ᐅ Insulation in the 1970s Compared to Today, Modern Insulation, Heating Costs

Created on: 5 Nov 2012 10:29
M
meisterlampe
I would be interested in an assessment of how much higher heating costs (in percentage) you can expect in a house built around 1970 with solid construction according to the standards of that time (including windows), compared to modern insulation as commonly used today.

Are there significant differences? This concerns exterior walls and the roof.

Where are the biggest heat losses likely to occur? Exterior walls, windows, or the roof?

Which renovations would be particularly necessary, and which ones less relevant?

Thank you
H
Häuslebauer40
7 Nov 2012 21:30
Okay, that sounds plausible. At least somewhat, although the answer doesn’t fully satisfy my curiosity, as the comparison might be flawed.
In an engine, there are friction-intensive physical processes during a cold start that naturally require more energy than when the engine is warm.
But where do these processes occur in a condensing boiler? Gas burns. That’s it. It burns regardless of whether the burner is cold or warm. There is no friction-intensive movement involved that would absorb additional energy when cold.
So, where exactly should the additional energy consumption during the ignition of a condensing boiler be found?
S
Saruss
7 Nov 2012 22:26
For example, besides heating the water, there is also quite a bit of "surrounding" material that gets heated. A gas burner also has its own operating temperature (modern devices are no longer quite as simple), which must first be reached for full efficiency. As a result, many starts and very short burn times are very inefficient.

It’s similar to grilling—imagine lighting a separate small charcoal piece for each sausage instead of starting with a large amount for all of them at once.
H
Häuslebauer40
7 Nov 2012 22:29
Okay, that makes sense. At least for gas. With a modulating heat pump, for example, it should look different.
S
Saruss
7 Nov 2012 22:30
This is not necessarily the case with cars either—when heated, the components expand, so why is there more friction when cold? Shouldn’t there actually be more space between the piston and cylinder when they are cold? And synthetic oils nowadays also have low viscosity even in cold conditions, right?
S
Saruss
7 Nov 2012 22:31
In a heat pump, a compressor works, which you can quite well compare to a car engine (cylinders/pistons – or depending on the design, a rotary engine?). These components also get warm.
H
Häuslebauer40
7 Nov 2012 23:09
Saruss schrieb:
It’s not that obvious with cars either — when heated, parts expand, so why is there more friction when cold? Shouldn’t there be more space between the piston and cylinder when it’s cold? Also, synthetic oils nowadays have low viscosity even at low temperatures, don’t they?

Think about it again.
Do you really believe that only the cylinder expands with heat, and the piston does not?