Mission Air Conditioning sees surge in spray foam insulation demand in McAllen

Mission Air Conditioning says more Rio Grande Valley homeowners are seeking spray foam insulation as summer electricity bills rise. The company says older homes with weak attic insulation are driving cooling costs during South Texas’s long cooling season.

Why it matters: - South Texas homeowners are facing peak summer energy bills while their air conditioners run for most of the year. - Mission Air Conditioning says inadequate attic insulation is a major, and often overlooked, cause of high cooling costs in the Rio Grande Valley. - In older homes, upgrading the attic can cut HVAC energy use without replacing the air conditioner.

What happened: - Mission Air Conditioning reported rising demand for spray foam insulation services in McAllen and across the Rio Grande Valley. - Owner Jose Zavala said homeowners often notice AEP Texas bills climbing in June and July before realizing the attic is the bigger problem. - The company says many affected homes were built before 2000.

The details: - Zavala said many homes still have about three inches of old fiberglass between the ceiling and a 140-degree attic. - He said some systems are working properly but are still forced to fight extreme heat load from the attic. - Closed-cell spray foam on the roof deck reduces heat transfer from the roof into the living space below. - Mission Air Conditioning says homeowners who move from inadequate attic insulation to closed-cell spray foam typically see cooling cost reductions of 15% to 30%. - The company says McAllen roofs can reach 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit on a peak July afternoon. - The company says attic temperatures in under-insulated homes regularly exceed 130 degrees. - The Rio Grande Valley cooling season runs 10 to 11 months a year, much longer than in many parts of the country. - Closed-cell spray foam also acts as an air seal and a Class II vapor barrier, helping reduce moisture infiltration through the roof deck. - Mission Air Conditioning says blown fiberglass can settle, lose R-value over time and absorb moisture in humid conditions. - Mission Air Conditioning offers free attic insulation assessments for McAllen-area homeowners considering spray foam upgrades. - The company installs open-cell and closed-cell spray foam for residential and light commercial projects. - Mission Air Conditioning also handles attic insulation work alongside HVAC services. - The company serves McAllen, Edinburg, Mission and the broader Rio Grande Valley. - Mission Air Conditioning specializes in AC repair, AC replacement, HVAC maintenance and spray foam insulation.

Between the lines: - The company’s pitch is not that spray foam makes an air conditioner stronger, but that it reduces the heat burden the system has to overcome. - The long cooling season in South Texas makes insulation performance more financially important than in shorter-season climates. - Zavala said demand has picked up partly through word of mouth, with neighbors seeing lower bills after upgrades and then asking about their own homes.

What's next: - Mission Air Conditioning expects continued interest as homeowners compare insulation fixes with higher electric bills. - The company says it will keep offering attic evaluations to identify whether spray foam upgrades make sense for a given home. - Homeowners can get more information through the company’s spray foam insulation service page.

The bottom line: - In the Rio Grande Valley, attic insulation is emerging as a practical way to lower cooling costs during one of the country’s longest and hottest cooling seasons.