I have a home HVAC question...

[Waters]

Yeah it would work but seems like a lot of unnecessary work? Can't you just adjust the temp setting between each season?

 

[Durhamreefer]

Yes

(edit)

I see you'll have two bases + one thermostat to move between the two.

No issues at all. Easy peasy.

 

[Dom]

Yeah it would work but seems like a lot of unnecessary work? Can't you just adjust the temp setting between each season?

Yes I can, but heat rises, and in the summer, I want the thermostat where the heat is. And in the winter, I want the thermostat where the cold is.

 

[Waters]

Yes I can, but heat rises, and in the summer, I want the thermostat where the heat is. And in the winter, I want the thermostat where the cold is.

I understand....but I don't understand why? I get it that you want the thermostat up higher in the summer, where the heat is sitting....but what benefit does that give you? Wouldn't you want the thermostat at the same level that people reside? If the thermostat being in that position doesn't give you the results you want as far as house temperature, you can raise or lower the temp on the thermostat. I guess the only difference is you wouldn't know the true temp up high (in the summer) or down low (in the winter) but I am not sure that would matter anyways? Sorry...just curious...not saying it is wrong...I just have never heard of moving a thermostat from season to season.

 

[Dom]

I understand....but I don't understand why? I get it that you want the thermostat up higher in the summer, where the heat is sitting....but what benefit does that give you? Wouldn't you want the thermostat at the same level that people reside? If the thermostat being in that position doesn't give you the results you want as far as house temperature, you can raise or lower the temp on the thermostat. I guess the only difference is you wouldn't know the true temp up high (in the summer) or down low (in the winter) but I am not sure that would matter anyways? Sorry...just curious...not saying it is wrong...I just have never heard of moving a thermostat from season to season.

I'm thinking about efficiency. To get the house down to 74 degrees during the summer, I have to set the thermostat to 70 degrees where it is now located.

If it was on the first floor, it would be more true. The thermostat set to 74 would yield a house temperature of 74.

 

[Silvas]

I'm thinking about efficiency. To get the house down to 74 degrees during the summer, I have to set the thermostat to 70 degrees where it is now located.

If it was on the first floor, it would be more true. The thermostat set to 74 would yield a house temperature of 74.

Yes... and no.
What you're really doing by moving the thermostat is ensuring that the AC (or heater) stays on until the temp at the thermostat reaches the set temp. If the Thermostat is upstairs, the AC will remain on until the upstairs is 74 (if that's your set temp), regardless of what temp the downstairs is. The downstairs temp may well be 70, or 65, or anything else, because as you noted heat rises so the hottest part of the house will be upstairs. By the time the upstairs gets down to 74, the downstairs - which started at a lower temp - will be colder than 74. Worse, as the day goes on with a really hot day, the upstairs heats up more and faster than the downstairs, so the AC will keep kicking on to keep combatting that heat, which can have a cumulative effect on the downstairs. Let's say in the mid morning the AC runs a little and gets the upstairs to 74, but the downstairs is 70. Throughout the day, the upstairs will heat up more than the downstairs, so the AC will run enough to evacuate the heat upstairs. But there isn't the same amount of heat to evacuate downstairs. So by the end of the day, the upstairs may still be 74, but the downstairs might be 65.

The converse is true in winter. With the therm downstairs, it will heat both the bottom and top floors but the heat rises - by the time the downstairs reaches 74, the upstairs will be noticeably more warm, maybe 80 degrees.

Moving the thermostat isn't going to do anything for efficiency, nor will it even out the temps between your lower and upper floors. The only thing it would really accomplish is to allow you to set the thermostat to the minimum (in the winter) or maximum (in the summer) temp you want any floor in your house to be at. It would then get that floor to that temp, but the other floor will be lower or higher temp depending on time of year.

If you really want to solve the problem, what you would need is to consult with an hvac company about what products currently exist on the market that can be used to retrofit an existing heat pump system (I assume you have a heat pump if you have central heating and cooling) and make it a multizone system. This way, there would be a thermostat both upstairs and downstairs, and there are either motorized dampers or inflatable ballons that act as dampers in the ducts the partially or fully block airflow to individual ducts and registers based on the need for heating or cooling - if the upstairs is at the 74 set temp but the downstairs is not, the dampers will block off airflow to the upstairs ducts while leaving the system running until the downstairs is at the set temp as well, then shut off.

 

[Dom]

Yes... and no.
What you're really doing by moving the thermostat is ensuring that the AC (or heater) stays on until the temp at the thermostat reaches the set temp. If the Thermostat is upstairs, the AC will remain on until the upstairs is 74 (if that's your set temp), regardless of what temp the downstairs is. The downstairs temp may well be 70, or 65, or anything else, because as you noted heat rises so the hottest part of the house will be upstairs. By the time the upstairs gets down to 74, the downstairs - which started at a lower temp - will be colder than 74. Worse, as the day goes on with a really hot day, the upstairs heats up more and faster than the downstairs, so the AC will keep kicking on to keep combatting that heat, which can have a cumulative effect on the downstairs. Let's say in the mid morning the AC runs a little and gets the upstairs to 74, but the downstairs is 70. Throughout the day, the upstairs will heat up more than the downstairs, so the AC will run enough to evacuate the heat upstairs. But there isn't the same amount of heat to evacuate downstairs. So by the end of the day, the upstairs may still be 74, but the downstairs might be 65.

The converse is true in winter. With the therm downstairs, it will heat both the bottom and top floors but the heat rises - by the time the downstairs reaches 74, the upstairs will be noticeably more warm, maybe 80 degrees.

Moving the thermostat isn't going to do anything for efficiency, nor will it even out the temps between your lower and upper floors. The only thing it would really accomplish is to allow you to set the thermostat to the minimum (in the winter) or maximum (in the summer) temp you want any floor in your house to be at. It would then get that floor to that temp, but the other floor will be lower or higher temp depending on time of year.

If you really want to solve the problem, what you would need is to consult with an hvac company about what products currently exist on the market that can be used to retrofit an existing heat pump system (I assume you have a heat pump if you have central heating and cooling) and make it a multizone system. This way, there would be a thermostat both upstairs and downstairs, and there are either motorized dampers or inflatable ballons that act as dampers in the ducts the partially or fully block airflow to individual ducts and registers based on the need for heating or cooling - if the upstairs is at the 74 set temp but the downstairs is not, the dampers will block off airflow to the upstairs ducts while leaving the system running until the downstairs is at the set temp as well, then shut off.

Yes... it sounds like a lot of work to accomplish nothing.

In winter, to get the downstairs level to 72 degrees, I have to keep the thermostat upstairs set to 75. If the thermostat was downstairs in winter, I could set the temp to what I want and upstairs would be be at least the same as the thermostat setting and more.

The opposite would be true in summer with the thermostat relocated upstairs.

But I know Multi-zone is the right way to go, but, I'm planning on moving and I don't want to make that investment in this house.

 

[Silvas]

Yes... it sounds like a lot of work to accomplish nothing.

In winter, to get the downstairs level to 72 degrees, I have to keep the thermostat upstairs set to 75. If the thermostat was downstairs in winter, I could set the temp to what I want and upstairs would be be at least the same as the thermostat setting and more.

The opposite would be true in summer with the thermostat relocated upstairs.

But I know Multi-zone is the right way to go, but, I'm planning on moving and I don't want to make that investment in this house.

I guess what I don't really understand is what the difference is. So you can put the therm downstairs in winter so you can set it to 72, but if you already know that you need to set it to 75 to get the downstairs to 72, why not just leave it where it is and set it to 75?
Putting it downstairs and setting it to 72, the upstairs will still be 75, so the only thing you're doing is moving the therm and setting it to 72 instead of 75. Functionally speaking, it's no different at all. If I were in your position and moving, I wouldn't even want to put in the materials and time to put in a 2nd thermostat terminal and wiring. I'd just remember I need to set it a few degrees higher or lower (depending on where it's at) and work with it until I moved.

 

[Dom]

I guess what I don't really understand is what the difference is. So you can put the therm downstairs in winter so you can set it to 72, but if you already know that you need to set it to 75 to get the downstairs to 72, why not just leave it where it is and set it to 75?
Putting it downstairs and setting it to 72, the upstairs will still be 75, so the only thing you're doing is moving the therm and setting it to 72 instead of 75. Functionally speaking, it's no different at all. If I were in your position and moving, I wouldn't even want to put in the materials and time to put in a 2nd thermostat terminal and wiring. I'd just remember I need to set it a few degrees higher or lower (depending on where it's at) and work with it until I moved.

Yes, I've come to realize this as people have responded to the thread. Sometimes, I have to set the thermostat to 75 upstairs to get the temp up to 70 downstairs. I thought the idea would help in some way.