Why Is Central Air Conditioner System Not Keeping House Cool?
If you feel your home is not cooling enough, you must look at how your house is constructed to determine whether your central AC system is the right size for your home’s square footage and features. The easiest way to do this is to call a professional AC company to have an experienced technician inspect your cooling issues.
Another reason why your home may not be cooling properly is due to having an older HVAC system. An old AC unit may not function like it used to, which is the reason why your home feels warmer than it should. Over time, systems get run down and dirty if they are not properly maintained. Luckily, AC product technology has improved in recent years, and upgrading your air conditioner can help keep your home cooler while increasing your energy savings.
How Home Is Built Affects AC
Some items that can cause a home to feel less cool can be attributed to the type of roof you have, whether you have attic insulation or not, the style of windows and even the direction your home sits. All of these things can affect your cooling load.
Type Of Roof On Your Home
The type of roof you have will make a difference in keeping a home cool. A barrel tile roof is considered the best type and gives excellent insulation. Barrel tile compared to shingle tile could mean a 1-ton difference in air conditioning, saving you hundreds of dollars on your electric bill per year. Shingle roofs do not have the insulating factor as tile roofs. Another factor that can cause your home to feel warmer is the color of the roof. A light-colored roof reflects the sun’s heat versus a darker roof that will absorb more heat. The hotter your roof is, the warmer your home will feel.
Lack of Insulation In Your Attic
FPL has rebate programs and agreements with companies to help pay to re-insulate your attic. Ensuring your insulation is good can improve your home’s ability to stay cool. Ask your technician how the insulation looks the next time they are in your attic to determine if it’s sufficient.
Sprayed foam insulation is the best for insulating an attic. It has the best insulation r-value. Most homes in South Florida have blown-in insulation. That is the loose insulation that is above the ceiling. A good rule is that you don’t have enough insulation if you can see the trusts in your attic.
Type Of Windows On Home
The type of window you have can increase or decrease your heat load on a home. Windows that have cracks or need repair will make you pay more for your electric bill because cold air is escaping your home and warm air is getting in. Glass pane windows are the old style of window that provides very little protection from the sun. They allow a lot of heat into a home. Newer windows that are hurricane intact and have an R-value of 5 means that these windows have reduced heat loss from a U-factor of 0.3 to 0.2. By upgrading their windows, consumers can save more than 30% on energy bills. Even sliding glass doors allow that heat into your home. Sometimes putting a UV film can help keep a house cooler.
Direction Your Home Faces
The direction your home sits has a significant effect on your heat load. The same style house facing north and south will be cooler than the exact same floorplan model home facing east and west. The difference could be a ton of air conditioning. When the longer part of the house faces the sun, it absorbs more heat.
