One of the latest fads in home energy conservation over the past several years has been to use spray foam to insulate your attic. According to the EPA’s Energy Star Association, spray foam insulation can reduce your cooling bills by as much as 20%! This energy-saving solution prevents leaking air and decreases your home’s heat load, which reduces the run time on your current AC and heating system. Sound too good to be true? Well, like all good things, the answer can get a little complicated.
While we are not the authority on whether you should personally insulate your home (need varies depending on the age and size of a home), we can talk a little bit about how spray foam insulation has the potential to stop the leaking air that puts undue pressure on your HVAC system.
Should you Spray Foam Insulate Your Home?
First, let’s cover the purpose and design of spray foaming your attic. Houses need a natural air exchange to prevent indoor air from getting stale. This means your house needs to breathe in order to reduce indoor air pollution. The stale, humid air in your attic can negatively impact the cooler, well-circulated air downstairs. Did you know your attic can reach temperatures of 130 degrees, depending on the level of ventilation? The theory behind the effectiveness of spray foaming the roofline is that the insulation reduces the heat that is transferred through the roof into the attic space.
In short, sealing off your attic reduces the amount of hot and humid air that originates in your attic and seeps into the rest of your home. The cooler, better ventilated, downstairs air enters your attic, lowering the overall heat load it puts in your home. Bad air stays out. Good air circulates within.
How Spray Foam Insulation Can Save You Money
Now that you understand the basic “Bad air out/Good air in” equation, it’s time to get to the fun part: How spray foam insulation can save energy and money. In most cases, once you have reduced your heat load, you won’t need such a large, energy-sapping air conditioning. The new unit will reduce your cooling cost! Sound like a great idea? We agree. In the interest of full transparency, let’s review the full list of benefits and potential pitfalls of spray foam insulation.
The Risks of Spray Foam Insulation
Your AC will love to work in your attic during the hot summer months if there is a barrier in place, such as spray foam insulation. However, if the spray foam company doesn’t do the job correctly, it can have serious repercussions. Encapsulating, or spray foaming, the attic seals the area completely and protects your Indoor Air Quality from humid outdoor air. If this is done incorrectly, it can mean costly repairs and failed energy conservation.
How do I Know if My Spray Foam Insulation is Installed Correctly?
Thankfully, it is a simple process to deduce if your spray foam insulation has been correctly installed. Go to your attic in the summer months. If you feel or see any of the following things, your spray foam company likely did a bad job, and the insulation will need to be immediately removed.
- You start to sweat or feel humidity in your attic.
- You see that your ducts are sweating. (This means they left holes that are allowing outdoor air into your attic.)
Pro Tip! If you have a gas heating system, it must be changed to a higher efficiency (90% or higher) for proper venting and combustible air for your heater to work properly.
Reducing Your Energy Costs with Spray Foam Insulation
When installed properly, your spray foam insulation should pass the Blower Door Test. This test can be performed by a contractor and identifies air leakage in your home. Once it passes, this means that your home is optimized for energy savings! In addition to reducing your energy cost, spray foam insulation has a variety of other benefits:
- It keeps your home more comfortable when your air conditioning system is set up property by helping keep the humidity levels lower.
- You can store more things in your attic, and you don’t have to worry about the heat destroying them.
- You can install a higher-efficiency HVAC system and fully enjoy all of those additional benefits.
- If you live in a house with all-electric heat, you can install a Heat Pump system and save even more money on your heating bills!
Contact Help!! Air Conditioning if You are Considering Spray Foam Insulation
Always include your air conditioning professional in your home maintenance decisions, such as spray foam insulation! Why? Encapsulation is considered “building science,” and because we are responsible for the quality and temperature of your indoor air, we need to know you to help you make better decisions for your overall comfort! Contact the professionals at Help!! Air Conditioning by calling 504-733-5888 or requesting a service!
