Guest Blog: The Benefits of Proper Insulation for your Heater & Air Conditioner

Having an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system professionally installed in your home can do wonders for your comfort and quality of life. But what many people don’t consider when it comes to HVAC systems is proper insulation. Insulation for your heater and air conditioner should never be an after-thought, and we’re going to show you why. In this article, we’ll share the benefits of insulation for your HVAC system and some tips about how to insulate your home.

What are the benefits of proper insulation for your HVAC system?

1. Efficiency

If part of your HVAC system isn’t properly insulated, hot or cool air will be transferred out of the system. What this means in practice is that your HVAC system will have to work harder to maintain the correct temperature in your home; therefore making it less efficient. Some estimates say that 30-60% of your overall energy bill is taken up by powering your HVAC system, so increasing its efficiency can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Make sure you know your HVAC Energy Efficient Rating (EER) to know your ideal efficiency.

2. Carbon emissions

One of the consequences of your HVAC system being inefficient and working harder is that you will inevitably be raising your carbon emissions. The damage to the environment is reaching record levels and systems like HVAC have added to the problem. A properly insulated HVAC system will help lower the impact your energy use has on the environment.

3. Temperature stability

When your HVAC system isn’t properly insulated, and heat or cooling is lost at points within the system, this has an impact on the temperature stability in your home. This is because it can cause unexpected sudden drops or rises in temperature, which the HVAC system then has to try and compensate for. By insulating your HVAC system, you can help to keep the temperature in your home stable and comfortable.

4. Noise levels

In an ideal world, you wouldn’t be able to hear your HVAC system working at all. It would be a seamless part of your house that you never have to give any thought to (apart from marveling at the comfortable temperature of your home). The reality of it is, however, that any HVAC system will make at least some noise, but the noise can be reduced by installing proper insulation. Insulation will block a portion of the sound waves from exiting the system, which will have the effect of dampening any noise that it makes.

5. Extreme temperatures

If you live in an area that deals with extreme hot or cold temperatures, then insulating your HVAC system is more important than ever. The ductwork and fittings of your HVAC system are vulnerable to extreme temperatures because rapid heating and cooling can cause them to expand and contract. Over time, this can cause cracks or gaps in your system that can lead to costly repairs. Insulation can prevent extreme temperatures outside from affecting your HVAC system so that its fixtures and fittings won’t get distorted by rapid heating or cooling.

6. Home resale value

Most homebuyers now are concerned about insulation, for all the reasons laid out here. They know just as well as you do that proper insulation of the HVAC system in a home will improve their energy efficiency, reduce their carbon emissions, and reduce the ambient noise. So being able to advertise that you have installed professional insulation in your HVAC system can increase the resale value of your home.

Tips about insulating your home

Your HVAC system isn’t the only part of your home that should be insulated. If heat is lost through other parts of your home, this can also mean that your HVAC system has to work harder to maintain the interior temperature.

Attic or roof

Around 25% of the heat in an uninsulated home is lost through the attic or roof. Heat rises, and if there are gaps in the upper part of your home for it to escape from, it will. It can also mean that temperatures in your loft can be very cold, which can damage any pipework that is kept there.

Draft proofing

Draft proofing is cheap and effective, and it will boost the energy efficiency of your home. The basic goal of draft proofing is to block up any accidental holes that lead from the inside of your home to the outside. These are the points where heat and cooling are lost, and blocking them up will improve the ability of your HVAC system to regulate the temperature of your home.

It is important to not block up any deliberate holes as these can be important for ventilation and safety, including extractor fans, underfloor grilles, wall vents, and trickle vents.

Windows

Having your windows double or even triple-glazed can do wonders for your home insulation. Double-glazed windows have two sheets of glass with a gap in between them, whereas triple-glazed windows have three sheets of glass with two gaps between them. The gaps are completely sealed and filled with air or an inert gas (e.g. argon). You would usually need to get these installed by a professional.

Final thoughts

It is always important to make sure that you have proper insulation for your heater and air conditioner. When your system is properly insulated, it will mean that it won’t have to work so hard to heat and cool your home, and this will mean that you will save money, reduce your carbon emissions, deal with less noise, and prolong the life of your system. Insulating the rest of your home will also help your HVAC system to work at its best.