Throughout the years, homes built in factories have gone by many names, “mobile homes” or “manufactured homes” or “modular homes” or “trailer houses,” they all have one very important thing in common: many of the older units tend to be gas and electricity consuming monsters. Correcting this problem isn’t easy.
Before you embark on a project to make your factory-built home more energy efficient you must make sure that this is the right step for you.
Wear and tear is something to be expected with any home. It doesn’t matter if your home is four years old or 40 years old, there is a good chance that you could benefit from some low-cost changes that will improve energy efficiency. Sunlight, seasonal temperature changes, win and vibration can compromise the seals in a home, increasing air infiltration; windows may no longer seal a properly, and ductwork can begin to leak, allowing large amounts of heating and cooling energy to be blown into the air under the house instead of into the house. Heating systems, air conditioners, and hot water heaters gradually lose efficiency after years of service. This is especially true if a regular maintenance and cleaning have been neglected. Each of these energy draining problems soon add up to significant increases in heating and cooling costs.
Technology has changed over the years. Manufactured homes that were built to the energy standards of the time can be seen as extremely inefficient by today’s standards. Over the past 10 to 20 years dramatic progress has been made with high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, improvements in insulation, window design, and many other things. Another great change that has emerged in recent years is our understanding of how to retrofit old or manufactured homes making them nearly as energy efficient as a new manufactured home.
It’s no secret that in today’s economy energy costs are skyrocketing. It doesn’t matter if you’re using propane, natural gas, heating oil, or electricity, experts agree that prices will continue to escalate. Making energy efficient changes to your home now will guard against future price increases, and reduce some of the costs that are currently paying today.
Retrofitting your home with newer materials and modern mechanical systems will help you too lower or your energy costs which will reduce your overall homeownership expense. Making these changes will also protect you against future energy cost increases, raise your comfort level by reducing drafts, and providing a more consistent room-to-room temperature, reduce the chances of moisture infiltration, increased the resale value of your home, and help to protect the environment by using less energy.
