Choosing the right air conditioner for your home is difficult enough. Things become even more problematic when buying air conditioners for your attic. Indeed, attics are one of the hardest areas of your home to buy air conditioners for. This is because attics can be quite hot. This is especially true during summer. Indeed, the scorching sun can raise your attic’s temperatures to unmanageable levels if you don’t have the right air conditioner. This is why choosing the one that best suits your space is vital. To help you out, we thought it would be useful to put together a brief article on what you need to consider when choosing an air conditioner for your attic. If this is something that you’re interested in learning more about, read on as we break down everything you need to know before buying an air conditioner for your attic.
Why Do You Need an Air Conditioner for Your Attic?
While we’ve already touched upon it briefly, we can’t stress enough how important air conditioners are for your attic. Now, you may be wondering why you need an air conditioner for your attic. Well, attic air conditioners help you maintain the optimal temperatures and humidity levels. This deters mold growth and will help keep your attic in good condition.
Having an air conditioner for your attic also helps you cool down the rest of your home. The thing that you have to understand is that the warm air in the attic can transfer over to the other areas of your home. To add to this, having an air conditioner in your attic also helps you preserve your roof. Heat and moisture can damage roofs over time, both of which will be regulated by having the right air conditioner in your attic.
What Do You Need to Consider When Buying an Air Conditioner for Your Attic?
Now that you know why air conditioners are important for your attic, it’s time to talk about what you need to consider before purchasing one for your home. The main thing that you have to remember is that attics are extremely prone to temperature fluctuations. To make matters worse, attics also have limited space so you’ll need to find the right air conditioner that will fit.
Before choosing an air conditioner for your attic, make sure that everything is insulated. Installing an air conditioner in an uninsulated attic is pretty much useless as you’ll end up losing all the cooled air. Remember, it’s already difficult enough as it is to sufficiently cool your attic so you’ll want to make sure the conditions are optimal.
As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll also need to consider the space you have to work with. Be sure to consult with professionals in order to pick the correctly sized air conditioners for your space. Failing to do this will lead to ill-fitting air conditioners that will likely need to be replaced. Aside from the size of your air conditioner, you’ll also want to make sure that it’s enough to cover your entire attic. Usually, you’ll want to make sure that your air conditioner measures at around 20 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per square foot. However, things are a little different for attics. Since they’re warmer than the other areas of your home, you may need to make some adjustments. For attics, 25 BTUs per square foot should be enough.
Lastly, you’ll want to consider the durability of the air conditioner. The last thing you want is to purchase an air conditioner that will break down in a couple of months. If you’re looking for a durable air conditioner, high-quality mini-split air conditioners can last up to 20 years if you take care of them properly.
What Are the Different Types of Air Conditioners?
Before making a final decision, you’ll want to be informed about the different types of air conditioners. Here’s a brief run-through of common air conditioners that you’ll want to consider for your attic:
- Mini-Split Air Conditioners: If you’re looking for an attic air conditioner, your best bet is a mini-split AC unit. These units are reliable and energy-efficient, and the noisy part (the compressor) is installed outside, so they work quietly. They’re a bit pricier than other options, but their durability, quiet operation, easy installation, and energy efficiency make them worth the investment.
- Window Air Conditioners: Another option is a window air conditioner, which is especially well-suited for small attics. They’re the most inexpensive option among all the different types of attic air conditioners, and their energy efficiency is better than portable air conditioners but not as good as mini-splits. However, you need to make sure you have a big enough window to install this type of AC.
- Through-the-Wall Air Conditioners: Through-the-wall air conditioners get their name from the fact that they are installed by drilling a hole in the wall. This can be difficult to do in an attic, and should only be attempted by professionals. They are also large and not very attractive. However, they are less expensive than portable or mini-split ACs. They are also quite efficient, second only to mini-splits.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you find the right air conditioner for your attic. As you can see, there are a slew of different things that you need to consider when purchasing an air conditioner for your attic. While this may seem difficult at first, the information that we’ve laid out here should make things easier for you. Be sure to keep everything that you’ve learned here in mind so that you can make the most informed decisions when buying an air conditioner.
If you need help looking for the best air conditioner in attics, then you’ve come to the right place. HVAC Swami has the resources you need! We provide our readers objective and fully independent information on everything HVAC-related. Call a Local Pro 888-894-0154 or browse through our blog collections today!
