Insulation Performance Overnight

[Aeneas]

Temperatures outside last night fell to 3 degrees. Inside the temperature in my living room fell from 20/21 at 10pm, when the central heating went off, to 15 degrees when it came back on at 8am this morning. Would a drop of five degrees overnight be regarded as adequate insulation performance. Or would a well-insulated house do better than this?

 

[Gtec]

Hi,

My own house fell from 20 to 17 last night between 10.30 pm and 8am. I reckon that is pretty good, though I think there is room for improvement in the attic insulation.

I also spend alot of time in lodgings in a much more modern 3 bed semi in the Dublin Commuter belt where overnight temperatures inside the house would often fall from 18-19 going to bed to 7 or 8 by 6 am!

 

[Aeneas]

That sounds pretty good to me too. The reason I ask the question is that a lot of the discussion about insulation is about R and u-values, thermal conductivity, insulation materials and thicknesses. All important and necessary. But what does it mean in practice? I have 300mm fibreglass in my ceiling (its a single storey extension), and Warmfill Silver Bead in the cavities (as well as the original aeroboard). I can calculate the u-values. But the question remains: is a fall of five degrees overnight (from 20 to 15) reasonable/acceptable in modern insulation conditions? What should consumers expect in practice?