Not always! While upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace and central AC (or better yet, ultra-efficient heat pumps) saves energy, insulation also plays a significant role in how much it costs to run your HVAC system. Here’s how you can increase your HVAC efficiency with insulation, air sealing, and home performance upgrades.
How Does Insulation Affect Your Air Conditioning and Heating?
Proper insulation and air sealing slows the movement of heat and air in and out of your home. The less insulation and the more air leaks you have, the harder it is to keep outdoor air and temperatures at bay.
What does this have to do with your HVAC system? An underinsulated home will struggle to maintain your thermostat setting, forcing your heating and cooling system to run longer to compensate and leading to:
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Increased energy consumption
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Higher monthly fuel or electricity bills
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More wear and tear on your HVAC equipment (which can shorten its lifespan and lead to more frequent breakdowns and repair calls)
By upgrading your insulation and sealing up holes and gaps in your home’s exterior, you’ll find that your heating and cooling needs to run less often and you’ll have more consistent floor-to-floor and even room-to-room temperatures. Air sealing can even improve indoor air quality by preventing outdoor air pollutants, allergens, and humidity from getting inside.
How Do You Know If You Need An Insulation Upgrade?
Rising energy bills, indoor drafts, uneven indoor temperatures, and ice dams on your roof in the winter are all signs that your Nassau or Suffolk County house could benefit from upgraded insulation. But a home energy audit from Home Efficiency Experts is the best way to be sure.
Our energy audit process can include a top-to-bottom visual inspection of your home as well as the use of building science equipment like blower doors and infrared cameras to identify the specific weak points in your house. Having an audit done helps ensure you don’t end up paying for home improvement work that you don’t actually need, and best of all, Home Efficiency Experts’ energy audits are 100% free!
Find the Right Upgrade with Home Efficiency Experts
At the end of your audit, we’ll explain our findings and provide you with specific recommendations for lowering heating and cooling costs, improving indoor air quality, and making your home more comfortable and healthy. These recommendations can include:
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Insulation upgrades (including spray foam, cellulose, and foam board insulation)
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Air sealing
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Duct sealing
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HVAC upgrades (including heat pumps and mini-splits)
We’ll also explain the different energy efficiency rebates and incentives you may qualify for. Depending on the specific upgrades and your local utility provider, you could save hundreds of dollars on energy-saving home improvements!
