Three Ways to Detect Air Leaks at Home

Leaks in a home can increase heating costs significantly. Here is how to detect and fix gaps in your house.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than 50% of the energy use in homes is for heating and air conditioning. The figure will increase in your home if there are leaks. You may already know where air leakage occurs in places such as under the door and vents, but there could be less obvious areas.

Heating systems are usually one of the main reasons for calling in an emergency plumber in Orem, especially in colder months. But you don’t have to wait until you can’t take the cold anymore. Start by conducting a thorough assessment of your home to determine how and where air leakage occurs. There are many tests that you can conduct, and the best part is that not all of them require specialized equipment. Here are some ways to find air leaks by yourself:

Conduct a visual inspection

Spaces in or around fireplace dampers, attic hatches, electrical outlets, windows and door frames, baseboards, and cable and TV phone lines could be the main reason your house can’t retain heat. Look for gaps in these places in the interior of the house. If the problem originates from the exterior of the house, some of the most common places you should check are the space between sidings and chimney, corners of the house, and outdoor water faucets. Light passing through a crack in your wall or roof indicates an opening that contributes to heat loss.

Conduct a pressurization test

If you can’t detect leaks visually, you may want to conduct a pressurization test. Start by turning off furnaces, water heaters, and other combustion appliances. This should be followed by shutting all exterior doors, windows, and vents and turning off all appliances that have exhaust fans to blow air outside. Once you’ve closed down all areas that that can leak air, light up an incense stick and pass through areas you suspect to leak air. If smoke wavers or is sucked out of the room, then find the gap and have it sealed the right way.

Use a flashlight

Switch off all the lights inside your house. If it is during the day, shut all windows and doors so that the interior remains dark. Walk everywhere around the house checking for any signs of light streaming in. If you are conducting this test at night, have someone walk around the house with a flashlight. For the best results, you should be in coordination with the person outside.

It can take you more time to identify leaks if your house is big. To save some time, consider creating a list of common places where you can find air leaks in your home. Start with the basement and the attic. These areas usually have big gaps, which when closed can help save your heating costs significantly.

Finding and sealing gaps in the walls and roofs can be a difficult task. If you don’t have the time or skill, why not get in touch with a professional? Experts in this will always come with the best equipment and use their expertise to detect and seal even the tiniest gaps.