Everybody knows that heat rises. But did you know that in your home, rising heat is a bad thing in winter? Read on to find out how the stack effect, poor insulation and air leaks in your home could be ruining your home comfort and driving energy usage up.
Heat energy in action
It’s true, heat rises. But what actually happens is that heat, or areas of high temperature, are always drawn to cool air, or areas of lower temperature. In your home, there are two basic forces in play. The stack effect, which causes heat energy to move to any place in the home that is cooler, and air leaks, which are a source for heat to escape the home and find that cooler air. Poorly insulated walls are yet another way for heat to escape the home.
Identifying the escape routes
Eventually, lower temperature air that’s released into the living spaces will be drawn to all of the cooler spaces throughout the home. If your home is leak-proof, you don’t have to worry about this problem. In addition, well-insulated walls will stop heat energy from moving right through them. But what if your home lets air escape through leaks and walls?
Closing the gap on energy loss
You can stop the stack effect in your home from destroying your family’s comfort and driving up energy bills with two simple steps:
- Insulate. Hire a pro to assess the insulation in your walls and attic. Using injection foam insulation in the walls creates a solid barrier that stops energy loss. Attic insulation prevents heat from rising up and out of the home.
- Seal leaks. Best performed in conjunction with insulating, sealing air leaks will prevent air loss through common escape routes, such as holes in the attic, the attic’s access hatches, fireplace dampers, electrical outlets, the basement, recessed lights, wiring, plumbing, windows and doors.
Thankfully, effective solutions to the stack effect and energy loss exist. Seal air leaks and insulate for improved home comfort and lower energy bills. Got questions? We’ve got answers. Just call USA Insulation today to set up a free in-home consultation.
