Cooperative Living May 2016 - 28

EnergySense | by Patrick Keegan, Contributing Writer
Improve Comfort and Save Energy
by Sealing Air Leaks in Your Home
Here are some nifty ways you can keep your house from losing air, while ensuring its energy efficiency.
D
ear Pat: I recently moved
into a new home and it
feels drafty. I added
weatherstripping to the doors and
windows, but it doesn't seem to have
solved the problem. Are there
additional steps I can take to increase
comfort? - Rob J.
Dear Rob: Sealing air leaks is one of
the easiest and most cost-effective
improvements you can make in your
home. Weatherstripping doors and
windows is a great first step and one
that will likely pay for itself within
a year.
However, there are less-obvious
sources of air leakage that can cause
significant discomfort in your home.
The average home leaks about half of
its air every hour through various
cracks and gaps. These air-leak
openings add up to a 2-foot-square
hole in the average home - that's
like having a window open all day,
every day! Sealing your home can
help keep heated and cooled air
indoors, making your home more
comfortable and reducing your
energy bill.
While drafty windows and doors
are obvious sources of air leakage,
there are other places where air could
be escaping and where moisture,
pollen, dust and pests could be
seeping in. For example, holes drilled
into your walls, ceiling and attic for
plumbing pipes and electrical lines can
be a major source of air leakage.
Outlet covers and recessed lights can
also have small gaps where
conditioned air can escape. Other
sources could be leaks in air ducts in
unheated spaces, fireplace chimneys
and attic-access hatches.
26 | Cooperative Living | May 2016
To find air leaks, you can start
with a visual inspection, checking
for gaps and cracks where air could
escape. Walk around your home's
exterior and closely examine where
different building materials meet,
such as around the foundation
perimeter, around outdoor water
faucets and where the siding and the
chimney meet. Indoors, examine
common sources of air leakage,
including electrical and water
service entrances, baseboards, door
and window frames and attic
hatches.
A blower-door test can help you
identify the air leaks in your home.
Though a visual inspection can
often identify the most obvious areas
for improvement, a blower-door test
can give you the most thorough
accounting of air leaks in your
home. A blower-door test is
commonly performed during an
energy audit. During this test, a
powerful fan is mounted in the
frame of an exterior door, pulling air
outside of the house and lowering
the air pressure inside. Then, the
higher-pressure air from outside of
Once you have found the air leaks, the next step is to seal them.
The materials you need will depend on what gap is being sealed.
Your co-op's energy advisor, an energy auditor or your local
hardware store can help guide you to the right products.
* Doors and windows with gaps at the frame need
weatherstripping.
* Small gaps, such as around outlets or between the
baseboard and the floor, can be filled with caulk, a flexible
material dispensed with a caulking gun.
EnergySaving
Tips
*
Large gaps and holes, such as around pipes, may need foam insulation,
foil insulation, sheeting or a combination of materials.
www.co-opliving.com
TIM WEBB FOR BLUE GRASS ENERGY

http://www.co-opliving.com

Cooperative Living May 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living May 2016