My first floor is freezing!

12 years ago

Hello,

The first floor of my house is freezing. We had a new HVAC system installed in the Spring of 2012 and new windows installed in Summer of 2013. We thought these new items would solve most of our problems but the house is the coldest it's ever been.

The first floor is so cold it's almost unbearable. I've turned on the oven to get it a little warmer. The temperature is showing at 70 degrees. We typically keep the thermostat at 74-76 degrees. The heat was on 75 degrees and I noticed that the temperature showed 72 degrees. When I got up this morning the heat was still on 75 degrees but the temperature showed 70 degrees.

I live in Michigan and we are experiencing the coldest winter we've had in over a decade. The temperature has been about -11 degrees (actual temp.)

We've had problems with the AC not keeping the house cool in the summer which makes me believe that we have a faulty system. The HVAC company came out several times right after the initial installation to make repairs to the system in warranty.

We purchased the Carrier Infinity system. Here are my questions: I don't want to accuse anyone of anything without merit. Is there something that I should be doing to document the inefficiencies of the system? How can I verify that the problem is indeed the HVAC system? Is it possible that there is another issue within the house? Insulation issues?

I'm just at wits end and I don't know what step to take next.

The house is 2400 sq ft. The whole first floor is cold. The family room, which was always the hottest room is cold now. The upstairs rooms are okay. My room is super hot; You can feel the difference in temperature when you walk into different rooms.

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Comments (5)

2ajsmama
12 years ago
70 is freezing? If t-stat is set to 75, I think 70-72 is pretty good considering outdoor temp is -11. But upstairs is warmer - do you have 1 zone or 2? If 2, what is t-stat set to upstairs, and what is actual temp up there? Is the heat continuing to run to get the temp up to 75, does it ever reach the set temp?

Since you said you replaced windows, I gather it's an older house so yes insulation could be an issue but again considering outdoor temp I don't think so.

Carrier Infinity is what - GSHP with dual fuel (furnace), or conventional AC and furnace? When I Googled it, there were several options shown under that "family name".
User
12 years ago
I find a 74-76 degree thermostat way above my comfort zone, but of course it is your call.

When your new system was sized based on heat load calculations did it even provide for 75 degree interior temperature when outside temp is -11 degrees?

This post was edited by saltidawg on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 15:10
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mike_home
12 years ago
What is the outside temperature with the wind chill factor? I think you are feeling the effect of the strong winds pushing cold air through the windows. If the air was still outside it would feel more comfortable.

Do you know what size furnace was installed?

You can try closing the registers in the warmer rooms to try to balance the air flow. It will help but not really a cure.

I think your furnace is doing a good job if it can maintain 72 degrees while it is -11 outside.
klem1
12 years ago
As much as the dealers who sold you the system AND/OR the windows deserve having the monkey put on thier back,they will likly avoid taking responsibility. You can send/hand both contractors a letter outlining your complaint and asking they document thier findings and give you a copy. Be presistant that they be specific and not give you some maybe this or may be that or a combination of this and that. The hvac co should furnish documents of heat rise/drop across coils as well as air flow analisis and other tested perimiters. You should have recieved detailed information from both regarding insulation,air infilteration and solar gain when they bid your job. I believe they owe you as much without you paying for it. If you don't get satisfaction,ask your gas/electric suppliers if they offer free or low cost energy audits. Mention that home doesn't hold even temps from area to area. Hopfuly the results will guide you in actions needed. Insist those who look at the house make notes of thier conclusions and give you copies to protect yourself from additional scams.
2ajsmama
12 years ago
All in what you're used to I suppose - are you a recent transplant to MI?

You can always ask what the design parameters were (I really doubt that a geothermal system was designed for 100% load to supply 75 degrees interior temp when outdoor temps are that low). But if this is a GSHP with Aux Heat (furnace or electrical resistance) I would think you would be able to get to the set temperature at some point even in this extreme weather. That's why I asked what kind of a system it was, and whether the furnace was running.

Problem could also be thermostats - looks like Carrier has their own they use with this system, maybe someone else has them and can comment.

If it's an old house, there could be a lot of heat rising through the ceiling downstairs, making upstairs warmer and downstairs cooler while the heating system is running trying to get the downstairs (where the t-stat is) to the proper temperature. But if there is a separate zone for the upstairs, it should not be getting warmer than the temperature you set the upstairs thermostat to.

Is the family room typically the warmest room in the winter, or in the summer? If it's usually warmer than rest of downstairs in the winter, and isn't right now, then there is definitely something strange going on. If it's the warmest in the summer, and coldest in the winter, then it could be insufficient supplies in that room - does it have cathedral ceiling? Is it a large "great" room? Lots of windows?

As far as your (bed)room, if it is much warmer than the other upstairs rooms, is it because you keep that door closed? Or perhaps it's got more south or west-facing windows?

Really need more information - just because you had trouble cooling the house during the summer (I would assume that the design, if a GSHP, was optimized for heating and not cooling, given your location) does not mean there is a problem (or the same problem, e.g., insulation/leakage) during the heating season.