One of the key components to home heat management is quality insulation. Otherwise, even with a top-brand HVAC system, heat will easily escape causing your furnace to work harder. Stay on top of heat management by inspecting and upgrading your insulation. Schedule regular HVAC maintenance for your Jacksonville home to prepare your home for winter.
Poor insulation causes heat loss. Recognize the symptoms that indicate that your home’s insulation is not winter ready. If your home can’t hold in heat, you likely have an insulation problem. For example, if the heat coming from your vents feels warm but your home never feels warm enough, heat may be escaping due to a lack of insulation. Also, if your energy bill slowly increases over time, this could indicate poor insulation that’s causing your HVAC system to run more frequently. The HVAC experts at J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing offer attic insulation to keep your home at a comfortable temperature and reduce energy costs.
What Causes Poor Insulation?
Poor insulation in your home occurs because of many different reasons. Regardless of the reason, upgrade your home’s insulation to save money on energy costs this winter. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, most homes will see a reduction in their energy bills when additional insulation is added.
The main cause of poor insulation is simply worn and tear over time. Like with other parts of your home, insulation wears out and needs replacement. While insulation is made to last for many years, if you have recently purchased a home or own an older home, new insulation may help improve heat management.
Also, insulation compacts over time. Compacted insulation is less effective in preventing heat loss. When insulation compacts heat transfer occurs, which makes it harder to heat your home.
Insulation may become damaged, limiting its effectiveness. In Florida, roof damage from storms may cause leaks that damage attic insulation. Any time a roof is repaired or replaced, attic insulation should be inspected to ensure it’s not damaged. Also, rodents and other pests can destroy insulation. As a rule, inspect attic insulation annually to ensure damage hasn’t occurred.
If you live in a new home that is not maintaining the desired temperature, schedule an inspection to ensure insulation was actually installed. On rare occasions, attic insulation is missed, which will lead to heat loss.
Benefits of Quality Insulation
Proper insulation offers many benefits for homeowners. The biggest benefit is decreased energy bills. When your home is properly insulated, your HVAC system doesn’t have to run as frequently to heat your home. Increased energy efficiency from quality insulation adds up to big savings.
With better insulation, the temperature in your home is more stable creating a more comfortable environment. Your family will be warmer this winter with proper insulation. Also, insulation protects your home. The internal elements of your home like pipes and walls are protected from the damage that extreme temperatures cause.
Where to Insulate
Insulation is necessary throughout the home; however, these specific places are essential for proper protection.
- Attic
- Crawl Space
- Exterior Walls
- Attached Garages
- Finished Basements
- Doors and Windows
- Ceilings
R-Value
How well insulation resists conductive heat flow is measured in R-value, which is thermal resistance. A higher R-value indicates higher effectiveness. To increase the R-value for your home, install additional insulation. Over time, the R-value level of your insulation may decrease due to compression. When insulation becomes compacted it loses thermal resistance.
Before winter arrives, invest in new attic insulation in order to improve your home’s R-value. Because R-value shifts based on various factors, homeowners should pay attention to the symptoms of poor insulation.
Attic Insulation
Attic insulation is one of the easiest places to replace or add more insulation to your home. The attic is one area of your home where the temperature fluctuates the most. It’s the hottest spot in summer and the coldest in the winter. Blown-in fiberglass insulation is easy to install and offers additional support against home heat transfer.
At J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing we install blown-in fiberglass attic insulation. Schedule your appointment now to save money this winter. The attic insulation is applied on top of the existing insulation to build a thicker layer of protection. Bulky materials like fiberglass insulation resist conductive heat flow. Conductive heat loss is the type of heat loss that most often occurs in homes.
Other Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter
As with installing new insulation, you can take other actions to prepare your home for winter. Start by checking for air leaks in your home. Ensure windows and doors are properly sealed to avoid air transfer. Also, clean the vents in your home simply by vacuuming away dust and debris. This will help air flow more freely.
Schedule HVAC maintenance this fall to ensure your system is clean and working properly. Catching components that are becoming worn before they break can reduce repair costs. Also, make sure your air filter is changed every one to three months. In combination with upgraded insulation, these tasks can keep your home warmer and energy costs lower this winter.
Contact the professionals at J&W Heating and Air + Plumbing to schedule HVAC maintenance for your Jacksonville, Florida home. We offer inspections, maintenance, and replacement of HVAC systems. In addition, we install blown-in fiberglass insulation to attics.
We have decades of experience helping make Florida homes warmer and more energy efficient. Let us help get your home’s insulation ready for winter.
