If you do not know, the heating and air conditioning equipment consume the largest amount of power in your home.
Because of that, any measures taken to improve this area of your home will have a big reduction in your monthly power utility bill.
How much money can you save?
Up to 5 to 30 percent off your bill!
If you were to do this right, you may not even have to invest in a DIY solar power system.
The following is 7 easy steps you can take to find and plug up all the air leaks at home.
1) Sealing off your house.
The first step is to seal off you house by closing all the doors and windows. If there are any ventilation holes, you have to use a plastic sheet to cover them.
Next, turn off the heating and cooling sources. extinguish the fire place and close the damper.
Turn off the air conditioning unit or furnaces.
2) Switch on the exhaust fans.
The next step is to turn on all the exhaust fans. What we are trying to do is to create a negative pressure in your house. The fans are normally located in the kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.
What if you do not have an existing exhaust fan?
The solution is to get a portable fan and aim it out a single open window and switch it on.
How do you know if there are any air leaks?
If there is a leak from the fire place, you will smell a burning stink. Check for leaks at the fire place. Use a pen or a chalk to mark it. You have to fix it later or get a professional to do it for you.
Your fire place is inefficient. Heat is leaking out!
3) Start hunting for air leaks around the house.
How do you do that?
Get a bucket of water and dip your hand in it. Move your wet hand around window joints, door frames, hatches, vents etc.
If there is an air leak, you will feel a cold sensation on your wet hand.
If you do not feel like getting your hands wet, you can also use a stick of burning incense. Move the incense next to the places mentioned earlier. If the smoke start to fluctuates wildly, air is coming in.
4) Check leaks from overhead lights.
This type of leak is very common but most home owners seldom look into in. It is a pain to reach the lights on the ceiling or climb up the dusty attic.
Nonetheless, if you want to reduce your electricity bill, you have to do it…or pay someone else to do it.
5) Fix the leaks.
Now that you have located all the air leaks, the next step is to seal them up. Use a caulking gun for this. The white caulk can be ugly, you can use a clear caulk instead.
In some area, a few layers of duct tape will do the job just fine.
6) Check the sealed leakages.
After you have sealed all the air leaks, repeat the process with the burning incense or wet hand.
Remember to turn on all the exhaust fans.
7) Do the air leak checks twice a year to locate any new leakages.
Checking for air leaks at your home may sound like a lot of work, and it is. You can do it yourself or hire someone to do it.
The work you’ve done here is one of the most effective measures you can take to reduce your home energy bill.
Home Solar And Wind Power Videos
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