Insulated Attic Now Downstairs Is Colder
When parts of your home are cooler than others it does not necessarily mean that your system is running inefficiently.
Insulated attic now downstairs is colder. According to the u s. This can help even out temperatures throughout the home. Since attics are often under insulated poorly sealed and poorly ventilated the temperature environment can be drastically different in an attic than in the rest of the home. During the summer this leads to the hot air from the attic seeking out the cooler conditioned floors below.
This is most notable in the case of attics. Department of energy doe the average unimproved attic has just r 19 insulation the insulation value of a five and a half inch thick fiberglass batt. The doe recommends r 49 or better for good energy efficiency and interior comfort in northern states. For some homeowners it s the kid s bedroom that burns up in the summertime.
For others the basement turns into an icebox during the winter months. Go up to your attic and measure. The insulation institute says a home in northern areas needs 16 18 which equals r49. As an energy auditor one of the most common complaints we come across is a room or area of the house that gets too hot too cold or both.
Attic insulation is put into the home when it is built but over the years it settles or was never enough insulation in the beginning. This can be in any home. That may be the problem. This turns on the fan whenever the heating or cooling system is on but for the rest of the time it is off.
This is due to faster heat loss caused by cold air in the attic and by ductwork that is too undersized to offset that extra heat loss.