Bob Severin posted:Adriatic posted:
but I'm betting Bob did some HVAC work, research, or had a good long talk with a local pro
Well, over my 50 year career, I did talk with many professionals, and they also talked with me, I was closely connected you see. I spent my time working in, developing and practicing procedures in an industry known as testing, adjusting and balancing heating ventilating and air conditioning systems.
Home ac systems can be boiled down to a few criteria that will work 99% of the time. It takes 15 BTU's of ac capacity to cool the first floor of a two story house, and 30 BTU's per square foot for the second floor. AC systems need to deliver 400 CFM (cubic feet of air) at 55 degrees F. per ton (12000 BTU's) through the ventilation system. These are the basics. There are many nuances that can and will affect the system performance, and exotic control systems to help increase creature comfort, but if you just need somewhere to start, this is it.
I can't stress this enough. Constant air flow will be the most efficient method to help maintain an even temperature throughout the house. It is number one.
Ive dabbled in industrial air balancing myself, grabbing the job whenever I could really. I liked the variety in the many variables seen from place to place on new design and on old it was usually just figuring who in an area upset the balance by changing the airflow nearest them without consulting building managers. ...save your company some dough and agitation, leave the thermostats and vents alone till you ask. Wear a sweater or skip a layer, balancing a large area pleases the masses, not the fussy 
