100 Ways in 100 Days-14: Seal Air Leaks
Posted By Mr. Imperfect on January 6, 2009
Welcome! This is our 100 ways in 100 days series on saving money by reducing your expenses. If you are new here, consider subscribing to our RSS feed to get post as soon as they are available. Not sure about RSS feeds? For a description, and a brief tutorial, check our RSS Page.
Today we are going to talk about one of the biggest energy loss factors in any dwelling. An improperly sealed house (we will discuss insulation in another post, even though they go hand in hand) can “breathe” as much as once an hour. That means that every hour an entire cycle of new (unconditioned air) circulates through your house. This causes your heat or air source to work continuously to try to keep up.
According to The U.S. Department of Energy 46% of your homes energy loss due to air escape occurs in the floors, ceilings, and duct. These items we will focus on during the insulation post. The rest of the house we can work through an area at a time. So, lets get to it.
The first thing we need to do is to find the location of the air leaks. The best way is to burn an incense stick and let the smoke rise. For each of the following areas if the smoke travels horizontally there needs to be some work done:
- The Fireplace. For those that have one, this site alone counts for 14% of the air loss. The best way to prevent this is to install a damper in your fireplace and make sure it is a good seal. If this is not an option, consider covering the fireplace opening with cardboard when not in use.
- Plumbing Areas. An often overlooked area, any place where plumbing enters your house is good place for air to leak in or out. On average it accounts for 13% of air loss. Be sure to check all supply lines near sinks, showers, washers, and toilets. Also check the drains to sinks, showers, and washers. Most of these should have a plate installed to cover the hole; for added protection lift the plate and spray some foam insulation around the pipe. Replace the cover and you are finished.
- Windows and Doors. These two account for 21% of air loss in the average house (10% and 11% respectively). Some windows are too far gone to do much with other than replace. Until you can do that, cover the window with plastic-your local hardware store will have kits available, but we have just used a good 3mill plastic and it has worked well. If your windows are not in terrible shape, a little caulk and weather stripping goes a long way. Just run an adequate bead of caulk around the areas where the glass connects to the window frame and smooth it out. For the windows, as well as the doors, place an adequate piece of weather stripping where the joints come together. It is a good idea to measure the area that needs to be sealed; too thick of a seal will not allow the window or door to close and lock properly.
- Fans and Vents. For this area the main culprit is usually the damper and most houses loose an average of 4% here. Check all fans and vents with the incense as mentioned above. These may need to be weather stripped also. If you have a dryer vented to the outside be sure to check it often. Lint from the clothing will sneak past the filter at times and not allow the damper to close properly.
- Electrical Outlets and Switches. This us usually the least of the worries (only around 2%) and is easily fixed. Most hardware stores will have available small foam inserts that fit directly behind the outlet or switch cover. These are relatively cheap and easy to install.
That is quite a bit to take in during one setting. Our project took us several months to completly finish. We started in one room and got it completed before moving on, but focusing on any one of these areas at a time seems to be the way most people we have talked to prefer to do it.
One great book that has helped a considerable amount of people is Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, 9th Edition: Save Money, Save the Earth
Again we would like to ask for your comments or suggestions, and thank those of you who have replied. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
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