energy usage calculation for home cooling

[MountainManDan]

OK Few Of Ya All with Attic - A/C's & Furnaces - need to be Looking at New Roofing Products & Materials

They have Neat Stuff Out Now - Add Nice R value to Outside of Roof sheeting - - as most Roofs get Stripped
To do Roof Correctly anyhow - I'll Try and Find Link . . Search Builder's show in Los Vegas - I believe is where it held ..

 

[alarmguy]

First Question should be : Calculated as to How Much Your Foundation is Loosing or Pulling In BTU's of Heat
Either From Hotter Ground Temps around Perimeter or Home ?

To How Much BTU's does Home Loose in Winter Months to Cold Ground around Foundation ?


Calculations say for either Block or Poured Concrete Footer or Full On Basement - then is Basement Finished or Not
Or

Just Freeze Broad Insulation @ R - Rating - Let Us Know - what BTU Leakage is in Either Direction as a Place to Start !

AS IT WILL - SAVE YOU - MONEY

Wait for it ~ BTU's Numbers will be Scary - like - 650,000 - 450,000 BTU's a Week ..

Unless Your in Modern Build with 4~6" Hard Foam Under & Sided Slab or Basement ..

Brand new home, love the idea of foam under a slab. I never saw a production builder to do it in Florida, South Carolina, or our current state North Carolina.

Great idea, though. I think about that even as of this morning, you can feel the warmth of the floor along the outer foundation of the house in the summer and the cold of the floor along the outer foundation of the house in the winter.
I would bet it would help even if you just dug down 2 feet and put Styrofoam at and just below soil level along the slabfoundation.

OK now with that said, we can get really analytical here, during the hot summer months the main part of the house once you’re away from the outside walls cool ground temperatures help keep the house cool and in the winter help keep the house warm. So I’m not sure if you really net losing or gaining anything. Up until this last week the house will stay cool all day long without the unit running and setting the temperature higher for the daytime of course but still in the 70s.

 

[alarmguy]

Just a Small Leaky Attic Door is Huge Lost or Gain of BTU's - in - Main Home Easy 100K BTU's

Just Bumped all Attic Doors from R2 to R11 & R12 , so compared to piece Old 1/4" Paneling . .
1 in garage is Right Over Hot Water Tank - I have since Picked Up IR Picturing Device gives 3 Temp Zones
Plus Color Adaption ~ HIGH , LOW , MID - RANGE for Wood , Metal or Electrical -

Now Going on Hunt - Found Ceiling Fans Leaking - even thou - Ceiling was Elect. Box Foamed - Found Missed Points ..
Found some Big Leaks by 3 Gang Boxes ..
Found Attic Doors - needed to be Way Better . .
Found what Looked Like Tight Joints - between 2x12" in Basement were Leaking from Perimeter In.
Found Voids in Walls
Found Wires in Walls so Handy Item ..

After some Good Sealing in all these Places Noted Bill Drop & Dehumidifier is Not Needed as much ..

Picture is showing Pic from IR Screen - of Basement Window in Upper Corner is Coldest in Late Fall- Cold Day
Shooting from My Hand Far Up as able - there is - Old Drop Ceiling type Basement - but at Windows
Large Opening to let Light in - We did R22 in this Area at Freeze Board 1/2" Hard Foam with Spray to seal edges on sides & Top
of Pockets - Not Bottom of Pockets then Backed that R19 .. which is Warm Glow ..

3 Temps are Color Code : Block & Brick have - Metal Steel Support Shelf . that's Coldest .. 54.4F

Now that said I Added Programed Time to Dehumidifier 3 hrs On then 3hrs Off Type Deal
approx 15 hrs Window - then - Off till Next Day .. Lowered Juice Demand - but First Had to Tighten Up Place ..

View attachment 342872

I only wish I had an infrared imager. I’m crazy about insulation and yes, those attic doors.
I want to insulate my garage since it’s attached to the house. Why rely on the wall insulation of the house between the garage I want to get up there and do the ceiling at the least and the garage door itself. It cooks in there in the summer. It has to be an energy draw on the house even though the walls are insulated with R 15

 

[MountainManDan]

OK Alarm-Guy - I be Figuring First are You ( Hot Boxing or Vented ) Both work Well in N.C as it's Still Quite Humid
Plus Dry/Wet Cold in Winter . . ( First have to Look at Heat ) & Air - whether you have 1 or 2 systems ..

Slab still be Protected on Perimeter & 2ft , 2.5ft or 3ft Footer - also - May want to Plan on that ..
When & If You Air Gap & Move to Vented Siding ..

One of Big Issues in South is Very Poor Windows - adding Marine Rated Storms in Your Area seeing most in
Southern States do Not ever Open Winds - maybe Once or Twice a Year , so Not Issue & Storms Add Big Air Space that
Keep Entire Window Casing Protected ..

On a Restoration We did I Actually Drilled through Casing on sides & Top ( Steel Header Plate ) Brick Siding
Blew Foam into ( Air Gap Cavity ) - which Actually Leaked Out & Shows how Bad Windows are Installed & many Builders
from 40yrs ago Relied on Caulk - which we all Know - just Does Not Last .. ( Has Not R Value )


I Used Bug Rated Foam - that is - Closed Cell Last Longer . .some of Leaks on 6ft Tall Windows were 1/2" Wide . .

Storms made Huge Difference ( Night & Day ) approx Marine Rated Dual Sealed Harder Temp - Glass $198
If You do this Write Me as there are some " Pro Tricks " that make Job come out so much Better . .


My IR Gun was only $140 off E-bay , and took about 40 Min. to Figure it out & Features ..
I had Prob-table DeWalt Temp - Reader - It will Find Area's - but Not Until You see Picture - Actually Trace to Where
Issues is Coming from ..

I just Read up on Attic Doors which - Equal Hot Issues as many Include Ladders but are NOT Insulated ..&..
May Degrade R30 Attic down to R19 due to Leak Small Door . .

Like in TN most Homes or many in NC Attic Door in garage & Home ..
I Found Adding ( Hybrid Hot Water ) in Garage = Cake Install & saved Big $$$ each Yr. / True Benefit is
Dehumidify Control it Provided Garage - which has No Heat of A/C . .

 

[MountainManDan]

Oh - Pro Tip - even Younger Guys : If You Attempt Crawling around up in these Small Attics

get some Nice ~ Knew Knee Pads ~ Plus CUT yourself some 36-38" long Pieces of 2 x 6 x 3/4" thk. say 10-12 of those
Push then along Ahead of You - Makes Job Go so Much Better - seeing - We HAD R30 IN PLACE ALREADY so &
took up 3 more Bags.. TO Help with Back Filling on Way Out & Used 12ft Piece of Trim to SWEEP MY WAY
BACK OUT !
I Left Wood in Place Up in there Buried !