Looking for ways to cool down a hot baby's room.
April 20, 2008 5:41 PM Subscribe
It's getting warm out, and the top floor of the house we live in is heating up a lot. My infant son sleeps upstairs and the heat from the day is moving up to the top floor and lingering for hours and hours. The catch is he sleeps best in complete darkness, so opening windows means screwing up his sleep for the night.
Anyone have any suggestions on how to cool down the top floor while creating a minimal disturbance for my kid?
The house we live in is very old (probably built in the early 1900's) and the top floor (where the bedrooms are) traps in heat amazingly well. After a warm, sunny day the temperature upstairs can be 4-5 degrees celsius higher than on the main floor.
My 10 & 1/2 month old kid sleeps in his own room, and sleeps best when the room is completely dark. So through the winter I put up blankets and such to block out any light coming in from the window.
Now that it's getting hot, we need to figure out a way to cool down his room while avoiding too much light leakage. The problem is the windows in our place are ancient -- it's just a screen on the outside and a heavy wood frame with some glass in it that opens inward like a door -- so opening up the window even a little bit allows a ton of light into the room.
The room has a ceiling fan and I've been running that as well as floor fans to help keep air moving, but it's still pretty warm in there and will only get worse as the temperatures continue to rise.
I've considered a portable air conditioner but those need to be vented, and the design of the window prevents these from venting properly.
Any suggestions, besides moving him down to the main floor (not really an option)?
The house we live in is very old (probably built in the early 1900's) and the top floor (where the bedrooms are) traps in heat amazingly well. After a warm, sunny day the temperature upstairs can be 4-5 degrees celsius higher than on the main floor.
My 10 & 1/2 month old kid sleeps in his own room, and sleeps best when the room is completely dark. So through the winter I put up blankets and such to block out any light coming in from the window.
Now that it's getting hot, we need to figure out a way to cool down his room while avoiding too much light leakage. The problem is the windows in our place are ancient -- it's just a screen on the outside and a heavy wood frame with some glass in it that opens inward like a door -- so opening up the window even a little bit allows a ton of light into the room.
The room has a ceiling fan and I've been running that as well as floor fans to help keep air moving, but it's still pretty warm in there and will only get worse as the temperatures continue to rise.
I've considered a portable air conditioner but those need to be vented, and the design of the window prevents these from venting properly.
Any suggestions, besides moving him down to the main floor (not really an option)?
Do you think you could get him to sleep with a sleeping mask? (Perhaps you could slip the mask on after he's asleep.) It wouldn't be easy, but then you could open the windows or use an AC.
I have a 13 month old daughter and I know this sounds like an odd (or impossible) suggestion. But, if you can manage it, it would address the problem pretty well. As a bonus it would probably make traveling easier.
posted by oddman at 5:49 PM on April 20, 2008
I have a 13 month old daughter and I know this sounds like an odd (or impossible) suggestion. But, if you can manage it, it would address the problem pretty well. As a bonus it would probably make traveling easier.
posted by oddman at 5:49 PM on April 20, 2008
Consider setting up some changing screens around his crib/bed to help block the light. Or even a canopy hanging over him. It would minimize some of the draft, but with some experimentation you may be able to approach darkness while still getting airflow. You could also paint the walls/ceilings darker colors or hang up more dark things to keep light from reflecting as much, though I know that's probably not the ideal children's playroom.
Obviously, your kid's sleeping patterns are going to change rapidly during these years. Once you do figure out a combination that works, though, you might consider gradually conditioning him to accept a bit more ambient light. At some point he will "lock in" to a long-term sleeping pattern that will be tough to break, and he'll be luckier to be less fussy.
posted by aswego at 6:14 PM on April 20, 2008
Obviously, your kid's sleeping patterns are going to change rapidly during these years. Once you do figure out a combination that works, though, you might consider gradually conditioning him to accept a bit more ambient light. At some point he will "lock in" to a long-term sleeping pattern that will be tough to break, and he'll be luckier to be less fussy.
posted by aswego at 6:14 PM on April 20, 2008
Seconding the roof/gable fan, definitely. My mom got one and it made a huge difference.
You might like blackout curtains better than blankets. I actually just saw some at Wal*Mart on my last trip and thought about getting them.
About the portable air conditioners -- yeah, they're ideally vented out a window, but it seems like you could vent them elsewhere. If you drilled a 5" diameter hole somewhere inconspicuous, like the floor/wall/ceiling of a closet, you could vent the heat into another room. The attic seems like it'd be a good choice, if there was one over your child's room.
Another thing that might help is planting fast-growing deciduous trees or vines on the side of the house that gets the most light in your area. In the summer, the foliage will shade the house naturally, and in the winter, it won't block the light/warmth.
posted by Gianna at 7:12 PM on April 20, 2008
You might like blackout curtains better than blankets. I actually just saw some at Wal*Mart on my last trip and thought about getting them.
About the portable air conditioners -- yeah, they're ideally vented out a window, but it seems like you could vent them elsewhere. If you drilled a 5" diameter hole somewhere inconspicuous, like the floor/wall/ceiling of a closet, you could vent the heat into another room. The attic seems like it'd be a good choice, if there was one over your child's room.
Another thing that might help is planting fast-growing deciduous trees or vines on the side of the house that gets the most light in your area. In the summer, the foliage will shade the house naturally, and in the winter, it won't block the light/warmth.
posted by Gianna at 7:12 PM on April 20, 2008
swamp cooler?
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:28 PM on April 20, 2008
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:28 PM on April 20, 2008
Response by poster: The roof / gable fan sounds like an awesome idea. We're renting, but I might be able to convince my landlord to install one as it's absolutely brutal upstairs once the temperatures outside go past 30 degrees celsius (86 degrees F).
What kind of costs would there be to get one installed? Any ideas?
posted by theNonsuch at 7:50 PM on April 20, 2008
What kind of costs would there be to get one installed? Any ideas?
posted by theNonsuch at 7:50 PM on April 20, 2008
A sleeping mask may slip down around your child's neck and become a choking or strangulation hazard. As he starts walking and climbing in the crib, it could also result in a fall.
Is much of the heat coming through the window? Could you put film on the window in his room and open the windows in the rest of the house? Install a ceiling fan or A/C in his room?
posted by acoutu at 8:44 PM on April 20, 2008
Is much of the heat coming through the window? Could you put film on the window in his room and open the windows in the rest of the house? Install a ceiling fan or A/C in his room?
posted by acoutu at 8:44 PM on April 20, 2008
"A sleeping mask may slip down around your child's neck and become a choking or strangulation hazard. As he starts walking and climbing in the crib, it could also result in a fall."
Neither of those possibilities had occurred to me at the time. But, of course, those are very real dangers. So, please do not go with my answer.
posted by oddman at 8:55 PM on April 20, 2008
Neither of those possibilities had occurred to me at the time. But, of course, those are very real dangers. So, please do not go with my answer.
posted by oddman at 8:55 PM on April 20, 2008
Gable fan is the BEST. Let run constantly, they cool down an entire floor of a house. Or if that's an installation hassle, then any very strong box fan that can simply be set in the window blowing outward. It has to be a large, steel-housed, strong-motor fan. I don't see many of those for sale in these dumbed-down times. Once in the window, you can block out light around the fan, but perhaps a little bit of street light will come in.
Second choice is swamp cooler mentined by Thinkingwoman. Swamp coolers are now available as stand-alone units. I think WalMart carries them. They do unbelievably good work at cooling, but I think most of these floor models have to be tended to... changing the water, etc. Check into them.
posted by yazi at 11:58 PM on April 20, 2008
Second choice is swamp cooler mentined by Thinkingwoman. Swamp coolers are now available as stand-alone units. I think WalMart carries them. They do unbelievably good work at cooling, but I think most of these floor models have to be tended to... changing the water, etc. Check into them.
posted by yazi at 11:58 PM on April 20, 2008
As a fellow resident of a 100+ year old house, we are also starting to feel the heat upstairs. Can he be moved downstairs, or is that out of the question?
Portable air conditioner?
I saw you're renting, so it's probably not possible, but simply upgrading the windows to something that uses modern technology makes a huge difference. Also, adding better insulation to the attic - in older homes it's possible there's not enough or even none at all.
posted by LolaGeek at 5:14 AM on April 21, 2008
Portable air conditioner?
I saw you're renting, so it's probably not possible, but simply upgrading the windows to something that uses modern technology makes a huge difference. Also, adding better insulation to the attic - in older homes it's possible there's not enough or even none at all.
posted by LolaGeek at 5:14 AM on April 21, 2008
In high school we were in the middle of a heat wave (96F) with no AC in the school. I walked into my physics class and felt this huge rush of cold air followed by everyone screaming "close the door!" It turns out the teacher had worked out a way to open the top of the huge windows to exhaust the hot air created by the day but preserve the cold air from the night, because hot air rises. Brilliant, and loads of fun to see the look on the faces of those who arrived later.
You've four zones in your house. The first is the floors, but the second is the hot and cold zones on each floor. If the windows can open at the top and have the screen still be in place, you could try that on all the floors during the day. There should be a prevailing wind so open the windows on the "downwind" side, which will pull that hot air out over time, despite the gusts otherwise. To really take advantage of it though you'll need to pull cold nighttime air in from outside too by opening the bottoms at nighttime, as soon as the outside air drops to a decent temperature. You'd want to do that on the upwind side of the house. You might be able to leave them both open all the time. I don't know - never tried that.
Doing this in my bedroom post college bought me an extra month without an air conditioner.
Also, be aware that up keep with swamp coolers is important. Can't be that bad though.
posted by jwells at 5:34 AM on April 21, 2008
You've four zones in your house. The first is the floors, but the second is the hot and cold zones on each floor. If the windows can open at the top and have the screen still be in place, you could try that on all the floors during the day. There should be a prevailing wind so open the windows on the "downwind" side, which will pull that hot air out over time, despite the gusts otherwise. To really take advantage of it though you'll need to pull cold nighttime air in from outside too by opening the bottoms at nighttime, as soon as the outside air drops to a decent temperature. You'd want to do that on the upwind side of the house. You might be able to leave them both open all the time. I don't know - never tried that.
Doing this in my bedroom post college bought me an extra month without an air conditioner.
Also, be aware that up keep with swamp coolers is important. Can't be that bad though.
posted by jwells at 5:34 AM on April 21, 2008
You don't mention if you are doing anything to cool your house at night, but you should be doing this. Use a fan in the window to get hot air out, you will need to open other windows to allow air to move through those areas. You should minimize heat generated in your house during the day. Avoid using the oven or stove, and turn off lights or replace incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED lighting.
If swamp coolers work where you live, portable models are available but they will need a supply of fresh air to work properly. Installed models will require you to open a window wherever you would like the cool air to exit. Upkeep is easy.
To open windows in that room, maybe you could hang a curtain from the ceiling with enough clearance for the window to open?
posted by yohko at 7:43 AM on April 21, 2008
If swamp coolers work where you live, portable models are available but they will need a supply of fresh air to work properly. Installed models will require you to open a window wherever you would like the cool air to exit. Upkeep is easy.
To open windows in that room, maybe you could hang a curtain from the ceiling with enough clearance for the window to open?
posted by yohko at 7:43 AM on April 21, 2008
Response by poster: Yeah, replacing the windows would solve a lot of our problems, but our landlord is a) cheap, and b) irrationally committed to "maintaining the character and original charm of the house", meaning he refuses to install anything modern even if the original fixture is a massive energy suckhole.
Case in point: there was an air conditioner originally in the stairwell when we moved in that looked like it was one of the *original* air conditioners. Literally. Turning it on was like turning on a jet engine attached to an iceberg - instant massive blast of freezing cold air.
When we finally pulled it out to replace it with a new, energy-efficient model I discovered to my horror that the original air conditioner's energy usage was, I kid you not, TWELVE AMPS.
My landlord insisted on plugging it into one of the plugs on our main floor and it promptly blew every single fuse on that level. The guy is somewhat insane.
I'm going to investigate the roof fans. That sounds like the most energy conscious option...
posted by theNonsuch at 7:58 AM on April 21, 2008
Case in point: there was an air conditioner originally in the stairwell when we moved in that looked like it was one of the *original* air conditioners. Literally. Turning it on was like turning on a jet engine attached to an iceberg - instant massive blast of freezing cold air.
When we finally pulled it out to replace it with a new, energy-efficient model I discovered to my horror that the original air conditioner's energy usage was, I kid you not, TWELVE AMPS.
My landlord insisted on plugging it into one of the plugs on our main floor and it promptly blew every single fuse on that level. The guy is somewhat insane.
I'm going to investigate the roof fans. That sounds like the most energy conscious option...
posted by theNonsuch at 7:58 AM on April 21, 2008
Gable fans aren't difficult to install. In MOST cases, there should be some kind of vent in the gable anyway, even if it's just some louvers. You might get lucky and be able to bolt your new fan directly into the existing vent. Be advised though that it'll be about 20 degrees warmer in your attic space than in the hot bedroom. Barring that, widening the opening is pretty easy with a sawzall type reciprocating saw. Gable ends don't usually actually support any loads.
You might also try some radiant barrier for the windows. Good radiant barrier looks like (or is) mylar that you put on the windows, shiny side OUT. (There are radiant barriers for walls too---but I'm talking specifically about teh windows ones.) As much as 80% or so of summer heat gain is radiant heat, through walls but definitely through windows. The shiny mylar simply reflects the radiant heat outside, instead of allowing it to stream in through the windows.
Won't be as effective as a gable fan, BUT it's cheap and is a pretty good additional option. Also, it'll help make the room darker.
Oh--one more plus about the gable fan, it's white noise. I would suspect if anything it'll help the wee man sleep.
posted by TomMelee at 8:53 AM on April 21, 2008
You might also try some radiant barrier for the windows. Good radiant barrier looks like (or is) mylar that you put on the windows, shiny side OUT. (There are radiant barriers for walls too---but I'm talking specifically about teh windows ones.) As much as 80% or so of summer heat gain is radiant heat, through walls but definitely through windows. The shiny mylar simply reflects the radiant heat outside, instead of allowing it to stream in through the windows.
Won't be as effective as a gable fan, BUT it's cheap and is a pretty good additional option. Also, it'll help make the room darker.
Oh--one more plus about the gable fan, it's white noise. I would suspect if anything it'll help the wee man sleep.
posted by TomMelee at 8:53 AM on April 21, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
These are also called "whole house fans", and are great for a lot of reasons in summer---specifically keeping down humidity and improving overall air flow. They can be used w/ a switch, a thermostat, and/or a humidistat.
posted by TomMelee at 5:49 PM on April 20, 2008