dadiOH wrote:
wrote:
I have 6 skylights in my house (12 year old house).
In trying to lower my heating bills, I am looking at all possible
ideas to save.
I have noticed that the rooms with skylights are MUCH cooler than
other rooms, making me conclude that heat is being lost through the
skylights.
How do I minimize this heat loss?
Step #1, check to see that you are actually losing heat....climb up to
the top and see what the temperature is. On sunny day it will most
likely be *way* hotter than your house and you are gaining; probably
will lose at night. Maybe they'll balance each other out.
The highest point will always be the hottest, no? The skylight loses
heat all of the time. The room will gain some heat during the day,
dependent on orientation and weather, due to solar gain.
It's possible that the solar gain may outweigh the heat loss, but
unless there's some heat storage mechanism, and the skylit rooms have
their own thermostats, the room temperature will fluctuate between too
hot and too cold.
Adding another gasketed pane of glass or plastic to seal off the bottom
of the skylight or skylight shaft will go a long way to help minimize
heat loss. Ceiling fans will help mix the air and help keep the heat
more evenly distributed throught the height of the room - it will keep
more heat where people live - 6' and lower.
On the flip side, a retractable awning/shade will help keep some of the
excess solar gain from warming the room and its contents during the
summer.
R