
Why You're Always Cold Indoors
You're inside your home and the heat is on. But you're cold. Really cold.
You don't want to turn up the heat because your energy bill
is already high. And lowering the temperature? That would just make you even
colder!
Ready to talk to us about staying warm? Skip ahead to the contact form.
Here's why you're cold, even though the thermostat is set to
70.
In many cases, your furnace is working just fine. In theory
(and assuming it's installed properly), it's got enough capacity to properly
heat a home like yours. However...
Air leaks can let the heat out
Any time it's warmer inside your home than it is outside,
the heat produced by your furnace will find a way to escape your living space.
The more air leaks you have, the more opportunities there are for heat to
escape.
Air typically escapes through gaps and cracks in these
areas:
- Ceilings and attic
- Lowest floor and crawlspace
- Doors and windows
- Electrical outlets
- Bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room vents
When warm air leaks out through these gaps, it's replaced
with an equal amount of cooler, outdoor air. It's called air infiltration.
And yeah, it makes you feel cold.
Insulation helps you stay warm...
...except when it's inadequately installed, really old, or
simply not up to code.
- Fiberglass batts are difficult to install properly. If your
walls, attic, and crawlspace are insulated with fiberglass batts, even the
smallest imperfection in the installation can lead to massive heat loss.
Speaking of crawlspace insulation...
- Humidity in crawlspaces makes insulation fall to the ground.
Due to this issue, your floors might barely be insulated at all.
- Old building codes didn't require much insulation. Pre-2000s building codes were
significantly less strict than than today's codes. They didn't require
your insulation to be all that robust.
These insulation issues lead to heat loss, which leads to
wintertime discomfort indoors.
Let's not forget about unbalanced ductwork.
Sometimes, your ducts just send more air than necessary to
one part of your home and too little air to other parts. This situation results
in temperature imbalances and serious discomfort.
You could need ductwork modifications, duct repairs, or duct
replacement. Sometimes, a ductwork redesign is the answer. An airflow test and
balance procedure can often help identify the problem and point you to the
right solution.
Let's figure out why you're cold.
To get to the bottom of your "feelin' too cold"
problem, contact us today! We'll perform the necessary procedures to diagnose
your comfort problem and show you how to resolve it.