- Attic air conditioners typically value $100–$5,000, relying on the kind and attic dimension.
- Ductless mini-splits are energy-efficient choices, beginning at $500 for single-zone programs.
- Enhance air flow, add insulation, and seal air leaks to additional decrease attic cooling prices.
Owners usually discover it difficult to chill attics, as they’re hardly ever related to central HVAC programs. Attics overheat in the summertime, because of the solar and rising scorching, humid air all through the house. Should you plan to make use of the house or need to decrease your house’s power prices, you’ll be able to go for stand-alone cooling programs.
Ductless mini-splits, moveable air conditioners, and window air conditioners are the perfect choices for cooling attics. Owners can count on to pay between $100 and $550 for window or moveable items. Single-zone ductless mini-splits vary from $500 to $5,000, however you could possibly pay as much as $14,500 to put in a brand-new multizone mini-split to serve your whole home. Attic followers are additionally a superb selection for uninhabitable areas, permitting you to chill the house and improve air flow.
“The attic is the most well liked room in the home,” mentioned Mitch Rosa, proprietor of Hudson Valley HVAC in Orange County, New York. “Sometimes, it will be finest to put in a ductless mini-split air conditioner. They’re tremendous quiet and tremendous efficient.”
Beneath, we’ve highlighted among the prime decisions for attic cooling, common attic air conditioner prices, and suggestions for reducing your house’s power payments.
HVAC Set up
Basically, you’ll pay between $5,540 and $10,980 for an HVAC unit, set up prices, and removing of your outdated unit.
Furnace Alternative
You may count on to pay between $4,000 and $7,000, together with set up, outdated furnace removing, and labor.
Warmth Pump Set up
You’ll probably pay between $3,000 and $35,000, however most householders spend between $5,800 and $7,500.
Prices on this article are sourced from contractor estimates utilized by Angi and HomeAdvisor.
Typical Attic Air Conditioner Prices
Attic air conditioners value between $100 and $14,500, relying on the kind of unit you put in, in addition to your attic’s accessibility, air flow, and insulation.
Window AC items usually vary from $150 to $550. With no further labor prices, they’re an inexpensive possibility so long as you’ve gotten a window in your attic. Single-zone ductless mini-splits begin at $500, however you could possibly pay as much as $14,500 for a brand new multizone system that additionally cools your house and attic.
You can too select an attic fan in case your house doesn’t see a lot use. This might decrease the quantity of warmth reaching the attic, lowering power payments. Attic followers and vents often vary from $400 to $900.
This desk breaks down frequent AC programs for attics and their associated prices:
| System Kind | Value Vary | Finest For |
|---|---|---|
| Moveable AC unit | $100–$500 | Momentary use |
| Window unit | $150–$550 | Attics with window entry |
| Single-zone ductless mini-split | $500–$5,000 | Completed attics and regular-use areas |
| Multizone ductless mini-split | $2,650–$14,500 | Completed attics and regular-use areas, a part of the central system |
| Attic fan | $400–$900 | Uninhabitable attics |
| Ductwork extension | $1–$13 per linear foot | Properties with present ductwork and central HVAC that may deal with the extra load |
Sizing your AC accurately may also help you retain prices low, however we additionally suggest utilizing the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Effectivity (DSIRE) to search for native rebates on attic cooling programs.
As we speak’s Home-owner Tip
Ductless mini-splits value extra upfront, however they’re probably the most environment friendly answer for attic cooling, making them very best for attics that see frequent or fixed use.
What Impacts the Value of Cooling an Attic?
A number of components affect the price of cooling an attic, together with the house’s dimension and the standard of insulation.
Dimension of the Area
Owners and AC producers measure a unit’s cooling capability in British thermal items (BTUs). The bigger the attic, the upper the required BTU ranking. Increased BTU rankings usually improve prices. Should you select a smaller unit, the AC will battle to chill a bigger residing house. If the unit is simply too massive, you’ll waste power, which is able to drive up your utility payments.
You typically want 20 to 35 BTUs per sq. foot of attic house, however you’ll even have to think about the ceiling peak, insulation, roof’s solar publicity, and your local weather. For instance, you want a mannequin with a better BTU ranking in a poorly insulated attic in comparison with a well-insulated one.
Completed attics should be at the very least 70 sq. toes, which might name for 1,400 to 2,450 BTUs, however most vary from 100 to 160 sq. toes (2,000 to five,600 BTUs). Nevertheless, the smallest HVAC items you’ll discover usually begin at 5,000 or 6,000 BTUs.
As we speak’s Home-owner Tip
We additionally suggest trying on the Seasonal Vitality Effectivity Ratio 2 (SEER2), which is the system’s cooling output divided by its energy consumption throughout hotter months. The upper the SEER2 ranking, the upper the system’s power effectivity.
This BTU sizing chart may also help you establish how highly effective your HVAC unit must be with frequent finished-attic sizes:
| Dimension of Completed Attic (Sq. Ft.) | Really helpful BTUs |
|---|---|
| 70 | 1,400–2,450 |
| 100 | 2,000–3,500 |
| 160 | 3,200–5,600 |
| 200 | 4,000–7,000 |
| 300 | 6,000–10,500 |
| 400 | 8,000–14,000 |
| 500 | 10,000–17,500 |
| 600 | 12,000–21,000 |
Attic Insulation and Air flow
Poor attic insulation and air flow improve cooling wants and power prices all through your complete dwelling. Too little insulation permits warmth to enter the house from the roof, elevating the inside temperature. With out correct airflow, the house additionally traps warmth. In consequence, your important AC has to work tougher to keep up a snug temperature.
Whereas you should purchase a system with a better BTU ranking to make up for the lackluster insulation and airflow, you’ll solely improve your utility payments. As a substitute, improve your insulation or add air flow. We additionally suggest contemplating radiant boundaries or attic followers, particularly if the house doesn’t see frequent use.
Roofs take up warmth, however radiant boundaries are extremely reflective. Research have discovered they cut back cooling prices by 5% to 10% in heat climates. Attic followers draw cooler air in, reducing power prices and enhancing air flow.
Set up Complexity
The extra advanced the set up, the upper the fee. Normally, you don’t want an HVAC firm to put in window or moveable items — you solely want an present window for venting.
Nevertheless, ductless AC programs require HVAC professionals. You can see these additional set up prices in your invoice:
- Set up: You’ll pay between $300 and $2,000 to mount and set up a ductless unit, relying on the mounting location.
- Electrical work: If the attic doesn’t have already got a 110- or 200-volt field, you’ll want an electrician for round $50 to $100 per hour.
- Refrigerant strains: Carpenters, who usually cost between $25 and $50 per hour, lower holes for the refrigerant strains.
- Concrete pad: Should you’re putting in a brand-new AC unit, you’ll want a concrete pad for the out of doors condenser, which may value a whole lot of {dollars}.
Finest Kinds of Air Conditioners for Attics
Ductless mini-splits, moveable ACs, and window ACs are the prime choices for cooling attics.
Ductless Mini-Splits
For completed, ceaselessly used attics, we suggest ductless mini-split programs. You may select to put in a single-zoned unit inside the attic house or join the attic to your whole-house mini-split. Both possibility permits you to management the attic’s local weather independently from the remainder of the home, enhancing the house’s total power effectivity.
Rosa highlighted a number of advantages of mini-splits over different choices. “Window items block the view. Moveable ACs take up flooring house, and you have to have entry to empty condensation,” he mentioned. Since mini-splits are compact and cling on the wall, they gained’t eat into your restricted attic house or restrict your window use. He added, “Ductless mini-splits double as heating programs, so that you resolve your heating and cooling wants.”
Nevertheless, they’re rather more costly than moveable or window AC items, and also you’ll want house exterior for the out of doors condenser. Should you don’t use the attic often, the ductless mini-split system’s excessive upfront value probably offsets most advantages.
Moveable ACs
Moveable air conditioners, also called flooring air conditioners, are compact items that may be simply moved from room to room as wanted. They solely require a vent — often a window — so that you gained’t incur any additional set up prices.
Whereas moveable ACs are inexpensive, they usually solely work effectively in short-term conditions. They’re noisy, take up invaluable attic house, and aren’t energy-efficient. As a consequence of these components, think about using a moveable AC system for those who solely use the house often, want a short lived answer, or require a unit that may be moved across the dwelling as wanted.
Window ACs
Window air con items are one other budget-friendly possibility. Sometimes DIY, they’re simple to put in so long as you’ve gotten the suitable window model and dimension. They work extraordinarily effectively in small areas.
Nevertheless, window ACs aren’t as efficient in massive or poorly insulated attics. Moreover, many attics lack standardized home windows. When you can set up one by the wall as a substitute, you have to discuss to an HVAC technician to debate structural considerations and constructing codes.
Suggestions To Cool Your Attic Extra Effectively
Including an AC unit to your attic will nearly all the time lead to increased power payments, however you can also make some enhancements to extend the house’s power effectivity.
- Add insulation. To forestall warmth loss and change within the attic, use spray insulation foam or inflexible foam boards. You can too add a radiant barrier to replicate warmth away out of your roof.
- Use window therapies or shades. In cooling season, 76% of the daylight that hits normal home windows turns into warmth. Blackout window therapies and shades block incoming daylight, lowering warmth change. They’re particularly useful in case your home windows face the east or west.
- Set up a ceiling fan. Ceiling followers don’t decrease the attic’s temperature, however the air motion makes the room really feel cooler. They enhance air circulation, and when mixed with an air conditioner, they distribute the cool air evenly.
- Seal air leaks. Air leaks round your attic doorways and home windows enable warmth to flee within the winter or enter in the summertime. Seal them to decrease your AC’s power load.
- Set up a sensible thermostat. Sensible thermostats for mini-split items provide you with extra management over the attic’s power effectivity. You may pre-set the thermostat to match your routine, and a few varieties will activate for those who enter the room (and switch off for those who depart).
Subsequent Steps
The price of an attic air conditioner varies by unit sort. Ductless mini-split items supply the perfect long-term efficiency, however they’re usually the most costly possibility. To decide on the perfect sort in your dwelling, think about how ceaselessly you utilize the attic and what you utilize it for. Then, measure the house, examine the BTU necessities, and decide a finances. Evaluate the lifespans and warranties of the perfect programs. You may set up a conveyable or window unit your self, however for those who resolve to go together with a mini-split, acquire at the very least three quotes from certified HVAC contractors.
In some circumstances, householders need to lengthen their central AC’s air ducts to the attic. Nevertheless, as Rosa defined, “Once you design a central AC, you design it for that house on the time of set up.” He added that until you preplanned for that future completed house, your present compelled air system can’t deal with the extra, sudden power load. In consequence, Rosa recommends going with a ductless mini-split to chill uncommon or hard-to-condition areas.
FAQs About Attic Air Conditioner Value
What are the downsides of an attic air conditioner?
Whereas putting in an attic AC makes the house extra comfy and might hold total power prices down, downsides embody easy-to-forget upkeep necessities, accessibility points, and inefficient programs.
Since an attic AC unit is “out of sight,” it’s additionally “out of thoughts.” This will make it tougher to find out when it wants upkeep, leading to bigger issues (and better prices) down the highway. You may additionally discover it difficult to entry your air conditioner for upkeep and repairs in smaller attics.
In case your attic lacks correct insulation and has air leaks, chances are you’ll be preventing a dropping battle together with your AC, driving up power prices with minimal advantages. Improve any poor insulation and seal leaks earlier than including a cooling unit.
Can I lengthen my central HVAC system to the attic?
Sure, it’s attainable to increase your central air con system to your attic, in case your present system was designed with further cooling house in thoughts. Throughout the preliminary HVAC set up, you probably chosen a system primarily based on the dimensions of your house and local weather. Should you didn’t initially account for a brand new completed attic, the present unit gained’t be capable of effectively or successfully deal with the extra cooling load.
In case your central air conditioner can deal with the additional work, you’ll want to switch and lengthen your ductwork, which prices $1–$13 per linear foot. Changing ductwork, particularly in attics, tends to value between $2,200 and $5,600. You’ll pay about $2,500 extra if you have to insulate your attic. Moreover, analysis native constructing codes relating to attic conversions and air conditioners, and be certain that your new ductwork is well-insulated.
Are window ACs efficient in attics?
Sure, window air conditioners are efficient in attic areas. In comparison with different cooling choices, they’re inexpensive upfront and require little house. You may count on to spend $150 to $550 on a window unit. You’ll typically spend extra for those who want a system with a better BTU ranking.
Nevertheless, in comparison with ductless or central air, window items are much less energy-efficient, particularly in poorly insulated areas. Additionally they gained’t work in each attic — they require a big sufficient window that may help the equipment.
Do attic followers assist cool the house?
Sure, attic followers may also help cool the room, cut back the load in your important HVAC system, and stop injury to the house.
Poorly ventilated attics lure scorching, humid air because it rises, which may injury the roof and any saved belongings, help mould and mildew development, and trigger ice dams in winter. The house’s AC then must work tougher to chill the ground immediately under the attic.
Attic followers flow into the air, eradicating scorching air from the house and drawing in recent, cooler air from exterior. In consequence, they stop roof injury, enhance the attic’s air high quality, decrease the general temperature in your house, and cut back power prices.
