what are the biggest culprits of heat loss from the home ?

Question

I live in Oregon, and winter is coming. I have natural gas heat and a limited budget. What "insulation" should I check first to lower my heating bill ? the ceiling ? and what what should I invest my little money in to insulate in the best way possible so I don't have to turn that furnace on much. ?? Should I put most of my money in insulating the ceiling or the windows or ???? I cannot have a home evaluation, I have checked into that with both the elec. and the gas and they both say the other one should do it :(

Answer 1

Take this piece by piece
1) Foundation. Is your house built directly on the ground or is there a crawl space. If you do have a crawl space, apply rigid insulation to the bottom of the florr system. (Usually wood). Caulk any gaps or crevises.
2) Walls
The wall must have some kind of insulation. If not you can add a liquid form of foam tha expands in the walls. This is expensive but effective. Other ways to help is to add rigid insulation to the inside of the room and refinish the wall after.
This will yield a smalled room 2in to 4in less, but will be very effective.
3)Windows.
The biggest culprit of them all.
Double insulated glass works great. But it is expensive.
Make sure that the perimeter of the frame is well caulked and that the seal is working properly, Same for all of your doors.

Roof overhang
The roof overhang must be vented but, it can also cause small drafts if it is not finished correctly. Make shure that that connection to the wall is caulked.
The attic must be insulated. How much depends on what you have now. An R value of 30 is best which translates on 6" of batt insulation. You ca also apply icenene, which is a brand name for a spayed expanding foam. It works great and stops air from coming into the attic. Also helps keep it cool during summer.
A gas heater is most efficient in the long run in comparison to electric. Gas will require the most expensive installation but cheaper to operate. There are also your solar collectors and heat recovery units which help offset the cost.

Answer 2

Well, for starters it's really good to have a programable thermostat that you can set for home/away temps... That way when you are home you can set it to 64 degrees and when you are away to 60... That will really reduce your gas bill... Also, check your attic and see that the insulation is in good repair and replace if it's NOT. Home Depot/Lowe's can probably help you in that dept. Change all your lightbulbs to CFL's that will save you approx. $60 a yr. per bulb. Turn your water heater down to around 120 degrees and wrap an insulator blanket around the water tank so it's not turning on so much to heat the water. Also, on that same vein.... if you have dishwasher run it when it's full and only when it's full at night on time delay.. To use water that's being heated when no one is using it ! Also another tip is to only one major appliance at a time. Run the washer and then the dryer but, not both at the same time.. Wash all/most loads on cold/cold !This alone will reduce your electric bill in 1/2 ! I've been doing this for over a year and have seen a significant savings just making minor adjustments to my energy use. Also, unplugging small appliances like coffee maker, mixers etc that aren't in use on a daily basic or cell phone chargers, computers etc.. That "vampire" power when they are plugged in but, not in use. Also, this is a no brainer.. Dress warmer inside and turn the heat down to the 63-64 mark. When you are asleep the same... I rarely have my heat to 70 degrees and that helps as well. Use weather caulking to seal openings in doors/windows and also using drapes with a thermo backing to keep the heat inside will help during the winter months. Keeping the shades drawn keeps the heat inside as oppossed to out the window ! Good luck...

Answer 3

Start with the attic first, as heat rises and you don't want it rising right out of your house. Make sure attic has proper ventilation, no blocked soffits, and that insulation is sufficient. Many people don't realize how important it is for air to circulate in the attic, but creating condensation (caused by a lack of air and a contrast in temperatures from inside to outside) is the last thing you want.

Second, check all outlets and light switches in your home that are on exterior walls. Many of these could have air leaks. You can buy inexpensive insulation kits made specifically for this purpose.

If you have any windows that seem to create cold zones, you can either apply the clear plastic that goes on with hot air from a blow-dryer, or you can buy warm curtains. It is incredible how much cool air a well-lined curtain can keep out - plus they also keep out the heat from the sun in the summer, so they are a good investment.

Check weather-stripping around all doors, and replace or repair it if needed. This is an easy job and can really make a difference.

Also, make sure that ducts (from dryer, range hood, etc) are not letting cold air in. If you open your dryer door and it is considerably cooler than room temperature, you can replace the exterior cover with one that has a flapper that lets air out but prevents wind (and animals) from entering.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Heavy curtains are good for the windows. Have you got a handy man/ woman friend that may beable to help you. You could do some bartering deals for example he / she can insulate your ceilings and put some new seals around your windows while you make some new curtains for the handy person etc

Answer 5

The best thing to do is have an energy conservation analysis done. Every home is different and the only way to know where you are losing the heat is with a load calculation. For more info, check out the load calculation page at www.hvac-for-beginners.com

Answer 6

you should check your windows and doors...light a candle and move the candle around each window..sit still..if the flame flickers its not insulated very well...you lose alot of heat in your windows and doors