Nearly 6 percent of all electricity produced in the US goes to air conditioning. And homeowners are collectively set back by over $29 billion annually due to that.
It’s easy to assume that insulation only serves to keep your house warm during winter, but it also works to keep away the summer heat. What’s more, proper insulation helps regulate the temperature throughout the year and could save significantly on monthly energy bills.
While insulation could be of different types, it essentially acts as a barrier between your home and the external elements. This guide puts together the simple science behind how insulation keeps your house nice and cool during summer. We’ll also dig into how it could save you a fortune in the long run, among other things.
So How Does Insulation Keep the Summer Heat at Bay?
It matters greatly to know the appropriate place to install insulation. Your roofs, walls, and windows need to be as airtight as possible to leave the nasty heat outside. The basic principle of insulation is that it acts as an air barrier to maintain a fixed, comfortable temperature. This is achieved by slowing down the heat transfer process.
Naturally, heat flows from the warmer areas to cooler areas. So during the summer, hot air from outside wants to disrupt the comfort of your freshly chilled home. Insulation checks on this, besides keeping the cool air indoors.
Effect of Insulation on Heat Conduction
What we mean by conduction is heat transfer by physical contact. During summer, the sun tends to heat the siding or walls of your home. The cavity within will equally warm up, the heat gets transferred to the drywall, and eventually, it ends up indoors. With an adequate barrier to this process, you can bet your home will be kept cool and comfy.
Insulation and Convection
Convection is heat transfer through airflow. Your air conditioning unit and central air unit work hard to force the desirably cooler air throughout your home. Couple this with appropriate insulation, and the system can keep cool air flowing more efficiently.
However, with insufficient insulation, any slight wind can force the hot outdoor air against the house. It then gets into gaps and holes, the stud cavity, and finally indoors through crevices on the unfinished drywall, besides electrical outlets.
How Insulation Services Help You Save Money
In most homes’ attics, it’s common to find insufficient insulation such that there could be a loss of up to a third of the cool air generated by your AC. But remember, this is the cool air you’re paying for in disguise, and it’s simply siphoned out through inadequate insulation.
So, how does insulation help in keeping the overall costs of air conditioning reasonable and bearable?
Think of it from a simple perspective like this one: you won’t have to turn on your air conditioner to the maximum throughout the day. In a home serviced with proper insulation, the cool air from the AC gets retained for relatively long periods. The AC machine itself only works moderately to create more cool air.
An air conditioning system that works less will save you significantly on maintenance costs and the overall energy bills. And it all starts with having an expert analyze the insulation in key places in your home, say the attic. It’s one way to figure out where to improve on or replace altogether to trim down your electric utility bills.
What’s the Best Kind of Insulation?
Here are the common insulation categories:
Batts (fiberglass, cotton, or wool)
Expanding sprays
Loose-fill (cellulose, glass fibers, etc.)
Rigid boards comprising glass fibers or plastic foam
We have a high opinion for foam insulation over traditional forms of insulation like cellulose and fiberglass due to the former’s remarkable air seal. By sealing air leaks and adding foam insulation, a homeowner can save up to 50 percent on monthly energy bills.
Final Thoughts
While you may be sweating in your bedroom even when the AC is turned on, there’s a simple solution that could work wonders. Or it may be the cause of the problem altogether—that same material used to fill your home’s crevices and little gaps.
Regardless of the insulation type in your home, it needs to be in the right amount, or your money will fly away much as the cool air does, even taking a toll on your comfort. It’s therefore prudent to have a pro check your insulation levels so you can make use of the best insulation services if need be.