Heat Gain 101: What Monrovia Homeowners Need to Know

Heat Gain 101: What Monrovia Homeowners Need to Know

When you’re trying to keep your home cool during a summer in the Monrovia area, heat gain is your number one enemy. Heat gain is the amount of heat added to your home by sources such as air leaks, moisture infiltration, solar radiation, heat given off by appliances or electronics, heat and moisture contributed home occupants, and conduction through walls, windows or floors. By taking steps to reduce or eliminate the sources of excess heat, you can decrease the load on your air conditioning system and lower your utility costs.

Windows

Windows are the largest source of heat gain in most homes, contributing up to 48 percent to the total. Add shade screens or awnings to sunny widows, where possible, and close blinds, shades and curtains during the daytime to minimize solar gain.

Walls and Doors

Walls, doors and other exterior surfaces add about 19 percent of the heat to your home. Use light colors on external surfaces and make sure your insulation meets an R-19 rating in the walls and R-30 in the ceilings and attic floor.

Appliances and Electronics

Heat generated by appliances, lights and electronics accounts for 14 percent of heat gain. Turn off any unnecessary devices, upgrade to cooler LED or CFL lighting and avoid doing heat-generating tasks like cooking, laundry or washing dishes during the hotter periods of the day.

Air Leaks

About 13 percent of the excess heat in your home comes from air and moisture leaking in through the exterior. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal around doors, windows and wall penetrations for pipes, exhaust vents or electrical wiring. Use foam gaskets to seal the covers of interior outlets and switches.

Attic

Heat collecting in the attic can add about 6 percent to the total heat gain. Seal holes made for plumbing vents, flues or wiring between the interior of your home and the attic, and be sure that the attic is properly ventilated to remove heat from the roof.

For more tips to reduce heat gain, contact Air-Tro, Inc., We serve the greater Los Angeles region.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Monrovia, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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