Air leaks can threaten the air quality in your home, as well as raising your energy bills. Unfortunately, they’re all too common. Fixing leaks is usually fairly simple, but finding them can be a challenge.
Finding Common Leaks
There are a few different ways to actually find leaks. You can simply inspect for cracks or holes where air could be entering, which is best done around the outside of your home. In particular look at faucets, utility protrusions, the chimney and other exhaust vents, the foundation-to-siding connection line, and all corners of walls.
When you’re looking for leaks inside, you can once again simply look for visible indications of leaks, or you can go over common leak locations with your hands to feel for them. If you prefer, you can also light an incense stick and pass it in front of common air leakage spots to see if the smoke wavers. This is particularly effective on a windy day.
The places you want to check inside are:
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Doors
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Windows
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Outlets
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Fireplaces
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Baseboards
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Anywhere electrical equipment enters
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Vents
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Attic
It isn’t realistic to check every square foot of your home, but you can find a majority of air leaks if you focus on these common areas. If you have previously sealed leaks with caulking or weatherstripping, double-check the integrity of the seals. Over time, the leaks can reestablish themselves.
Consider Hiring a Professional
If you are serious about curbing the air leakage from your home’s outer envelope, hire a professional. An HVAC technician will know how to conduct a blower door test (the most thorough way of finding air leaks) as part of a comprehensive energy audit of our home. This will identify other areas of energy waste, such as inadequate or missing insulation. Once you identify areas where air or energy is leaking from your home, you can address these problems and reap the benefits.
For professional help finding and sealing air leaks in your Fresno area home, contact the experts at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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