Insulation (Heat loss)

• Effective insulation reduces heat transfer due to conduction, convection and radiation, meaning the energy will not escape so quickly.
• Reduce heat loss by…

  • loft insulation
  • double glazing
  • cavity wall insulation
  • floor insulation
  • draught excluders
• LOFT INSULATION

  • Fibre glass loft insulation reduces heat loss by convection as fibre glass traps air, reducing heat energy getting into loft reducing convections currents - has pockets of air trapped in it reducing heat loss by conduction (air is good insulator).
• DOUBLE GLAZING

  • Double glazed windows reduce heat loss by conduction as air is trapped between the two panels (air = good insulator).
• CAVITY WALL INSULATION

  • Cavity walls can be filled with foam fibreglass wool to trap air and reduce heat lost by conduction.
• FLOOR INSULATION

  • Floor insulation or carpets reduce heat loss by conduction.
• DRAUGHT EXCLUDERS

  • They fill gaps around doors and windows to reduce convection currents by reducing the movement of air into and out of the house (heat loss by convection).
• Effective house insulation will reduce energy consumption of a house - less heat lost per second, so less energy will be required per second to maintain the same temperature in the house = energy bills will be lower.
• Insulating house effectively will also have a positive impact on the environment as energy consumption will be reduced - less fossil fuels will be required to produce heat energy = less carbon dioxide will be produced, reducing impact on global warming.
• Radiation - reflective coatings on surfaces like glass reduce heat loss by radiation either by reflection or emission - surfaces of insulation are shiny to reflect radiant heat back into house and reduce heat radiated into loft.