If you add up the holes and cracks found in a house, the size will end up being the same as a medicine ball! Air leaks can be the cause of 20 to 40 percent of heat loss during the winter and cool losses during the summer.
Begin your hunt for good yet inexpensive ways to start your energy audit with some hidden energy drains. Insulating, weatherstripping and caulking are easy jobs that you can do to begin your journey forward towards energy conservation. Here is some background facts about energy loss:
25% of air will leak where the wood frame meets the foundation.
20% of air can escape from electric outlets outside of the house.
13% of air can escape through your window.
10% of air can leave your home through vents.
7% of air can travel outside through lights, outlets and hatches.
6% of air can wander through the cracks of doors.
Please note that an unsealed and unused fire place can also be a drain of energy. If the damper is open, warm air can be sucked out of your home. Seal it when you aren’t using it. To be the best detective and uncover where you lose the most air, try the incense trick. This is not performing a ritual like a witch.
Just take two sticks of incense on a windy day. Light them so you can see the smoke. If there is a strong leak, it will blow the smoke away from you. If it draws the smoke in, the leak is smaller. There are some quick jobs you can do to stop air leakage.
- Cover your electrical outlets with weatherstripping material.
- Be sure your doors are fitted just right. Weatherstripping can be bought to skirt the door frame.
- Trees and some landscaping can help cool your home.
Trees that are trimmed high allow breezes to pass under and surround the house. They also block the house from the sun. In your basement you should also want to look for leaks in the wood frame where it meets the foundation. Just caulking the joints can help solve some problems.
On the main floor, you should caulk your windows, fireplaces, doors, and vents to be sure potential leaks are avoided. Look to caulk around electrical outlets, ceiling light fixtures, and baseboards. Cracks in the walls or ceilings can allow leaks.
Also, check behind the bathtubs and under sinks. Finally, there is the weatherstripping. This is a job that you can do on your own. Weatherstrip outlets. You can also remove the trip around doors and windows and fill these gaps with some insulation. You can replace the trip and caulk it. All of these are simple, efficient ways you can minimize your air leakage and make the most of your home.
Learn how to get paid to use electricity and how you can create your own homemade power plant. More tips to be found at home made power plant, helping others while saving the planet.
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