No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum


~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~


Minnesota Trapline Products
Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products


Print Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Best way to cool down old farm houses #6298228
08/09/18 09:13 PM
08/09/18 09:13 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 486
Oregon
C
clulay21 Offline OP
trapper
clulay21  Offline OP
trapper
C

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 486
Oregon
Ok folks I live in an old single story farm house built in the early 1900s. Weather here so far has been very hot we had 17 days straight over 100. I have 3 window ac units in the house but by the end of the day it's approaching 80 inside. In the evening as soon as it cools off I turn the ac off and put a box fan in the window at one end and open a window at the other end. Usually it cools off to low 60s at night but it's still 70 inside in the morning

Is it better to flip the fan to where it's sucking?
Who has used an attic fan and how helpful are they?
Give me some ideas. The wife is not liking it lol

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298243
08/09/18 09:31 PM
08/09/18 09:31 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,656
idaho falls idaho
trapr Offline
trapper
trapr  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,656
idaho falls idaho
put another box fan in the other window,one blows in, one blows out.they will swap air a lot faster that way.

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298246
08/09/18 09:32 PM
08/09/18 09:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,536
Sandhills Nebraska
G
Gary Benson Offline
trapper
Gary Benson  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,536
Sandhills Nebraska
get a different wife?????


Life ain't supposed to be easy.
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: Gary Benson] #6298249
08/09/18 09:35 PM
08/09/18 09:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 17,692
Central Oregon
AntiGov Offline
trapper
AntiGov  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 17,692
Central Oregon
Originally Posted By: Gary Benson
get a different wife?????



Lol.......


Report a post club - Non member


Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298251
08/09/18 09:36 PM
08/09/18 09:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 17,692
Central Oregon
AntiGov Offline
trapper
AntiGov  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 17,692
Central Oregon
It will be over soon.....


Blown in insulation in the attic and lots of it will help in the future . That and planting trees around the house helps


Report a post club - Non member


Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: Gary Benson] #6298256
08/09/18 09:43 PM
08/09/18 09:43 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,511
Oakland, MS
yotetrapper30 Offline
trapper
yotetrapper30  Offline
trapper

Joined: May 2011
Posts: 16,511
Oakland, MS
Originally Posted By: Gary Benson
get a different wife?????


Or a better A/C unit....


~~Proud Ultra MAGA~~
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298265
08/09/18 09:49 PM
08/09/18 09:49 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,440
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
"American Honey"

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,440
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
My first thought, has the home been improved with insulation in especially the ceiling since it was built, or even the walls ? And windows, single or newer double pane ?

I know of quite a number of older places such as you describe that have been renovated to beautiful efficient homes in all seasons.

Anyway , that was my first thought.

Heavy curtains with blinds fitted to the window insides makes wonderful insulation to hold either cool or heat inside all day. I have this setup in my cabin and it routinely keeps the inside a good 20 to around 30 degrees better , summer or winter.

Those wooden slat blinds work wonders and look nice .

Heavy curtains can be on the outside of the sill to easily slide over the blinds, creating a double barrier with versatile uses year round.

And yes, once the outside temp lowers to the inside reading in summer, opening the windows makes it nice....in the mountains here, it can dip to high 30's to mid 40's in summer nights. So lovely breathing in that cool reverse current from the high country every night ....

I have used your idea with fans in years past living in southern places ....try both fan positions , also see where the evening prevailing night breeze generally comes from, and try setting the fans in those windows where that breeze will better enter your home.

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298276
08/09/18 10:04 PM
08/09/18 10:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 697
Jackson Co, KS
N
NEYotetrapper Offline
trapper
NEYotetrapper  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 697
Jackson Co, KS
Insulation is definitely a huge factor. However, if you can swing the cost a attic fan/ whole house fan can make a huge difference as well. When I was a kid we had one in our OLD 2 story farm house. Once the sun went down the windows came open and the fan was on the rest of the night. First thing in the morning windows were shut and shades drawn on all the southern windows. Stayed reasonably comfortable most of the time.

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298278
08/09/18 10:06 PM
08/09/18 10:06 PM
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,949
rogers city mi.
J
jeff karsten Offline
trapper
jeff karsten  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,949
rogers city mi.
X2 to what Sharon says and yes attic fans will help one sucking outside air other sucking out inside air moved into a house like yours in 1976 still there now its an old 2 story farmhouse that I spent 40 years renovating and I listened to my Wife


olden tyred
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298292
08/09/18 10:30 PM
08/09/18 10:30 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 453
ky
R
Redsleeves Offline
trapper
Redsleeves  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 453
ky
Yes attic fans do great, my house is the same way you get use too it if you let your self, I have a window unit in the bed room, cause I like it cold were I sleep, but most of the time it stays hotter in than out, I go to sleep some nights with a wet towel as a blanket. I find if I tuff it out after about 3 days I don't notice, same in the winter it's a cold camp for poor folk! Kids and wife use to it too!
Colt

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298326
08/09/18 11:07 PM
08/09/18 11:07 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,081
NW MO
T
TurkeyTime Offline
trapper
TurkeyTime  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,081
NW MO
X2 on attic blown insulation

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298350
08/09/18 11:36 PM
08/09/18 11:36 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,369
Green County Wisconsin
if you use a fan a fan that blow out the window with the best seal around the fan you can make , and vacuum the screen once in a while sometimes that can restrict air movement.

but bigger than that you probably should be putting the fan in the attic , get a thermometer in that attic and see what you have for heat going on up there.

a good tool for finding your heat weaknesses is an inexpensive infer-red thermometer shoot the ceiling if it is much hotter than the walls you have to get that heat out of the attic


if you have a 120 degree oven over your head and your only way to get that heat out is some air movement against the ceiling it will take it getting much cooler for longer to get that heat out , it is also very hard on your roof to have all that heat trapped.

what do you have for vents in the roof ?

you are supposed to have enough attic ventilation that at midnight your attic is within just a few degrees of outside temp

many houses have ridge vents but insufficient eve vents this is where a hole house attic fan can push the warm air in your house up into your attic and cool down the attic and push the hotter air out the ridge vents while drawing air in your open windows.


America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298352
08/09/18 11:38 PM
08/09/18 11:38 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
C
charles Offline
trapper
charles  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
Ain't no free lunch. If it is hot outside, do you want to suck that air inside?

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298437
08/10/18 06:50 AM
08/10/18 06:50 AM
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
L
loosegoose Offline
trapper
loosegoose  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
Our house is an old carriage house, converted to a home in 1914 when the guy that owned it could buy a car and didn't need a carriage anymore. It's two storys, so it a little different than yours. But we have an A/C unit and ductwork in the basement, and another A/C unit and ductwork in the attic, so two complete A/C systems. Thers is only about six inches of insulation under the attic floors. On really hot days (95+), they both run full time in the afternoon, but it's enough to keep it down to 77 and stay comfortable.

Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298447
08/10/18 07:11 AM
08/10/18 07:11 AM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,780
St. Cloud, MN
trapperkeck Offline
trapper
trapperkeck  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,780
St. Cloud, MN
Attic circulation would be a huge help. An attic fan only helps if cooler, outside, air can get in to replace the hot air going out. You will need vented soffits or some kind of gable vent(s) in addition to the attic fan. Obviously, additional insulation in the attic would be helpful too.

Last edited by trapperkeck; 08/10/18 07:11 AM.

"The voice of reason!"
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298448
08/10/18 07:12 AM
08/10/18 07:12 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,835
Pa
W
Wright Brothers Offline
trapper
Wright Brothers  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,835
Pa
Not the best but works. When the sun goes down, switch the furnace fan to manual and circulate the cooler cellar air through the house.
DON'T leave it on extended time or all night.
If you have a cellar.





Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: Sharon] #6298494
08/10/18 08:36 AM
08/10/18 08:36 AM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
N
Nessmuck Offline
trapper
Nessmuck  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 23,480
New Hampshire
Originally Posted By: Sharon
My first thought, has the home been improved with insulation in especially the ceiling since it was built, or even the walls ? And windows, single or newer double pane ?

I know of quite a number of older places such as you describe that have been renovated to beautiful efficient homes in all seasons.

Anyway , that was my first thought.

Heavy curtains with blinds fitted to the window insides makes wonderful insulation to hold either cool or heat inside all day. I have this setup in my cabin and it routinely keeps the inside a good 20 to around 30 degrees better , summer or winter.

Those wooden slat blinds work wonders and look nice .



Heavy curtains can be on the outside of the sill to easily slide over the blinds, creating a double barrier with versatile uses year round.

And yes, once the outside temp lowers to the inside reading in summer, opening the windows makes it nice....in the mountains here, it can dip to high 30's to mid 40's in summer nights. So lovely breathing in that cool reverse current from the high country every night ....

I have used your idea with fans in years past living in southern places ....try both fan positions , also see where the evening prevailing night breeze generally comes from, and try setting the fans in those windows where that breeze will better enter your home.


Trade your wife in for Sharon......:)


It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298498
08/10/18 08:42 AM
08/10/18 08:42 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,986
Shenandoah County, VA
L
l1ranger Offline
trapper
l1ranger  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,986
Shenandoah County, VA
attic fan will probably help

more A/C will help. typically a window AC unit is sized for a single room

we have a small corner fans (like this https://www.amazon.com/Plow-Hearth-1583-BR-Doorway-Finish/dp/B0002IWGTS) that pull air up out of the basement into the kitchen that help too.

the real answer, and the one that hurts the most (im in the same boat myself) is insulation, door, and window upgrades, and a central unit


Josh
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: clulay21] #6298517
08/10/18 09:18 AM
08/10/18 09:18 AM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,014
SE Iowa USA
A
AKAjust Offline
trapper
AKAjust  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,014
SE Iowa USA
Do you really need the whole house to be cool? How about just where you are. We don't have air conditioning. Don't need it and we live in Iowa. Temps over 100 are not uncommon.
What we do have is a breeze and we take advantage of that. Ceiling fans in the living room and bedroom. Box fan which is moved from window to window.Also a pedestal fan which we move around. We also spend a lot of time outside.
All windows open all the time. Except of course when its raining. Then just the ones that are on the raining side of the house are closed.
You've probably figured out by now that the trick is moving air.
I believe that we do as the "old timers" did.lol Remember air conditioning is a relativly new (around 60 years) home item.
just

Last edited by AKAjust; 08/10/18 09:20 AM.
Re: Best way to cool down old farm houses [Re: AKAjust] #6298608
08/10/18 12:17 PM
08/10/18 12:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,981
Rock Springs, WI
Z
Zim Offline
trapper
Zim  Offline
trapper
Z

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,981
Rock Springs, WI
I have lived in a few old farm houses over the years here in Wisconsin. The best method I have found to cool one down is called January.
Of course then the thread would be Best way to warm up old farm houses.

Zim

Page 1 of 2 1 2
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread