Hot climate yurt solutions...

[SeedsmanJ]

Hi all,

This is my first post to this forum! I live in southern CA, and have lived in my 30' Pacific Yurt for about six weeks now. My question, before I give any more details about my situation, is: What are all the steps I can take to make this structure livable during 90˚F and hotter temperatures?

The walls and roof are insulated, but not the floor. There are three doors: north, east, and south...and there are three windows on the west wall. We don't yet have a ceiling fan, which I know can help when operated in reverse to pull hot air out.

The yurt is in full sun. Unfortunately, the trees planted around the yurt are a few years away from providing shade. I'm taking action now to make sure we do everything possible to survive next summer!

The month of September where I live was brutal: 95˚F+ almost every day. We were pushed out of our home by the heat on a daily basis from 10am until 5 or 6pm.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful. Here are a few of mine:
- ceiling fan!
- it looks like window awnings could help?
- erecting a GIANT shade cloth over the entire yurt??
- insulating the floor (not sure if this would help at all in the summer)

Thanks so much for any and all feedback!
sincerely,
Justin

[Pacific Yurts]

Hi Justin,

Insulating the floor will not provide a significant benefit in cooling the yurt, but it helps significantly with

heating

. However, installing some open-able vents in the floor can help. This will allow you to pull cool air from below the platform into the yurt by opening the

dome

and it is very inexpensive.

As you mentioned, a ceiling fan can help with exhausting hot air through the open

dome

. Air conditioning can also be added to the yurt. Many customers are using mini ductless systems, which don't require a large hole to be cut into the wall.

A shade sail could be suspended above the yurt to provide shade until the trees are tall enough and can add a unique aesthetic.

Window Awning frames can provide shade over your opened window and are adjustable for length and angle.

A "curtain" can be suspended horizontally inside the yurt below the dome to block the hot direct sun and pulled aside when you want to enjoy the view of the sky above.

Shade screen can be installed onto the

center ring

to reduce heat gain through the dome and could be removed seasonally.

Hope this helps!

[cmwingfield]

Hi, Where I live it is not only very hot in the summer, but extremely humid. I can't imagine living in my yurt without air conditioning. I mounted a window unit air conditioner in the window of the second door. It works very well. I had to make a platform outside the yurt to hold the weight of the a/c.

[SeedsmanJ]

@Pacific Yurts...

Thanks for the tips! I like the floor vent idea! We will definitely try this next year . Probably the shade cloth, too...


@cmwingfield...

Good call on the A/C. We tried a portable unit that used so much electricity and didn't do a whole lot of cooling, so out it went. Do the window units cool more efficiently? I think they do...Anyhow, do you vent the skylight/lid while the A/C is running? Any other tips in conjunction with the A/C? Thanks so much

J

[Pacific Yurts]

Our 30' display model here at our facility has an A/C unit installed and I've found it works well to angle the cool air so it blows around the circumference of the yurt (rather than blowing straight across the yurt) and leave the dome open. As the air heats up it rises up to the dome and is exhausted outside. Cool air tends to stay low, while hot air rises upward.

[cmwingfield]

Something else you might consider is a swamp cooler. I lived in Los Angeles for a while and my in-laws had a swamp cooler that would freeze you. These coolers don't work in Arkansas due to the high humidity, but in Southern California they work very well and don't use as much energy as an a/c unit. You can't leave the dome open in Arkansas in the summer. It is just too hot. I use a large BTU a/c and I have extra

insulation

. It cools very nicely and my electric bill while levelized has never exceeded eighty dollars a month.

[HawaiiYurts]

Floor vents are key. Window awnings allow you to leave the windows open on a pretty consistent basis for air flow. Bronzed domes reflect the heat instead of magnifying it. Keep us posted