Easy Ways to Detect Air Leaks in Your Home

A leaky house is significantly less energy efficient than a tightly sealed one. Being familiar with how to detect air leaks in your house, sealing those leaks and scheduling a home energy assessment when warranted can help you establish a comfortable living environment and decrease your energy bills.

Detecting Air Leaks from Inside Your Home

Begin your air leak inspection on the inside. Here are four reliable techniques for locating air leaks in your house:

• Conduct|Perform|Carry out} a thorough visual inspection, looking for gaps and cracks in and around windows, doors, electrical outlets and baseboards. Pay particular attention to the corners of rooms, given that gaps can often be found there.
• Hold your hand near potentially leaky locations on a cold or windy day. If you feel a draft, you’ve found an air leak.
• Do a smoke test by lighting an incense stick or smoke pen. Then, slowly move it all around the edges of windows, doors and other potential leaky areas. If an air leak exists, the smoke will blow around or get sucked into the gap, showing the leak’s location. The smoke test is best at finding leaks when carried out on a windy day.
• Utilize an infrared thermometer or thermal camera to identify temperature differences in your home. These devices help you identify locations with sizeable temperature variations, which often indicate air leaks.

Detecting Air Leaks from Outside Your Home

Examining the home’s outdoor structure can also uncover potential leaks. Here are two tips for discovering air leaks from the outside:

• Conduct a visual inspection, paying close attention to corners and locations where different materials meet. Hunt for gaps or cracks that could create air leaks, as well as deteriorated caulk or weatherstripping and poorly sealed vents and exhaust fans.
• Conduct the garden hose test on a colder day. This is where someone sprays water from a garden hose onto the building’s exterior while another person stands inside where there is a suspected air leak. If there’s a leak, the person inside should feel cold air or moisture coming through the gap.

Sealing Air Leaks

After finding serious air leaks, it’s time to deal with the issue. Here are the best strategies for sealing air leaks in your home:

• Use caulk to seal small gaps and cracks around windows, doors and other areas where air is escaping. Choose a high-quality, long-lasting caulk intended for indoor or outdoor use and the specific materials you are trying to seal to ensure a durable seal. Follow the manufacturer’s details for the best application and curing time.
• Apply weatherstripping to doors and windows to help them close tightly. A variety of  of weatherstripping are available, examples include adhesive-backed foam tape, V-strip and door sweeps. Pick the ideal style for your needs and follow the installation guidelines.
• Use expanding foam to fill and seal more substantial gaps and holes. Expanding foam is sold in a can with a spray applicator for quick application in hard-to-reach places. Wear protective gloves and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure safe use.
• Apply insulation to newly sealed walls and attic floors to further minimize heat transfer. Whether or not you already have some insulation, consider upgrading to a higher R-value or adding more insulation where your current level is inadequate.
• Add door sweeps along the bottom of outside doors to restrict drafts. Door sweeps are sold in various materials and designs to suit your needs and aesthetic preferences.

Considering a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

A home energy assessment is valuable for spotting concealed air leaks and locating areas of improvement. A professional energy auditor does this inspection, which includes the following:

• A blower door test includes setting up a temporary door with a powerful fan over an exterior door opening. The fan pulls air away from the house, lowering the interior air pressure and drawing in outside air through unsealed openings. This test measures your home’s air tightness and makes thermal camera images easier to read.
• Infrared imaging helps the energy auditor locate temperature discrepancies in the walls, floors and ceilings, revealing hidden air leaks and insulation inadequacies.
• A combustion safety test makes sure your home heating system, water heater and other combustion appliances are operating safely and correctly, lowering the risk of potentially dangerous carbon monoxide buildup.
• A homeowner interview is when the energy auditor discusses your energy usage habits, home maintenance history and comfort challenges to spot additional energy-saving opportunities.

Schedule a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

While performing your own air leak tests is a great launching point, partnering with a professional is far more thorough. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you improve your home’s air tightness with an extensive home energy assessment and personalized solutions to boost performance and comfort.