id=10100102385216042", "anchor": "fb-10100102381433622_10100102385216042", "service": "fb", "text": "→ People also very a lot in how they perceive humidity. I care about temperature much more than humidity, while other people can do any temperature as long as it's dry. So I'd much rather have 80F and humid than 95F and dry. The more you like dry the better fit AC is.", "timestamp": "1563374742"}, {"author": "Phillip", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102386433602", "anchor": "fb-10100102386433602", "service": "fb", "text": "Don't have the whole house fan, but do have one on the third floor blowing out. We have been comfortable more or less so far, but there will be a few days of discomfort. It's surprising how well this method works. High ceilings help with the day time.", "timestamp": "1563375603"}, {"author": "Daniel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102483239602", "anchor": "fb-10100102483239602", "service": "fb", "text": "Have you thought about just storing some big tubs of water somewhere in your house? Water has 400x the heat capacity of air, about 3x compared to wood. You might be able to boost your overall heat capacity significantly.
I often also think that people should store a few 10s of liters of water in the back seat of their cars during the summer, to reduce the massive greenhouse effect that happens when you park in the sun in a parking lot for an hour.", "timestamp": "1563427885"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102483239602&reply_comment_id=10100102619985562", "anchor": "fb-10100102483239602_10100102619985562", "service": "fb", "text": "→ Cracking the windows in the car would help a lot more, and save you from needing to lug around so much water.
Tubs of water could help, but enough to substantially change the heat capacity of our house sounds like it might require structural planning.", "timestamp": "1563502028"}, {"author": "Daniel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102483344392", "anchor": "fb-10100102483344392", "service": "fb", "text": "Also, why turn off the fans? I would close the windows but keep the fans running; you want the air to exchange heat with the structure.", "timestamp": "1563428055"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102483344392&reply_comment_id=10100102619910712", "anchor": "fb-10100102483344392_10100102619910712", "service": "fb", "text": "→ There are two different sets of fans:
* Fans in the windows, for trading air with the outside
* Ceiling fans, for circulating the air inside
Window fans should definitely be off when it's hot out. Ceiling fans should be on when it makes things more comfortable for a person in the room, but not when no one is in the room because (a) the fan puts out heat and (b) some surfaces of the room are hot or leaky (mostly windows) and you'd rather have still air sit as a (small) buffer.", "timestamp": "1563501938"}, {"author": "Don", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102680164962", "anchor": "fb-10100102680164962", "service": "fb", "text": "We follow the same approach but currently without the fan (had a box fan we used before but loaned it out and haven't ended up really missing it). Windows opened once outside air drops past inside temp, closed again in the morning. Showers while windows open, bath fan essential. Have a toaster oven in the garage should we need to bake something while temps are high, use the grill outdoors for cooking as possible too to avoid adding heat indoors but still boil water for coffee, etc. indoors. We have pretty negligible insulation in our walls but did add a lot in the attic, which made a great difference in stopping the ceilings being a heat source in summer.
We actually have 20+ y.o. central AC as part of our forced air HVAC system but haven't turned it on yet this season (thermostat was still in heat mode until a short while ago when I thought to check). Will likely use the AC a couple of cycles at night during the upcoming heat wave. Do occasionally use the fan from the HVAC system to circulate air through the house to even off temps and possibly recycle some cooler basement air up to the occupied space.
Just looked at our Ecobee portal to grab this graph. Our indoor conditions vary relatively little as compared to the outside temp under this approach. The couple of times we ran the HVAC main blower to circulate air is reflacted in the lower area.", "timestamp": "1563548217"}, {"author": "Don", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102680534222", "anchor": "fb-10100102680534222", "service": "fb", "text": "We aren't fanatics by any stretch and don't feel like we're suffering without modern comforts at all. We could probably be better at saving up to run bigger loads of clothes or not use our electric dryer (I tried using a clothesline for a while but in our yard that means a high likelihood of staining by birds or bugs). We don't run a TV very much but computers are active a lot, don't keep a dark house while reading, etc. and there's someone home pretty much all day.
This is why I was struck by the area comparison in our latest National Grid energy report. I have no idea what our \"Average\" neighbors are doing to use ~3x the electricity!", "timestamp": "1563548277"}, {"author": "Adam", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/10100102342322002?comment_id=10100102841666312", "anchor": "fb-10100102841666312", "service": "fb", "text": "I do a similar thing with a large fan in the window and people walk into my house and sometimes say \"Do you have air conditioning?\". Last night, the evening was so warm that it didn't make sense to run the fan.", "timestamp": "1563639129"}]}