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See if you can get an energy audit from your electric or gas company. You can definitely upgrade your furnace without first improving insulation and air tightn

by hasbot 4y ago

See if you can get an energy audit from your electric or gas company. You can definitely upgrade your furnace without first improving insulation and air tightness. There are other conceptually simple changes that will improve efficiency with low risk of causing other problems (e.g. attic insulation, blown in wall insulation, replacement windows). The energy audit will include an analysis. Home efficiency is pretty complex. Read up a lot before paying for any changes. Even today, many new homes aren't built to be airtight. There are air gaps everywhere. An HRV/ERV may help reduce energy costs because air has to enter the house from somewhere, but in older homes I'm not sure the slight benefits one will gains will be worth the cost and extra complexity (an HRV/ERV needs to be cleaned twice a year).

maxerickson 4y ago
The audit should have some information about what is going to be the most beneficial cost wise. Additional insulation is often a pretty safe win (especially if it doesn't change the moisture barrier). Of course there can be other goals. I don't expect that upgrading my 80% AFUE furnace would save me any money. High efficiency furnaces cost more, break faster and it would require more work to install one vs just replacing with an 83% unit. But it would change how air moves in the house, instead of drawing combustion air from the conditioned space, a high efficiency furnace would pull it from outside, so it would be easier to humidify the house to a more comfortable level (a medium size wick humidifier doesn't keep the house above 20% on colder days).
PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago
Blown-in wall insulation is terrible in cold climates. With no vapor barrier, any moisture from the living space will condense once it hits the "cold zone", which is likely inside the wall, and thus lead to rot (and mold) over time.

by hasbot 4y ago

maxerickson 4y ago

The audit should have some information about what is going to be the most beneficial cost wise. Additional insulation is often a pretty safe win (especially if it doesn't change the moisture barrier). Of course there can be other goals. I don't expect that upgrading my 80% AFUE furnace would save me any money. High efficiency furnaces cost more, break faster and it would require more work to install one vs just replacing with an 83% unit. But it would change how air moves in the house, instead of drawing combustion air from the conditioned space, a high efficiency furnace would pull it from outside, so it would be easier to humidify the house to a more comfortable level (a medium size wick humidifier doesn't keep the house above 20% on colder days).

PaulDavisThe1st 4y ago

Blown-in wall insulation is terrible in cold climates. With no vapor barrier, any moisture from the living space will condense once it hits the "cold zone", which is likely inside the wall, and thus lead to rot (and mold) over time.