I had heard the warnings from neighbors; "these houses are like ovens. they arent insulated well, and the sun beats on them all day, making it hot as hell." I listened, but didn't really believe that it would be that bad, this early.
After a fairly sleepless night on Monday with only a ceiling fan to circulate the warm air, I was determined to ensure the next night would be better. Arriving home after softball, and post victory beer drinking, I walked into the sauna that is my house. At 1030 pm, the temperature in the house was a balmy 88 degrees. Not exactly prime sleeping weather.
I trodded down to the basement to pull out the a/c units that were tucked away under the stairwell. These were a conveyed "gift" from the previous owners. Both were installed in a matter of minutes, the only damage, 3 small cuts on my right hand. No idea how that happened. The units looked as though they were manufactured in 1982. They didn't seem to have much effect on the convection oven conditions in my bedroom, and undoubtedly have quadrupled my electric bill. But they will have to do until I either win the lotto, or find a sugar mamma to pay for central air......
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6 comments:
Do you have a flat roof? I have an interior unit and we bake on the upper floor, even with central A/C. (and the airflow from the blower to the upstairs vents is pretty good).
I think part of the problem is the lack of a "real" attic. Flat roofs seem to provide about 2 feet of space between the ultra-hot exterior of the house, and the bedroom ceilings. Even with fiberglass insulation, that just means crazy-hot temps in the small attic space, which radiates all day and night into the adjacent rooms.
I'm looking into supplemental insulation up there (difficult to install because of the small space) and into attic vents. I think the vents are the key; http://bestmaterials.com
http://roofvents.com
I got Spacepak air conditioning installed by John C. Flood. $16,500 installation plus a couple thousand for drywall repair. Definitely worth it, because my house averaged 86 degrees last summer. I even have part of the attic air conditioned. Spacepak means you don't have the big boxes with vents.
I do have a fairly flat roof with a small crawl space you describe. i think adding more insulation, and perhaps a vent would be a good idea to keep things cooler. Now i only have to find the money to do both.
Thanks for the tip.
Libertarian, my house is about 85 as we speak, and hotter upstairs. This is despite keeping windows closed and blinds shut during the day. window units will be my only defense until central can be installed. I already have forced air vents, so hopefully 16K wont be my bill
I have the same flat roof issue. I've heard that better insulation and ventilation are the key. Thanks for the tip.
JOE
That's a great story. Waiting for more. » »
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