In a perfect world, we’d all schedule professional energy audits regularly in our homes to find energy leaks. In the real world, however, a professional energy audit isn’t always within our budgets. So, we’re faced with the do-it-yourself route when it comes to correcting air leaks.

Why Locate Leaks?

The Department of Energy cites air leaks as the major source of energy losses in homes. Conditioned air escapes through air leaks, while unconditioned air finds its way inside, undermining our cooling and heating efforts. Some of the major sites for leaking air:

• Under doors
• Around door and window frames
• Through hung windows
• Around baseboards
• Through attic hatch doors and around frames
• Through any holes to the outside, such as those for pipes, wires and cables
• Switch plates and plugs
• Recessed lighting
• Fireplace dampers
• Vents and flues
• Dryer vents
• Mail slots

Outdoors, the major leak sites are faucets, exterior corners and where the foundation and siding/brick meet.

You can find places where air is leaking by visual inspection, checking for gaps or holes, or by lighting an incense stick and waving it in front of suspected leak sites. If the smoke wavers, air is leaking.

Fixing Leaks

Apply the following fixes to leaks:

• Weatherstripping around attic hatches and on doors
• Weatherstripping between hung windows
• Caulk or weatherstripping around baseboards
• Caulk around door and window frames
• Door sweep under doors
• Insulation and weatherstripping around pipes, wires and cables entering from the outdoors
• Foam gaskets behind switchplates and electric plugs
• Specially made heat-resistant insulation boxes around recessed lighting in the attic
• Metal collar around flues in the attic, plus heat-resistant caulk
• Weatherstripping or caulk around dryer vents and mail slots

In addition, insulate all exterior faucets. Apply caulking and weatherstripping around mail slots and foundation seals. Make sure caulking around exterior door frames is in good shape.

If you’d like to know more about detecting and fixing air leaks in your home, contact Powers Heating and Air. We provide Peachtree City and the surrounding area with expert heating and cooling services and installation.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

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