NORTHWEST HOUSTON Blog

Energy Improvement Choices for Manufactured Homes

At present, manufactured homes (mobile homes)  are built to be just as energy efficient as traditional built-on-site. But older manufactured homes aren’t as energy savings-friendly. Adding modifications is especially important for owners of older mobile homes who might be paying energy bills more than they’re supposed to.

The good news is, like traditional homes, you can take energy-savings up a notch by adding further improvements to the building components. 

Here are a few things you could do to improve energy efficiency in your manufactured home.

1. Do general repairs of your mobile home’s components

To start with improving your home’s energy efficiency, do a visual inspection for air leaks where heat can easily escape/enter.

Inspect the condition of your home’s components like windows, doors, walls, ceilings, electrical outlets and lighting. Check if your ducts and pipes leak air and water. Energy is frequently lost in these areas.

Once you identify openings and leaks, seal and caulk them to save on energy.          

2. Cool your roof         

Applying a white elastomeric coat of paint or reflective roof coating reduces heat from entering your home during hot summers. Instead of absorbing heat, the white paint reflects up to 80% of the sun’s rays, cooling your living space instantly. It also seals leaks, preserving your roof for a long time. 

If you want a cool summer and a warm winter, insulating your ceiling is your best bet. Insulation improves the building’s envelope, preventing additional heat from the sun from entering your home and heat from escaping your home during winter. 

Fiberglass batts, blown-in, and spray foam insulation are the common choices for insulating the ceiling of a manufactured home. 

After an energy audit or an insulation evaluation, we can help you determine which type of insulation best suits your mobile home ceiling.       

3. Update insulation   

Since there was no HUD Code before 1976, older mobile homes, if not without insulation, are poorly-insulated. This is why older homes are leaking more money than newly-constructed homes.   

If your AC/furnace is taking time to cool/heat your home, it may be because of poor insulation where energy is lost through air leaks, walls, and floors. 

Are you paying high energy bills? Are you having humidity problems inside your home? If your answers tick the boxes, then it’s time to upgrade your insulation.

For existing walls, Koala Insulation of Northwest Houston can retrofit insulation using fiberglass batts. These are cut to fit studs and joists. To avoid moisture, batts insulation is recommended.

Spray foam insulation acts as a sealant and insulation. If you want maximum soundproofing, open-cell spray foam is a good choice. Closed-cell spray foam on the other hand, adds strength to your building’s structures, thanks to its densely-packed nature.

If you don’t want to take your walls apart, blown-in insulation is an effective alternative. Holes are drilled on the walls where a blower is injected, filling in the wall cavities.

About 35% of heat is lost through your walls. By insulating them, you can save on energy and it’ll bring you comfort for a long time.

4. Switch to energy-saving lighting and appliances

Still using incandescent bulbs in your home? If yes, consider switching to LED bulbs. LEDs consume at least 75% less energy compared to incandescent bulbs. These bulbs also last 25 times longer than incandescent lights, making them energy efficient.  

And if your appliances are old, battered, and overworked, it’s highly likely they are not working as effectively as before. Instead of dealing with costly repairs, it may be more practical to invest on new appliances that can do the job faster and with a lower energy consumption.    

Tip: Look for Energy Star-rated appliances to score on energy efficient appliances.

5. Add insulated skirting                                                          

Protect the base of your manufactured home by installing an insulated skirting around it. Skirting reduces the chances of frozen pipes, heat loss, and serves as a barrier from weather and animals. 

6. Insulate a belly wrap    

Not insulating the belly or the bottom of your mobile home leaks energy.

If you have access to the underside of the belly, opt for batts insulation which is cut to fit the joists. Blown-in insulation is the optimal choice for insulating the belly of a home and is done by professionals. Our experts at Koala Insulation can help you insulate the belly wrap the right way.

7. Upgrade windows and doors

If you’re living in an old home, chances are your windows offer only the most basic shield from outdoors and are most likely leaking energy and your money.

After all, windows account for 25%-30% of heat loss. Think of the money you could have saved from the energy lost through your windows. 

If your windows are single pane, it’s time to upgrade them to double-glazed or even more. Double-glazed windows can reduce up to 30% of heat loss compared to single pane windows. These windows have a gap between the two panes which traps and seals air, offering insulation and soundproofing your home. 

Energy is lost through doors as well. Like windows, the door must have a snug fit with the frames and the jambs. If your door is old and weathered, switch to modern and more energy-efficient doors.        

Look for the Energy Star rating when shopping for new windows and doors to ensure energy efficiency.            

8. Choose renewable sources of energy

Install heat pumps

Save on energy costs by investing in renewable energy.  Leave it to a geothermal heat pump (GHP) to do the job of cooling and heating your home! This pump is either ground or water-source, and uses the ground temperature as an exchange medium instead of the air outside. 

GHPs are a permanent fixture suited for permanently situated homes.

Install solar panels 

Generally, solar panels on roofs are not recommended on manufactured homes because these structures aren’t designed to hold weight. If you can’t install solar panels on your roof, having a passive solar home is another option.
                                         

If you have an unobstructed area in the southern side of your mobile home, you can transform this space to a passive solar space. Sunlight is collected through the windows and is stored in materials that retain heat. The windows should face within 30 degrees of the true south to collect maximum solar energy.      

9. Service your AC and furnace

When was the last time you checked your AC and furnace?

A dusty and clogged AC doesn’t filter air properly and has a tendency to damage the coil’s ability to absorb heat. Cleaning your AC at least once a year decreases energy costs by 5%-15%.

Same applies to your furnace. Dirty filters put a strain on cooling and heating systems, wasting energy and adding to your energy bills. With dirty filters, dust particles are just circulating around your home, causing trouble to people with allergies and respiratory problems. 

If your cooling/heating systems are over a decade old and are always in need of repair, this article may be a sign that you need to replace them with Energy-star rated products. 

There are many ways to up your energy saving game for your manufactured homes. Although these might appear as additional expenses, these are actually investments that can bring you savings and comfort for a long time.
 

Do you need help with updating your insulation? Our insulation experts at Koala Insulation can help you identify your home’s needs.Book your free insulation evaluation with us today!