Every property owner wants to live in an energy efficient home. As the winter cold passes and makes way for the warm weather of spring and summer, it is important for homeowners to take appropriate steps to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. It is important to note that heating and cooling accounts for over 50% of all domestic energy consumption. This means that you can save a lot of money both in the short and long-term by improving the energy efficiency of your home.
How To Make Your Home Energy Efficient
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You can only be successful in making your home energy efficient if you know how energy is wasted in your home. It is estimated that a whooping 25% of energy is lost through gaps and holes around window and door frames. When cooled air finds its way out of the house, and gets replaced with warm air from the outside, the cooling system will have to work extra hard to cool the house efficiently. After all, 25% of cooled air will escape from the house and get replaced with warmer air, which will need to be cooled. In addition to allowing cool air to escape to the outside and causing energy losses, these gaps, holes and cracks also lead to uneven temperature distribution around the house, and this will lower home comfort. It majorly increases monthly energy bills.
DIY Air Leak Detection
The best way to detect air leaks around the house is to hire a licensed HVAC contractor to inspect your home for leaks. Experienced contractors have special tools and equipment that are highly effective in detecting air leaks. However, there are also DIY options if you would like to detect air leaks.
All you need to detect air leaks is an incense stick. Just light the incense stick and go to all the high risk areas. This includes the areas around the window and door frames as well as any other outlet. Ideally, the smoke should rise steadily upwards and disperse when it reaches the ceiling. If the smoke is blown inwards or pushed against the wall, there must be an air leak in that area. You can mark all the leaking areas so that you can seal them up when you’re done with the inspection.
Another tell-tell sign of an air leak is cobwebs. Spiders normally make cob webs where there is smooth flow of air. Once you have identified all the sources of air leaks, you can start sealing them up.
How To Seal Your Home
After identifying the leaks, you can plug the leaks using either spray foam, caulking or weather stripping. You can use the cheapest or the most readily available material to seal your home. If you are not confident enough about your ability to detect and plug air leaks in your home, you should hire a competent HVAC contractor to inspect your home and seal every possible place that may be leaking air. This will go a long way in ensuring you not only save money, but also enjoy a comfortable home throughout the hot summer season.
AC Tune-Up Trenton NJ
Not only should you find drafts and remove them, but you should also call a reputable HVAC contractor, like Princeton Heating & Air Conditioning, to schedule an air conditioner tune-up. This will make your home more energy efficient which means it will reduce your home cooling costs. Be sure to give us a call to day to discuss your cooling needs with one of our NATE certified HVAC specialists.
We service Allentown NJ 08501, Bordentown NJ 08505, Burlington NJ 08016, Columbus NJ 08022, Crosswicks NJ 08515, Florence NJ 08518, Pennington NJ 08534, Roebling NJ 08554, Trenton NJ 08601, Windsor NJ 08561, and surrounding areas!
Contact us now at (800) 253-9001 to find out more!