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Benutzer1921 Jun 2019 22:20Hello and thanks in advance for any replies!
We have been living for a few years in a bungalow from the 1970s. Okay, it’s not located in Africa, but in northern Germany, although we do have warm summers here and the number of hot days is increasing rather than decreasing.
Inside the house, temperatures can reach 26–27°C (79–81°F) on really hot summer days, and it’s quite difficult to sleep at night. The house is actually in decent condition, the roof and windows were replaced less than 10 years ago, so I’m hesitant to upgrade everything to passive house standard. Besides, we don’t really have the budget for that.
During the day, we already do everything we can to keep the sun out—roller shutters (not everywhere), blinds, etc. At night, I only want to open the windows partially because, being a bungalow, all windows are easily accessible from outside.
I’m considering what would be the most sensible solution but feel a bit overwhelmed by the many options. I understand I will need professional advice at some point. But is there anyone who can objectively compare all solutions rather than just promoting one?
So I ask you: What are your opinions and experiences?
Climate split system (two indoor units)
Decentralized ventilation
In theory, a centralized ventilation system could also be an option to cover most areas
What do you think about ventilation with an earth tube (ground heat exchanger)? Sounds quite interesting.
All options are available with or without heat recovery, with or without a heat pump.
Oh, and if the system is also more economical for heating in winter than our low-temperature oil heating, that would be great as well.
We have a fireplace—what about the risk of negative pressure with that?
The living area is 165 m² (1776 sq ft). Cooling would primarily be needed in the bedroom and two children’s rooms. Maybe through the hallway, and then it spreads into the rooms?
So overall, I find this topic complicated because of the many possible solutions. Decentralized ventilation seems most interesting to me if it can also cool and be cheaper than oil heating. It’s also appealing because I can keep the windows closed, which significantly reduces burglary risk.
Thank you very much to everyone who read this long message and shares their opinion. I hope the text is clear.
Greetings from the north (Africa)
We have been living for a few years in a bungalow from the 1970s. Okay, it’s not located in Africa, but in northern Germany, although we do have warm summers here and the number of hot days is increasing rather than decreasing.
Inside the house, temperatures can reach 26–27°C (79–81°F) on really hot summer days, and it’s quite difficult to sleep at night. The house is actually in decent condition, the roof and windows were replaced less than 10 years ago, so I’m hesitant to upgrade everything to passive house standard. Besides, we don’t really have the budget for that.
During the day, we already do everything we can to keep the sun out—roller shutters (not everywhere), blinds, etc. At night, I only want to open the windows partially because, being a bungalow, all windows are easily accessible from outside.
I’m considering what would be the most sensible solution but feel a bit overwhelmed by the many options. I understand I will need professional advice at some point. But is there anyone who can objectively compare all solutions rather than just promoting one?
So I ask you: What are your opinions and experiences?
Climate split system (two indoor units)
Decentralized ventilation
In theory, a centralized ventilation system could also be an option to cover most areas
What do you think about ventilation with an earth tube (ground heat exchanger)? Sounds quite interesting.
All options are available with or without heat recovery, with or without a heat pump.
Oh, and if the system is also more economical for heating in winter than our low-temperature oil heating, that would be great as well.
We have a fireplace—what about the risk of negative pressure with that?
The living area is 165 m² (1776 sq ft). Cooling would primarily be needed in the bedroom and two children’s rooms. Maybe through the hallway, and then it spreads into the rooms?
So overall, I find this topic complicated because of the many possible solutions. Decentralized ventilation seems most interesting to me if it can also cool and be cheaper than oil heating. It’s also appealing because I can keep the windows closed, which significantly reduces burglary risk.
Thank you very much to everyone who read this long message and shares their opinion. I hope the text is clear.
Greetings from the north (Africa)
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boxandroof21 Jun 2019 22:33Roof fully equipped with photovoltaic panels (usually always worthwhile and shades the roof), consistently shade windows, and run the air conditioning during the day. The heat/cold is distributed within the insulated building envelope, so all rooms more or less benefit from active cooling.
A ventilation system does not provide significant cooling. This can be considered separately. Personally, I would probably retrofit good decentralized units in the bedrooms and living room.
A ventilation system does not provide significant cooling. This can be considered separately. Personally, I would probably retrofit good decentralized units in the bedrooms and living room.
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nordanney21 Jun 2019 22:44Benutzer19 schrieb:
Split air conditioning (two indoor units)Cooling worksBenutzer19 schrieb:
Decentralized ventilation
In theory, a central ventilation system could also be considered to cover most areas
What do you think about ventilation with a ground heat exchanger? Sounds quite interesting. Ventilation systems ventilate but do not cool. For cooling, there are air conditioning units. Benutzer19 schrieb:
Everything is available with/without heat recovery, with/without heat pump Are you also planning a new heating system? Benutzer19 schrieb:
Oh yes, if the whole system is also more cost-effective for heating in winter than our low-temperature oil heating, that would of course be interesting as well. If the heating system is not too old, replacing it may not be economical. What good is an expensive high-tech ground-source heat pump if the heat is lost through the building envelope again? Conclusion: install an air conditioning system and be happy. These units usually can also provide heating since they use heat pump technology.
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Benutzer1921 Jun 2019 23:02boxandroof schrieb:
Roof fully covered with photovoltaic panels (usually always worthwhile and shades the roof) Really good idea! I have thought about that too. But I’m not sure if it’s truly worth it, and I have some concerns that it could damage or cause leaks in the roof.
boxandroof schrieb:
Ventilation system doesn’t provide significant cooling. That’s a separate matter to consider. Personally, I would probably install good decentralized units in the bedrooms and living room. So you would add decentralized ventilation units on top of photovoltaic panels and air conditioning? That might slightly exceed the budget.
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Benutzer1921 Jun 2019 23:08nordanney schrieb:
Ventilation systems ventilate and cool, but they do not provide actual cooling. For that, you need air conditioning.
Are you also considering a new heating system?
If the heating system isn’t too old, replacing it probably isn’t cost-effective. What good is an expensive high-tech ground-source heat pump if the heat just escapes through the building envelope?
Conclusion: install an air conditioner and be happy. These units usually also provide heating since they use heat pump technology.Well, I guess I’ve been searching for a sort of all-in-one solution, if that was obvious. A ventilation system could pump cooler air into the house at night. That would definitely be better than nothing but probably not sufficient for hot, humid summer nights. Today, I read about earth-to-air heat exchangers—has anyone heard of those? A combination of ventilation with an earth-to-air heat exchanger?Our heating system is 15 years old, so it doesn’t yet make economic sense to replace it, as you mentioned.
How cost-effective is heating with heat pump technology compared to air conditioning?
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