Ductwork in the Attic
Seville inspects homes in the hot, humid southern U.S. and is always flabbergasted when he sees HVAC pros installing ductwork in the attic. On a summer day, temperatures in some attics can reach as high as 150 degrees F. He can’t explain why builders think it’s OK to run cool, conditioned air through that part of the house.
Building scientists at
the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory wondered about it, too. Their
report, “Ducts in the Attic? What Were They Thinking?” explores the impact duct location has on cooling
load, peak demand, and energy cost in hot climates. For a typical new home in
these climates, they found that locating ducts in attics rather than inside
conditioned space increases cooling costs 15%.
