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DT:
I like the closet bar thingies. They seem smart - but do they make the closet HOT?
Depends upon size--I've noted a small rise in interior temp in the kitchen cupboards that have the rods, but not in the pantry or closets themselves. btw, some people just use a 100w bulb burning continuously to accomplish what the heat rods do in a confined space. You would have to balance the cost of the rod with its electric consumption against the bulb (cheap) with its (higher) consumption, I guess.
We had several fine-knotted oriental carpets in the Kapoho house that didn't seem to be damp whenever I went to clean, so perhaps nap size/length is a factor in attracting moisture from the air.
I know that you will beat this problem, DT. Do not get discouraged or fatalistic about the issue, just keep plugging away and eventually (soon, I hope) you will one day notice that you're comfortable in your home..
-dwajs
-dwajs
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http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/sp...opic=12610
A good description of heat pumps and why they may be a good option in hawaii -
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Has anyone had any experience with swamp coolers here? I know they work by evaporation and that you can use them even in an environment where there is continuous airflow, but I've never lived with one.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Swamp coolers need dry air to cool thru evaporation. The dryer the air - the better they work. I think they would be of limited usefulness on the windward sides.
Have lived with them as a kid ... always had to futz with the float valve .... I remember they worked well in anything over 95 and the accompanying low humidity of the desert...
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Well we took up the carpeting in one room and will pull up the other carpeting asap - we had to put the furniture from that room on it and so cannot pull it up until we put in the floor in there and the furniture back. AND I ran fans continuously, day and night. Already a marked improvement. There are no plants/trees up against the house, but there are pa-lenty on the property - it's definitely high on the palm/ginger/big leafy greens scale. Which of course is why we wanted the place! As I drive up Makuu and visit friends in upper HPP, it's markedly different. So yeah, they get more rain and we're considered in the desert of HPP, but as Carol says, definitely more humid on the lower streets. I will report back when all the carpets are out and hard surfaces are in. I can't imagine why they put carpet in here. It's also - get this - on the front lanai. Floor installation starts tomorrow or next day. Yay!
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I'm so glad getting rid of the carpet is helping, if the pads were moldy you might want to spray with a bleach solution before you lay new flooring.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Good idea, Carol. Thanks! I'm amazed, btw, that floor is plywood only over the joists - no subfloor between them as is the style on the mainland. Seems to me thicker floors would hold back a lot of that heat from below the house.
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Stay away from swamp coolers if you don't want mold and mildew. They put some of those in a university building on Oahu and had to shut the building down and do a thorough cleaning because of a mildew infestation.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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DTisme, I just read though this thread and was wondering if you have drapes on your windows? That can be a major cause of bad airflow.
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A swamp cooler without water or pads is one way to have an "electric" breeze going through your home. On well maintained ones with good bearings and no scale deposits to unbalance the fan, there is no wobble/vibration when it is rotating, so it would be quiet. They do move a lot of air. Screen over the frame would keep bugs and curious birds from getting sucked into the airflow.
Running it during drier periods of the day might help. Consider it a temporary solution until you have modified your structure to breathe better without the more expensive, powered assistance. If it helps, consider installing a whole house fan on a timer to move air. Solar panel powered models with more specialized DC motors would run during sunny periods, but not as cheap to buy, so be sure that is what you need before purchasing. Backwoodssolar.com used to have them and would likely know a retail supplier even if they don't sell them now. Again, try to capture or facilitate air flow instead of paying HELCO for it.
