Anyone else live in a manufactured home?

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kingricefan

kingricefan

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Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
I live in a 26' X 38' manufactured home. It does not have a basement. It is set up on concrete blocks about 2 1/2 feet from the ground with hard skirting all around. There are about 10 metal vents all around the skirting at various points on the skirting. I know that these are used for ventilation so that there is no moisture build-up underneath the home. I have cut up a plastic shower curtain liner and duct-taped the pieces over about 6 of the vents to keep the heat and/or cold from entering beneath my home during the day. I did this about 3 years ago and just yesterday replaced the plastic as the duct tape had degraded and some of the pieces had fallen off. It is decidedly cooler in my house today with an outside temperature of 88 degrees. Yesterday it was the same temp. but it was hot inside so I had two air conditioners running during the day. I can't believe how much cooler it is today inside without either air conditioner going. Has anyone else done something like this?
 
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GNTLGNT

GNTLGNT

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Spideyman

Spideyman

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kingricefan said:
I live in a 26' X 38' manufactured home. It does not have a basement. It is set up on concrete blocks about 2 1/2 feet from the ground with hard skirting all around. There are about 10 metal vents all around the skirting at various points on the skirting. I know that these are used for ventilation so that there is no moisture build-up underneath the home. I have cut up a plastic shower curtain liner and duct-taped the pieces over about 6 of the vents to keep the heat and/or cold from entering beneath my home during the day. I did this about 3 years ago and just yesterday replaced the plastic as the duct tape had degraded and some of the pieces had fallen off. It is decidedly cooler in my house today with an outside temperature of 88 degrees. Yesterday it was the same temp. but it was hot inside so I had two air conditioners running during the day. I can't believe how much cooler it is today inside without either air conditioner going. Has anyone else done something like this?
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I have a Palm Harbor Manufactured home with fake stone skirting and vents one each side, plus the access panel. Each has what is called a bug screen behind it. Have never covered the vents. Do you have central a/c with floor( under) duct work? There might be a leak - thus covering the vents is keeping the cooler air under the home?
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
Spideyman said:
I have a Palm Harbor Manufactured home with fake stone skirting and vents one each side, plus the access panel. Each has what is called a bug screen behind it. Have never covered the vents. Do you have central a/c with floor( under) duct work? There might be a leak - thus covering the vents is keeping the cooler air under the home?
Click to expand...
No, I don't have central AC. I wish I did. I have two separate units, a large one in a living room window and a smaller one in my bedroom window. They don't use a lot of power (compared to a central unit) so I'm happy with them but I can't place any type of furniture in front of those windows as it would block the air flow from the units.
 
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Spideyman

Spideyman

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kingricefan said:
No, I don't have central AC. I wish I did. I have two separate units, a large one in a living room window and a smaller one in my bedroom window. They don't use a lot of power (compared to a central unit) so I'm happy with them but I can't place any type of furniture in front of those windows as it would block the air flow from the units.
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Replaced the central A/C about 2 years ago. What a difference in cooling/ heating and cost. The original one just wasn't the correct size. In FL with humidity and heat, it is almost a must. When first moved to Fl in 1967, rented an older house and the cross ventilation was awesome. They do not build the new ones like that any more. Heating was a fireplace.
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
Spideyman said:
Replaced the central A/C about 2 years ago. What a difference in cooling/ heating and cost. The original one just wasn't the correct size. In FL with humidity and heat, it is almost a must. When first moved to Fl in 1967, rented an older house and the cross ventilation was awesome. They do not build the new ones like that any more. Heating was a fireplace.
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I would love to put a wood stove in my place. It would heat up the entire house.
 
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morgan

morgan

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My mom lives in a mobile home - is that different than a manufactured home? Never noticed any vents around the skirting, but it's in disrepair. So many things need to be fixed. *Sigh*

I got the number of a handyman that has a good reputation and goes to my mom's church. Wanted him to come and give me an estimate on all the things that need to be fixed, so that maybe I could financially chip away at them slowly over time. So that everything doesn't completely fall apart at once! Found out he's on vacation in Australia. If he's on a vacay like that, I probably can't afford him anyway!! ;;D
 
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kingricefan

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
morgan said:
My mom lives in a mobile home - is that different than a manufactured home? Never noticed any vents around the skirting, but it's in disrepair. So many things need to be fixed. *Sigh*

I got the number of a handyman that has a good reputation and goes to my mom's church. Wanted him to come and give me an estimate on all the things that need to be fixed, so that maybe I could financially chip away at them slowly over time. So that everything doesn't completely fall apart at once! Found out he's on vacation in Australia. If he's on a vacay like that, I probably can't afford him anyway!! ;;D
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Mobile home = manufactured home. Mine is a double wide. If I lived closer I could come over and do the repairs for your Mom.
 
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