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chinamama
Jan 13, 2007, 11:42 AM
Hi all, I know I have read somewhere NOT to cover your outside under house vents, when you have a heat pump is this correct? Why? Our floor is soooo cold right now! :(

Anyhow, any idea how to heat said floors up a bit (I know put on socks! ;)

Thanks,
Laurie

chinamama
Jan 13, 2007, 09:05 PM
Hi all, I know I have read somewhere NOT to cover your outside under house vents, when you have a heat pump is this correct? Why? Our floor is soooo cold right now! :(

Anyhow, any idea how to heat said floors up a bit (I know put on socks! ;)

Thanks,
Laurie


So no one out there knows the answer to this question?? :eek:

labman
Jan 13, 2007, 09:29 PM
Sorry I missed your question. I let most of the heating and cooling questions go because there is somebody that knows more about furnace repair than I do.

I don't have a heat pump, but I do have a nice, warm, hardwood floor over my crawl space. I don't even have any vents at all. So cover yours. My crawl space stays about 60 degrees year around and dry. I have it sealed up tightly, plastic over the floor, and the walls insulated. The water pipes don't even collect condensation in the summer because the warm, moist air can't get in.

I caulked between the foundation and plate, plate and band joist, and band joist and floor. I also sealed up around all the pipes and wires going through the ceiling and walls. Warm, moist air can follow them up to the attic and cause condensation. I painted the block walls with cement base paint to seal them. Then I covered the floor with builders' plastic. Last, I ran fiberglass batts from the ceiling down to the floor and our a couple of feet.

I can't think of why you would leave the vents open if you had a heat pump. Cover them up good.