Setting up the temperature regulators in a house is very easy and quick. You just need to dial up the desired temperature and the device does the rest. This is mostly the case for single storey homes. But for split level homes, it’s a little more complex than that. So if you’re dwelling in one it would be helpful for you to understand the temperatures of split level homes in Adelaide and how to balance them.
Understanding Thermal Convection
Thermal convection happens when cool air goes down to the lowest level, pushing warm air up above it. It is this basic principle of thermodynamics that can potentially cause some problems if not taken note of when installing thermostats systems for multiple storey homes. So, it’s not ideal to set temperature controls to the same temperature in each level of two or more story houses.
Taking a two-story home as an example, during summer, if both thermostats units are at 75 degrees, what typically happens is that the system at the second floor does most of the work. This is because cold air from the ductwork will always settle to the lowest point of the house first, which is the first floor.
If both thermostats are set to the same temperature, all cool air coming out of the thermostats in the top tier of the house keeps the lower levels of the home below the temperature set point, and all heat from all levels rises to the top level, which keeps the unit at the second floor operating nearly constantly, especially on hot times.
The effectis that the first floor living space of the house is generally overcooled while closed off side areas are still warm. This happens because all the air from the upstairs thermostats has remained into the common area making the unit downstairs to shut down, which means no conditioned air is being sent to any side rooms downstairs. And upstairs in the living space is usually warm, while closed off rooms are overcooled. This occurs because all the heat originating from downstairs is constantly going up to the upstairs living area, which keeps the upstairs unit running unceasingly, putting cool air continuously into closed off side rooms on the second floor of the house.
During winter season, closely the same temperature variations can occur. The common area upstairs is warm and the rooms on the side are cold; the downstairs living space is cold while the spaces on the sides are warm. This is caused by the heat coming from the unit downstairs rising up to the living space on the second floor and shutting down the upstairs thermostats. This means that no heat is being delivered to the areas on the sides on that floor.
All cold air in the home is settling down to the common area on the lower level, making that control unit run almost continuously, especially on extremely cold times. This means that warm air is being constantly driven to any side areas on that floor, overheating them.
How to Allow for Thermal Convection When Setting Up Temperature Regulator Units
A simple solution to this is to set the system up with an allowance between them to compensate for thermal convection. The allowance is typically about two degrees, depending on the height of the ceiling on each tier.
Example, in summertime, if you like 74 degrees, set the unit on the lower level to 73, and the one top tier to 75. The same two-degree difference will usually be enough during cold seasons as well. Keep in mind that you have to always have the higher temperature on the higher tiers of split level homes.
If you are looking for professional and highly skilled house builders of split level houses in Adelaide who have keen eyes for even to the smallest details of a home, drop by the website of Serenity Homes at http://www.serenityhomes.com.au/.