Heating and cooling a house is a concern for all homeowners, especially for those people that pride themselves on being do-it-yourselfers. Which cooling systems are the most effective while offering a low energy cost over the life of the unit? Luckily, technology has provided a number of different system types to keep everyone warm and cool as the seasons change.
One basic way to cool a home is to use ventilation techniques through strategic fan placement. Homes can be outfitted with rooftop fan ventilators that will pull heated air from the top of the home, like in the attic, so that it escapes into the atmosphere. The air that replaces the escaped heated air within the space will generally be cooler. Other cooling systems include permanently installed ceiling fans and removable window fans. These are commonly operated in spaces that have a lot of use, like living rooms and bedrooms. Alternatively, some DIYers take advantage of a home's duct system; a fan system can be installed to move air throughout a home that has ducts entering each main room area. Regardless of the fan ventilation choice, the main benefit to this home cooling system is its inexpensive operation over the years; it only takes a minimal amount of electricity to run the fans.
Homeowners may also use the same ducts for heating that they use for cooling systems. A boiler or furnace can be attached to this duct system to provide warm air during the colder months. As a result, the entire home is kept at a comfortable temperature while retaining a low energy bill at the end of the month.
These same ducts for fans and heat systems can also be equipped with an air conditioning system. These cooling systems are highly effective for cooling a home, especially if the outside temperatures are extremely dry and hot. However, a DIYer should note that the air conditioning installation can be relatively difficult, along with increasing the home's electrical bill.
Alternatively, some homeowners in dry climates use evaporative coolers as another inexpensive strategy for cooling a house. Much like air conditioners, the cooler chills hot, incoming air. But, the cooler adds moisture to the incoming hot air to cool it off. This use of evaporation cools the interior of the home while hot air escapes through a cracked window. These coolers are also referred to as swamp coolers.
Some DIY homeowners install radiant heating and cooling systems within their floors for warming and cooling the building. As suggested by the name, radiant heating sends out warmth from its installed piping within the floor; many installations use hot water flows from a heated boiler to warm the home's interior. Alternatively, radiant cooling helps retain a comfortable temperature within the home during the warm months. Operating in the opposite direction, radiant cooling absorbs heat through the floor and into the piping to pull hot air from a specific area.
Every DIY homeowner should research the best heating and cooling system for the particular climate the home resides within. Each system has its benefits and drawbacks, based on the humidity or dryness of a region.
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