Sealing and Insulating the Home Envelope Is the Key to Year-Round Comfort and Savings

Man Installing Insulation

Sealing and Insulating the Home Envelope Is the Key to Year-Round Comfort and Savings

Jul 28, 2014

Man Installing Insulation

One of the best things about making the decision to seal and insulate the home envelope is that you can do it right now. Bigger, bolder strokes to achieve energy conservation and lower operating costs such as upgrading to high-efficiency cooling and heating systems or incorporating solar panels or a geothermal installation are big-ticket items that usually require substantial time to slot into your budget, not to mention getting the actual work done. The waiting period to get your money back on these improvements is also significant. But you can start to seal and insulate the home envelope today.

The initial outlay is very little – just the expense of caulking, weatherstripping and attic insulation – and the payback from energy savings begins from day one. Stopping air leaks and reducing heat gain and loss can immediately cut cooling and heating expenses by up to 20 percent. No other simple energy-saving measure promises a similar bang for its buck.

Here’s an overview of what’s involved to seal and insulate the home envelope:

Finding and Fixing Leaks

An HVAC contractor can perform an energy evaluation that includes a blower door test to quantify the amount of leakage, plus use thermographic imagery and other techniques to pinpoint the actual location of leaks for you. However, DIY methods can be effective as well, and require only a few spare hours. The most basic technique is simply to feel for drafts in the home and/or ask other occupants about any air leaks they’ve noticed. At the next level, smoke from a stick of burning incense can be utilized to detect the subtle air currents that indicate leakage around doors and windows. Another idea: Turn lights on inside the house, then go outdoors at night and look for points where light leaks out.

Some of the places you’ll likely detect air leaking include:

  • Through worn weatherstripping around exterior doors and windows.
  • Along the long junctures between adjoining walls or the joint between the walls and floor.
  • Outdoors, where the exterior wall meets the foundation of the house.
  • Anywhere plumbing pipes or electrical conduits penetrate the envelope of the home or where vent pipes or recessed lights pass through the ceiling.
  • Leaky seals around an attic access hatch or fold-down ladder.

You can spend more money on caulking and you can spend less. However, the best buy is generally all-purpose household silicone caulk in 10-ounce tubes. You’ll need a simple manual caulking gun to apply the caulk. Caulking is appropriate to fill cracks and gaps no wider than 1/4-inch. Where you find larger openings – such as large irregular spaces around pipe entry points, for example – use expandable polyurethane spray foam available in 16-ounce cans.

Around moveable surfaces of doors and windows, replace worn-out weatherstripping with adhesive foam weatherstripping tape for the quick, easy alternative. If you have more money plus the time to spend installing it, rubber or vinyl bulb-style weatherstripping is the higher standard. Aluminum or rubber door sweeps will close that yawning gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold.

Holding Back Heat

Many homeowners are still living with (and paying for) the consequences of as little as three inches of original insulation in the attic, the most critical zone to prevent intrusion of heat energy in summer and the loss of warmth during winter. Insulation is rated by R-value, a numeral that represents the material’s resistance to heat. The higher the R-value, the better. Fiberglass batts and cellulose loose-fill, the two most common attic insulating materials, provide R-values of 3.1 and 3.8 per inch, respectively. A general rule of thumb for the minimum requirement in our East Texas climate is at least 12 inches of fiberglass or 8 inches of cellulose. Anything more than 20 inches and 15 inches, respectively, is probably overkill.

Fiberglass batts available at your local home center are pre-cut to fit neatly between ceiling joists. They can be installed right on top of pre-existing insulation in an easy DIY procedure if you don’t mind spending time in your attic. Cellulose loose-fill, a product composed of pulverized bits of paper and cloth, is blown into the attic under air pressure through large hoses. Your local HVAC contractor can give you more info about the process. Though insulation has no effect on air leakage, it can conceal existing leaks, making them hard to seal. Remember to seal ceiling and attic air leaks first, then upgrade insulation.

For more information on sealing and insulating the home envelope in the Longview area, please contact us at JD’s A/C.

Image Provided by Shutterstock.com

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Changing the HVAC Air Filter Regularly Prevents These Negative Effects

HVAC Air Filter

Changing the HVAC Air Filter Regularly Prevents These Negative Effects

July 22, 2014
HVAC Air Filter

The air filter plays a key role in keeping your HVAC equipment operating as it should, so it’s essential to check it monthly during the heating and cooling seasons. If you don’t clean or replace the filter whenever dirt starts to accumulate, a number of problems can develop that negatively impact your comfort, costs and the system’s reliability. Some of the undesirable effects of a dirty air filter that you can prevent by performing this simple monthly chore include:

  • Costly breakdowns and failures. A blocked filter restricts critical airflow through the HVAC system, and an insufficient flow of air puts unnecessary strain and wear on key components. If the issue isn’t corrected, you could face unexpected repair bills, or worse, a premature equipment failure that requires an expensive replacement.
  • Reduced capacity. Airflow has to stay within certain limits for your HVAC system to run at full capacity. If a clogged filter is suffocating the system, you’ll feel a loss of conditioned air at the registers. Since adequate air movement across the cooling coil is necessary for effective moisture removal, you may also experience excess humidity issues during the summer months.
  • Bigger energy bills. When heating and cooling equipment is forced to compensate for a clogged filter while operating, the system has to work harder to reach the thermostat’s target temperature. You’ll see an increase in energy consumption, and higher monthly operating costs.
  • Safety issues. Operating your HVAC system when the filter is blocked can cause the motor(s) to overheat. Not only can this potentially damage sensitive and expensive components, it increases the risk of fire and endangers your home and everyone in the household.
  • Bad air quality. If the filter in an HVAC system is blocked with accumulated dust and dirt, it can’t capture mold spores, pet dander, pollen and other minute particles that make life miserable for anyone with allergies and sensitivities. Instead, these irritants stay inside the ductwork and get re-circulated throughout your home.

For more expert advice about preventing the negative effects of a dirty air filter in your Longview area home, please contact us today at JD’s A/C.

Image Provided by Shutterstock.com

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Tips to Help Longview Homeowners Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency

Family Air Conditioning AC

Tips to Help Longview Homeowners Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency

July 12, 2014
Family Air Conditioning AC

With a cooling season that extends beyond the national average, Longview and other East Texas homeowners are always on the lookout for ways to cut energy costs and improve air conditioner efficiency. While the typical lifespan of an A/C’s compressor is 10-12 years, adhering to the correct series of maintenance and usage procedures can add several more. Here’s how:

  • Think outside the box. A/C isn’t the only way to cool your home. Try supplementing conditioned air with ceiling or floor fans, in occupied rooms. Fans create a wind-chill effect, cooling you off as the breeze increases the rate of evaporation of the perspiration on your skin’s surface, allowing you to raise the temperature of your A/C a few degrees. However, because fans only cool people and not rooms, be sure to turn them off as you leave.
  • Work smarter, not harder. Reduce excessive A/C usage and improve air conditioner efficiency with these tips:
    • Reduce indoor humidity by using exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath, and running hot water appliances in the evening, when temperatures are typically cooler.
    • Keep doors and windows closed when operating the A/C.
    • Use your programmable thermostat to raise the temperature of your home by 7 to 10 degrees when you leave for the day, and to lower it to your ideal setpoint an hour before you’re due to arrive home.
  • Keep in touch with your HVAC contractor. Arrange for annual maintenance each spring, to keep your A/C running effectively and efficiently. Your contractor will check coolant levels, clean and inspect the entire system, and adjust airflow if necessary. A periodic duct inspection is also recommended, to look for and repair areas of leakage that can lower efficiency and reduce your indoor air quality.
  • Don’t ignore your air filter. A dirty filter can hamper airflow and cause unnecessary strain on your A/C; change the air filter monthly during peak cooling season for best results.

For more tips on how to improve air conditioner efficiency, call our experts at JD’s A/C, proudly serving homeowners in the Longview area for more than 30 years.

Image Provided by Shutterstock.com

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