January 2007

Make Little Changes for Big Impact

Seal Air Leaks to Save on Energy Bills

Sealing air leaks in your home is one of the quickest and easiest ways to save money on your energy bill. In fact, by simply caulking and weather-stripping around doors, windows and other openings, you could reduce your energy bill by as much as 10 percent and make your home much more comfortable.

The graph below shows the most common areas where leaks could occur in your home and what percent of the air that leaks out is lost, on average, from each of these places.

Here’s what you can do to cut down on leaks and begin saving:

Floors, walls and ceilings: Be sure that your attic, basement, walls and crawl spaces are well insulated with approved insulation. The door or hatch to your attic and basement should be properly sealed with weather stripping.

Doors and windows: Ensure all doors and windows have proper weather-stripping and caulking. Seal with caulk between the wall and window trim or doorframe. For doors, install weather stripping and use door sweeps on the door thresholds.

Plumbing penetrations: In anyplace where plumbing penetrates a wall—exterior or interior—be sure to caulk. Some places to remember: behind toilets, under sinks and around showerheads.

Fireplace: All fireplaces should have a properly fitted damper that closes tightly. Close the damper when the fireplace is not in use. You can temporarily seal the fireplace opening with a chimney plug (an inflatable bag) for maximum sealing, but be sure to close the damper when you do this.

Ducts: Seal any leaky ducts with approved mastics or UL tape. A licensed HVAC contractor can be called in to help with this.

Fans, vents and outlets: Caulk around fans and vents with high temperature flexible caulk. Install foam gaskets behind all light switches and electrical outlet covers, even in interior walls. Use child safety plugs to ensure that cold air does not come through the sockets.

Even though you can hire someone to help with these tasks, most of these projects are easy to complete on your own with a little money and a little time. And before you know it, all these little improvements will add up to make a big impact.

 

 

<Back>