Adding a hallway door to increase air conditioning efficiency

MetroMPG · 07-23-14, 12:04 PM

My senior citizen parents have a backsplit bungalow and mostly live on the upper (street) level. They also have very different "personal thermostats" which can make for some amusing heating/cooling conflicts -- eg. my dad wearing long pants and an outside jacket inside the house in the summer while my mom wilts in the same temperatures. They set the summer temp to 74F and in the winter it's 70.

Another small conflict is the main topic of this thread: in the summer, the lower level gets quite cool when the central A/C is running... even though the vents are all switched over to blow only upstairs.

After a few days long "heat wave" with the A/C going non-stop, my dad said it's too cool for him to sit downstairs for any length of time (eg. their computer is down there).

I suggested they put a door on the stairwell between the upper & lower floors to keep the cool air from flowing down the stairs.

Think it's worth doing?

MetroMPG · 07-23-14, 12:14 PM

Additional info: the custom ordered door + professional installation would be around $500. One heating/cooling guy I talked to said it'll probably never pay for itself in any reasonable amount of time, but it'll help solve the comfort problem.

The one big downside: due to the design of the stairwell, the only possible place for a door is at the bottom of the stairs. So they would still be filling up the stairwell with cool air before it started to have an impact on the difference between floors.

Piwoslaw · 07-24-14, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

The one big downside: due to the design of the stairwell, the only possible place for a door is at the bottom of the stairs. So they would still be filling up the stairwell with cool air before it started to have an impact on the difference between floors.

Filling up the stairway is still much better than filling the whole basement.

When I replaced our basement door with something that actually held back the cold air, there was a large difference during the colder months.

I say go for it!

MetroMPG · 07-24-14, 08:25 AM

True.

OK, they're going for it.

I took my mom to the store yesterday and she picked out a door. It's NOT the most efficient choice: she decided (smartly) on a mostly glass (think French-style) door because the stairwell is lit by natural light from the lower level during the day. A conventional door with better insulating properties would have been more ideal from an efficiency standpoint, but it would have made for a dark stairwell when closed. (Which will be much of the time during the peak of summer.)

So it seems what we have here is a project that isn't the *best* solution, but it will be an improvement.

I'll update when the door arrives. It'll be here in 2-3 weeks.

Daox · 07-24-14, 08:35 AM

Adding a door sweep might help too if there ends up being a sizable gap under the door.

Overall it sounds like a great idea though. Will you be hanging the door?

MetroMPG · 07-24-14, 08:41 AM

Sweep is a good idea.

I'm not hanging it... they're getting it installed.

Piwoslaw · 07-24-14, 02:28 PM

As long there is little-to-no moving air from drafts, then the amount of heat transfered through the door itself will be small, so it's still a win.

I've seen balcony doors, with low-e double pane windows, installed indoors before, for example between a living room and unheated sunroom. Doesn't block light, but is almost air-tight and insulates like an outdoor window.

MetroMPG · 07-24-14, 07:26 PM

There shouldn't be drafts where this door is going.

There's also a good chance that the truly hot weather of the summer will be past in 3 weeks! We'll see.

gtojohn · 07-27-14, 03:01 AM

Is it possible to add a return air duct to the downstairs? Or if there are 2 seperate supply ducts make one a return? The idea being to help remove the extra air which is too cold and allow it back into the system.

MetroMPG · 07-27-14, 08:24 PM

I'll have to look at where the return is.

07-23-14, 12:04 PM	#1
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Adding a hallway door to increase air conditioning efficiency My senior citizen parents have a backsplit bungalow and mostly live on the upper (street) level. They also have very different "personal thermostats" which can make for some amusing heating/cooling conflicts -- eg. my dad wearing long pants and an outside jacket inside the house in the summer while my mom wilts in the same temperatures. They set the summer temp to 74F and in the winter it's 70. Another small conflict is the main topic of this thread: in the summer, the lower level gets quite cool when the central A/C is running... even though the vents are all switched over to blow only upstairs. After a few days long "heat wave" with the A/C going non-stop, my dad said it's too cool for him to sit downstairs for any length of time (eg. their computer is down there). I suggested they put a door on the stairwell between the upper & lower floors to keep the cool air from flowing down the stairs. Think it's worth doing? __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-23-14, 12:14 PM	#2
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Additional info: the custom ordered door + professional installation would be around $500. One heating/cooling guy I talked to said it'll probably never pay for itself in any reasonable amount of time, but it'll help solve the comfort problem. The one big downside: due to the design of the stairwell, the only possible place for a door is at the bottom of the stairs. So they would still be filling up the stairwell with cool air before it started to have an impact on the difference between floors. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-24-14, 08:25 AM	#4
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	True. OK, they're going for it. I took my mom to the store yesterday and she picked out a door. It's NOT the most efficient choice: she decided (smartly) on a mostly glass (think French-style) door because the stairwell is lit by natural light from the lower level during the day. A conventional door with better insulating properties would have been more ideal from an efficiency standpoint, but it would have made for a dark stairwell when closed. (Which will be much of the time during the peak of summer.) So it seems what we have here is a project that isn't the best solution, but it will be an improvement. I'll update when the door arrives. It'll be here in 2-3 weeks. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-24-14, 08:35 AM	#5
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Adding a door sweep might help too if there ends up being a sizable gap under the door. Overall it sounds like a great idea though. Will you be hanging the door? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-24-14, 08:41 AM	#6
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Sweep is a good idea. I'm not hanging it... they're getting it installed. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-24-14, 02:28 PM	#7
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 961 Thanks: 188 Thanked 110 Times in 86 Posts	As long there is little-to-no moving air from drafts, then the amount of heat transfered through the door itself will be small, so it's still a win. I've seen balcony doors, with low-e double pane windows, installed indoors before, for example between a living room and unheated sunroom. Doesn't block light, but is almost air-tight and insulates like an outdoor window. __________________ Ecorenovation - the bottomless piggy bank that tries to tame the energy hog.

07-24-14, 07:26 PM	#8
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	There shouldn't be drafts where this door is going. There's also a good chance that the truly hot weather of the summer will be past in 3 weeks! We'll see. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-27-14, 03:01 AM	#9
gtojohn Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 314 Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 45 Posts	Is it possible to add a return air duct to the downstairs? Or if there are 2 seperate supply ducts make one a return? The idea being to help remove the extra air which is too cold and allow it back into the system.

07-27-14, 08:24 PM	#10
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	I'll have to look at where the return is. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode