Posted on 07/19/2012 2:14:15 PM PDT by Feline_AIDS
Has already been mentioned in this thread, but bares repeating. Not all light fixtures are rated to be in contact with insulation. Serious fire hazard!
I hate those curly things too, but guess what? They now make round ones that would work perfectly in recesses lighting. I use them both in my basement and in my mirror over my bathroom sink.
Those curly things were obnoxious!
I hate those curly things too, but guess what? They now make round ones that would work perfectly in recessed lighting. I use them both in my basement and in my mirror over my bathroom sink.
Those curly things were obnoxious!
They do exist. Black-out cell blinds. I have one on the most Southwest corner window of my house, and I live in Phoenix. It helps! And when it's closed, you can't see your hand in front of your face.
http://www.nansulate.com/homeprotect.htm
I’ve had good results with this paint with cold and hot weather.
If the attic is so hot that it is blowing heat down through the light fixtures, I can guarantee you that the attic space is not properly ventilated.
There should be vents in the soffit (underneath the eaves) AND there should be either ‘vents in BOTH gable ends’, or ‘a continuous ridge vent’.
Inspect to make certain the insulation was not installed in such a way as to block intake from the soffit vents if they do exist (a common installation error).
Find a reputable contractor to confirm what I am saying, but I will bet you I am right.
AFTER it is proven that there is positive and adequate ventilation, THEN start worrying about adding insulation, and other periphery.
As you can see, you will get many different suggestions.
Since you have decided to address the recessed lights as a first step I suggest you go to Home Depot and get the new replacement lamps they sell which cost about $40 each. They are LEDs and turn a standard RC light into an air tight fixture. Installation is a snap - there are videos on Youtube and Home Depot has one on their website.
If you are going to go for a more detailed approach then the advice a poster mentioned above about having a professional advise you to avoid problems down the road (mildew, mold) is spot on.
Don’t know if they would work in the poster’s situation, but I agree that mini-splits are the best! We had them installed in our 100+ year old house instead of the mess of running ductwork for central air. With four units we can “zone” the house, keeping higher temps where we aren’t, and lowering the temperatures in rooms we’re in.
It appears that you have several issues present.....
Comfort issues usually revolve around 3 main factors...
1) Overall capacity of the system(s). Does the A/C equipment meet the buildings heat gains and losses? Note that the design of the building, windows, use of thermal mass etc. and it’s insulation values change the gains losses of any building and therefore the A/C capacity requirement for the structure. There are also internal load factors to consider, but in a home these are usually a minor consideration.
2) Even distribution of the A/C capacity throught the various parts of the structure is essential to comfort.... Is the above total capacity distrubuted correctly for each room or area of the house? This is accomplish through proper ductwork design and sizing.
3) Control of the A/C equipment’s cycling....Is the thermostat located in an area that is representive of what loads are effecting the home’s comfort level? Does the A/C equipt cycle on or off to meet changing conditions?
That said there are Building design issues that must be addressed also.....
The greatest ‘heat gain’ in any structure is through the roof. The biggest bang for your buck here is to insulate your attic space. Doing this is essential and a basic must for any effective solution. Note that it will be only one of several steps you may need to take. beter windows, drapes, awnings, etc all improve the Buildings thermal performance.
The can lights you have are acting as internal heat sources. THe heat rejection from other equipment/occupants/etc can also effect the internal load. Using cooler bulbs than the ones you currently use will mitigate the internal heat load from this one source. Can you identify other sources? What is the occupant load?
The A/C system cycles on and off by the thermostat that I assume is in another part of the house (downstairs?) with dissimiliar environmental conditions. Some sort of zoning system with duct dampers and ‘slave’ thermostats could be used if there is good access to all of the ducting. It essentially shifts airflow/capacity from one part of the house to another that has higher load conditions. This option is expensive, and not a DIY project. I do not recommend it at any rate no matter what the A/C company salesmen may say.....Note that this is NOT a solution if your basic system is undersized capacity wise.....
Another, and best option is to create another A/C zone separate from the main house system by conditioning this space with it’s own dedicated A/C unit. The mini split heat pump pictured above or even a wall/window mounted heat pump (ya get both heat & cool with heat pumps) would be optimal. the PTAC is much less expensive than the mini split by orders of magnitude, but may generate noise issues.....
Are you using the same A/C system that existed before the addition of this room or did you up size the unit when you addded the room, and it’s extra load? If you are using the original pre-additon system, then adding a dedicated system (and increasing the total capacity of the house) to the new room, will restore the comfort to the rest of the home by accounting for the additional load caused by the addition of the room while meeting the demands of that additional room.
By adding both additional capacity to the overall house and dedicating that capacity to your problem room you should solve your problem and be much more comfortable throughout the entirity of your home.
Here in Texas, I had a really hot room that was being hit by the afternoon sun. The rest of the house was fine, but that room was, at least, 10 degrees warmer.
The room was on the second floor, and like many homes here, we have two AC units. So I went to the attic and added a small (4 inch) duct from the FIRST FLOOR unit, which runs a lot more. That little puff of air did the trick and balanced out that second floor room. It works great. Obviously, every case is different, but maybe I’ll spur some ideas.
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