The household heating and cooling bills are always a source of stress and frustration for me.
My family lives in an area with especially hot and humid summers and extremely cold and snowy winters.
It’s necessary to run the furnace for approximately eight months of the year, and the heating system handles temperatures down to negative twenty-five. We typically rely on the air conditioner for around three months. There are only a few weeks of the year where there is no need to operate either the heating or cooling system. The cost of temperature control is a significant part of the household budget. I am always searching for ways to reduce demands on the furnace and air conditioner, improve comfort and trim expenses. When I mentioned my concerns to the HVAC technician who handled the spring maintenance of the AC unit, he asked how long it had been since I’d replaced the attic insulation. I was reluctant to admit that I’d never given it a thought. We’d already lived in the house ten years by that point. An inspection of the attic proved that there was insufficient insulation and what was there was flattened down and had been compromised by moisture and rodents. Removing the old, dirty insulation and installing new was an absolutely horrible job. In the future, I’ll be hiring a professional to handle it. However replacing the insulation made a noticeable improvement in the air quality, comfort and efficiency of the living space. Because warmer air tends to migrate to cooler spaces, an uninsulated attic creates a problem in both winter and summer. The insulation prevents the attic from becoming overly chilly or overheated.