Saving Energy with Proper House Insulation
Why is efficient home insulation good for saving
energy?
Almost half of your electric bill goes to regulating the temperature of
your home. Thus if you want to save on your electric bills, the best
place to start is your home's insulation system.
Insulation is important to minimize or eliminate the heat exchange/loss
inside your house. Good insulation keeps the interior warm during winter
and cold during hot summer days. A well-insulated house allows your
heating and cooling systems to effectively work as needed. Proper
insulation can save as much as 10% of your monthly electric bill.
Meanwhile, if your house has leaks or if it has insufficient insulation,
air will pass through; and heat exchange will occur on areas where
insulation is inadequate. This results to heat loss. And because a house
with leaks and insufficient insulation requires more power to regulate
its temperature, energy consumption will likely increase.
Where to insulate?
Areas of the house including the switches, power outlets, plumbing
fixtures, walls, windows, doors, ceilings, floors, basement, crawl
spaces and attic should be properly insulated.
Insulation Tips
Make sure that you consider factors such as building design, budget and
climate when selecting the R-values of the insulation materials. Use the
proper R-values insulating materials for particular parts of the house.
Consider parts of your house such as the attic, floors, kitchen,
bathroom, windows, walls, door and other parts where heat loss are more
likely to happen. Use the required insulation materials on these parts
to effectively control the temperature.
Sunk-lights can be a source of heat loss but you need to be careful on
how close you place the insulation next to these fixtures. Check with
your local building codes for reference.
When constructing a home, check on some construction materials that
provide both structural support and good insulation.
Follow the product instruction when installing the insulation. Product
instructions are the best source of information on how to maximize the
use the products.
More Energy Saving Tips
Reduce your light consumption. Some lights produce heat that affects the
temperature of the house.
Keep your temperature sensor away from hot materials like stove, oven,
lights and other appliances that emit heat to get accurate temperature
reading for effective heat regulation.
If the temperature outside is comfortably warm or cold, turn off your
heating or cooling system. During heat season, open the drapes of the
south-facing windows to allow natural light to enter your home. Close it
at night to prevent cool winds from coming in. During winter, keep the
drapes and shades closed to help reduce heat loss.
Buy energy-efficient products that will help minimize heat loss and
reduce power consumption. Find a reputable contractor and ask advice on
good heating and cooling equipment to buy.
During winter, adjust your thermostat at the lowest comfortable level;
during summer, highest comfortable level.
Minimize the use of heat generating appliances to reduce the use of
cooling system and save on electric bill.
A well-insulated house is like a well-sealed refrigerator. Lesser heat
loss means lesser power consumption; and more heat loss means the motor
will work harder to maintain the desired interior temperature and thus
more energy consumed.
Saving energy means saving money. Make sure that you routinely check
your house for leaks and holes and replace or repair leaking parts as
soon as you discover them.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters, portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop online at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be
found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube