We usually think of insulation in our homes as a wintertime benefit: keeping warm air inside and helping the house stay comfortable on even the coldest days. But insulation serves a much larger purpose than that: improving overall efficiency and giving your air conditioner a break in the summer just as it gives your heater a break in the winter. That’s no small consideration here in Austin, TX, with the heat and humidity skyrocketing every summer. How does insulation help your air conditioner? We’ve provided a quick breakdown below.
Efficiency Is the Name of the Game
Insulation isn’t a one-way system. It slows the transfer of thermal energy through its material, which is a fancy way of saying that it keeps hot air out of your house just as readily as it keeps cool air in. For your air conditioner, that means that it allows it to cool your house down more quickly and keep it cool for longer periods of time. The results save you a great deal of money on monthly cooling bills as well as reducing the strain on your air conditioner, which lowers the risk of a more serious breakdown in the future.
How to Get the Best Insulation
A good gauge for measuring the quality of the insulation is to check its R-values, which measure the effectiveness with which it prevents the transference of heat. Different insulation materials have different R-values and depending upon your budget, you’ll want to find the type with the best R-value you can. You’ll also need to factor in the amount of space you have available in your crawlspaces and other key locations, and whether your existing insulation is sufficient to do the job.
Thankfully, you can pick up the phone and call the experts at Intelligent Air Services to help you out. We’ll spell out your options for you and assemble a plan to fit your unique needs!