HELP! why is one room so much colder!!!!!

[marisakay]

we have a 1920 house and the rooms are all very separate (non open floor plan)...it is literally 2 rooms on main level side by side both 12x17 and then the bedrooms directly above are same size...and then kitchen, bath, laundry on main level behind.... anyhow..

we keep our thermostat at 69 and it pretty much runs ALL THE TIME esp now since it is so cold (about 3 right now)

well both downstairs room are living rooms (one formal and one family room)..the room on the west side stay MUCH MUCH WARMER then the room on east side...so this fall we tore down the east room down to the bare studs and put in tons of insulation, drywall, new front door (steel) and new carpeting....and tho the room stays warmer then before if I rely on Furnace only that room stays at about 61-62 when therostat is set at 69...whereas the other room has OLD BLOW IN insulation and ugly paneling and it stays right at 68-69....the east room DOES have a LARGE bay window in that room so I think that might be part of the rpoblem, it is NOT real new but I think newer then the windows in the rest of the house...plus we keep all windows w plastic on them....

anyhow...does this sounds odd to you??? any ideas on why it is so much colder??? wespent a lot of money remodeling that room and bummed it is still cold in there....but again I do realize how cold it is outside...

I would love any tips, advice, etc


ty so much!

[LazyPup]

There are many factors that could result in the room being cold, and in all probability the final answer will prove to be a combination of two or more.

First of all, keep in mind that even if all the exterior walls are constructed of the same materials and have the same amount of insulation, there can still be a substantial difference in the rate of heat loss through a wall.

Scientifically speaking, heat is a form of energy and cold is the absence of energy in the same manner that light is a form of energy and dark is the absence of light energy. Given that we cannot see heat, allow us to think in terms of light for a moment. Glass is totally solid, yet light will easily go through it. We can then reduce the rate at which light passes through glass by applying a tint. While the tint will reduce the ammount of light energy that passes through the glass, nonetheless, some light energy continues to pass.

Now lets consider heat energy. All structural materials will transmit heat in varying amounts depending upon the nature of the structural material. Insulation then reacts to heat in the same manner as tint reacts to light. The greater the insulation value, the less heat energy that passes, but nonetheless some heat still continues to pass. The greater the differential of temperatures between the inside and outside of the wall, the greater the rate of heat loss.

While the temperature both inside and outside are equal on all four sides of the house, one side of the house will have more wind load than the other, thus the side facing the wind not only has the actual temperature but it also has the "Chill factor". Chill factor is a method of computing heat loss compensated for air movement. The chill factor temperature is the rate of heat loss compensated for wind compared to the same degree of heat loss in still air. Thus if you have a temperature of 20 with a chill factor of zero, it means the actual temperature is 20, but the wind cooling effect is the same as if the temperature were zero.

You stated that the room in question had a rather large window. Windows are a major source of heat loss because glass has very little insulating ability. In fact, glass is actually a fairly good conductor of heat which is evidenced by glass baking dishes and cookware in your kitchen. High efficiency Double or triple pane windows actually rely upon the void between the layers of glass to act as the insulation.

In addition to the type of construction, insulation value, and prevailing wind loads, you problem could also be from inproperly sized or spaced heating ducts. Improperly adusted duct dampers which allow an unbalanced air flow in the ducting. Improperly spaced or inadequate return air path. (Nature will always maintain equal air pressure, therefore, if their is no path to allow the cold air to escape the room, you will not be able to efficiantly push the heated air into the room.)

An improperly positioned thermostat can also have a tremendious effect on the overall comfort range of the house. Normally thermostates are placed in or very near the living room or den. The reasoning is that this is the point were most people will congregate with the least amount of physical activity and well away from other sources of heat, such as cooking heat from the kitchen that may cause false readings.

If the thermostate should happen to be placed on a wall which adjoins the kitchen. the furnace utility room or that is the chase for the chimney, it is highly probable that the wall would be heated slightly from the opposite side, which would cause a false reading.

Placing a thermostate too close to the entertainment center or above a table with a lamp can also cause extraneous heat to give false readings.

You must also consider the architecture of the home. The natural air convection within the house will cause stratafication or drafts, or you may have such things as a stairway that allows the heated air to rise to an upper floor.

The use of ceiling fans can often cause problems by disrupting the natural convection flow of both supply and return air.

The percentage of relative humidity also has a great effect on the comfort range of a home.

So, in conclusion, I hope you can see that it is impossible to offer you a definitive answer to your question without actually reviewing the location, but i hope this will offer you some understanding and perhaps some food for thought to reason out the problem.

[mrcaptainbob]

Would the staircase happen to be in the colder or warmer room? One of the staircases is in our living room. Strange how this works, but it appears as if the the heat traveling upstairs is making room for more heat to be produced in that living room, as that living room is probably the warmest in the house! Contrary to what I would've though....