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Portland is making a big move towards electrification with their Electrify Everything program. At Evergreen Home Performance, we fully support converting to clean energy and stepping away from fossil fuels—however, we also know that certain home upgrades are crucial to fully enjoying the benefits of electrification without any unintended adverse consequences.
Whole home electrification can actually create undesirable cost and comfort issues if you don’t first take steps to reducing your unnecessary energy waste. Keep reading to discover some common comfort side effects of electrifying your home and how Evergreen Home Performance can help you prevent them.
Do Electric Systems Dry Out Your Home?
Dry air in your home—especially throughout the winter—can not only be frustrating, but it can also cause damage to your wood finishings and irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Many people believe that since heat pumps work as a dehumidifier in the summer, they also dry out your home in the winter, but dry air problems actually have nothing to do with your heating system—regardless of the type.
If the air in your house is too dry, it’s most likely because of air leaks letting dry outdoor winter air inside, not because your heating system is removing moisture from the air. The best way to control your indoor humidity levels is to seal the gaps and cracks that allow the cold dry air to come inside with air sealing services.
Heat Pumps Can Lead to Cold Floors
Heat pumps can provide more efficient heating and cooling in your home. However, until you air seal and insulate the lower levels of your home to retain that heat, you increase your risk of frozen pipes and create noticeably colder floors while continuing to lose valuable heat to the outdoors and unconditioned areas of your home.
“Right-Sizing” Your Home Systems Maximize the Value of Your Investments
At Evergreen, we want your home improvement dollars to be well spent. When you air seal and insulate your home prior to installing new heating & cooling equipment, you decrease the waste of conditioned air—allowing you to install a less costly HVAC because you no longer need to compensate for the losses.
We also recommend starting every home performance project with an energy audit. With a comprehensive analysis of your home’s performance, our team of experts is able to pinpoint inefficiencies and provide detailed advice to optimize your whole home system.
