Foam insulation is saving us a bundle in heating $$
mdev
14 years ago
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gopintos
14 years agoRelated Discussions
To foam or not to foam....and other insulation advice needed.
Comments (31)We are right at the beginning of a huge transition in our country's housing stock related to performance and health. Build your house the old way (probably local code minimum) and you will get a home with average energy costs and perhaps more importantly, un-healthy Indoor Air Quality IAQ. Build your house the new way (IECC 2012) and you will get a cost-effective energy efficient home with dramatically better IAQ. Insulation is important along with the other things discussed in this thread. The two topics that deserve more light are 1. Airtightness (as measured by blower door test). 2. Fresh Outdoor Air Introduction with mechanical ventilation. Meeting the minimum requirements of the International Energy Code IECC 2012 is a cost-effective path to low- energy bills and healthy indoor air. Individual opinions and anecdotal evidence can be helpful but meeting these minimum guidelines is ones best bet for those results. Building with deep floor trusses is an easy way to get ducts into conditioned space. Even better, hang the trusses from the wall to reduce air leaks and thermal bridging. jowens751, Murphy is beautiful. Its in building climate zone 4 but personally, I would build to Zone 5 minimums due to your exposure. I would also go for less than 1.5 ACH50 on the blower door test. International code is currently at 3 ACH50 for zones 4 and above but Iam pretty sure the 2015 version will be much closer to 1.5 so try to stay ahead of history if possible. Airtightness is much easier to measure than real world R value and it has a much bigger impact on energy costs. Insulative sheathing (foam being most affordable and popular option) is practically required in the new energy code for Zones 3 and up. Open cell foam for cavity insulation has become cost competitive with densepack cellulose in many areas and blocks air movement better. Find out your local climate zone and see what the minimum energy codes (future laws) require in Table 402.1.1 of the IECC 2012. lexmomof3, I would probably upgrade but might want to cross post to HVAC forum. SEER ratings are rarely accurate as they depend on different Compressors, Air Handlers and duct install. In other words, a 12 could be outperforming a 16 but thats usually an exception. Probably more important is to get a variable speed or two stage unit to better handle de-humidification....See MoreGeothermal vs spray foam insulation
Comments (9)Where in NC? The differences between the coast and mountains are pretty significant. It is a big state. The tank of course gets filled with propane which is 3-4 times the cost of NG. The inability to give ballpark estimates is stupid. Do you have a builder? Our builder gave us ballparks based on prior builds. They were always shocking because of the lack of competition in the area. The 2 I remember were $10k to foam the attic rafters and $60k for geothermal - both of which were non-starters. Generally in NC (central and coastal), the HVAC costs are too low to justify either geothermal or foam. A well sealed house with above code insulation can cost $500 a year to HVAC without resorting to those more costly options. If you are in the mountains, then you change the picture a bit. First the basics - ducts in conditioned space and good air sealing. Then bump the attic insulation. Then bump the walls. The ducts require appropriate house plans - and don't trust the designer alone. Plenty don't leave appropriate room for the units. For a point of comparison, I have a ducts in the attic, 5000 sq ft. Conventional insulation but r-40 in the attic. Air sealed pretty well with ES standards. Seer 16 heat pumps and NG backup. I have $1000 in HVAC costs. Lose the NG backup and I'd probably go to $1200. That isn't a lot of money and 1/2 is a/c which is harder to cut. The most important thing now is the ductwork. Then the solar orientation and/or shading. Then check for rate cuts for Energy Star certification. Progress gives us 5% for life. Given the merger, they should have 80% of NC but I know there are a lot of locals....See Morefoam insulation around heating pipes.
Comments (13)I think the strapping rule is because the strapping will preferentially corrode and, obviously, will become weaker and therefore could break. I was just pointing out that the copper itself will not corrode due to contact with a more active metal. As for mixing ferric and copper pipes, this is certainly disasterous. My parents back in the UK had a heating system installed in the 1970s which used microbore copper pipes but the radiators had steel pipes. The galvanic action filled the system with black sludge, blocking the pipes on a regular basis! A horrible mess to clean out. Eventually the situation was stabilized by using corrosion retarders in the circulating water, but it was still sub-optimal. Paul....See MoreSpray foam insulation in hot and humid climate
Comments (3)One of the benefits of spray foam insulation in any climate zone is air sealing. Use of spray foam will enable you to keep the hot-humid climate on the exterior side of your home. Typically, spray foam seals well enough that you'll need a fresh air ventilation system to maintain indoor air quality. In a hot-humid climate, an ERV would be the preferred choice as it will both temper and dehumidify incoming air. DOE's Building America program has some good resources including case studies for your climate zone: https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/guides-and-case-studies-hot-humid-climates Your HVAC designer will need to carefully consider the sizing of heating and cooling equipment for your home, the need for point source moisture ventilation (showers, cooking, etc.) fresh air ventilation, and the potential need for dehumidification in shoulder seasons when neither heating nor cooling is demanded....See Moremdev
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