Energy Evaluations: Here’s How To Locate Air Leaks In Your Home When You Conduct Your Own Evaluation < Return
Is your home feeling a bit drafty lately? Checking for air leaks can help patch things up, because energy lost through air leaks can impact comfort and savings. Conducting your own energy evaluations to remedy air leak problems is easier than you might think, and can result in considerable cost savings in the long run. Here a few pointers to get you started. The best time to conduct a do-it-yourself energy audit is on a windy day. First, check all of the windows and doors. Feel around the frames of these openings, and see if you can feel any air coming in. Also, watch for movement or rattling in the doors and windows, which can indicate the presence of air leaks .
The next place to look is around the baseboards of your home, as well as between the walls and the ceilings. Heating vents, electrical outlets and window air conditioners are also potential air leakage areas. Basement and attic doors are additional sources of leaks, and should be checked for drafts. Recessed lights can also be a place where heat is lost. To do a thorough job, go over any place in your home where heat could escape, and see if there is air movement in these areas.
It is also a good idea to check the exterior of the home. Pay close attention to the corners of the home, as well as places where the siding of the house meets up with the foundation of the home. Additionally, check wherever there are "holes" in the home, for plumbing or electrical installations.
After completing an energy evaluation, the next step is to remedy the problem areas. You can begin to seal off these areas using caulk, weather stripping or spray foam, and start to make your home a more cozy and warm place to live where energy savings is optimized. You may also consider replacing windows and doors for more energy savings.
Energy evaluations can lead to improved comfort and savings. To have a local energy-efficiency expert assess your home, contact Tampa Bay area heating and cooling specialists at Simpson Air.
Man with caulk gun image via Shutterstock.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about ductwork and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Simpson Air – The Coolest Guys in Town! services the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. View our special offers to get started today!
