A homeowner in Clermont contacted us this week due to a warmer than usual home. Customer stated that the AC blow really cold at night and in the morning, however, in the daytime, the AC really struggles and blows warmer. When we arrived, the ducts closest to the HVAC unit were blowing 58F. The ducts with the long runs in the attic were blowing 67F.
Customer has had the AC company out twice, no problem found. The customer also had a brand new roof and believes it is the lack of ventilation at the top of the attic. Upon inspection, we found out that the customer has a perfectly installed and wide ridge-line vent with great ventilation. Almost too perfect.
We inspected all the HVAC ducts, everything is sealed perfectly.
We found 2 problems. The insulation averages about an R22 on the edges, and in the middle third of the attic, the insulation averaged about an R9. The latter problem is that the home painter nearly sealed up all soffit vents with a paint sprayer and the soffits do not allow air intake into the attic.
For a temporary fix, we removed two soffit sections in the screened back porch and I felt the air get flow into the attic.
Attic Readings
At 2:20 PM the attic was 148F with a humidity reading of 71%. Very hot and humid for an attic.
Location: Clermont, Florida
Concern: The AC does not cool properly in the day time.
Cause: Low insulation and extremely poor air intake into the attic.
Correction: We temporarily opened the soffit intake and have scheduled the customer to add an average of 8″ of attic insulation.
Call 407-775-2230 for a free quote or inspection.
