Why would an AC unit be in an attic?
Attic HVAC Units Save Space Extra space is the most obvious reason for attic HVAC installations. This makes it an ideal option for homeowners who may have issues with space restrictions. While the concern of leaks may be an issue, it is something you can negate by properly sealing and insulating the ducts.
What is the AC unit in the attic called?
air handlersMost often, air handlers are located in the attic, basement or a dedicated closet, and may closely resemble the shape of a gas furnace. As its name suggests, an air handler “handles” the air inside your home and delivers warm or cool indoor air throughout your entire home.
Can central AC be in the attic?
Some people have their central air conditioning systems installed in attics. This is so because installing an HVAC system in the attic saves space. Secondly, installing air conditioning units in the attic is cheaper and more straightforward. You just have to install the unit and leave it there.
Why do I have an AC unit outside and in attic?
The Reason To Put The AC In Your Attic The air handler would go up in the attic, and you'd still have a unit outside of the house. Once everything is installed, you would simply turn the air conditioning on like any other set up and it would start blowing cool air from the attic down.
Does AC unit in attic have a filter?
You can typically find it inside the attic or basement. When you find it, the replaceable filter is on the unit's left side, right side, top, or bottom. One tip about your air handler: The filter may fit in a small slot with directions demonstrating how to insert the filter.
Is it better to put HVAC in attic?
One reason that attic air conditioners happen is because they're cheaper and easier to install. It's a lot simpler for your installer to leave ductwork loose, rather than having to cover it and wind it through floors and walls.
Is it better to have HVAC in basement or attic?
More Efficient Ducts A heating system based in the the attic is closer to the upper stories of a multi-level residence. Your system will not need long ducts and a lot of ductwork to supply heat to all areas when compared to a furnace or HVAC in a crawl space or basement.
Why do builders put furnace in the attic?
Using your attic clears storage space If you have your furnace in the garage, the basement or a closet, you lose that space for storage. Attics are often left empty, making them a good choice for the furnace and freeing up storage space elsewhere.
Should AC unit in attic be insulated?
After sealing all the leaks, the Building Performance Institute and the Department of Energy recommend that attics be insulated to an R-Value (or resistance to conductive heat transfer) of 60 for the Atlanta GA climate.
Does an AC unit need to be outside?
Does it need to go outside? A portable air conditioner uses its vent hose to remove heat, so venting it outside makes the most sense in almost every case. If the heat from the exhaust fan can come back through the intake of the air conditioner, you're wasting money.
Does air conditioning unit need to be outside?
In short, no. Though in split system air conditioners design, commonly heat pumps, part of your system is located outside your home, it does not take in outside air. Its main operational purpose of cooling the air in your home is not achieved by moving cool air inside, but by moving unwanted heat out.
Do central air units have to be outside?
The central air conditioners do not use outside air to cool the home's interior. Instead, the AC unit will remove the humidity and warmth from the indoor air. Then, release cold filtered air via the houses' duct system.
Can you put AC condenser in attic?
Placing a condenser unit indoors in an attic or garage will reduce your system's air supply, which will limit the amount of heat that it's able to remove from your home. In addition, placing a condenser unit indoors will cause the space around it to heat up, and that heat can radiate into your home's living spaces.
What is attic air?
Attic Air is an insulation company that specializes in evaluating your home to ensure that it is properly ventilated and insulated, and the evaluation is free. Since 1996, Attic Air has earned a reputation for providing effective solutions for your insulation and ventilation needs.
Is it common to have a furnace in the attic?
Attic furnaces are frequently installed in residential and commercial structures throughout New Jersey. Furnaces are often put in basements in residential and commercial buildings, however transferring your furnace to your attic or having a furnace installed in your attic can provide convenience and safety.
What is the AC unit outside called?
Condenser Unit Parts The outside unit of an air conditioning system is often called the condenser unit because the condenser plays a key role in how it works.
Why put AC in attic?
The Reason To Put The AC In Your Attic. This exact situation is when we would suggest installing air conditioning in your attic. The great thing about putting air conditioning in the attic is that a minimal amount of labor is involved. Attics are more accessible and easier to run lines through. The air handler would go up in ...
Where do air handlers go?
The air handler would go up in the attic, and you’d still have a unit outside of the house. Once everything is installed, you would simply turn the air conditioning on like any other set up and it would start blowing cool air from the attic down.
Pro: Attic HVAC Systems Save Space
So why put an HVAC system up in the attic at all? Well, mainly it’s a way to save space. Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system, meaning the AC is broken up into parts: an outdoor unit, which houses the fan condenser and compressor, and an indoor unit, which holds the evaporator and fan.
Con: Attic HVAC Units are Potentially Inefficient
The biggest complaint about attic HVAC units is that they don’t really make sense. Attics are, for the most part, unconditioned, meaning a leak here could significantly reduce your home’s overall efficiency.
Pro: Attic Installations Save Labor and Cost Less
Just like everything in life, when it comes to home building, money talks. One reason that AC units go up in attics is because they’re cheaper and easier to install. It’s a lot simpler for your installer to leave ductwork loose, rather than having to cover it and wind it through floors and walls.
Con: HVAC System Problems Go Undetected
No matter what kind of attic HVAC system you have, it’s easy to forget about it until something goes wrong.
What to Do If You Already Have an Attic HVAC System
If you’re reading this and feeling a pang of recognition, don’t worry. Having your HVAC system in your attic isn’t dire, though you’ll need to do some work to keep your air conditioner or furnace system running as efficiently as possible.
Why put an air handler in the attic?
The only reason for putting the air handler (indoor unit) of an air conditioner in an attic is to free up usable floor space in the living area of the home. But the additional square footage comes at a cost.
Why is attic installation more expensive?
2) Attic installation is more expensive because the air handler requires a catch pan under the unit and drain pipe running down to the ground, a structural support to hold it without cutting any roof trusses, a floor in front of the unit for a service tech to work, with a work light and receptacle, and a minimum two-foot wide walkway from the attic hatch opening to the unit.
Is the attic hot or cold?
1) An attic is hot in the summer and cold in the winter, with energy loss around the cabinet that results in increased utility bills, despite manufacturer-installed insulation. Summer attic temperatures in our North Florida area, for example, reach 130º F and above on a hot afternoon.
Is the attic a conditioned space?
This technique is often used for energy-efficient new homes and, although the attic is not a conditioned space, it will not be much warmer or cooler than the interior of the home, and this also reduces the energy loss from attic ductwork. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. To learn more about heating ...
What happens when you see ductwork running?
Going up into an attic and seeing ductwork running every which way is not an uncommon sight; it also means that the air in those ducts is continually exposed to the ambient temperature in the attic – typically an unheated and non-air-conditioned space. The result is the treated air is losing energy back into the attic. Hot air becomes cooler and cool air becomes hotter, and by the time the air comes out of your vents, it’s no longer at the temperature set on your thermostat. This situation is almost entirely unavoidable without extensive duct insulation.
Can air leak out of ductwork?
Air doesn’t just leak up into the attic from downstairs; it can leak out of the ductwork, too, if the ducts get pierced or damaged. In both cases, the air that enters the attic can be quite humid. The result is a moist, sticky environment in the attic that’s not only unpleasant (and adds to energy efficiency problems), but that can also start to cause problems with mold and even rot on wooden structures.
Does the attic affect air in ducts?
The attic’s ambient temperature doesn’t just affect the air in your ducts. Think of all the places the ductwork must go down through the ceiling to create a vent into one of the rooms on your lower floors. Each of those points represents another place where air can escape upward into the attic and, ultimately, out of the home. A loss in heat translates into more work for your HVAC in the attic, which means higher operating costs and more problems too. Because the equipment must work so much harder, it raises the likelihood of failure.
Why do AC units go up in attics?
Just like everything in life, when it comes to home building, money talks. One reason that AC units go up in attics is because they are cheaper and easier to install. It is a lot simpler for your installer to leave ductwork loose, rather than having to cover it and wind it through floors and walls.
Why put an HVAC system in the attic?
So why put an HVAC system up in the attic at all? Well, mainly it is a way to save space. Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system, meaning the AC is broken up into parts: an outdoor unit, which houses the fan condenser and compressor, and an indoor unit, which holds the evaporator and fan. Typically, this indoor unit gets placed in a cabinet or closet somewhere inside.
Why does my AC coil freeze up?
A clogged filter could cause your AC evaporator coil to freeze up, and it might make your furnace or heat pump work overtime—all of which makes your system less efficient and more costly—and your home less comfortable. You can also have an HVAC contractor to check out your unit’s insulation and sealing.
Do attic HVAC units leak?
The biggest complaint about attic HVAC units is that they do not really make sense. Attics are, for the most part, unconditioned, meaning a leak here could significantly reduce your home’s overall efficiency. To avoid this, HVAC contractors must take care to properly seal and insulate air ducts —something not all of them do to the same degree of precision. But even if the ducts are installed to a tee, there is still the possibility that leaks will develop. Ductwork naturally expands and contracts with your home’s vacillating temperatures, and in time that can loosen duct seals. So, detractors say, since the risk of leaks is very real, why house your unit and ductwork in an unconditioned space?
Can a clogged drain cause condensation?
You might also not notice issues, like a clogged condensate drain, that can create big problems if they go unchecked. For instance, a clog in your drain line can cause condensation from your AC unit to back up and spill out over the catch pan, leading to mold in your insulation and drywall, rotting attic floor joists, and ceiling leaks in the rooms below your attic—all things you do not want for your home, trust us.
Where is the AC split in a house?
Typically, this indoor unit gets placed in a cabinet or closet somewhere inside.
Can you forget about HVAC in attic?
No matter what kind of attic HVAC system you have, it is easy to forget about it until something goes wrong. But if your unit is relegated to some forgotten corner of your attic, it is even more likely that you will ignore it—and you may even forego routine maintenance tasks like changing your filters (to which any HVAC contractor would say, tsk, tsk! ).
Air contains water. Warm air can contain more water than cool
True fact. Air wants to contain moisture and water will directly evaporate into the air wherever possible. If you ever breathe air that doesn't contain water, you know it immediately because it steals moisture out of your mouth, throat and lungs. Aircraft pressurization is somewhat like that.
When you chill air, the water falls out
That is why an ice cold glass will have condensation. It is not leaking through the glass. The air that is very close to the glass is being chilled by the glass; when its temperature falls, it cannot hold as much water. The water has to come out. So the water grabs onto the nearest surface, and there you are.
