Topic:
ElectricalQuestion:
My home was built in the 1880's. It is 1100 sq ft. It is heated with gas, forced air. My PSE monthly bills gas and electric are $200 on year round plan. I have a large pristine attic (10 ft high) with no insulation, but crisscrossed with knob and tube wiring. How do I determine if it's more cost efficient to address that problem OR just throw in a wood or pellet stove to keep my home warmer in the winter? Where do I start? (Old windows have all been replaced). Thanks! Faith
- Faith from Issaquah, WA
Answer:
Hello Faith,
Attic insulation is a critical part of any energy upgrade, so I would start with the wiring in the attic and have a licensed electrical contractor remove any wiring that can?t be covered with insulation e.g. tube and knob wiring. Once this is done, you will have to make sure that you have good ventilation in the attic. Soffit and ridge insulation is necessary in order to vent any moisture issues and since you are now going to tighten up the house, good ventilation is critical.
Once all this is done, the attic floor needs to be insulated. Code requires about R38 worth of insulation and that should work well for you. I think that you will find this one change to improve your heating energy consumption. You might even call your gas utility and see if they help with such a project.
I vote against the wood or pellet stove. Your fuel costs are not going to be any better than natural gas and you are likely create some uneven heat distribution with such systems. If you have a good forced air gas furnace then you have one of the more economical ways to heat the house.
One more note about ventilation: you have had new windows installed and you are now going to insulate the attic. You have a small home. All this suggests the you must make sure that the house is well vented: attic venting, ducted bathroom and kitchen fans, crawl space vents?
George
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