Winter is here and many of us are now looking for ways to warm our home. Two of the biggest things you can do to keep your home warm include upgrading your home’s heating and upgrading the insulation. But which is the better investment?
A good heating system can warm up your home quickly without using too much energy. In fact, many modern heating systems are 50% more energy efficient than those commonly installed 20 years ago.
Insulation is meanwhile important for trapping heat in your home and keeping cold outdoor air out. A well-insulated home can also reduce your energy consumption by keeping your home warmer longer.
Ideally, you want efficient heating and plenty of insulation in order to keep your home warm and keep energy bills down. However, upgrading both is very expensive – most homeowners can only afford to focus on one at a time. Besides, some homes already have efficient heating or efficient insulation, so there may not be a need to upgrade both. To help you decide which to focus on, this guide looks at the signs to know which one to upgrade.
When to upgrade your heating…
If you’ve got an old boiler, furnace or HVAC system and it’s not working efficiently, upgrading your heating could be your best option. Boilers have an average life of 15 years, furnaces can last 15 to 30 years, and HVAC systems last about 15 to 25 years. If your heating system is around this age and it’s experiencing frequent problems, you should look into a replacement.
It could be particularly worth upgrading your heating if you’re using an outdated system. Gas and oil boilers are already being replaced by electric boilers. Similarly, oil and gas furnaces are being phased out. If these heating systems are still relatively new, you may want to keep them. But if they are old and don’t have a great energy rating, you may want to look into a heating system replacement.
When to upgrade your insulation…
Is your home prone to ice damming? Do you notice cold drafts running through your home? Do you have problems with pipes freezing up? If you answered yes to any of these, it could be a sign that you need to upgrade your insulation.
A well-insulated home should have some form of attic insulation, some form of wall insulation, double pane windows and ideally insulated pipes. If your home hasn’t got any of this, you may want to prioritize a home insulation upgrade. This can prevent many of the issues caused by a lack of insulation, while also reducing your energy bills significantly.
Do you need to upgrade both?
If you have old faulty heating and no insulation, then ideally you want to be upgrading both. Having no heating source is clearly more of an emergency, so if your heating system is breaking down, you should prioritize replacing this. If your old heating system is still ticking along nicely, you may find that it’s better to address a lack of insulation first. Consider focusing on one insulation upgrade at a time – most people start with attic insulation or double pane windows in the bedrooms and the living room.
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