As a first time home owner and a person that grew up very poor and never in an actual house, I’ve never learned any of this stuff. Thank you for the clear cut instructions. It’s time I learn or move to a condo.
Condo? Condominium? I don't know how old are you, but if you are young, don't do it. Get in rent and save to buy a house. I did that mistake twice and was a mess. You will be married to a whole bunch of people that have different ideas and create chaos all the time. Take the time and buy a House, no matter what happens.
Awesome book that gives you step-by-step photos ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxTNB_zFBSnTo_O1PqfVUwgi7ityw0JlKt and directions to make every day project. I can see myself making a few of these projects and giving them as housewarming and holiday gifts!
About #6 (6:30), I had family member that installed tint in the living room windows and door, and it may reduce the heat and bills, but I hate the feeling of dark and muddy, very depressing, not for me. Also another tip, will be to have or plant trees around the house, to provide shade.
Ceiling fans Light bulbs (upgrade to LED) Replacing filter Upgrade to smart thermostat Attic fan Heat reducing window film New insulation Window shades A/C inspection, replenish Freon Duct booster fan Pressure wash exterior Pest control Air circulation methods Dehumidifier Energy audit
This video popped into my feed a year later, but wanted to thank you, SlickTurtle. I wish creators who make "list" videos made timestamps. Not necessarily to skip things, but to help just note things out.
@@HugoStiglitz89 The black out curtains that we have in our house aren't black, the face towards the room is brown and the face towards the window is white - but what is nice about black out curtains is that they're thick so they block 90%-100% of light transmittal, and because they're thick they also reject some heat transfer and noise. When COVID started I would open the blinds and curtains to enjoy the light, but noticed that my room would be 90-100° in December, and no the thermostat wasn't turned up that high. The light would heat up everything in the room and thermal mass would retain that heat well into the night. So I started leaving the blinds and curtains closed, and would be a much more tolerable temperature, so much for natural lighting.
about getting your AC recharged before the summer. 1) if your AC is low on refrigerant that means there is a leak because refrigerant is not a "fuel" that gets used up it is a gas and liquid in a closed system meaning that if its low there is a leak that has to be fixed or it will just leak out again. 2) Also as important is to have both the inside, (evaporator) and outside (condenser) coils cleaned before the summer and 6 months later (so twice a year) because the coils is where the heat is exchanged from the air in your house and outside and if they are dirty the AC will work harder to get your house cool and this will break your AC faster
I definitiely needed this video. New house owner of a 4000 sqft home and 2 AC units. I have been wanting to fix the energy issues and one of the rooms being warmer, among other things.
You might as well not even bother with a filter at that point. Fiberglass filter does not filter much. The better move would be to get a quality filter with a high surface area like 3M 1900.
Living in Arizona I've found that having the celling fan running clock wise works best.,also as it started warming up my AC wasn't working right the second time the AC guy came out he said with my old AC the new filter was no letting the proper amount of air,so got a lower price filter and AC started working fine
When I first bought my house I didn't know about the different filter types. If you get one too thick that's made to be hypoallergenic it restricts air flow and vise versa with a really thin filter. That affects the performance of the AC unit. If you're not careful your unit will work super hard to achieve a certain temp and the electric bill will be astronomical.
That roof vent fan and the AC vent fan were actually really nifty. I don't own my home, but in a future that I do, I hope I remember those fans, hopefully I can actually use an attic lol.
Tide should pay you extra for that promo you cut on cleaning the washing machine. I'm the type of person that needs to see before and after images. You sold me on that product. Fantastic job, and I'm definitely going to try out that Tide washing machine cleaner. Keep up the great work
I'm glad I got my house weatherizeed back in 2020. Me being on ssi for disability I was able to get on a weatherization program from my city. I got the wood around my windows replaced and caulking, replaced bulbs with led bulbs, an automatic exhaust in the bathroom, removed all the old gas floor and wall heaters, new water heater, new insulation in the attic, insulation in the walls and under the floors because my house was built in 1939, and they gave me a whole new ac unit which the outside unit is a heat pump. They put in new stairs in the attic because that's where most of the air was leaking from and they sealed up everything even the chimney and my house has been comfortable ever since. The ac blows cold and I have the thermostat set at 80 and sometimes I have to cut it off because it gets so cold. The city even painted my house. I'm so grateful for everything and I tried to get my neighbor on the program to help get his roof replaced to because he's 65 and on disability but he's to stubborn to do it and his house really needs it.
@@zloungeact mooch off the government? Didn't you just see that I said I'm on ssi for disability? I had an amputation since you know so much. It must be nice to be an asshole and talk about someone who fell on hard times and who has been in and out of the hospital for 13 years dealing with diabetic ulcers, bone infections, having 6 foot surgeries, and a amputation while going broke because of it and helping others who were less fortunate than me. Know someone before you talk about someone instead of assuming. Smdh
It's a city program? I'm in Texas and I've not heard of energy companies or anyone doing all that. Would love to find it if it's out there. They will install automatic thermostats but you agree they can adjust the temp. Ya... Very much noooooo ty
@@djpat5998 Idk if they do or not but I have sign a contract that allows them to. I live in Texas. I seriously don't trust an energy company to have my best interest in mind.
Latitude N 50 degrees, marine air flow, Canada. We have gable end vents plus mushroom vents. Also 2ftx 2ft vent to attic. Remove that vent till heating season, and open top floor windows if safe and sane. Many great ideas from you. Thanks
On bedrooms I use room darkening shades & light blocking curtains (mine are ivory colored). They help with light, temps & even sound any time of the year. Meal planning also helps.
In regards to the "duct booster fan"; if you're looking to boost air flow because certain rooms don't get enough there's a bigger issue at hand. Improperly sized ducts or duct leakage. The booster fan are a waste of money.
Or you have a room (south facing) that gets more sun or generates more heat (computers) and the builders never take that into considerations. A cheap way to boost the cold air pulled into that room.
@@Crydes Doubtful, your airflow is heavily regulated by ductwork size, connectors, and the cubic feet of other rooms that allow easier draw into them. It would take enough of a fan booster to break the draw from other rooms. But you may feel the air, but not getting increase flow. South facing rooms, also benefit most from UV shielding/siding, roof underlayment's, triple panes or .6 coefficients, (even mirror solar film) for windows and doors. Even painting your roof white ceramic on one side or all over. All this saves on your h/c bill as well. A better way, is a temperature regulator for that room, and a duct branch off designed for it. Which you could install your self or have a HVAc person install and review. IF your renting ... that is rough. But maybe your renter will take off any upgrade from your rent, etc. 9/10 well, 9.9/10 booster fans are a waste... useless, but it may help in other ways, of feeling like your doing something.
I had roof exhaust fans, but when I had my roof replaced, they found the old nails were rusty, because the attic didn’t get hot enough to dry out the air up there, and it would condense on the nails. In addition to ventilated soffits, I now have under-shingle edge venting and a full-length ridge vent. Insulation keeps the heat from conducting down through the ceiling.
At my last place my bedroom was on the opposite end of the house from the main AC unit with in floor ducting and I bought that exact same powered vent fan. I thought it was a bit overpriced at $75 for what equates to nothing more than two 120mm PC fans hooked up to a powered thermostat & vent but it was WELL worth the investment. That room would get close to 90F no matter how cool the AC was set to but that vent fan managed to actually pull the cool air into the room & lower temps by as much as 10 degrees. I'll tell you what, when it's 104 out & the AC is blasting going from 88 to 78 is a HUGE difference and well worth the money.
Great advice but for those who don’t have a central or window AC unit I’d suggest a whole house fan. Install it in a central hallway or open part of the house then close down all the windows and doors except for leaving one cracked open a bit on each end of your house preferably one that’s on the shady side. Crank it up in the morning to get the cool air in then close everything down till afternoon. We live in the mountains of NC so the evening temperatures usually allow us to get away without the need for AC. I would disagree with putting a dehumidifier inside a room that you’re trying to sleep in though as those things exhaust very hot air back into the room. They are invaluable for basements though.
Thanks! I live in Atlanta and have always opened all windows when temps are below 73 to pull in cool air. Will try it with back door and front window, both in shade.
Your screens will be so dirty, and all the pollen and pollution also gets pulled into your house. I once had a whole-house fan and I don’t want another one.
@@AuroraBD0618 I guess that depends upon the exterior of the house but I definitely see your point. I clean the screens regularly and definitely remove drapes from those windows during the summer months. I have regular air filters to take out any pollen or contaminants that find their way inside. If it really got bad I’d just put a furnace filter in those windows to filter it out. It’s a small price to pay for not needing the extra expense of having to pay for central air conditioning.
Very few filters are actually designed to last more than a few months. Unless you have a very expensive filter setup, change it every 3 months. Also, get your static pressure tested when you have your system serviced. If you only have 1 return air duct and grill in your home, you almost certainly need to have a 2nd one installed. About 80% of homes I see have high static pressure. This means way less airflow and a system that is working too hard. Adding a 2nd or 3rd return air duct and grill will help your system work so much better!
@@ptso7580 actually low pressure on the low side would be a sign of clogged air filters. High pressure on your high side would be a sign of a dirty condenser unit itself.
If you have high static pressure you have a poorly duct design.been doing heating and air conditioning/sheet metal mechanic for 33 years.its sad to see what this trade has came too.so many box and flex systems.just get in and out quickly and do it the cheapest you can.the art of sheet metal is a dying trade
@@xslabcabxhearsex Hi 👋 I just bought my first house a couple months ago and I was told the HVAC unit was replaced in 2018 with a “good one”. I don’t know anything about it. I really don’t like that it sits on my roof and is in the elements 24/7. I feel it should be on the north side of my house on the ground and in the shade but what do I know 🤷♀️ I feel the house (1979 built) is poorly insulated. The HVAC kicks on every few minutes when trying to maintain a temperature. All my vents inside are in the ceilings. One bedroom outta 3 doesn’t get any air coming out of the vent. I don’t know why. The rest of the house seems to have the air come out fine but not my son’s room. Do you know what is causing that problem and possible solutions? Also how would I check for pressure and ductwork that the original comment is about? I know I have 1 filter in the ceiling and small ceiling vents in every room also coming out of the ceiling. Thanks for any help! My 1979 house is ALL electric and my PG&E bill is outrageous($400-500/mo) and I need to bring it down drastically! I keep the thermostat between 76-78 degrees if that info means anything or makes a difference in your answer.
These are some awesome suggestions. Sadly for me, Im in a condo and I can’t add an attic fan to the roof. I will have to look into some of the other things you mentioned.
Great video, the only things I would say, unplug the furnace when installing a thermostat. If those 24v wires touch, you will blow a fuse in the furnace. Easy replacement, but for the average homeowner they won’t know what to fix. The AC being low on refrigerant due to a small leak, I would never recommend adding more refrigerant without repairing the unit first. Adding more pressure will increase the size of the leak hole. What the tech should have done was give you two options. One to find and repair the leak before adding more refrigerant or two, add leak stop to the system in an attempt to seal the small leak. Adding refrigerant to a system that is leaking is wasting money, because it will leak out again, faster. Third is the booster fans. These may sound like a way to cool a room better but they are horrible for you hvac system. That fan is pulling air which will make other rooms suffer from not enough air flow. And on top of that, they create massive static pressure in the system which puts a tremendous amount of stress on the system and will shorten the like of the system significantly.
@@wardraven8755 it doesn't block air flow, it's pulling available air. Air and water flow the path of least resistance. The fan makes less resistance. The problem is, it can only pull from the available air the blower is sending through the ducts. It effects the static in a monster way that makes more of a strain on the blower
I wouldn't recommend leak stop as you don't want to contaminate the "sealed" system. I've replaced too many txv and filter driers that get clogged up over time. Not fun and not cheap then we got to look for that leak anyways 😂 Just find the leak and repair it the correct way the first time
Isn't that kind of counterintuitive for the fan thing because he rises wouldn't you want the fan to push air downwards so that the heat in the ceilings going down and then since cooling air is lighter you would want to pull the cool air up so that it can circulate around the room I mean correct me if I'm wrong I'm just asking a question
Rule one shade trees on East and West facing windows or install Spanish shutters 2/ close all windows during the peak heat hours, open only when a sea breeze blows 3/ install fans, any thermal increase will reduce via contact off walls and stone floors 4/ don't cook indoors on hot days, cook outdoors 5/ Insulate you roof ceilings 6/ consider heavy curtains to reduce window thermal radiation cannot employ any of the above, buy an Insex pop up pool.
I just had a new ac put in a few months ago. Pls forgive my ignorance on this subject I know almost nothing about maintaining it other than keeping all the grass and dirt from accumulating. What coils? I'm in TX summer heat so I'd like to keep it effecient as possible. Thanks for any info.
Look up any video on cleaning ac condenser coils on UA-cam. Basically just need to turn off the unit. take a garden hose and rinse the dirt and dust off. Direct the hose and aim straight. No need for a pressure washer. Also replace your indoor furnace filters regularly. Make sure to get the correct size and have the filter facing the right direction. This will prevent your system from overworking due to lack of air flow.
@@dalpz205 also make sure you keep your air vents open. Closing off too many vents in the house will cause your ac to freeze up. Use a merv 8 or less air filter in your furnace. “Merv” is the rating for them. The lower the number the less restrictive it will be
As an hvac professional, watch the merv rating on your filters. Recommend merv 8. Filtrete pushes their merv 11and 13. These actually are to be replaced 2 times a month. They may seem clean but the high filtration they are actually filthy. And they are also not designed for most systems. Static restriction almost kills the designed static pressure
Well, some of the micro-pleated filters don't have too bad of a pressure drop. There was a great dest done by project farm here: ua-cam.com/video/RkjRKIRva58/v-deo.html
@@Mattspips right but there there is a specific point at the beginning you missed. They are all merv 8. Exactly what I said to use. Whether they are fiberglass or micro pleat, they are still rated at merv 8. That's the big kicker I tell all my customers
Yeah I noticed when we have a higher merv rating it reduce the airflow and seems to strain the blower motor. I immediately went to Publix and got a MERV 8 level. Then it started to breath again!
Need to add a little clarity on the attic fan. They’re GREAT so long as the air that’s exhausted can be adequately made up by the soffit vents. If it draws more air than can be supplied by old dirty clogged soffits you’ll end up sucking air from the living space. Essentially creating negative pressure in the attic. Just something to consider
Find film made to be outside of the window so the heat doesn't even touch the glass, and it also doesn't make the glass crack from heat which can happen to some types of windows if the film is on the inside. I have film on ny windows and I live in northern Norway, and the film has survived just fine through harsh winters. And in the summer, the outside of the windows where the sun bakes all day in the summer has been up to 49.5°C/121°F and with the film on, the inside never get so warm anymore.
Gotta work on the explanation for ceiling fan direction. You got the direction right, but the reasoning wrong. In the summer you want air pushed down because your skin perceives moving air makes as cooler. In the winter you want to take the warmer air near the ceiling and circulate it throughout the room. Without a fan, the warm air will just collect at the ceiling and it will be much cooler at normal height. With the fan running, the warm air gets moved around and mixed with the cooler air, raising the temperature of the air at our normal height without requiring any extra heating. Also, every house I have lived in, the grates in the ceiling or walls are for intake while the exchanges in the floor are where the warm and cool air are distributed.
I've got to work on the comprehension of ceiling fan direction. I live in a(pretty small...approx. 1300dq ft) cedar log cabin. It's 1 & a half stories(not sure if that's what it's called) but its got the loft type bedroom with bathroom and closet upstairs. And directly under fhe upstairs area is a bathroom/laundry, a bedroom, the kitchen, and under stairs closet. The other half is living room(main room) and dining room. Open floor with vaulted ceiling. The ceilng fan is extended down maybe 8 feet. I can never seem to get the direction it should go in thst feels comfortable. It stays much hotter upstairs. Which direction would you suggest ?
You are correct. But basically ceiling fan's don't cool the room they just cool objects down like hot food or your body radiating heat. But yes they have a summer and winter setting. Heat doesn't rise though. 'It's not antigravity but think of it being pushed up by cooler denser air'. Professor Julius Sumner miller.
Shout out to Hunter Ceiling Fans. I installed my fan when we built our home 30 years ago. It has run continuously all that time except to dust the fins every few months. No wobbling no noise. I had no reason to replace it so it is running day and night circulating the air in the house. Great product.
Best tips for cooling a house. Due to cost and other variables they may not be possible for everyone. 1. Plant trees. Make sure the trees are 'deep root' variety. Many cities offer free tree planting and advice 2. Install exterior solar screens (they cover your window). Go as dark as you think you need but be aware that light gets cut drastically, especially in winter. Use 1" framing, don't go any smaller. 3. Install double pane windows 4. Install a whole house fan 5. Install a swamp cooler 6. Install ceiling fans in rooms where you work / sleep. 7. Make sure your attic is properly vented and insulated. 8. Check the insulation around your doors and windows. Install floor sweeps / door and framing insulation where needed.
The humidity in Chicago right now is 84%, 76% in NYC, 70% in Pittsburg, 75% in Miami, 61% in San Francisco. Humidity in summer isn't just in the south. 😀
If you only have 1 return air duct and grill in your home for the HVAC system you need to get your Static Pressure tested. This is the number 1 problem I see on about 80% of homes. High static pressure means bad airflow. This is hard on the equipment and raises the the energy used by the furnace or Air Handlers fan. It also hurts your comfort because you could be getting a lot better airflow through your HVAC system.
Wait! Hot air raises, cold air sinks down. Did I hear the direction of fan rotation correctly? I thought hot air should be pushed down and cold pulled up.
A vent fan helps move air in ONE ROOM, but a DUCT FAN can move air in the trunk of duct-work cheaper! Since 9 out-of-10 home HVAC "contractors" have never seen or installed a duct fan, you won't find many that suggest them or know HOW to install them. Having worked as a janitor/maintenance man, you call Grainer's Supply and you need a "sail switch" and a duct fan to fit your duct. They ain't cheap because they have to heat limit switches to prevent pushing FIRES thru your ducts. A commercial HVAC contractor will know what you need and can measure the air-flow you HAVE and what it NEEDS to be. Budget $600 and up depending mainly on access. In my late sister's barn of a two-story, an up-stairs and downstairs fan duct cost about $2500 to install, but SAVED $250-400 on heat and cooling with her 12 foot ceilings, it isn't SQUARE feet of house (3200) it's CUBIC FEET of structure like an office building. The one (of 2 1/2) up-stairs bathroom plumbing no longer froze either.
On ceiling fans, cold air is not up, hot air is not down. All are for circulation. The feeling of having air blowing on you is what helps it to feel cool, hence setting it to blow directly on you. It will also take the cold air on the floor and mix it in the room. During the winter blowing the cold air from lower in the room up to the ceiling redistributes the hot air that has accumulated on the ceiling and allows it to flow through the room. Ceiling fans help to keep the air well mixed and distributed. My house has an open stairwell to the basement which is always 10-15F cooler than upstairs because the cold air will just flow down the stairs. We did an experiment creating a cardboard door and roof system and found that the basement and upstairs evened out their temps and the price for cooling dropped significantly.
In your experiment with the basement, were you trying to determine if existing ceiling fans were pulling the cold air up from the basement? And/or to leave the basement door open? Or…? I’m serious. Thanks. Tom
@@tmcmat01 Nope. We were trying to separate our house into two distinct zones. The cardboard walls and door kept the air separate and allowed the temps in the house to equalize. It also kept our summer electricity bills down because it wasn’t flooding the basement with cold air until the level reached the thermostat which was on the main floor.
Great video and suggestions, thanks! My only question is about the solar powered attic fan… Matt Risinger says they’re a total waste of money! I don’t know who’s right so I’d love to see some real world testing!
An old video, but I would check with your contractor or roofer, or anyone else before installing attic fans. If you have ridge vents, underlayment's, tight seals, and so much more... you can negatively effect your roofs cooling designs and/or thermals. Attic fans were helpful 30+ years ago, not so much anymore. Please check with others before installing these in regards to your roof. IF you are sure, informed, and confident, then have at it, and enjoy.
Our AC/Heating vents are in or near the floor. Would we set the ceiling fans opposite ie using downward flow in the winter to keep the heat in the lower part of the room as it rises from the floor?
I always used K&N filters on my vehicles and loved them. So when i saw they made home filters i snatched one up. I immediately started having problems with it not cooling and freezing up. Its a great product if your system is designed for that high of a MERV rating. If not you start drastically reducing air flow. Tons of people have the same problem. I think most people are already starved of return air as it is. My home is very efficient around MERV 8. It was cheaper to send it back and get a merv 8 washable filter than it was to put in another return air grill.
My contractor (and then I looked it up on the internet) says the attic fan is a wast.... It actually sucks cold air out from below attic due to difference in pressure.
When Alex does videos of stuff he knows well they end up being fantastic. His only real downside is sometimes he takes on projects over his head and doesn't do enough research to get it right.
Thanks for all the useful information in this video. One thing I would ask is that you consider slowing the pace of your speech a bit. As a fast talker myself, I have often found that some people struggle to understand every word I say. I sometimes have to repeat myself, which is annoying in the context of a UA-cam video, since the audience would have to rewind over and over. The faster one speaks, the more careful and sharp ones diction must be. Unfortunately, A lot of your words come out garbled or blurred as you shoot through your presentation. I don’t understand why you are so pressed for time. Well, with monetization I suppose there is an ideal runtime your after, maybe? Even so, your audience would get the benefit more from understanding what you say on the first run without feeling frustrated by meth-paced presentation. This video is too good to undermine with a frenzied approach. Might be better to have a part one and part two, rather than warp speed in a single video. I hope you’re not offended. My intent is to be constructive, because I believe this is really a valuable video and that you’re sharing a lot of quality content. Thanks again
Current (July 2023) Freon R-12 is 150 LB so easily exceed the $200 - $300 referenced if it's low enough not to be cooling. Then there is the service fee
And FYI for your 410 Trane air conditioner you cannot just fill it up if it's more than 50% because it's an azeotropic Blended refrigerant it leaks out at different rates so now when they pumped It Up full moon owl have more of one than the other so it's no longer a Perfect Blend which can cause everything from hunting to Frozen coils to lack of heat even damaging the compressor
Wouldn't it be better to aid the convection cycle that's already happening inside the house by pulling up the hot air with the ceiling fan and not blowing it back down to re-mix with the colder air?
standard window tint doesnt block heat, it only blocks light and provides security (to prevent people from looking into your windows). If you want to block the heat from going through into your house, you need to find Ceramic window tint instead. ceramic tint actually blocks out the infrared heat that is put off by sunlight
so the ceiling fan part is wrong you want it to blow up to bring cold air up to bounce off the ceiling/walls to force the hot air back down and circulate the room its how ive always been told and ive been doing it for years (im 30 years old and was told this when i was 5) its always worked that way for me and im actually doing it now and it drops my room down by like 10F for winter i have it to blow heat down and it raises the temp by like 5 to 10F depending on how cold it is and if the furnace is running since mine fires heat upwards (old 100 year old square vents) yes my house doesnt have acs so we use window units and fans to keep the house cool
Just a heads up, putting tint film on the inside ofnyour window glass voids the warrenty for the window fogging. The tint pulls uv rays into the glass and reflects it off the interior pane, cause the window seal to fail and the glass will fog up between the pains. The correct thing to do is change out your clear insulated window glass with a low e insulated glass. The low e glass is on the outside pane and reflects the uv rays before the get to the seal
There is so much wrong information with this statement that you must be a window installer. (1) Window company's will not honor a warranty if tint is applied to their windows BECAUSE they can't stop an idiot from putting blackout tint on a piece of glass which could cause the glass to break, but ANY high quality window tint manufacturer will pick up and honor any remaining warranty on a window where tint is applied by their trained factory installers because we know which tints are safe for windows. So there is no danger of losing your window warranty. (2) Tint doesn't "pull uv rays into the glass". The UV rays are generated by the sun and they are there wether there is tint or not. (3) Dual Pane windows fail because of the way they are built. There are far more "fogged" dual pane windows in this world WITHOUT tint on them than there are with tint on them. Fogged windows with tint is a correlation, not a causation. (4) Low-e coated windows can have the coating on either the exterior piece of glass or the interior piece depending on the climate zones, so even if it helped, it's only accurate for the northern part of the country. If window tint damaged seals as you describe we would be put out of business in a few years from angry customers and bad reviews, but yet our industry grows every year. The only people who don't like tint are window manufacturers who want to sell ridiculously expensive new windows. Professionally applied window films are one of the easiest and most economical home improvements that exist. Glad I could clear that up for you.
I just installed static cling film that can be removed easily w/o damage, and already has made the home office I work out of noticeably cooler. Until I can address any other issue like insulation, the film is perfect for right now.
Doesn’t bleach kill and possibly remove whatever is in your washer ? I do use dishwasher cleaner every 2 months but the washing machine I use bleach while I wash my bedding sheets thinking I would kill any crud and remove it
Careful when using attic fans. If they’re oversized or the soffit vents are blocked it’ll cause the attic to become depressurizes. This will draw in conditioned air from the house into the attic wasting energy.
So a couple things wrong here since I've been doing that conditioner for 27 years and give you some insight one your filter was backwards but it's no big deal cuz it's not under any major static pressure to when you put in a high pleated filter all you doing is reducing the airflow which lowers your pressure does help pull out moisture out of the air but you reduce the amount of airflow in your system and possibly cause it to freeze up three the thermostat if you put it in automatic you are wasting energy because on those summer spring and fall days where the weather is not too cold and not too hot you will waste in it by running heat your body doesn't care what temperature it is when you're asleep it will not affect you you will only notice it when you wake up the human body can only tell 3°
As a first time home owner and a person that grew up very poor and never in an actual house, I’ve never learned any of this stuff. Thank you for the clear cut instructions. It’s time I learn or move to a condo.
Condo? Condominium? I don't know how old are you, but if you are young, don't do it. Get in rent and save to buy a house. I did that mistake twice and was a mess. You will be married to a whole bunch of people that have different ideas and create chaos all the time. Take the time and buy a House, no matter what happens.
don't forget about the condo fees
Awesome book that gives you step-by-step photos ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxTNB_zFBSnTo_O1PqfVUwgi7ityw0JlKt and directions to make every day project. I can see myself making a few of these projects and giving them as housewarming and holiday gifts!
About #6 (6:30), I had family member that installed tint in the living room windows and door, and it may reduce the heat and bills, but I hate the feeling of dark and muddy, very depressing, not for me.
Also another tip, will be to have or plant trees around the house, to provide shade.
Ceiling fans
Light bulbs (upgrade to LED)
Replacing filter
Upgrade to smart thermostat
Attic fan
Heat reducing window film
New insulation
Window shades
A/C inspection, replenish Freon
Duct booster fan
Pressure wash exterior
Pest control
Air circulation methods
Dehumidifier
Energy audit
This video popped into my feed a year later, but wanted to thank you, SlickTurtle.
I wish creators who make "list" videos made timestamps. Not necessarily to skip things, but to help just note things out.
I use blackout curtains everywhere. Outsiders think I'm a vampire
But black out curtains work. They reflect the heat back from the house.
....are they wrong? 🧐
White reflects heat, black absorbs it.
@@HugoStiglitz89 The black out curtains that we have in our house aren't black, the face towards the room is brown and the face towards the window is white - but what is nice about black out curtains is that they're thick so they block 90%-100% of light transmittal, and because they're thick they also reject some heat transfer and noise. When COVID started I would open the blinds and curtains to enjoy the light, but noticed that my room would be 90-100° in December, and no the thermostat wasn't turned up that high. The light would heat up everything in the room and thermal mass would retain that heat well into the night. So I started leaving the blinds and curtains closed, and would be a much more tolerable temperature, so much for natural lighting.
I'll see you and raise... I put a foil emergency blanket over my windows secured by black duct tape.. 🤣🤣🤣
about getting your AC recharged before the summer.
1) if your AC is low on refrigerant that means there is a leak because refrigerant is not a "fuel" that gets used up it is a gas and liquid in a closed system meaning that if its low there is a leak that has to be fixed or it will just leak out again.
2) Also as important is to have both the inside, (evaporator) and outside (condenser) coils cleaned before the summer and 6 months later (so twice a year) because the coils is where the heat is exchanged from the air in your house and outside and if they are dirty the AC will work harder to get your house cool and this will break your AC faster
💯
Subscribed. No nonsense fluff, straight to the point. Appreciate it.
I definitiely needed this video. New house owner of a 4000 sqft home and 2 AC units. I have been wanting to fix the energy issues and one of the rooms being warmer, among other things.
Pro tip I've picked up from my hvac guy is use basic fiber glass air filters doesn't restrict air flow giving you better air flow
I install air conditioners daily and you are correct. We always recommend merv 8 or less.
You might as well not even bother with a filter at that point. Fiberglass filter does not filter much. The better move would be to get a quality filter with a high surface area like 3M 1900.
@@phamlam3720 it does. You'll need to change it more often. Anywhere between 30 - 60 days
Same. I've been trying to find some in my size. GAME CHANGER!!
Living in Arizona I've found that having the celling fan running clock wise works best.,also as it started warming up my AC wasn't working right the second time the AC guy came out he said with my old AC the new filter was no letting the proper amount of air,so got a lower price filter and AC started working fine
When I first bought my house I didn't know about the different filter types. If you get one too thick that's made to be hypoallergenic it restricts air flow and vise versa with a really thin filter. That affects the performance of the AC unit. If you're not careful your unit will work super hard to achieve a certain temp and the electric bill will be astronomical.
That roof vent fan and the AC vent fan were actually really nifty. I don't own my home, but in a future that I do, I hope I remember those fans, hopefully I can actually use an attic lol.
Tide should pay you extra for that promo you cut on cleaning the washing machine. I'm the type of person that needs to see before and after images. You sold me on that product. Fantastic job, and I'm definitely going to try out that Tide washing machine cleaner. Keep up the great work
Hi. What does the package say on the tide product-thinking I’m going to give it a shot!thank you. Have a good day
@@rayjrdibenedetto867It says to use it.
You can tell I'm new to the idea, I had no idea of why you could flip a switch on your ceiling fan. That was some awesome tips!
I'm glad I got my house weatherizeed back in 2020. Me being on ssi for disability I was able to get on a weatherization program from my city. I got the wood around my windows replaced and caulking, replaced bulbs with led bulbs, an automatic exhaust in the bathroom, removed all the old gas floor and wall heaters, new water heater, new insulation in the attic, insulation in the walls and under the floors because my house was built in 1939, and they gave me a whole new ac unit which the outside unit is a heat pump. They put in new stairs in the attic because that's where most of the air was leaking from and they sealed up everything even the chimney and my house has been comfortable ever since. The ac blows cold and I have the thermostat set at 80 and sometimes I have to cut it off because it gets so cold. The city even painted my house. I'm so grateful for everything and I tried to get my neighbor on the program to help get his roof replaced to because he's 65 and on disability but he's to stubborn to do it and his house really needs it.
Wow. Must be nice to be unemployed and mooch off the government for all your needs.
@@zloungeact mooch off the government? Didn't you just see that I said I'm on ssi for disability? I had an amputation since you know so much. It must be nice to be an asshole and talk about someone who fell on hard times and who has been in and out of the hospital for 13 years dealing with diabetic ulcers, bone infections, having 6 foot surgeries, and a amputation while going broke because of it and helping others who were less fortunate than me. Know someone before you talk about someone instead of assuming. Smdh
It's a city program? I'm in Texas and I've not heard of energy companies or anyone doing all that. Would love to find it if it's out there. They will install automatic thermostats but you agree they can adjust the temp. Ya... Very much noooooo ty
@@dalpz205 they don't adjust temps
@@djpat5998 Idk if they do or not but I have sign a contract that allows them to. I live in Texas. I seriously don't trust an energy company to have my best interest in mind.
Latitude N 50 degrees, marine air flow, Canada. We have gable end vents plus mushroom vents. Also 2ftx 2ft vent to attic. Remove that vent till heating season, and open top floor windows if safe and sane. Many great ideas from you. Thanks
On bedrooms I use room darkening shades & light blocking curtains (mine are ivory colored). They help with light, temps & even sound any time of the year. Meal planning also helps.
Great information! Thanks for sharing. Also, dude, your ink is amazing.
In regards to the "duct booster fan"; if you're looking to boost air flow because certain rooms don't get enough there's a bigger issue at hand. Improperly sized ducts or duct leakage. The booster fan are a waste of money.
Or you have a room (south facing) that gets more sun or generates more heat (computers) and the builders never take that into considerations. A cheap way to boost the cold air pulled into that room.
@@Crydes Doubtful, your airflow is heavily regulated by ductwork size, connectors, and the cubic feet of other rooms that allow easier draw into them. It would take enough of a fan booster to break the draw from other rooms. But you may feel the air, but not getting increase flow.
South facing rooms, also benefit most from UV shielding/siding, roof underlayment's, triple panes or .6 coefficients, (even mirror solar film) for windows and doors. Even painting your roof white ceramic on one side or all over. All this saves on your h/c bill as well.
A better way, is a temperature regulator for that room, and a duct branch off designed for it. Which you could install your self or have a HVAc person install and review. IF your renting ... that is rough. But maybe your renter will take off any upgrade from your rent, etc.
9/10 well, 9.9/10 booster fans are a waste... useless, but it may help in other ways, of feeling like your doing something.
It's 107 degrees in Sacramento right now. I have terrible single pane windows with some gaps. Stays pretty warm inside this place
This is a nice comprehensive list of products/ suggestions. Thanks for putting this together.
Dehumidifier for the south is truth lol
We've had 3 weeks of straight rain at 100Fn
THANK YOU for that FANTASTIC TIP on cleaning the gross, smelling crud out from my front loading washing machine!
I had roof exhaust fans, but when I had my roof replaced, they found the old nails were rusty, because the attic didn’t get hot enough to dry out the air up there, and it would condense on the nails. In addition to ventilated soffits, I now have under-shingle edge venting and a full-length ridge vent. Insulation keeps the heat from conducting down through the ceiling.
What is under shingle edge venting?
@@one7decimal2eight maybe they're referring to vented soffits?
At my last place my bedroom was on the opposite end of the house from the main AC unit with in floor ducting and I bought that exact same powered vent fan. I thought it was a bit overpriced at $75 for what equates to nothing more than two 120mm PC fans hooked up to a powered thermostat & vent but it was WELL worth the investment. That room would get close to 90F no matter how cool the AC was set to but that vent fan managed to actually pull the cool air into the room & lower temps by as much as 10 degrees. I'll tell you what, when it's 104 out & the AC is blasting going from 88 to 78 is a HUGE difference and well worth the money.
I’m in the exact situation. Master bedroom is the furthest away. Bought one and made a huge difference. Helps a great deal in the winter too.
If your bedroom is that hot, you dont have enough insulation, minimum r 60, r 76 better
Great advice but for those who don’t have a central or window AC unit I’d suggest a whole house fan. Install it in a central hallway or open part of the house then close down all the windows and doors except for leaving one cracked open a bit on each end of your house preferably one that’s on the shady side. Crank it up in the morning to get the cool air in then close everything down till afternoon. We live in the mountains of NC so the evening temperatures usually allow us to get away without the need for AC. I would disagree with putting a dehumidifier inside a room that you’re trying to sleep in though as those things exhaust very hot air back into the room. They are invaluable for basements though.
Thanks! I live in Atlanta and have always opened all windows when temps are below 73 to pull in cool air. Will try it with back door and front window, both in shade.
@@ginaforfsu Works every time except when it’s raining! 😉 That’s the only drawback, can’t use it at all then.
Your screens will be so dirty, and all the pollen and pollution also gets pulled into your house. I once had a whole-house fan and I don’t want another one.
@@AuroraBD0618 I guess that depends upon the exterior of the house but I definitely see your point. I clean the screens regularly and definitely remove drapes from those windows during the summer months. I have regular air filters to take out any pollen or contaminants that find their way inside. If it really got bad I’d just put a furnace filter in those windows to filter it out. It’s a small price to pay for not needing the extra expense of having to pay for central air conditioning.
U sold me when u took the washer back apart to prove if it worked or not. 🏃🏻♀️ going to buy some of these tide things now!
Living in Arizona we need all the tips to keep a house cool and save some $$$. Thank you for the helpful tips!
Thank you, particularly for including Chapters.
9:40 duct booster fan
Adding my request to the others for link to the attic fan you used. Links for products are always appreciated. Thanks!
Very few filters are actually designed to last more than a few months. Unless you have a very expensive filter setup, change it every 3 months. Also, get your static pressure tested when you have your system serviced. If you only have 1 return air duct and grill in your home, you almost certainly need to have a 2nd one installed. About 80% of homes I see have high static pressure. This means way less airflow and a system that is working too hard. Adding a 2nd or 3rd return air duct and grill will help your system work so much better!
I like to change the filters every month in the summer. Non summer time I change it every quarter (3months)
High head pressure on high side on gauges are a tell tale sign of a clog filter or air restriction on the return.
@@ptso7580 actually low pressure on the low side would be a sign of clogged air filters. High pressure on your high side would be a sign of a dirty condenser unit itself.
If you have high static pressure you have a poorly duct design.been doing heating and air conditioning/sheet metal mechanic for 33 years.its sad to see what this trade has came too.so many box and flex systems.just get in and out quickly and do it the cheapest you can.the art of sheet metal is a dying trade
@@xslabcabxhearsex Hi 👋 I just bought my first house a couple months ago and I was told the HVAC unit was replaced in 2018 with a “good one”. I don’t know anything about it. I really don’t like that it sits on my roof and is in the elements 24/7. I feel it should be on the north side of my house on the ground and in the shade but what do I know 🤷♀️
I feel the house (1979 built) is poorly insulated. The HVAC kicks on every few minutes when trying to maintain a temperature. All my vents inside are in the ceilings. One bedroom outta 3 doesn’t get any air coming out of the vent. I don’t know why. The rest of the house seems to have the air come out fine but not my son’s room. Do you know what is causing that problem and possible solutions? Also how would I check for pressure and ductwork that the original comment is about? I know I have 1 filter in the ceiling and small ceiling vents in every room also coming out of the ceiling. Thanks for any help!
My 1979 house is ALL electric and my PG&E bill is outrageous($400-500/mo) and I need to bring it down drastically! I keep the thermostat between 76-78 degrees if that info means anything or makes a difference in your answer.
Dude! GREAT vid, I am battling some of the same issues as we speak!! Thank you, all great suggestions!!
These are some awesome suggestions. Sadly for me, Im in a condo and I can’t add an attic fan to the roof. I will have to look into some of the other things you mentioned.
More power to you’re channel! Very valuable content! Carry on!
Great video, the only things I would say, unplug the furnace when installing a thermostat. If those 24v wires touch, you will blow a fuse in the furnace. Easy replacement, but for the average homeowner they won’t know what to fix.
The AC being low on refrigerant due to a small leak, I would never recommend adding more refrigerant without repairing the unit first. Adding more pressure will increase the size of the leak hole. What the tech should have done was give you two options. One to find and repair the leak before adding more refrigerant or two, add leak stop to the system in an attempt to seal the small leak. Adding refrigerant to a system that is leaking is wasting money, because it will leak out again, faster.
Third is the booster fans. These may sound like a way to cool a room better but they are horrible for you hvac system. That fan is pulling air which will make other rooms suffer from not enough air flow. And on top of that, they create massive static pressure in the system which puts a tremendous amount of stress on the system and will shorten the like of the system significantly.
I loved the no heat calls after the energy company installed the thermostats.
For the fans on the vents wouldn’t it block air flow?
@@wardraven8755 it doesn't block air flow, it's pulling available air. Air and water flow the path of least resistance. The fan makes less resistance. The problem is, it can only pull from the available air the blower is sending through the ducts. It effects the static in a monster way that makes more of a strain on the blower
Excellent advice!
I wouldn't recommend leak stop as you don't want to contaminate the "sealed" system. I've replaced too many txv and filter driers that get clogged up over time. Not fun and not cheap then we got to look for that leak anyways 😂 Just find the leak and repair it the correct way the first time
Isn't that kind of counterintuitive for the fan thing because he rises wouldn't you want the fan to push air downwards so that the heat in the ceilings going down and then since cooling air is lighter you would want to pull the cool air up so that it can circulate around the room I mean correct me if I'm wrong I'm just asking a question
He meant cooler air. Whichever way the fan is going will move the cooler air that way because it is more dense, at least that is the theory.
You are correct, he stated it backwards.
That bright red wall plug peaking from behind the new thermostat would drive me nuts but I’m a little nuts.
Rule one shade trees on East and West facing windows or install Spanish shutters
2/ close all windows during the peak heat hours, open only when a sea breeze blows
3/ install fans, any thermal increase will reduce via contact off walls and stone floors
4/ don't cook indoors on hot days, cook outdoors
5/ Insulate you roof ceilings
6/ consider heavy curtains to reduce window thermal radiation
cannot employ any of the above, buy an Insex pop up pool.
I like those duct fan vents only my vents are on my ceiling but this is a really good idea. .. lots of good ideas in this video actually. ❤️
roman shades do not stop the suns energy from coming in the house..its already there unless you put the shades outside..
I live in Florida and I have to run 2 dehumidifiers nonstop 9 months of the year
The comment section is better than the videos.
I'm not hating. I just like learning about home improvement things.
You need to wash your AC outdoor Condensor coils twice a year otherwise the compressor will overwork and cause problems
I just had a new ac put in a few months ago. Pls forgive my ignorance on this subject I know almost nothing about maintaining it other than keeping all the grass and dirt from accumulating. What coils? I'm in TX summer heat so I'd like to keep it effecient as possible. Thanks for any info.
Careful. Water is sufficient. Any chemicals may break down the aluminum and copper and cause leaking refrigerant.
Look up any video on cleaning ac condenser coils on UA-cam. Basically just need to turn off the unit. take a garden hose and rinse the dirt and dust off. Direct the hose and aim straight. No need for a pressure washer.
Also replace your indoor furnace filters regularly. Make sure to get the correct size and have the filter facing the right direction.
This will prevent your system from overworking due to lack of air flow.
@@alexkwong6475 Thanks!
@@dalpz205 also make sure you keep your air vents open. Closing off too many vents in the house will cause your ac to freeze up. Use a merv 8 or less air filter in your furnace. “Merv” is the rating for them. The lower the number the less restrictive it will be
As an hvac professional, watch the merv rating on your filters. Recommend merv 8. Filtrete pushes their merv 11and 13. These actually are to be replaced 2 times a month. They may seem clean but the high filtration they are actually filthy. And they are also not designed for most systems. Static restriction almost kills the designed static pressure
Same thing with the booster fan. Creates massive supply side static pressure. Not good
I get so many calls about frozen air conditioners just because of a merv 13 filter. Or closed off vents
Well, some of the micro-pleated filters don't have too bad of a pressure drop. There was a great dest done by project farm here: ua-cam.com/video/RkjRKIRva58/v-deo.html
@@Mattspips right but there there is a specific point at the beginning you missed. They are all merv 8. Exactly what I said to use. Whether they are fiberglass or micro pleat, they are still rated at merv 8. That's the big kicker I tell all my customers
Yeah I noticed when we have a higher merv rating it reduce the airflow and seems to strain the blower motor. I immediately went to Publix and got a MERV 8 level. Then it started to breath again!
Nice vid. The painter pants are a welcome distraction, too!
is it just me, or did the ceiling fan just spin in the same direction again after it stopped?
Thank you for the tip about ceiling fan direction. I was wondering why my fan wasn't cooling the air....
I know you’re not sponsored by most of the products company but it would be nice if you put a link to all the products :)
Like the vent fans. Need the link for them.
& the duck vent. BTW thanks for the video
Need to add a little clarity on the attic fan. They’re GREAT so long as the air that’s exhausted can be adequately made up by the soffit vents. If it draws more air than can be supplied by old dirty clogged soffits you’ll end up sucking air from the living space. Essentially creating negative pressure in the attic. Just something to consider
Find film made to be outside of the window so the heat doesn't even touch the glass, and it also doesn't make the glass crack from heat which can happen to some types of windows if the film is on the inside.
I have film on ny windows and I live in northern Norway, and the film has survived just fine through harsh winters.
And in the summer, the outside of the windows where the sun bakes all day in the summer has been up to 49.5°C/121°F and with the film on, the inside never get so warm anymore.
Gotta work on the explanation for ceiling fan direction. You got the direction right, but the reasoning wrong. In the summer you want air pushed down because your skin perceives moving air makes as cooler. In the winter you want to take the warmer air near the ceiling and circulate it throughout the room. Without a fan, the warm air will just collect at the ceiling and it will be much cooler at normal height. With the fan running, the warm air gets moved around and mixed with the cooler air, raising the temperature of the air at our normal height without requiring any extra heating.
Also, every house I have lived in, the grates in the ceiling or walls are for intake while the exchanges in the floor are where the warm and cool air are distributed.
In the south the exchanges are inverted. Northern houses aren't normally on a slab (basement) so the exchanges are from below.
I've got to work on the comprehension of ceiling fan direction. I live in a(pretty small...approx. 1300dq ft) cedar log cabin. It's 1 & a half stories(not sure if that's what it's called) but its got the loft type bedroom with bathroom and closet upstairs. And directly under fhe upstairs area is a bathroom/laundry, a bedroom, the kitchen, and under stairs closet. The other half is living room(main room) and dining room. Open floor with vaulted ceiling. The ceilng fan is extended down maybe 8 feet. I can never seem to get the direction it should go in thst feels comfortable. It stays much hotter upstairs. Which direction would you suggest ?
You are correct. But basically ceiling fan's don't cool the room they just cool objects down like hot food or your body radiating heat. But yes they have a summer and winter setting. Heat doesn't rise though. 'It's not antigravity but think of it being pushed up by cooler denser air'. Professor Julius Sumner miller.
Shout out to Hunter Ceiling Fans. I installed my fan when we built our home 30 years ago. It has run continuously all that time except to dust the fins every few months. No wobbling no noise. I had no reason to replace it so it is running day and night circulating the air in the house. Great product.
Best tips for cooling a house. Due to cost and other variables they may not be possible for everyone.
1. Plant trees. Make sure the trees are 'deep root' variety. Many cities offer free tree planting and advice
2. Install exterior solar screens (they cover your window). Go as dark as you think you need but be aware that light gets cut drastically, especially in winter. Use 1" framing, don't go any smaller.
3. Install double pane windows
4. Install a whole house fan
5. Install a swamp cooler
6. Install ceiling fans in rooms where you work / sleep.
7. Make sure your attic is properly vented and insulated.
8. Check the insulation around your doors and windows. Install floor sweeps / door and framing insulation where needed.
Swamp coolers don't work where there's high humidity
@@chuckwadnofski7147 install both. Use the one you need.
Great video, but I'm really here to talk about your wife's and your design choices with decor. The inside of your house is gorgeous!
The humidity in Chicago right now is 84%, 76% in NYC, 70% in Pittsburg, 75% in Miami, 61% in San Francisco. Humidity in summer isn't just in the south. 😀
If you only have 1 return air duct and grill in your home for the HVAC system you need to get your Static Pressure tested. This is the number 1 problem I see on about 80% of homes. High static pressure means bad airflow. This is hard on the equipment and raises the the energy used by the furnace or Air Handlers fan. It also hurts your comfort because you could be getting a lot better airflow through your HVAC system.
Wait! Hot air raises, cold air sinks down. Did I hear the direction of fan rotation correctly? I thought hot air should be pushed down and cold pulled up.
Whichever way the fan is going, the cold air goes that way. I think he just misspoke.
Down in the winter 100%. That's why warehouses use big fans to push all of the pooling hot air back down to the work area
You say "position floor flans" but don't say how to position them. Do they point down along the floor or point up into the air?
A vent fan helps move air in ONE ROOM, but a DUCT FAN can move air in the trunk of duct-work cheaper! Since 9 out-of-10 home HVAC "contractors" have never seen or installed a duct fan, you won't find many that suggest them or know HOW to install them. Having worked as a janitor/maintenance man, you call Grainer's Supply and you need a "sail switch" and a duct fan to fit your duct. They ain't cheap because they have to heat limit switches to prevent pushing FIRES thru your ducts. A commercial HVAC contractor will know what you need and can measure the air-flow you HAVE and what it NEEDS to be. Budget $600 and up depending mainly on access. In my late sister's barn of a two-story, an up-stairs and downstairs fan duct cost about $2500 to install, but SAVED $250-400 on heat and cooling with her 12 foot ceilings, it isn't SQUARE feet of house (3200) it's CUBIC FEET of structure like an office building. The one (of 2 1/2) up-stairs bathroom plumbing no longer froze either.
What about air-sealing the envelope and sealing ductwork?
On ceiling fans, cold air is not up, hot air is not down. All are for circulation. The feeling of having air blowing on you is what helps it to feel cool, hence setting it to blow directly on you. It will also take the cold air on the floor and mix it in the room. During the winter blowing the cold air from lower in the room up to the ceiling redistributes the hot air that has accumulated on the ceiling and allows it to flow through the room. Ceiling fans help to keep the air well mixed and distributed.
My house has an open stairwell to the basement which is always 10-15F cooler than upstairs because the cold air will just flow down the stairs. We did an experiment creating a cardboard door and roof system and found that the basement and upstairs evened out their temps and the price for cooling dropped significantly.
Are you saying heat doesn't rise?
In your experiment with the basement, were you trying to determine if existing ceiling fans were pulling the cold air up from the basement? And/or to leave the basement door open? Or…? I’m serious. Thanks. Tom
@@tmcmat01 Nope. We were trying to separate our house into two distinct zones. The cardboard walls and door kept the air separate and allowed the temps in the house to equalize. It also kept our summer electricity bills down because it wasn’t flooding the basement with cold air until the level reached the thermostat which was on the main floor.
Great video and suggestions, thanks! My only question is about the solar powered attic fan… Matt Risinger says they’re a total waste of money! I don’t know who’s right so I’d love to see some real world testing!
I saw the same video you reference, and your comment is exactly what I came to the comment section to look for.
it may be. I haven't seen his video. however the install seemed so simple why not try it?
wow you really committed for that ad
An old video, but I would check with your contractor or roofer, or anyone else before installing attic fans. If you have ridge vents, underlayment's, tight seals, and so much more... you can negatively effect your roofs cooling designs and/or thermals. Attic fans were helpful 30+ years ago, not so much anymore. Please check with others before installing these in regards to your roof. IF you are sure, informed, and confident, then have at it, and enjoy.
Our AC/Heating vents are in or near the floor. Would we set the ceiling fans opposite ie using downward flow in the winter to keep the heat in the lower part of the room as it rises from the floor?
This video was so helpful! Thank you!
Buy a washable k&n filter! It's a merv 11 and works beautifully, only around 30 bucks and you'll never need to replace it, just clean
I always used K&N filters on my vehicles and loved them. So when i saw they made home filters i snatched one up. I immediately started having problems with it not cooling and freezing up. Its a great product if your system is designed for that high of a MERV rating. If not you start drastically reducing air flow. Tons of people have the same problem. I think most people are already starved of return air as it is. My home is very efficient around MERV 8. It was cheaper to send it back and get a merv 8 washable filter than it was to put in another return air grill.
@@ryanchenault80 well as long as you got a washable one, I just hate to see people throwing money away
This showed up in my list and I am happy I clicked on it. Your tips were helpful. Thanks so much!
1:56 I tried this and my wife punched me in the eye, now I have a black eye.
My contractor (and then I looked it up on the internet) says the attic fan is a wast.... It actually sucks cold air out from below attic due to difference in pressure.
lol, did I really just watch you disassemble a washing machine? You deserve a thumbs up for that one. :)
When Alex does videos of stuff he knows well they end up being fantastic. His only real downside is sometimes he takes on projects over his head and doesn't do enough research to get it right.
I googled these products...it's not that hard to research...I'm pleased by finding the ones I want
Thanks for all the useful information in this video. One thing I would ask is that you consider slowing the pace of your speech a bit. As a fast talker myself, I have often found that some people struggle to understand every word I say. I sometimes have to repeat myself, which is annoying in the context of a UA-cam video, since the audience would have to rewind over and over. The faster one speaks, the more careful and sharp ones diction must be. Unfortunately, A lot of your words come out garbled or blurred as you shoot through your presentation. I don’t understand why you are so pressed for time. Well, with monetization I suppose there is an ideal runtime your after, maybe? Even so, your audience would get the benefit more from understanding what you say on the first run without feeling frustrated by meth-paced presentation. This video is too good to undermine with a frenzied approach. Might be better to have a part one and part two, rather than warp speed in a single video. I hope you’re not offended. My intent is to be constructive, because I believe this is really a valuable video and that you’re sharing a lot of quality content. Thanks again
Does the attic fan stay on? If so, how does cooler air get in?
I can't afford to run the central AC anymore, and it's Florida. Going to experiment with these techniques
Where can I find those vent fans? Would they work with a swamp cooler?
Thank you for everything that you shared.
Current (July 2023) Freon R-12 is 150 LB so easily exceed the $200 - $300 referenced if it's low enough not to be cooling. Then there is the service fee
And FYI for your 410 Trane air conditioner you cannot just fill it up if it's more than 50% because it's an azeotropic Blended refrigerant it leaks out at different rates so now when they pumped It Up full moon owl have more of one than the other so it's no longer a Perfect Blend which can cause everything from hunting to Frozen coils to lack of heat even damaging the compressor
Does anyone know of a link for that solar powered attic fan that was installed in this video?
In the winter time I like my warm air to go down by me, not up in the ceiling
These tips are nice if you own your house
what, no links to the solar fan for the roof....or other items?
Wouldn't it be better to aid the convection cycle that's already happening inside the house by pulling up the hot air with the ceiling fan and not blowing it back down to re-mix with the colder air?
Having names of things, or links to, in description wouod be great. Solar fan, vent fan...
My registers are in the floor, so I keep my ceiling fan pulling the air up in all seasons.
Does anyone know the brand of fan that is? I found a Remington that’s similar.
i wonder if i can put those auto fans on the floor vents in my RV hmm.
standard window tint doesnt block heat, it only blocks light and provides security (to prevent people from looking into your windows). If you want to block the heat from going through into your house, you need to find Ceramic window tint instead. ceramic tint actually blocks out the infrared heat that is put off by sunlight
So they just charged your ac unit with refrigerant but never found they leak.
Can you use those floor vents on your ceiling?
so the ceiling fan part is wrong
you want it to blow up to bring cold air up to bounce off the ceiling/walls to force the hot air back down and circulate the room
its how ive always been told and ive been doing it for years (im 30 years old and was told this when i was 5)
its always worked that way for me and im actually doing it now and it drops my room down by like 10F
for winter i have it to blow heat down and it raises the temp by like 5 to 10F depending on how cold it is and if the furnace is running since mine fires heat upwards (old 100 year old square vents)
yes my house doesnt have acs so we use window units and fans to keep the house cool
We need this more than ever today. Our electric bill went up 20%.
Great video very helpful thank you so much.
Just a heads up, putting tint film on the inside ofnyour window glass voids the warrenty for the window fogging. The tint pulls uv rays into the glass and reflects it off the interior pane, cause the window seal to fail and the glass will fog up between the pains. The correct thing to do is change out your clear insulated window glass with a low e insulated glass. The low e glass is on the outside pane and reflects the uv rays before the get to the seal
There is so much wrong information with this statement that you must be a window installer. (1) Window company's will not honor a warranty if tint is applied to their windows BECAUSE they can't stop an idiot from putting blackout tint on a piece of glass which could cause the glass to break, but ANY high quality window tint manufacturer will pick up and honor any remaining warranty on a window where tint is applied by their trained factory installers because we know which tints are safe for windows. So there is no danger of losing your window warranty. (2) Tint doesn't "pull uv rays into the glass". The UV rays are generated by the sun and they are there wether there is tint or not. (3) Dual Pane windows fail because of the way they are built. There are far more "fogged" dual pane windows in this world WITHOUT tint on them than there are with tint on them. Fogged windows with tint is a correlation, not a causation. (4) Low-e coated windows can have the coating on either the exterior piece of glass or the interior piece depending on the climate zones, so even if it helped, it's only accurate for the northern part of the country. If window tint damaged seals as you describe we would be put out of business in a few years from angry customers and bad reviews, but yet our industry grows every year. The only people who don't like tint are window manufacturers who want to sell ridiculously expensive new windows. Professionally applied window films are one of the easiest and most economical home improvements that exist. Glad I could clear that up for you.
I just installed static cling film that can be removed easily w/o damage, and already has made the home office I work out of noticeably cooler. Until I can address any other issue like insulation, the film is perfect for right now.
film on the outside should work fine.
Doesn’t bleach kill and possibly remove whatever is in your washer ? I do use dishwasher cleaner every 2 months but the washing machine I use bleach while I wash my bedding sheets thinking I would kill any crud and remove it
Careful when using attic fans. If they’re oversized or the soffit vents are blocked it’ll cause the attic to become depressurizes. This will draw in conditioned air from the house into the attic wasting energy.
Does your furnace need to have all the wires to work with a new tech thermostat
Hey what’s that solar fan called please??
So a couple things wrong here since I've been doing that conditioner for 27 years and give you some insight one your filter was backwards but it's no big deal cuz it's not under any major static pressure to when you put in a high pleated filter all you doing is reducing the airflow which lowers your pressure does help pull out moisture out of the air but you reduce the amount of airflow in your system and possibly cause it to freeze up three the thermostat if you put it in automatic you are wasting energy because on those summer spring and fall days where the weather is not too cold and not too hot you will waste in it by running heat your body doesn't care what temperature it is when you're asleep it will not affect you you will only notice it when you wake up the human body can only tell 3°
Have a link for that ceiling fan?
Want power vents but vents in ceiling have no power outlets near them. Would need to wire them in the attic.😫