| Heat energy is money | | | | - When it is "U" factor the lesser the value the better |
| Heat lost is money lost. Neglect your home insulation | | | | the insulation property. |
| and you will simply throw away your hard earned | | | | - In insulation the type of material (chemical and |
| cash. Do you realize this money could have been put | | | | physical composition, weight [density= kg/m 2 ] and the |
| to better use either for your self or your beloved | | | | thickness of it, the presence of a vapor barrier etc.) |
| family members? | | | | also have a big say in the heat lost. |
| Heat Loss | | | | How do you check the Insulation Quality? |
| There are 6 major locations where your home heat is | | | | - Today the easiest way to locate areas of heat loss |
| lost from;o Attic and Roofo Wallso Windows and | | | | is the Heat Imaging or Infra Red Thermal Imaging. The |
| doorso Hot water storage tanks and Plumbingo Hot air | | | | imaging instantaneously tells you where the weak |
| distribution ductingo Chimney vents | | | | spots in insulation are. |
| How it is lost | | | | - This method does not tell you how much the building |
| In all cases improving building insulation (either by | | | | insulation thickness is, the type of material, the quality of |
| replacing in full, increasing the thickness of the existing, | | | | insulation etc. These of course have to be determined |
| changing the type of material, adding vapor barriers | | | | by physical examination. |
| etc.).Simply adding some insulation blindly to the existing | | | | - The highest portion of Energy loss to out side of |
| (or none existing, as the case may be!) is not going to | | | | your home is attributed to external walls (shell).The |
| solve your problem. | | | | walls of your pre new millennium home may be with |
| - Heat flows from a higher level to the lower level | | | | un-insulated cavity between the two walls. Drilling at |
| - The "R" factor is the resistance offered by a | | | | pre determined spots are necessary to determine the |
| material to heat flow | | | | settling of insulation fibres, the type and thickness, |
| - The higher the "R" value the lesser the heat energy | | | | availability of moisture barrier etc. will reveal the extent |
| lost across that material | | | | of retrofit required. |
| - The reciprocal value (i.e. 1 / "R" ) is called the "U" | | | | A retrofit is your answer to this situation. After all why |
| value which is the heat value transmitted across a unit | | | | back pedal when SEI (if you are in Ireland) and other |
| area of that material. | | | | similar organizations all over the world are very keen |
| - In reality "U" value is a composite figure which | | | | to help you, even to the extent of reimbursing your |
| includes all material integral to the insulation and also | | | | investment. |
| the heat resistance of the air film adjacent it. | | | | |