If you haven’t had your house checked for air leaks recently, it may be time. Most houses lose a good deal of energy through air leakage. Ducts are also a place where you may be losing energy. To cut down on heating and cooling bills, you can find and seal leaks yourself or have a professional do it.
Finding Air Leaks
There are a number of ways to find air leaks in your home. You can simply look at all the places where you suspect you may be losing energy and make sure there aren’t visible cracks. Some such places are vents, window and door frames, electrical outlets, dampers of fireplaces, cable phone and TV lines and corners.
You can also find leaks by building up pressure in your house. Turn on all exhaust fans and shut windows and doors. Then, hold a moist hand near the places where there may be a leak. Your hand will feel cold if there is a leak present.
Another likely place for energy-losing leaks is in your home’s heating and cooling ducts. You can find these leaks by turning on your heating or cooling system and feeling for escaping air.
Sealing Air Leaks
After you’ve located the air leaks, you will want to seal them up. You can do this by sealing them with caulk, which can be found in most hardware stores. Caulk is applied using a caulking gun or something similar.
To seal air leaks around doors and windows, you will need to weatherstrip them. This is a method that involves nailing weatherstripping around the door or window frames.
Ducts are a little harder to seal. While it’s possible to do them yourself, it may be easier to hire a professional to handle the job.
David White Services is a heating and cooling company that has served the Lancaster, OH, area since 1977. If you need help detecting air leaks in your home, give us a call.