Temperature, relative humidity, and heat requirements in an electrically heated home, Sussex, N.B. - 1963

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Temperature, relative humidity, and heat requirements in an electrically

heated home, Sussex, N.B. - 1963

CANADA

I I

TEMPERATURE,

AND

HEAT

IN

HEATED

HOME,

N.

B.

-

1963

D.R.

?y

28

1965

.:

TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND HEAT

ELECTRICALLY HEATED

HOME,

SUSSEX, N . B .

-

by

D.R. Robson

In

Sydney,

N.

instrumented in January 1963. The GommerciaP Department of the

New Brunswick P o w e r Commission expressed interest in obtaining

records of indoor tempexature and relative humidity and undertook to make arrangements f o r chart changes, meter readings, and weather r e c o r d s .

T h e house in Sussex is _{a one-storey frame dwelling built}

a n a basement (Figure 1). The insulation used over the ceiling was

6

in.

under the floor; the basement was unheated. The living space of the house was heated with e l e c t r i c baseboard units controlled by individual

room thermostats.

Continuous r e c o r d s of indoor temperature and relative humidity

were taken using a _{hygrothermograph (Figure 2). This instrument}

was calibrated on a monthly basis, and the charts were changed weekly by the homeowner.

Records of electrical e n e r g y consumption were obtained by

separate metering of the space heating, water heating, and electric range. Readings w e r e made weekly.

The house was occupied by two adults and t w o children.

Outdoor weather records were obtained from the Sus s e x sub s t a t i o n

of the Department of Transport.

The inside air temperature, inside-outside air temperature

difference, relative humidity and humidity ratio based an average weekly

values are shown graphically in Figure: 3 .

F r o m records of electrical energy used, it has a l s o been possible

t o show in graph form the electricity used for space heating on a weekly

A summary of _{data in} Table

I

significant calculated and recorded data f o r this house. Table

FT

details the monthly distribution 01 e l e c t r i c a l energy used, except

f o r the October readings which include totals f o r June, July,

August and September.

The graph s h o w n in F i g u r e 5 r e c o r d s the average weekly basement temperatures and the average weekly outdoor temperatures.

The record f o r the basement temperatures w a s not started until. mid-

March so a complete twelve-month record is not available.

OBSERVATIONS

( 1 )

It

of variations due to occupancy, orientation, and building details. It i s

worth while, however, to record the data collected for possible future

comparison with o t h e r houses.

( 2 ) The r e c o r d of temperature and humidity (Figure 3) indicates

a fairly good control of temperature and a rather h i g h relative humidity.

T h i s increase in indoor relative humidity is to be expected with no

combustion air requirement f o r the heating system and, therefore, possibly a lower infiltration rate than is common to houses heated by

other means.

( 3 The r e c o r d s shown in Figure 5 indicate that the average weekly

basement temperature did not go below 42°F with an average outside temperature for t h e same week of + 5 " F . The basement t e m p e r a t u r e

records f o r January and F e b r u a r y 1963 w e r e not obtained, but because

the low outdoor mean in December 1 9 6 3 was not exceeded in J a n u a r y or

February of 1963, it would seem reasonable that the temperature of this

unheated basement would not go below 4 0 ° F .

(4) The estimated electrical. energy used for space heating based

on the calculated heat loss when using a

C

Electrical Manufacturers Association ( M E W ) f o r m u l a shown below, is

within I 2 per cent of the amount actually used.

where

KW = Annual kwh

E L = Calculated heat l o s s , k w

T d = Temperature dsference,

F

C

The writer appreciate a the opportunity t o supplement

existing information with records f r o m this house in Sussex. The

co-operation of the contractor-homeowner and the Commercial

Department of the New Brunswick Electric Power Commission i s

very much appreciated. H e i s particula'rly grateful to M r . Rinehart

of the

NBEPC

processed the data f o r the S u s s e x house.

It

of this information as contained in this report will be of interest and assistance with regard to _{the u s e of electricity f a r domestic heating.}

TABLE I

SUMMARY

OF

D A T A

N o. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9

Calculated heat loss - ~ t u / h r F l o o r a r e a

-

Degree days f o r period Total electricity u s e d , kwh

Electrical u s e - space heating,

kwh

Electrical use

-

Electrical u s e

-

Electrical use

-

.

,

Total electricity used

-

heating, kwh

~ w h / " day (heating only]

~ w h /

Data Summary Sussex 25,700 840

9,145

FLOOR PLAN

I O I P 3 8 5 6 J

-

D.B.R.

LOCAT ION

SUSSEX

N.0.

HOUSE

IHDOOR

CLIMATE

OF

BUILDINGS

L O C A T I O N

SUSSEX

N.8.

HOUSE

.. . -. 1000

g

-

2

5

s

g

DEC a JAN FEB MAR APR * MAY * JUNE JULY AUG SEPT * O C T NOV

INDOOR

CtSMATE

[IF

BUILD! WGS

LOCATION

SlK%EX

N.B.

HOUSE

JAN

*

*

*

1963

El? 3 5 4 3 - 3