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hvac:insulation [2017/09/16 17:42] frater_secessus created |
hvac:insulation [2023/06/20 12:27] mahkato add uninsulated option |
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====== Insulation ====== | ====== Insulation ====== | ||
- | FIXME | ||
+ | There is no clear solid consensus on what the " | ||
+ | [[https:// | ||
- | ===== heat from solar panels ===== | + | ---- |
- | Non-insulating folks in mild climates may want to use //some// insulation on the interior of the roof underneath the solar panels. | + | |
+ | ===== Goals of insulation ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Insulation can help retain | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== The Uninsulated Option | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you are willing and able to [[camping: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Financial considerations might mean you need to consider your vehicle a [[rv: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Temperatures inside an closed uninsulated vehicle can get dangerously hot when the sun is shining, even when it's not particularly hot outside. Keep in mind that water tanks and lines need to be protected from freezing at all times. If the weather takes a particularly cold dip when you aren't expecting it, you need to heat or drain your water first. In hot weather, warm tanks will grow bacteria more quickly | ||
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+ | [[https:// | ||
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+ | ===== Tips and Tricks ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | **It is better to insulate the entire van poorly than to only insulate part of the van well.** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Windows are going to be the largest source of both heat loss or heat gain //by far//. Especially If you have a van with windows all around, it's pointless to do any insulation to the body at all if you're not doing something about the windows | ||
+ | |||
+ | Similarly, the sheet metal of the van makes an incredibly effective thermal bridge. | ||
+ | |||
+ | 4-Way stretch carpet is ideal for this. Because it has some give to it, it's possible to mold it over and around all the sort of crazy compound curves that makes up the van body. Many videos on youtube showing this process, here https://www.youtube.com/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Open-Cell vs Closed-Cell | ||
+ | |||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
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+ | ===== The effect of " | ||
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+ | Total R-Value is the //total// R-Value of a given construction, | ||
+ | |||
+ | A basic van insulation build for the walls will have an R-Value of **~5** ((some sheet insulation like 400 thinsulite, some mini-cell foam for the floor and a basic liner to cover up all of the ribs and make sure we don't have any exposed metal)), and a crazier build for ski bums might have an R-Value as high as **8-10** ((Filling every single nook and cranny with 600 Thinsulite, mini-cell foam and poly-sty sheet for the floors, maybe poly-sty for the walls as well covered with plywood or wood slats or even 4-way stretch carpet)). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Single-pane windows (Such as used in cars) has an **R-Value of 1** ((actually closer to .91)). | ||
+ | |||
+ | Let's look at some examples of how this dramatic heat loss from windows affects the total insulation of your van using [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Let's say we're insulating a van with windows all around, like a former passenger van/shuttle bus. In this case, about 35% of the van's surface area is going to be glass. | ||
+ | |||
+ | We'll start with a typical kinda basic insulation, like what you'd get from the factory or most people who are doing a full build out of their own and not going too crazy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | Huh! So in spite of all that insulation work, you got an R-Value of barely over **2**. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wait so you DOUBLED the insulation on the walls, and it barely made a dent in your total R-Value! Damn. Well, let's go REALLY nuts! Let's build it like we do a house, and do a full wood frame inside with an inch of poly-sty, wood studs spacing out 3.5" of fiberglass batt, plus a vapor barrier and 1/2" of plywood. That can get us up to an R-Value of 20 for the walls (This would lose you a HUGE amount of space inside, but let's just do it as an experiment): | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | **WUT?!** You went bat-shit nuts and lost a ton of interior | ||
+ | |||
+ | BUT. Let's assume we do a bit of insulation on the windows. Nothing crazy, just add some window covers DIYed out of scrap material. Some thick cardboard, wrapped in some $5 fleece blankets that you got from wal-mart and tightly fit into the window openings to covering them completely is a great start. This will get the window R-value up to around 3 if you leave a bit of an air gap. Let's see how that changes our calculations, | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | //WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT!// Just by covering the windows, poorly, and insulating the rest of the van to a kinda-mediocre level, you've got NEARLY TWICE the total system insulation as if you did a completely nutso, bonkers, over-the-top insulation job but haven' | ||
+ | |||
+ | **TL;DR - COVER YOUR DANG WINDOWS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO STAY WARM** | ||
+ | |||
+ | Speaking of... | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Windows ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Many companies make window coverings for vans, some are available with Reflective coating to help keep the sun out. Others are thickly insulated to help keep heat in. Prices and quality range from very minimal, to very expensive. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Van Essentials has a pretty good [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some other sources: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * http:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | * https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Floors ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Insulating the floor is done not only for thermal comfort, but for sound while driving. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For extremely simple builds, throwing some basic rubber mats over the floor (and cutting to fit, possibly attaching down with spray-glue) will make a //world// of difference over just a plain metal floor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rigid-core foam board under plywood works well for thermal insulation, but can lead to more vibration and squeaks as the van moves while driving. | ||
+ | ===== Heat from solar panels ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Even if you're sticking to mild climates and have a van with a ton of windows, there is something to be gained from doing //some// kind of insulation on at least the roof underneath the [[electrical: | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you don't have panels, the heat from the sun can easily make the interior sheet metal burning hot to the touch. Covering it with some insulation (and [[hvac: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Further reading ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | See [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | See [[https:// |