Attic Temp Vs Cooling Cost In Florida

Improving attic ventilation for cost savings.

Attic temp vs cooling cost in florida.

Told that the 2 attic power vents are the only attic ventilation i have the house does have vented soffits every other soffit cover is vented. Blown in insulation is the least expensive option and ideal for older attics. Runs up the cooling cost. Install electric ventilators and attic fans which remove hot air from an attic.

If it s 90 degrees outside the attic temperatures shouldn t exceed 110 according to home inspector jamison brown of amerispec home inspection services in poquoson. The florida solar energy center fsec has done quite a bit of work in this area and even built a test building called the flexible roof facility to study different types of roof and attic assemblies. Things have been ok low energy bills house very comfortable. Too many attic vents can cause temperature fluctuations in cold weather months and too little venting will not do enough to dissipate heat in the summer.

Ultimately improving your attic s ventilation can have a net positive effect on your cooling bill. On one hand the national renewable energy laboratory said attic ventilation reduces attic temperature 10 to 25 degrees and slows the transfer of heat into the living space on the other the florida solar energy center university of central florida found that attics with nominal natural ventilation and r 19 ceiling insulation do not. They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100 110 degrees. The benefit from lowering temperatures in the attic and thus reducing heat gain from the attic into the house is.

In general attic fans are not effective at reducing air conditioning costs. Help purchased home 8 years ago with 2 power attic vents. Dropping the temp by 10 f would reduce the heat load to the second floor by 20 of 750 btu h so the attic fan reduces the conduction cooling load by 150 btu h or 50w. It can cost anywhere from 1 700 to 2 100 or between 1 50 and 3 50 per foot to insulate an attic depending on what insulation material you choose.

Alternatively install passive vents such as gable soffit and ridge vents which are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape. The math doesn t add up. There s been some good work done on how the type of roofing affects the attic temperatures and cooling loads in the house. The same temperature as the interior would limit heat gain and loss to the living space and help limit heat related damage to the roofing material where that was a concern.