{"id":7793,"date":"2022-07-19T20:26:48","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T01:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texaselectricityratings.com\/blog\/?p=7793"},"modified":"2022-08-01T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-01T16:30:15","slug":"is-your-hot-attic-killing-your-ac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texaselectricityratings.com\/blog\/is-your-hot-attic-killing-your-ac\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Hot Attic Killing Your AC?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Will Your Hot Attic Burn Up Your AC?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Is
Texas home builders have put HVAC systems for decades. But high summer heat can reduce their efficiency and cost you more. Find out why and what you can do to save money!<\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sometimes home designs make you stand back and scratch your head. For years, Texas home builders followed the annoying building practice of putting all the air handling equipment in the attic. Up there, your bulky HVAC equipment is out of sight and out of mind. But during hot summers<\/a>, your attic can reach 145\u00b0F or more. Yet somehow, you expect it to cool your home while operating in a sweltering environment.\u00a0So let’s look at how your hot attic maybe killing your AC and driving up your Texas electric bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Efficiency and Your Hot Attic Ductwork<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Even if your home\u2019s HVAC is in a closet, you may still have ductwork running through your hot attic. That\u2019s bad, too. The problem is once your system cools the air, it passes through your attic ductwork. So your system has to run longer to keep up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

According to Energy Vanguard, moving ductwork from the attic<\/a> to living space reduces required AC capacity by 24%. On top of that, cooling usage goes down by 17%. And peak cooling demand drops by 22%. HomeAdvisor<\/a> estimates the ductwork replacement cost at $10 to $20 per linear foot. Rerouting ductwork can be an expensive proposition, so you\u2019ll have to decide for yourself if doing so is worth it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Another option is to insulate your ductwork. Angi.com pegs ductwork insulation cost<\/a> at $1.15 to $5.50 per square foot. But notice the difference in pricing: linear foot versus square foot. You\u2019ll need to do some geometry homework on your ducts to see which one is the better deal for your home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Radiant Barrier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

You can cool your attic significantly by installing a radiant barrier<\/a>. This foil and plastic sheeting product is attached to the underside of your roof decking. The foil reflects radiant energy (infrared heat) back through the roof decking. An addition effect is that the air heated between the roof and the barrier rises and escapes through your roof\u2019s ridge vent while pulling in cooler air from the soffit vents below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

You won\u2019t want to hang out in the attic for extended periods of time. However, your attic will be much cooler than before installing the radiant barrier<\/a>. You\u2019ll easily see a 40% difference in your attic\u2019s temperature. And running your HVAC in 87 degrees beats running it in 145 degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

HomeGuide<\/a> puts the cost of a radiant barrier<\/a> at $0.30 to $2.00 per square foot. Beware if a contractor wants to put the barrier on the top side of your ceiling. This is cheaper, but it does nothing for your air handler. It may also trap moisture<\/a> in your home if applied directly over insulation. So make sure your contractor quotes you a price to install the radiant barrier on the underside of the roof decking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Power Your AC All Summer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Putting HVAC equipment in your hot attic is pretty dumb. It\u2019s almost as dumb as not shopping https:\/\/www.texaselectricityratings.com<\/a> for Texas power plans. Find out how you can save more on your monthly bills with clear information and low prices.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will Your Hot Attic Burn Up Your AC? Sometimes home designs make you stand back and scratch your head. For years, Texas home builders followed the annoying building practice of putting all the air handling equipment in the attic. Up there, your bulky HVAC equipment is out of sight and out of mind. But during Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":7827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_mbp_gutenberg_autopost":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs Your Hot Attic Killing Your AC? - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"All summer, your AC is struggling in your hot attic to keep your home cool. 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