An average American household spends more than half its energy costs on heating and cooling. During the summer, warmth seeps inside the home, and in the winter, warmth escapes outward. The movement of heat has to be made up by your air conditioning and heating system. Insulation helps to reduce your energy costs by reducing the transfer of heat into or out of the house.
Properly installed insulation reduces the amount of warm air entering a home in the summer or leaving a home in winter. Good insulating systems fill up cavities within the wall, and reduce thermal bridges that might transfer heat through the wall material. They also limit the movement of water vapor through the building, and provide some way for the insulating material to dry out.
The ability of insulation to resist heat transfer is called its R-Value. Insulating materials with a high R-Value are more effective at preventing uncomfortably hot or cold air from entering the home. For the southern New England area, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends R49 to R60 in the attic, R25 to R30 in the floor, and R5 to R6 inside the wall siding.
There are several types of insulation that can be used in different situations. Batt type comes in rolls of blanket-like material, and is sized to fit between wall studs and ceiling joists. Board-stock comes in foam or fiberglass boards, and is often used in walls and foundations. Blown-in loose-fill is made of fiberglass, cellulose or mineral fiber. It is usually blown up into attics or in through holes in the wall. Spray foam is made of cellulose or polyurethane, and is sprayed into cavities or onto surfaces. Both spray and loose-fill insulations require professional installers.
Effective insulating systems can reduce your energy bill and raise the value of your home. Some signs that you might have insulation problems are high heating or cooling costs, cold floors or walls during the winter, mold on the walls or in the basement, and uneven heating and cooling.
Contact a trained technician at Glasco Heating & Air Conditioningif any of these signs appear, or if you have any other home comfort concerns.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.