Insulation: a Key Component of Home Energy Efficiency
When people think about it at all, home insulation is usually something they consider in the context of cold weather and wintertime. Effective insulation keeps the cold out (or more likely, keeps indoor warmth from escaping).
However, insulation is also crucial for energy efficiency and comfort during hot weather.
How Does Insulation Work?
The material and design of insulation is intended to impede the transfer of heat energy between the inside and outside of a home. This is likely to happen when temperatures between the two differ by any meaningful amount.
- During cold weather, effective insulation keeps heat energy inside the house
- During hot weather, it does the opposite, keeping heat energy outside.
In a building context, the tendency of heat energy to seek a colder place is called “heat loss” (in the winter) and “heat gain” (in the summer).
Insulation Blocks the Movement of Heat Energy
Many people incorrectly assume that insulation’s main job is to stop air movement. While some insulation can effectively keep air from moving through it, the main purpose of insulation is to block the movement of heat energy, not warm air.
If you’re serious about improving energy efficiency and comfort in your home, effective insulation must be part of an overall strategy that also includes proper air sealing and good strategic choices about how to use energy.
A variety of air-sealing materials are available, including weather-stripping, caulk and spray foam, with the choice depending on the size, location and type of gap or hole in your home’s outer envelope. The Internet is packed with good advice about using energy responsibly in the residential setting, but your trusted Cincinnati HVAC contractor also can provide good advice on saving energy at home.
Insulation Cuts Energy Use and Helps your HVAC Equipment Last Longer
A successful energy-efficiency strategy in a home, including the right type and amount of insulation in the correct locations, will make your HVAC equipment’s job easier in both winter and summer. It essentially has less work to do when heat stays in during cold weather and out during hot weather.
You’ll save money on utility bills, and the heating and cooling equipment will last longer–while experiencing fewer costly breakdowns.
Remember to Insulate the Attic
If there’s one part of your house where you don’t want to neglect proper insulation, it’s the attic. This is especially important in the summer, when the sun beats down on the roof for many hours of the day, superheating non-insulated and ventilated attic spaces. That heat in the attic eventually will transfer down into living spaces, making your AC’s job much harder.
Reduce this heat infiltration in the attic by using the recommended type and amount of insulation for your climate, and making sure the attic is properly ventilated. The attic insulation should be installed underneath the roof and between floor joists in the area between the attic and the floor below. Most experts advise layering insulation to the top of the floor joists.
Of course, attic insulation also will lower heat loss in the winter, when heat energy and warm air in your home will naturally seek to move up into the attic. Your heating system will have to work harder and longer to replace the lost heat. It bears repeating – this will put unnecessary stress on the equipment, raising the prospects of an expensive HVAC repair, and waste energy.
For more information on effective home insulation, or to arrange professional installation, your trusted Cincinnati HVAC repair service should be able to help.