North Americans are more interested in ways to make their homes more energy efficient due to rising energy costs. This is especially true of people who live inside houses built before 1980s. When building codes were updated to reflect higher energy efficiency standards, this is especially important. A home energy audit is essential to ensure the most cost-effective and efficient improvements are made. Visit https://bendhes.com/ before reading this.
There are several low- or no-cost options homeowners can take to save money right away, including turning down their thermostats or installing compact fluorescent lighting.
But, in order to make significant energy savings, it may be necessary to perform major retrofits. Dramatic energy savings can be achieved by increasing attic insulation, wall insulation or basement insulation, replacing windows and draft-proofing, and upgrading to high efficiency heating systems.
Unfortunately, homeowners often do not realize that major retrofits can have a negative effect on other parts and components of their homes. Condensation may appear on interior windows as a result of upgrading from low-efficiency furnaces to high-efficiency systems. High-efficiency furnaces do away with the need for chimneys. This causes the house to be less ventilated. Warm, moist and humid air are trapped within the furnace, which then condenses on cold windows panes.
Older houses may make it more difficult to replace their furnaces. Modern furnaces should be appropriately sized to suit the heating requirements of the house. An older house with poor insulation will need a larger furnace to keep it warm than one that has been updated to modern standards. A furnace contractor will normally calculate the furnace size by using heat loss calculations. However, if the furnace size is wrong for the house, and the insulation levels have been increased, then it can cause the furnace to not be able to heat the home.
An excellent rule of thumb to decrease the temperature in your house is to increase insulation, seal up drafts and upgrade windows before you replace your heating system.
How does one know how much insulation to use or where the source of drafts are?
The best place is to start is with a home assessment or audit by a certified energy adviser. A professional home evaluation is an objective assessment of your home’s energy use. It generally involves:
– A thorough on-site evaluation, starting at the attic and ending at the foundation, in order to collect data about energy use
A blower door test can be used to measure the level of air leakage.
A detailed report that shows where your energy dollars go, where they are going to waste and what you can improve the energy efficiency of your home.