EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Conservation
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-17-09, 07:27 PM   #1
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Talking Cut my heating bill by 39%

Woo Hoo!

I received the first full heating bill since insulating our attic to R-50. So, I ran the numbers and compared Therms of Natural Gas used per Heating Degree Day from Jan/Feb 2009 with R-50 insulation and Jan/Feb 2008 with very poor insulation. The result - 39% less Therms per Heating Degree Day used!

I also did a rough break-even calc and we should hit break-even in 5.5 years or so (depending on natural gas prices of course). Not too shabby.

More info and calculations here: Heating Bill Before and After Attic Insulation | EcoDaddyo.com

Insulation - It's not just a good idea, it should be the law!

__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Last edited by TimJFowler; 12-01-10 at 01:24 PM.. Reason: update link
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-09, 09:43 PM   #2
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

Thats very encouraging considering I too just did mine! I completely agree, more insulation should be code. We would save massive amounts of energy.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-09, 08:09 AM   #3
SVOboy
Administrator
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 291
Thanks: 3
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Default

That's quite the cut! How did temperatures compare?
SVOboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-09, 10:23 AM   #4
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

I used Heating Degree Days* in the calculations so that I could directly compare the two bills.

Heating Bill Comparison
Before Attic Insulation:
Jan 14 - Feb 13, 2008 (31 days)
Natural Gas used - 121 Therms @ $141.72
Heating Degree Days - 1103
Therms per Heating Day - 0.1097

After Attic Insulation:
Jan 11 - Feb 10, 2009 (31 days)
Natural Gas used - 57 Therms @ $60.19
Heating Degree Days - 852
Therms per Heating Day - 0.0669

Natural Gas Use Difference .0669 / .1097 = 60.98%
~ 39% reduction in Natural Gas Heating Bill

* Heating Degree Days - the number of heating degrees in a day is defined as the difference between a reference value of 65°F (18°C) and the average outside temperature for that day.
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-09, 11:45 AM   #5
Higgy
The Gardener
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Manitoba - Canada
Posts: 492
Thanks: 17
Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts
Default

What did you do to make it R50 Tim? Did you post pictures in another thread? I can't remember now. If you didn't please post some.
Higgy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-09, 12:18 PM   #6
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

The short answer is I installed soffit baffles and sealed over the central hallway which was a huge thermal bypass. Then we had ~15" of cellulose blown in to the attic. I did take photos, but given how low the roof is, they aren't very exciting shots. But here is one -



The longer version of the story is here - Cellulose Insulated Attic Makes For a Cozy Home | EcoDaddyo.com
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Last edited by TimJFowler; 12-01-10 at 01:25 PM.. Reason: update link
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-09, 09:28 AM   #7
jwxr7
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
jwxr7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: mid michigan
Posts: 191
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

very good! Nice way of comparing too (using heating degree days).
jwxr7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-09, 09:32 AM   #8
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

What did you have for insulation up there before the cellulose?
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-09, 12:12 PM   #9
TimJFowler
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
TimJFowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 184
Thanks: 9
Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts
Default

The original attic insulation (still in place) is old mineral wool (rock wool) blankets. Unfortunately, they were installed sloppily and had settled to 2-3 inches thick (I assume they were thicker initially). Whomever installed the insulation left gaps between batts, ran batts OVER wiring, and ran batts flush against the eave vents. I had to get creative to position some of the insulation trays up to the eave vents.

The biggest problem was the big thermal break created by the central hallway. The hot air supply duct runs down the central hallway in a channel created by dropping the hall ceiling about 6". This left the interior of both hall walls open to the attic and the duct itself was uninsulated. I sealed over the top with sheets of drywall cut to fit and then sealed in place with spray foam.

Doing all of the prep work in the attic was a big pain in the rear, but I noticed a difference in how often the furnace was running even before the insulation was blown in.

This was definitely a big project time-wise, but absolutely worth it.

Tim
__________________
- DIY Adventures in Applied Sustainability -

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
TimJFowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-09, 01:43 AM   #10
snotrawket
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

say I had the exact same house and now that you have experience doing it I wanted to contract you to do it for me. What would be you're price (if you would just say no, what would you advise me to pay someone to be fair hehe)
snotrawket is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:40 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design