Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice to help my grandparents stay cool during the summer without spending a fortune. Their house, which is about 1600 sqft and located in the inland valleys of SoCal, was built in the early 80s and re-roofed in 2005, but no attic ventilation was added during the renovation. Lately, the place gets really hot and stuffy, often more than 10 degrees warmer inside than outside, even at night. Their AC struggles to maintain even 80 degrees when it hits over 100 outside, especially if we don't turn it on until after sunrise. We can't replace the AC right now, but I'm confident we could install an attic fan and a whole house fan ourselves. Would this setup help reduce heat retention and make the house more comfortable? Thanks for your insights!
2 Answers
I used to live in the San Francisco Bay area without AC and decided to install a 24-inch whole house fan. I placed it upstairs in the hallway and ran it whenever it was cooler outside than inside. We kept the doors and windows shut during the day and turned it on again at night. It made a huge difference! Now that I’m in Texas, where it’s humid, I really miss that fan—it created such a nice breeze indoors! I say go for it; it should definitely help your grandparents stay cool.
You might want to consider the insulation in the house as well. Proper air sealing and insulation can really impact comfort, possibly even more than just adding a whole house fan. If the attic is well insulated and sealed off, you’ll likely see a big improvement in the temperature balance throughout the house.
Exactly! You want to ensure that all gaps and areas where air could flow between the attic and the living spaces are sealed. That includes outlets, switches, and vents. If any area allows hot air to leak down into the home, it’ll defeat the purpose of adding fans.
Thanks for your reply! I was told the insulation was redone with the roof in 2005. It seems to be in good shape, but how do I go about air sealing the attic to improve efficiency? Should I be looking at places like outlets and light switches too?