New HVAC System in 3rd Floor East Wing
It was a long time coming with seven different representatives of the area's best HVAC installers submitting proposals. The problem? The existing system is 4 tons and is tasked with cooling the 2nd and 3rd floors through a damper system. This large system could not cool the 3rd floor which is insulated with closed and open cell foam. During hot days the thermal gain from the asphalt shingles was too much for the system.
Matt Millard of Performance Mechanical Industries was chosen to install a new system. He was the high quote but he had the best solution. The East Wing front two rooms will now have their cooling system along with their thermostat. This will mean that the 3rd-floor damper system will have to cool only half of the space it used to cool and will have its own dedicated thermostat . BOth thermostats are hooked up into the internet to allow for precise control and comfort for our guests.
Leandro Bonjour of Alfa Contracting removed the old wall to the eves and constructed a new alcove to hold the new equipment. He fashioned a door that is held in place by magnets and will provide PWI with all the space they need to maintain the system.
Of course, we are waiting for warmer temperatures to prove this new system but we expect that the addition of 2 tons of cooling capacity should do something to help.
Gallery of the new system.
Rooms that will be cooled by the new system.
The Sail Loft is bedroom 10 and has a queen bed and two twin beds. The Sail Loft Landing is a sitting area and is where the front stairs come from the 2nd floor East Wing.
Sketch of new installation completed in 2024
Background on the 2024 cooling improvements
We dealt with the issue of not enough AC cooling during a 2022 heat wave. The main unit serves the 3rd and 2nd floors through two thermostat zones. The fan for the main 3rd-floor unit was set on Auto. When an HVAC fan is on Auto the fan will shut off after the cool setting for the temperature is reached, aka satisfied. In other words, if the thermostat is set to 72 degrees cool then everything runs at 73 degrees. At 72 degrees temperature, the fan and refrigerant pump both turn off. This usually works great but in scorching weather, the very cool condenser will still meet warm moist air in the ducts, and frost will begin to form on the fine fins of the coil. This can lead to the entire coil becoming a large block of ice which reduces the surface area available to cool each molecule of air that passes over and through the coil. The end result is very poor cooling. The solution suggested by our professional HVAC contractor was to simply set the fan to ON permanently during periods of hot temperature.
In the future
Waiting on permits and permissions
1) We will add 2" of foam insulation to the roof when we replace the roof this fall. This will allow us to keep cooler during sunny days. This project is bid.
2) We will insulate the walls of the house. We do not have insulation in any of the walls now.