What older homes lack in energy efficiency, they usually make up for in charm. But despite its age, your older home’s energy efficiency can be given a major boost with a few simple tasks. If you struggle to keep your home comfortable in extreme weather or if your energy costs seem higher than they should, follow these tips for improving the overall efficiency of your home — without sacrificing its charm.

Seal air leaks
Even small air leaks add up to high energy costs. Inspect your house room by room and seal these common air leaks with caulk and weatherstripping.

• Doors and windows. Apply caulk between stationary materials, such as the door or window frame and the wall. Install weather stripping between movable parts, such as the door and the door jamb. If your windows are particularly old and drafty, install inexpensive insulation kits, which are very effective at sealing drafts.
• Attics and basements. Apply expandable caulk to seal around the gap where vents, pipes and electrical, cable and gas service entrances penetrate the exterior wall.
• Outlet and light switch covers. Install precut foam gaskets behind these covers on exterior walls.
• Walls and floors. Apply caulk to holes and cracks in exterior walls and floors.
• Chimney. Keep your damper closed when your fireplace is not in use.

Maintain your furnace and water heater

• Schedule annual preventive maintenance on your furnace and hot water heater in the fall to extend the life of your systems and increase their energy efficiency.
• Consider a new energy-efficient furnace or water heater if your units are old.
• Install a programmable thermostat.
• Check ducts for loose joints and seal them with metal tape or mastic.
• Set your hot water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees.

Insulate

• The floors and walls of your attic.
• Any unconditioned crawl spaces.
• Your ducts, as far as you can reach.
• Hot water heater pipes and the unit itself.

For more expert advice on improving your older home’s energy efficiency, or to schedule a comprehensive home energy audit with one of our HVAC professionals, please feel free to contact us at Powers Heating & Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, GA and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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