Though you may not give it much thought, an overly hot attic that is running a temp can be unhealthy for both your household comfort and bank account. Because your attic greatly affects your air conditioner’s operation, it’s important that you take steps to reduce the heat in this space. Equipping your attic with adequate insulation and ventilation is key to keeping your attic at a healthy temperature.
The function of attic insulation and ventilation
Your attic’s levels of insulation and ventilation play a direct role in your overall comfort and energy spending. Heat rises, and in doing so, it makes its way to your attic. At the same time, the hot sun beating down on the roof throughout the day radiates heat into the attic. When this space lacks adequate ventilation, hot air will have no place to escape and will begin to accumulate. Insulation is meant to act as a barrier to prevent heat in the attic from radiating back down into your living space. Without insulation to block this thermal heat movement, that warm air will descend into your home, and force your A/C to work all the harder to cool your home.
Improving attic insulation and ventilation
Check to see if your attic insulation is equal with or lower than the floor joists. If so, you should add more insulation until you’re unable to see the joists, or else have a professional technician do the job.
Check your attic’s vents for any signs of debris or clogs that may prevent the venting of hot air outside of your home. If these are clear, but your attic still seems too hot, take a look at your roofing materials. A telltale sign of an overly hot attic is asphalt shingles with curled edges. This is damaging both to your roofing materials, and your air conditioner’s efficiency. In this case, consider installing an attic fan to actively exchange the hot inside air with cooler outside air. Our blog features a variety of other ventilation strategies.
For more advice on attic insulation and ventilation, contact the professionals at Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning. We are proud to serve Lorain, Erie, and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and ventilation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area