Should You Upgrade Your Heating System Or Improve Insulation?
Both heating and insulation upgrades can help make your home warmer and more energy-efficient. But sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Are you looking for ways to cut costs on heating your home or find ways to enjoy the comforts of your home without having to worry so much about utility bills?
One of the reasons people choose to add insulation to their home is to save money on heating. However, when comparing adding insulation vs. replacing your heating system, we need to consider several factors. Let’s dive straight in.
Replacing Your Heating System
There are several signs that indicate when it would be beneficial to replace your boiler/heating system. If your current boiler is old or not working efficiently anymore, that’s a clear indicator that it’s time for a change.
Modern heating systems provide a number of benefits when compared to older systems. This includes faster warm-up times, better temperature control, and possibly lower energy bills in the years ahead. In fact, some modern systems, such as heat pumps, can provide these same types of benefits without using oil or gas to produce heat, making them both cheaper to run and better for the environment. Homeowners who install a heat pump will need to ensure that their home insulation is up to scratch, or the value of these heating system improvements will quickly diminish.
Improve Insulation
One of the easiest upgrades to complete in a home is to add insulation. Many homeowners don’t realise the impact that inadequate insulation has on their home. Poorly insulated homes allow warm air to escape and cold air to enter, forcing your heating system to work harder to provide sufficiently comfortable temperatures. Adding additional layers of insulation to areas such as attics, walls, floors and windows/doors will greatly reduce the amount of energy required to keep your home warm.
Which Should I Do First: Upgrade My Heating System or Home Insulation?
Insulating your house before upgrading your home heating system is generally recommended. If you have a poorly insulated house, you’ll never receive the full benefit of a new heating system. If your heating is constantly fighting against the loss of heat caused by poor insulation, you’ll likely spend more money for less effectiveness when changing the system initially.
However, after you’ve upgraded your home insulation, you can take advantage of higher-efficiency heating. Since you’ve eliminated the majority of the heat loss from your house, a high-efficiency heating system such as a heat pump will operate at peak levels.
Rather than deciding whether you should upgrade your heating system or add insulation, try thinking of them as complementary components. Insulation reduces the load on your heating system. Your system then supplies the necessary heat efficiently. When used together in conjunction, your home becomes easier and less expensive to heat while being more comfortable all year long.
That should just about cover the dynamic between heating systems and home insulation upgrades. If you have any questions, the Pipelife Eco team is here to help. Just reach out to us, and we’ll happily assist you.