Calculate Heat Loss Through House Wall - R19 & Brick Layer

[nightwing973]

1. Suppose the insulating qualities of the wall of a house come mainly from a 4.0-in. layer of brick and an R-19 layer of insulation. What is the total rate of heat loss through such a wall, if its total area is 195 ft^2 and the temperature difference across it is 15 degrees F.


2. Q/t = kA ( (T1 - T2)/L )
R = L/k



3. Okay so the R-19 thing just means that R = 19 (ft^2 * hour* degreeFahr)/Btu. R = 19, so L/k = 19, I can inverse that and substitute it into the first equation, but it says the temperature difference across the WHOLE wall is 15 degrees fahrenheit. My main problem is that they ask you for the rate of heat loss through the whole wall, but the wall is made of two different materials, and you don't know how thick the R-19 layer is.

 

[tiny-tim]

Welcome to PF!

Hi nightwing973! Welcome to PF!

1. Suppose the insulating qualities of the wall of a house come mainly from a 4.0-in. layer of brick and an R-19 layer of insulation.
…
3. Okay so the R-19 thing just means that R = 19 (ft^2 * hour* degreeFahr)/Btu. R = 19, so L/k = 19, I can inverse that and substitute it into the first equation, but it says the temperature difference across the WHOLE wall is 15 degrees fahrenheit. My main problem is that they ask you for the rate of heat loss through the whole wall, but the wall is made of two different materials, and you don't know how thick the R-19 layer is.

You don't need to know the thickness of the R-19 layer …

eg, if was twice as thick, it would R-38.