How Insulation Works

January 11, 2022

Insulation creates heat resistance (R-value) which decreases heat flow.  The result is regulated temperatures, improved comfort, lower heating and cooling costs, and increased energy efficiency.

What is heat flow

Heat flow is simply the movement of heat, or energy.  Allowing heat to flow through your home will make the inside temperatures similar to the outside temperaturesL

Hot in the summer....

and cold in the winter...

Heat flows in 3 ways: conduction, convection, and radiation.

• Conduction is when heat moves through materials, such as putting a cold pan on a hot stove or melting an ice cube in your warm hand.
• Convection is when heat moves through liquid, gas, or air. Warmer air rises, and cooler air sinks. 
• Radiant heat is when heat moves through radiation, like sunlight through a window.

Heat flows from warmer to cooler areas until the areas are the same temperature. This is why a sitting cup of coffee will inevitably come to room temperature.

How Insulation Works

Insulation slows heat flow.  It's like a thermos - keeping hot things hot and cold things cold.

Different types of insulation target different types of heat flow.  In general, air-sealing, blown-in, batt, and spray foam insulation combat conduction and convection. Radiant barriers and reflective materials combat radiation.

How Insulation Works in your home

In your home, insulation slows the transfer of heat between the conditioned living space and the un-conditioned non-living space (outside, attic, etc.). By slowing the transfer of heat, your hard working HVAC system won't have to work so hard because its energy will not be lost.

In the summer, heat flows from outside to the inside of a home. To keep the home cool, your A/C works double time to continuously cool the air faster than it is warming up.

In the winter, heat flows from the inside to the outside of the home. To keep the home warm, your heater works overtime to continuously warm the air faster than it is cooling off.

The constant struggle for your HVAC system to keep up has an easy solution: Insulation.

Contact Koala Insulation of St. Louis, your local insulation contractor, today for a FREE Insulation Consultation
 
Call Today: (314)-279-5064
Book Online: https://book.housecallpro.com/book/Koala-Insulation-of-St-Louis/d88fa9e57b9246419ab02519e4fb53c2

Related Posts:
How To Tell If Your Home Is Under Insulated https://koalainsulation.com/saint-louis/blog-detail/How-To-Tell-If-Your-Home-Is-Under-Insulated
5 Reasons One Room Is Hotter (or Colder) Than The Rest Of The House https://koalainsulation.com/saint-louis/blog-detail/5-Reasons-One-Room-Hotter-Colder-Than-the-Rest-of-the-House
4 Reasons Insulation is Important in St. Louis https://koalainsulation.com/saint-louis/blog-detail/4-Reasons-Insulation-is-Important-in-St-Louis
Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency: Insulation, Air Sealing, Solar https://koalainsulation.com/saint-louis/blog-detail/Tax-Credits-for-Energy-Efficiency-Insulation-AirSealing-Solar