Radiant Barrier on One Story?

[8mpg]

doing radiant barrier will help...make sure you do foil not paint. You can buy it online if you want to do it yourself. Insulation will help but air sealing is your best bet. Anything you can do from the attic air getting inside or inside air getting into the attic (or outside). Caulk windows and doors. Build styrafoam enclosures for recessed lights. Seal around electrical outlets. A big one is sealing your a/c ducting to minimize loss.

[Lone Sailor]

Oh yeah, it's bad. The attic insulation is the worst part, but the original shit windows, and 10 other factors play into it. We need to start addressing that stuff, but I have been getting my power from my employer for the last 5 years, so with the low rate I have paid, the actual return on investment kept it low on the priority list.

I know the feeling. All the windows in this house are still original. If you find a good deal on windows and installer hit me up.

[Rick Modena]

Good Point. I'll keep my eye on simple, cheap stuff like door seals, replacing any of the old incandescent bulbs with LEDs or CFL lights, etc, and the insulation.

I would rather begin making savings on the energy costs NOW than just simply wait and eat into the summer months without anything done.

The cost savings will help pay for more home improvements down the line (at least that's the idea)

A lot of people don't like the CFL bulbs but I swear by them, especially in my old house. The kitchen alone had 7-120 watt incandescent spot bulbs (840 watts) we spent a lot of time in the kitchen and not many windows so we always had them on, you could stand under them and feel the heat. I changed my entire house to CFL but I'll use the kitchen as the point, I switched over to 17 watt CFL that gave off 75w light, the kitchen was then at 119 watts total. So as you can see (no pun) it was only running 1 of the old spots in power, a huge savings and the emissions (heat) factor as well went way down, it may take them about a minute or so to come up to full power but it wasn't that big of a deal to me.

[32vfromhell]

Ryan, I would add more insulation for sure. And re-seal all the doors leading into and out of the house. Those Attic vents will help, but start with the cheaper easy stuff first, it sounds like the A/C SEER is good to go.

Good Point. I'll keep my eye on simple, cheap stuff like door seals, replacing any of the old incandescent bulbs with LEDs or CFL lights, etc, and the insulation.

I would rather begin making savings on the energy costs NOW than just simply wait and eat into the summer months without anything done.

The cost savings will help pay for more home improvements down the line (at least that's the idea)

[Chili]

Those air gaps you speak of must be quite large.

2500sqft 1984
Tstat stays on 72 in summer and 70 in winter. A/C and Heating unit are both 16 years old. Gas water heater, gas furnace with electric blower.

kWh/month
556 April
877 March
1057 February
1024 January
597 December
856 November
1928 september
1888 August
1793 July
1751 June
944 May
833 April

Oh yeah, it's bad. The attic insulation is the worst part, but the original shit windows, and 10 other factors play into it. We need to start addressing that stuff, but I have been getting my power from my employer for the last 5 years, so with the low rate I have paid, the actual return on investment kept it low on the priority list.

[Lone Sailor]

Bill amounts can be deceiving as just posting those up does not account for variances in the actual per kWh cost. A better indicator is to just look at consumption.

Below is our last 12 months of usage. This is approx 2k sq ft, single story, built in 1961, a couple inches of loose insulation, air leaks / gaps everywhere.. But we do have a high seer AC unit and a lot of trees that shade the roof during the day. Oh, and because of the pets, and the fact that Leah and the kids are off all summer, we usually keep the AC at about 72 - 73 degrees 24/7. Gas furnace and water heater as well..

2/26/2014 - 3/27/2014: 1,109
1/28/2014 - 2/26/2014: 1,084
12/30/2013 - 1/28/2014: 1,065
11/26/2013 - 12/30/2013: 1,600
10/28/2013 - 11/26/2013: 1,066
9/27/2013 - 10/28/2013: 1,385
8/28/2013 - 9/27/2013: 1,972
7/30/2013 - 8/28/2013: 2,057
6/28/2013 - 7/30/2013: 1,932
5/30/2013 - 6/28/2013: 1,812
4/30/2013 - 5/30/2013: 1,577
4/1/2013 - 4/30/2013: 1,124
Total17,783

Those air gaps you speak of must be quite large.

2500sqft 1984
Tstat stays on 72 in summer and 70 in winter. A/C and Heating unit are both 16 years old. Gas water heater, gas furnace with electric blower.

kWh/month
556 April
877 March
1057 February
1024 January
597 December
856 November
1928 september
1888 August
1793 July
1751 June
944 May
833 April

[Rick Modena]

Ryan, I would add more insulation for sure. And re-seal all the doors leading into and out of the house. Those Attic vents will help, but start with the cheaper easy stuff first, it sounds like the A/C SEER is good to go.

[32vfromhell]

Good point Craig !No idea what consumption is or will be, just based on what the previous owner told us for basic guides.

[32vfromhell]

Read the roofing quote again. Looks like they are adding four more vents for needed attic ventilation, so that should help too.

[Chili]

Bill amounts can be deceiving as just posting those up does not account for variances in the actual per kWh cost. A better indicator is to just look at consumption.

Below is our last 12 months of usage. This is approx 2k sq ft, single story, built in 1961, a couple inches of loose insulation, air leaks / gaps everywhere.. But we do have a high seer AC unit and a lot of trees that shade the roof during the day. Oh, and because of the pets, and the fact that Leah and the kids are off all summer, we usually keep the AC at about 72 - 73 degrees 24/7. Gas furnace and water heater as well..

2/26/2014 - 3/27/2014: 1,109
1/28/2014 - 2/26/2014: 1,084
12/30/2013 - 1/28/2014: 1,065
11/26/2013 - 12/30/2013: 1,600
10/28/2013 - 11/26/2013: 1,066
9/27/2013 - 10/28/2013: 1,385
8/28/2013 - 9/27/2013: 1,972
7/30/2013 - 8/28/2013: 2,057
6/28/2013 - 7/30/2013: 1,932
5/30/2013 - 6/28/2013: 1,812
4/30/2013 - 5/30/2013: 1,577
4/1/2013 - 4/30/2013: 1,124
Total 17,783

[32vfromhell]

The insulation was definitely not covering the rafters. Mainly just lying between beams so it couldn't be more than 3 or 4 inches tops. I think insulation will be a must

[FATHERFORD]

House was built in 1978. Has a trane 13 sear ac system from 2007 to 2008. The attic doesn't have much imsulation, likely about 3 or so inches. Maybe I should just hose the attic to get it up to 14 plus inches of insulation for a cheap method

get it to 14"....that will help out the most.

My house was built in 84 and the people before me put in new windows, 14" of insulation, and new 16 sear heat pump. My bills on dead heat of summer or winter is never over $150. I have to keep my a/c at 72 just to make sure it cycles enough to keep the humidity out of the air down here in Houston.

[yellowstang]

House was built in 1978. Has a trane 13 sear ac system from 2007 to 2008. The attic doesn't have much imsulation, likely about 3 or so inches. Maybe I should just hose the attic to get it up to 14 plus inches of insulation for a cheap method

3 inches, WTF, that's like R-2! You definitely need to add to that!

[32vfromhell]

House was built in 1978. Has a trane 13 sear ac system from 2007 to 2008. The attic doesn't have much imsulation, likely about 3 or so inches. Maybe I should just hose the attic to get it up to 14 plus inches of insulation for a cheap method

[mstng86]

ive got the same square footage and in the dead of summer we barely hit 250. That's the highest it ever gets all year.