ARGH! Should I nail the window shut?

[LLigetfa]

The wife keeps opening the window in our upstairs bedroom. Ja, I know what you're thinking... stack effect. Well, it's more than that.

When I built the house, I ducted the HRV make-up air directly to our bedroom so that we would have fresh air without having to open a window. If the bedroom window is open and the door closed, the HRV vacuums the air out of the rest of the house and pressurizes the bedroom, most of which then goes right out the window. This upsets the balance of the HRV leaving the downstairs in a negative pressure situation. A fan assisted stack effect, if you will.

The funny thing is that sometimes air comes into the bedroom. It's a double hung window which can sometimes let air both in and out. If the smoke from my chimney is hanging low and the breeze blowing the wrong way, I can smell it in the bedroom. The bedroom window is on a different wall from the HRV intake so the wind that blows into the bedroom probably causes a low pressure on the HRV intake.

The solution appears simple... keep the window closed. How do I explain it in terms she can understand? She's not buying the "fan assisted stack effect" theory because in her mind the myth is busted by smoke entering through the window. I really don't understand why the window needs to be opened in the first place since the HRV fills the room with fresh air that exchanges the stale air through the magic that is the HRV.

 

[JustWood]

I myself could have written this post. My wife is the same way. I somewhat solved the problem last year with a really good humidifier. This winter she is out of town working for 3 months so the window is staying shut and the humidifier off at least till the dead of winter.

 

[LLigetfa]

Get the wife to leave town... now why didn't I think of that?
How does the humidifier help?

 

[begreen]

Why is she opening the window when it's cold outside? Our stay shut during the winter. If she's too hot, maybe close the bedroom door so that it doesn't get so warm?

 

[LLigetfa]

Why is she opening the window when it's cold outside?

My guess is for fresh air to get rid of smells. That's what the HRV is for.

 

[BrotherBart]

Try to understand spouse logic and this will turn into the longest circular thread in hearth.com history. The scientific answer is "Just because.". :lol:

 

[daveswoodhauler]

I second that...have yet to have a day when the Mrs's doesn't say....."it seems a little smokey smell in here"...most sensitive sniffer this side of the Mississippi

 

[staplebox]

If she's anything like my wife you should skip the nail and use one of these...

http://www.brycefastener.com/

and stop wondering 'why' it'l only cause headache and confusion.

 

[LLigetfa]

Try to understand spouse logic...

I was over at a friends house and he had a book on the coffee table titled "Everything Men Know About Women" by Dr. Alan Francis (Cindy Cashman). Unfortunately, the printer must have had a technical glitch cuz all the pages were blank.

http://www.cindycashman.com/

 

[JustWood]

Get the wife to leave town... now why didn't I think of that?
How does the humidifier help?

She says it helps a ton but I think it's just a placebo effect. I also turn the furnace t-stat down to 68 at night. Whatever it takes to keep the window shut because even if you crack it 1/4" the furnace sucks cold air in and it's 57 degrees in the house in the morning. Too f*!^%#! cold for me!

 

[Prada]

It's probably a life long habit for her to like to sleep with a window open, just like many can't sleep without the sound of a fan blowing in the bedroom etc.
She's doing it because she wants to and all of your squabbling isn't going to change the fact that is how she likes to sleep.
You better watch out cause if you continue to argue about it much more, she may find some place else to sleep. lol

 

[BrotherBart]

I was upstairs a few minutes ago and told my wife about this thread. I didn't mention the title of it, just the jist of the problem. Her instant reaction was "Tell him to nail the damn window shut.".

I cracked up.

 

[LLigetfa]

Oh well... guess I should just be thankful she's past the hot flashes stage. That was something else... I'd wake up freezing, the bedroom in a fog with both windows flung wide open and a naked form standing in front of them.

Now it's my turn to sweat as I can't seem to keep the house warm enough for her through the day/evening. Thank goodness she likes it cool for sleeping.

The problem really is the range hood. I wanted to vent it outside to remove cooking odours but joist space the duct would have used was occupied by a stupid pot light. According to her, I would have ended up condemned to some interior designer's hell if I moved the pot light a foot one way or the other. Now the HRV takes hours to clear the smell. Replacing charcoal filters in the range hood only puts a dent in my wallet, not the smell. Opening the bedroom window just adds smoke smell to the cooking smells. Smokey bacon, anyone?

 

[LLigetfa]

Oh, and to add insult to irony, the pot light is never used. She setup a console table with a lamp on it.

 

[Dune]

When I couldn't convince my wife to run the clothes washer on cold water ony, I just shut off the hot supply. Clothes still seem clean to me.

 

[kenny chaos]

Let me guess, you'd throw her out but then you'd miss her.

 

[begreen]

Oh, and to add insult to irony, the pot light is never used. She setup a console table with a lamp on it.

Maybe just better to say yes dear, you are right. Did you know bringing in toxic fumes from the stove could be quite bad for your health and might soot up the walls? You decide what's best honey.

Now as to the pot light, are you sure you want to be advertising that on a public forum? J/K %-P
http://www.marijuana-picture.com/gallery/marijuana_lights/pages/yellow_light.htm

 

[karri0n]

Don't nail it, nails are visible. Open it up, spread a thin layer of epoxy on the inside of the frame, and close it.

"I don't know why it's stuck, I guess the wood must have swelled due to the cold"

"maybe there's ice on the outside freezing it in place"

 

[kenny chaos]

[quote author="BeGreen" date="1227491708
Now as to the pot light, are you sure you want to be advertising that on a public forum? J/K %-P
http://www.marijuana-picture.com/gallery/marijuana_lights/pages/yellow_light.htm[/quote]



BeGreen? Aahh, now I get it. Say no more.