Cheap way to heat and cool only one room?

[Broken Arrow]

I have no experience in this area, so I was wondering if anyone knows of a good way to heat and cool just my bedroom to save money? I don't care if the kitchen, the bathroom, or even the living room is without AC or heat. I was just wondering if it's worthwhile to do it this way, and if so, what products or brands would you recommend me looking into to accomplish something like this?

[more freedom]

I think your question is very hard to answer. But I would be keen to know some tips myself

[SuzeOFan]

What kind of system do you have?

[PrincessPerky]

seal it well... I dunno about any appliances or anything, but I know that cracks and such..under doors would need to be sealed.

My grandma used to have a 'sunroom' back before super windows, that room was always sealed off..an absolute icebox in winter and a green house in summer! she had that 'snake' like thing at the crack in the door.

[SuzeOFan]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

seal it well... I dunno about any appliances or anything, but I know that cracks and such..under doors would need to be sealed.

My grandma used to have a 'sunroom' back before super windows, that room was always sealed off..an absolute icebox in winter and a green house in summer! she had that 'snake' like thing at the crack in the door.

Amen - seal doors and windows!

Cute story; during the winter, my 6yr old daughter explained to her dad when he came home from work that the door sock was for keeping out 'giraffes' !

If you have central air, be sure to shut the ceiling vents in the rooms that aren't used. You could even try the door socks for little used rooms too.
Close closet doors! Why heat or cool closets?

Summer heat: I keep all the windows closed during the hotter part of the day and use a small fan blowing near my computer where I sit. Ceiling fans are really great - and are even an inexpensive way to add value to your house!

[Broken Arrow]

Those are good advices, and believe it or not, they are also the ones that I am currently using.

For example, I installed a ceiling fan in my room, and have a regular fan on my desk.. I also use a plastic wrap-like film to seal my window. I don't stuff a towel under my bedroom door though, because I figure the air needs a place to exit when the central heating/AC turns on? I also close the vents on the rest of the house.

I guess I was wondering if it would be more cost-effective to buy portable units designed to heat one room instead? You know, those ceramic heaters and window-mounted air conditioners? What do you guys think?

[SuzeOFan]

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow

I guess I was wondering if it would be more cost-effective to buy portable units designed to heat one room instead? You know, those ceramic heaters and window-mounted air conditioners? What do you guys think?

That's a great question! I wonder that myself...!


Here's one more little tipster....

Close the shades over full-sun windows during the heat of the day. May even think of buying special shades or double-sided curtains that reflect the sunlight better...

[jamreed02]

you'll have to do a little bit of efficiency research to figure out if a window-mounted a/c unit might be cheaper than central air, or if a space heater might be more efficient than running the furnace.

i have a few ideas:
I've read before that you can close off the ducts close to the furnace, so that heat isn't even getting to the vents in each room. you should be able to do that for central air, too if it uses the same ducts. If you use a boiler, just shut off all the other rooms.

Definately seal off the room with a draft stopper, and even consider using foam tape to seal better around the door jam if there's any significant draft. if there's a draft around the windows, seal with expanding foam. Remove the trim, and peek around the edges of the window. if you don't see much insulation, fill it with foam. Also, you can use insulators for electrical outlets and switches on any outside walls. and you can cover the windows with plastic in the winter if they're old and leaky. Open any south-facing curtains in the winter to get a little solar heat, and keep them shut in the summer. (you could always cover them with tin foil to reflect the heat in summer... just kidding ) make sure you open the windows every once in a while to get some fresh air in the room.

a little extreme, but interesting, and sort of related: There are natives in far northern siberia that only heat with a single tea-light sized candle. They have a thick tent that they all live in, and then each person sleeps in a teeny, tiny tent inside that larger one. They light their tiny candle, and it produces enough heat, along with their body heat, to keep them warm all night.

[PrincessPerky]

I think there was a thread awile back where someone talked about central vs window...have you tried searching it?

[Staceyy]

In the winter I heat the entire house to 68 degrees but I usually hole myself up in the family room. I close the door, light the fireplace and I have a small Vornado heater I sometimes turn on. This room also contains a cozy quilted afghan.

In the summer, I usually don't turn on the whole house air-conditioner unless it is really hot and or muggy. I have been using portable fans but sometimes even this isn't enough. When I visited Denver several years ago a number of people were using "swamp coolers" which appeared to be portable air conditioners that you added cold water and even ice to. I noted this made the room much cooler than a fan. It felt like air-conditioning. The unit was on wheels which made it portable. I purchased one as a gift for one of my disabled Denver relatives before I left. If I can remember correctly, Costco had them for about $100. This was several years ago. They can also be purchased on Ebay for about $100. I plan on buying one for myself shortly.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

I think there was a thread awile back where someone talked about central vs window...have you tried searching it?

Thanks for the tip. It's so obvious that I should've thought of that, but... I didn't.

Well, I read some very interesting threads that lead to a few more interesting articles. Unfortunately, I did not find any empirical data, but I think I'll just stick to the central heating/cooling, and use the money on improving the insulation overall.

I personally wouldn't heat only one room in a house in the winter, unless you live in a very warm climate and don't have to worry about pipes freezing.

In the summer though, I have not turned on the AC for the past several years. I set up a fan in my bedroom, aim it for the bed and spend most of my time at home there - wearing very little, lol.

Keep in mind on the swamp cooler - they are really designed for non-humid climates. I don't think they will provide much relief with high humidity.

[flash]

Close off all vents, doors, etc. to unused rooms...except where your thermostat is located! Ceiling fans, etc. are great.

Also, keep the blinds/shades closed, especially in direct sun areas.

Not attractive, exactly, but you can cover cardboard with foil or other reflective coating, and use it to insulate the windows. Put it against the window, then pull down the shade...you'll be surprised how much cooler it gets.

Insulation and attic fans work wonders!

[Crystallas]

climatize, like people did before they were spoiled with appliances. Thats a cheap way to cool one room.