Both your air conditioning system and your home’s insulation work together to reduce the effect of the outside. Together, they fight off the heat, keeping your home cool in summer.
But which one should be upgraded first? Your residential air conditioning, or your home’s insulation?
As much as it pains us to say it as a company that specialises in air conditioning in Brisbane, if you’re renovating, you should probably start with the insulation first before upgrading your air conditioning. But why?
Read on to find out!
Why air conditioning in Brisbane should wait: the difference between passive and active cooling
If you ask us, you should only start thinking about “active” cooling methods once you’ve done all you can to maximise the effect of “passive” cooling techniques.
To explain why these are so important for residential air conditioning in Brisbane however, we first need to explain what they are.
Let’s start with active cooling
These are measures that use electricity to bring down the temperature in your home.
Air conditioning installation is probably the first thing that comes to mind, though things like fans also fall into this category. This is active cooling.
Now, let’s look at passive cooling
The second is passive cooling, which covers all measures that reduce the temperature without using power.
These measures are built into your home itself, and keep you cool without you having to turn anything on or flip any switches.
Insulation’s the big one, though other passive cooling measures include tinted windows and house design.
So, why is it important that your insulation’s up to scratch first?
Simple: it’s all about $$$
When upgrading your residential air conditioning, it’s important that you “max out” your passive cooling first, so to speak.
Sure, active cooling like aircon is much more effective. However, there’s a catch: it also adds to your power bill.
(Today’s air conditioners are much more energy-efficient than older ones – that said, running them still costs money).
Passive measures on the other hand literally cost nothing other than the cost of installation.
Sure, you might not be able to get away with adding an energy-saving, heat-stopping green roof to your home (like they do in some parts of Norway) – however, you can upgrade your insulation.
Good insulation means a more effective (and efficient) air conditioning system!
And that means lower bills come summer.
“Not too big, not too small – just right.”
That doesn’t just apply to porridge, armchairs and beds – it applies to residential air conditioning in Brisbane too.
We’ve talked about system design a million times, so we won’t waste your time and recap again – if you want to get caught up, you can read this article that we put together.
Insulation quality is just one of the things we look at in our quest to find the perfect air conditioning system for your home.
A home with good insulation, for example, could get away with a slightly smaller system for air conditioning, as the insulation will be doing a better job of keeping heat out to begin with.
We’re sure you don’t need us to tell you that more powerful systems cost more to install. Not only will you cut down on your power bill by fixing up your insulation first, but you’ll also bring down the cost of air conditioning installation too!
A good insulation upgrade can reduce the need for air conditioning upgrades
Air conditioning systems are super reliable now.
We remember when we first started out over 30 years ago installing and repairing air conditioning in Brisbane, and what types of system jobs we’ve worked on over the years.
One of the most common? Upgrading or replacing systems that underperform, simply because they’re not powerful enough for the space or demand.
So you’re renovating, and on the list of things to replace is your underpowered air conditioning.
But have you thought about starting with the insulation first?
In cases where your residential air conditioning is ever so slightly weak, an insulation upgrade might even completely eliminate the need for an air conditioning replacement!
Insulation reduces the need for residential air conditioning service and maintenance
You take your car in for service once a year – why should your air conditioning be any different?
And like cars, an air conditioning system that doesn’t see as much work won’t need to be serviced as frequently.
Good insulation, though? Good insulation means you mightn’t rely as heavily on your air conditioning. And that means it can last longer between services and repairs.
Don’t get us wrong, you still need residential air conditioning service and maintenance – that said, you won’t need it as often with good insulation that takes some of the load off your heating and cooling system.
The experts at residential air conditioning installation in Brisbane
Sure, it might be a better idea to start by upgrading and replacing your home’s insulation before moving on to your air conditioning.
However, that doesn’t make your air conditioning installation any less important!
When it comes to air conditioning installation, it’s important that you choose a team that you can trust to get it right – for your home, your lifestyle, and your family.
If you’re looking at interest free air conditioning Brisbane, you can’t go past Tri-Tech.
No matter what type of home you live in, the type of insulation you have in your walls and ceiling, or the type of system you want installed, we can do it.
With more than 30 years of experience under our belts, countless awards to our name, and a huge catalogue that includes systems from leading brands, we’re the team to choose for air conditioning installation in Brisbane.
Find out how our mobile tech team can help you today – call now for expert advice: (07) 3394 0222, or click here to get in touch online.
