Here a tip on fixing air leaks at your house. Do you have a microwave up on a wall or cabinet with a vent that blows air out? Guess what, it is costing you money even when it is not turned on!
How could that happened?
During cold winter days, the warm air in the room is seeping out the vent. The worst thing is, cold air from the outside is being blown into the house through the vent!
To check whether your microwave is an air leak in your house is simple. Get the Black & Decker TLD100 and use it to check the temperature of the microwave and its surrounding area.
Most probably, you will find the surrounding area is much warmer that the microwave. If the temperature difference is very big, you’ll have a problem there. This basically means there is a big gaping hole where the hot air is escaping.
The microwave using a vent that is blowing off all the cooking smoke will come out off one of the vents by the side of your house. The problem is, the vent is not very well insulated. If you were to look closely, it is just a piece of flimsy tin cover.
When there is a strong gasp of wind, the cover will open and letting the cold air into your warm room.
Guess what? You may not be able to feel the cold air coming it, but the thermostat will sense it.
The thermostat will then keep the heater running harder and longer. That is how the wall microwave will cost you money even though it is switched off.
How do you fix this problem?
Sadly, there is not a lot you can do to fix this issue. What you can do is seal all the surrounding area around the microwave to make sure no hot air is getting out and no cold air is getting in.
When you’ve finished with the seal, use the Black & Decker TLD100 again to check the surface temperature.