Energy Efficiency At Home: Leaky Air (Infiltration)

Home energy efficiency can be quietly suppressed by loss of energy through air infiltration. Air leaks from houses like water leaks from pipes, and home energy efficiency depends on sealed openings and ducting that is intact. Conditioned air creates pressure inside your home, and openings allow it to escape, like water from a pipe. Air can escape your home much faster than you think, and the more conditioned air that escapes, the harder your HVAC has to work. In older homes, the air completely changes about every 45 minutes, while newer, more efficient homes take about 3.5 hours to change completely.

 

Our Home Energy Assessment shows you all the places in the home you could be leaking air. Some common culprits are broken seals on windows and doors, can lights (These are awful! You might as well leave a window open), outlet and switch plate covers (you’d be surprised how much air escapes through unsealed plate covers), attic pull downs and plumbing penetrations.

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Tips:

• Make sure you have quality insulation in walls, floors and ceiling.

• Seal windows and doors with weather stripping and caulk.

• Change out can lights with more efficient fixtures.

• Seal outlet and switch plate covers with gaskets, caulk and/or replace with air-tight junction boxes.

• Seal attic entry points and all plumbing penetrations.

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