Dealing with Household Heat Loss
ByOf course, all the heat produced by fuel is eventually ‘lost’ — the house cannot hold its warmth for ever. The purpose of insulation is to slow down the rate of loss so that you can gain as much benefit as practical before the warmth produced by gas, oil, electricity etc is dissipated to the air outside.
Not all forms of insulation are worthwhile unless you are seeking maximum heat conservation. It certainly pays to seal gaps and to draught-proof doors and windows, and you should always ensure that there is some loft insulation. With double glazing, however, it will take some years before you will recover the cost in saved fuel. The actual heat loss which takes place in a particular home depends on the situation. The prime controlling factor is the amount of insulation present — new homes are built to a much higher standard than old ones. A flat-roofed bungalow will lose considerably more heat through the roof than a 3-storeyed house with a pitched roof. Any apartment or terraced house will lose less heat through the walls than a detached house. But no matter what style of home you occupy there can be no doubt that some thought and a little money spent on insulation can cut your fuel bills. It is not just a matter of cutting fuel bills. Draughts and cold corners in an uninsulated house can make life distinctly unpleasant in the depths of winter. Insulation can be expensive – if money is short begin with draught-proofing and then go on to lagging the hot water cylinder and insulating the loft.
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