Q - After listening to your show, and shivering in the cold, we have decided that we need both new insulation and a new hvac system (ours is 25 years old!)
Not having the money for both, which should we do first?
Steve - Marietta
A - I get this question a good bit and here is how I would play it…
First I would have a certified HVAC company come out and service your system just to tune it up. You can probably get a furnace tune-up for under $80. That should help your shivering.
Then I would look into insulation, and I would get as much insulation as I could afford be it 20 inches of blown in fiberglass or the open cell foam.
My thinking is that while I may need a new furnace (and a/c unit), what I really need is to be able to hang on to what it produces better.
With better insulation you will be surprised how much heat (and/or cool) your house can retain.
If you have a good insulation company out to your home to quote you a price, they will generally do a blower door test and show you where your main air leaks are. Often there are some you can fix yourself, like caulking around the inside of your windows and doors.
In purchasing a new hvac system first you would save a little money with better efficiency, but the warm (cool) air would leak out of your leaky, poorly insulated house which causes your systems to run more which costs you money.
A better thermal envelope will retain the heat/cool that your system produces which will make your home more efficient.
The only exception to this is if your hvac system is completely shot. Then you probably should get a new one, but keep your eye on getting better insulation.