Is it worth upgrading heat & insulation in Mid-Atlantic states?
James
that cold here. Any one have first hand experience in savings after
replacing an old furnace with a high-efficieny furnace?
Also what did you save if you bought expensive replacement windows?
I've more than double the insulation in the attic but can't really
tell how much I'm saving because of varying temperatures and fuel
costs. It had about 4" of rock wool.
timebomb.11...@xoxy.net
Start with what you spend on heating now. If you go from a 60% furnace
to 90%, you would save about 1/3 of that bill.
Insulation generally pays for itself in most climates in terms of
heating and cooling cost and comfort. Insulation is cheap. If it's
your labor, that's pretty cheap if you have the time.
Expensive replacement windows are not as important as figuring out
where your heat is going. That can be done at reasonable cost with
thermal imaging. They go around your home with an infared cam and the
heat loss can be seen.
Don't spend money unless you can see the payback in under seven years
or so.
Jeff
> James wrote:
>> My furnace is probably under 60% efficiency but it don't really get
>> that cold here. Any one have first hand experience in savings after
>> replacing an old furnace with a high-efficieny furnace?
>>
>> Also what did you save if you bought expensive replacement windows?
>>
>> I've more than double the insulation in the attic but can't really
>> tell how much I'm saving because of varying temperatures and fuel
>> costs. It had about 4" of rock wool.
>
> Start with what you spend on heating now. If you go from a 60% furnace
> to 90%, you would save about 1/3 of that bill.
> Insulation generally pays for itself in most climates in terms of
> heating and cooling cost and comfort. Insulation is cheap. If it's
> your labor, that's pretty cheap if you have the time.
> Expensive replacement windows are not as important as figuring out
> where your heat is going.
That is it, exactly.
Heat escapes everywhere, including the floor and walls. Drafts are
the worst.
You can get an idea with an inexpensive IR thermometer and reading
interior surface temps. Since you have rockwool in the attic, I wonder
what insulation you have in the walls.
Tossing more insulation in an attic is of little benefit if most of
your heat is lost elsewhere.
I'm a huge believer in blown in cellulose insulation, it's very cheap
and easy to install. I did my walls a couple years ago and have followed
up with underfloor insulation. The difference in comfort is dramatic.
As far as windows, either exterior storms, or something on the inside
is fairly cheap. Or if the view is unimportant, either bubblewrap them
or some kind of movable insulation, even heavy drapes. Weatherize first
to eliminate leaks.
Jeff
James
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It's a toss up for me because it'll take at least 7 years to pay the
cost of a new furnace. My heat for the last 12 months was less than
$800.