When we think about energy savings at home, big energy consumers like HVAC systems and water heaters usually come to mind. We don’t always consider that air leakage might be one of the energy-wasting culprits. How to find air leaks in a house isn’t necessarily a top-of-mind question and may, in fact, be completely off your radar. Yet the average household spends $350 or as much as one-third of its yearly heating and cooling costs on air leaks.
Sealing air leaks can help homeowners create a more energy-efficient home. With a few DIY strategies, including weatherstripping window frames and caulking ductwork, homeowners can prevent outside air from coming in while saving money each month.
Air leaks may occur wherever building materials and equipment connect the inside and outside your home. The most common locations include exterior doors and windows, chimneys, phone lines, electrical outlets, switch plates, baseboards, floor joists, attic hatches, vents, extractor fans, fireplace dampers, air conditioners, HVAC systems, exterior corners, and gas service entrances.
This article discusses the most common signs of air leakage, how to test for air leaks, and what you gain by fixing them.
How Do You Know if Your House Is Drafty?
A drafty home may not always be obvious. Some air leaks can be subtle enough that you don’t feel them — until you get your electricity bill!
It’s always advisable to hire a professional to perform regular home energy audits, and checking for air leaks is a vital part of the process. If you’re unsure whether you have home air leaks or unwanted cold air is coming in from outside, here are four signs that you have air leaks:
There’s a Draft by Your Windows or Doors
Stand in front of each of your windows and doors. Do you physically feel a draft or breeze moving through? If so, air leaks are likely hampering your energy efficiency.
The Glass on Your Windows Is Foggy
The airtightness of your windows may have been compromised if you notice that your windows tend to fog up. When your window seals are damaged, cold air can enter and cause fog to appear on the inside of the glass.
Your Energy Bills Are Higher
Consider your most recent energy bills: Have they been steadily increasing? Higher energy bills might be because your HVAC system has to work harder to compensate for the warm or cold air seeping through your doors, windows, electrical outlets, attic hatches, crawlspace, fireplace flues, or exhaust fans.
Your Weatherstripping Is Damaged
Weatherstripping aims to prevent air and moisture from entering through your windows and doors. When weatherstripping is old or damaged, it becomes a less-effective sealant, thereby hampering your energy savings. Do a quick visual inspection to determine the condition of your weatherstripping.
Do You Know How to Find Air Leaks in a House?
How to find air leaks in your house may seem like tricky business, but it really isn’t that hard. If you’ve done one or more of the above checks and suspect that your home is losing energy efficiency through air leaks, you can perform a DIY blower door test or get a home energy audit professional to run the test for you.
Blower door tests are used to measure the amount of unintentional air leakage in buildings. This involves installing a calibrated fan in a sealed window or door while ensuring that all other openings are blocked. Once the fan is switched on, a pressure difference between the outside and inside is formed. The fan then draws the air out of the building through any holes, cracks, and other openings, revealing the air leakage culprits. By pulling the air out, the fan depressurizes the air in the building.
Enter your ZIP Code and compare electricity rates
How Do Blower Door Tests Work?
Because you’ve closed all other openings to ensure that the pressure in your house is consistent, the air that moves through the fan is equal to the combined air of all the air leaks in your home. With a calibrated fan, you already know its airflow at different pressures.
The principle is similar to pouring water into a cracked bucket at a specific rate and keeping the water level consistent. You should be able to calculate the rate at which water is leaking out of the bucket.
A blower door test with similar controls in place will reveal how much air is coming in or escaping from your house.
What Are Other DIY Methods for Finding Air Leaks?
In addition to the blower door test, here are a few other strategies for finding air leaks in-house.
The Flashlight Method
At night, let someone shine a flashlight from the outside by holding it close to the areas where building materials connect. Should you have air leaks, the person on the inside should be able to see the light coming in.
The Smoke Pencil Air Detector
A smoke pencil air detector is a device comprising a trigger that releases small volumes of smoke. When you use the device around an air leak, the smoke will make the air movements visible so you can identify air leakage. You should be able to find a smoke pencil device at your local hardware store. You could also use an incense stick if you can’t find a smoke pencil.
The Air Leak Detector
An air leak detector is a device that can identify even the smallest of air leaks in your home. These devices have sound-sensitive mechanisms to pick up the almost inaudible hissing sounds produced by compressed air leaks. An air leak detector will signal users whenever an air leak is detected.
A Dollar Bill Test Will Tell
Try the dollar bill test. You’ll take the bill and place it in between the door and the frame, then close the door. If it’s easy to pull out the bill, there’s a big enough opening for air to seep through.
A Piece of Paper Blowing in the Wind
On a windy day, lightly hold the edge of a piece of paper against the suspected air leak. If the paper moves, there’s a draft coming through.
What Are the Cost Implications of Air Leaks?
Fixing air leaks can contribute significantly to a household’s energy savings. Homeowners can save an estimated 15% on their utility bills when they address air leakage issues.
ENERGY STAR suggests households can reduce their HVAC operating costs by about 10% simply by maintaining sealants and using insulating materials.
Air leaks in your ductwork are among the biggest energy-wasting culprits, adding between 20% and 40% to your air conditioning costs. Ensuring that your ductwork is sealed correctly will significantly impact your home’s energy efficiency.
How Can I Fix Air Leaks in My Home?
You can stop most air leaks with standard products like spray foam insulation and weatherstripping. Here are several areas you can start fixing air leaks in your home:
Insulate Your Downlights
Downlights or recessed lights have vents that can let air leak through the ceiling. While some of these lights are pre-sealed, others are not. If your lights didn’t come with the ICAT (insulation contact and airtight) label, you could seal the rims and slots of your downlights with duct sealant.
Check Flues and Chimneys
The gaps around flues and chimneys can cause air leakage. You can close these gaps using aluminum flashing and silicone caulking.
Insulate Your Attic
Seal your attic hatch by caulking or weatherstripping the opening. You can also purchase a hatch cover kit that is pre-insulated. Use spray foam for covering small to medium holes and gaps in your attic.
Make Your Doors and Windows Airtight
Drafty doors, windows, and doggy-door entrances are some of the primary energy culprits. If your house and its fittings are old, you can prevent air leakage by caulking around windows and installing weatherstripping. Also, be sure to check that your door sweep works properly.
What Are Compressed Air Leaks, and How Are They Stopped?
Compressed air is used in many of our everyday products and processes. Air-to-air heat pumps or air conditioners are perhaps the most common compressed air systems in our homes. They’re used for heating or cooling and keeping our indoor temperatures comfortable.
Air-to-air heat pumps work by moving heat or cold from outside air to the air inside a building.
Unfortunately, air leaks may also occur in your air-to-air heat pump, causing you to lose energy. Compressed air leaks will reduce the longevity of your heat pump and increase its maintenance costs. Because of the air leak, your compressed air system has to work harder to continue doing its job.
It’s possible to detect compressed air leaks simply by listening carefully to how the system works. You might be able to hear a hissing sound. However, not all leaks are audible, and you may have to use an air leak detector.
Many compressed air leaks can be fixed simply by tightening all the connection points in the system. Ensure that all the components such as couplings, piping, and other fittings aren’t damaged or worn out. If they are, you would need to replace these parts. You can also hire a professional to perform a compressed air audit.
Stop Air Leaks and Save Energy
Once you’ve figured out how to find air leaks in your house and fixed them, you can start saving.
Air leaks are often neglected, which impacts energy savings. But fixing your air leaks can significantly increase your household’s energy efficiency and lower utility bills.
The good news is that you can fix most air leaks cheaply and easily. In most cases, you don’t need to hire a professional to solve air leakage problems but can take care of it yourself. Your favorite hardware store will likely carry the tools and materials you need.
While there are many areas where air leaks can occur, the most important places to check are around your doors, windows, and attic. With some caulking and by installing and maintaining your weatherstripping, you should be able to prevent and fix air leaks without much trouble.
Brought to you by energysavings.com
All images licensed from Adobe Stock.
Featured image: