One of the services many HVAC repair and installation companies offer is the installation of radiant barrier. Many people are unaware of what this product even is, but it can greatly affect your home. If you are one of these people, you are in the right place. Today’s post is all about what radiant barrier is and how your home would benefit from it.

What Are Radiant Barriers?

Radiant barriers help stop heat from entering your home. How? It is a material with a very low emissivity and high reflectivity which basically just means it has the ability to virtually stop the transfer of radiant heat or thermal conductivity. This allows the radiant barrier in your home to reduce heat gain in the summer and prevent heat loss in the winter. The overall effect is reduction of total heating and cooling needs of the building.

How A Radiant Barrier Helps Save Energy

With the reduction of need for heating and cooling, big savings are to be expected. Not only is this method environmentally friendly, reducing the amount of energy your home or building will use, it is also economically friendly, saving you money. Because there are so many factors influencing heating and cooling needs, it is hard to say exactly what savings are to be expected. However, according to a study performed by the US Department of Energy, it is generally accepted that installing radiant barrier in a home attic will reduce heat gain through the ceiling by 40 percent and lead to about a 17 percent reduction on heating and cooling utility bills.

A Radiant Barrier Helps Reduce HVAC Stress

Every building will vary and that number seen can be anywhere from a savings of 12 percent up to a high 39 percent. That’s a lot of energy and money saved. Beyond that, the reduced stress on your HVAC system will help increase its longevity, which could keep you from having to replace your HVAC unit for longer that you otherwise would.

Where A Radiant Barrier Is Used

A radiant barrier is to be applied in specific areas for most effectiveness. Because most heat transfer happens in the attic, it should be applied in the attic on the bottom of roof rafters and over insulation and ductwork. Some say that the effect of reduction of energy loss on the ductwork may even be more beneficial in cost reduction than the reduction of heat transfer through the ceiling, but either way, both are welcome benefits.

A Radiant Barrier Works With Your Home

Some may think that if they have a new well-weatherized house, they would not benefit from a radiant barrier, but this is actually false. Radiant barriers aren’t meant to fix problems in a house’s heat transfer, it’s meant to improve them. So whether or not you have a state of the art home or not, you will still benefit from the effects of a radiant barrier because it builds upon your current performance with a new service.

For More Information…

Now that you know all about radiant barriers, you are prepared to make a decision about installing one in your home. If you are interested in radiant barrier installation or need more information, contact a representative at AirOne Heating and Air Conditioning in San Marcos, TX today to get a quote and find out what other services we may be able to offer you!