Changing Seasons: Your Insulation Needs Checking

As the seasons change, it’s important to replace insulation that is worn and outdated, or add it where there’s not enough. Having enough insulation throughout the house will substantially cut down on energy costs. Some 50 to 75 percent of energy usage in a home comes from heating and cooling costs. Improperly installed and old insulation can make that usage much higher than necessary.

Insulation not only helps keep a house cooler in the summer; it helps keep a house warmer in the winter. Heat will transfer from a warmer area to a cooler one automatically. If there is not adequate insulation in the walls, attic, basement or other areas in the house, the precious heat will escape to the outside (or infiltrate to the inside in the summer) and force your HVAC system to work harder than necessary. This wastes energy and adds to stress on system components. The older the home, the better chance that the insulation is faulty. Poor or lacking insulation also can contribute to pest infestation, mold, mildew and dust.

The federal Energy Star program has created a chart that explains R-Value, the measure of how well a given piece of insulation can resist heat transfer. Different areas of the country have different recommended levels of insulation. For example, Orlando and Central Florida are located in zone 2, which requires insulation at an R-Value ranging from R-30 to R-60, depending on where it’s being installed in a home.

Trying to determine yourself if insulation needs to be replaced can be tiresome and costly. It’s always best to have an energy evaluation done by a professional for the best results. An evaluation and estimate can be provided to you at no charge.

For more expert advice about insulation and other energy-saving strategies for your home, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’ve been serving the Orlando area since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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