I'm a homeowner in Dallas with a 2000 sq. ft. single story ranch style home built in 1993. The A/C electricity bills are killing me. The air handler and A/C ducts are all in the attic, which I've measured above 125 when the outside temp is 100.
My understanding is that for a ~2000 sq ft attic area, I should have a ventilation ratio of 150:1, or about 13 sq. ft. free vent area (FVA). I have two 9 inch round vents at the peak of the roof which together give me about 1 sq ft FVA, and ten 4x16 inch soffit vents (28 sq in FVA each) which gives me about 2 more sq ft FVA. So I have a total of 3 sq ft of vent area when I should have 13...are my calculations off somewhere or did they build the house with way too little attic ventilation? Is this even in code? If anyone has any thoughts on this, I appreciate your expert guidance. What should I have installed to correct this problem and give me the most bang for my buck? More soffits, a ridge vent, more round vents at the top of the roof, or something else entirely?
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