If you are like most people, you probably do not know whether your home’s attic insulation is in proper order or not. It can be easy to overlook insulation especially if you are not in the middle of remodeling or buying a new home — after all, the attic insulation is tucked away from sight, and you barely know it is there unless there is a problem.
There is, however, one good reason to take a more active approach to your home’s insulation. It can have a big impact on how well your HVAC system functions and insufficient attic insulation can even lead to issues with your heating & air conditioning. More often than not, the problem is not obvious — your HVAC system will appear to be working fine, but really you could be saving a lot simply by improving the insulation in your home.
Why Attic Insulation Matters
Most of us only think about insulation in the winter when the first drafts start to come in and we notice the heating bill go up. Proper attic insulation, however, is important for both heating & cooling and can have a profound effect on your energy bills all year long. Without proper attic insulation, your HVAC system will have to work a lot harder to keep your home cool in the summer, as heat can seep in just as easily as it seeps out.
It might seem like you are losing only a little bit of energy as not much air flows through the attic, but the truth is the attic is a big part of your home and plays a major role in airflow through the home. Any HVAC system is going to have a hard time working well in a home without enough attic insulation. Not only does heat travel into your home through an improperly insulated attic, but this can also affect humidity in the home as well, which makes it hard for your HVAC system to regulate and read temperatures correctly.
Does Your Insulation Need an Upgrade?
If your home has little or no attic insulation, or has had the same insulation for a long time, it is time to think about an upgrade. The easiest situation is one where you have very little or no attic insulation at all. In that case, you should talk to your HVAC professional about having high-quality insulation installed. If you do have insulation but are not sure it is up to the task, you will want to check the R-value of your existing insulation. An R-value is a measure of how effective your insulation is at blocking heat transfer. You can determine this yourself based on a few factors such as the thickness of your insulation and whether there are major gaps, but an HVAC professional can also help.
Get a Professional Assessment
In fact, it is a good idea to ask a professional to look at your attic insulation as part of your next energy assessment or HVAC maintenance check. That way, you can get a professional analysis of your insulation’s R-value, and have someone on hand to suggest solutions for you as well. In St. Louis and the surrounding areas, get in touch with our heating & air conditioning professionals today to schedule a maintenance check.
