Checking Your Home For Air Leaks

Whether you’re heating or cooling a home, it’s important to contain all of that air. There are some places, though, in which air can leak. It’s best to address this before you start wasting any more energy.

FIRST STEPS

By walking around your home with a watchful eye, you can find areas where air can escape. You’ll know there’s an issue when you can see daylight through a gap in the window frame. On a cold day, putting a hand up to the corners and edges where the drywall meets things like electrical outlets can immediately indicate if there’s a problem. If there’s a leak, your hand will feel the cold air coming in.

Places to inspect include:

  • Fireplace dampers
  • Attic hatches
  • Air conditioners mounted in the wall or a window
  • Switch plates
  • Door and window frames
  • Baseboards

You could also conduct a pressurization test. On a cool day, close up the house and turn off any combustion appliances, such as furnaces and water heaters. Turn on any type of fan in your home that blows air to the outside, and then light an incense stick. As you walk around, you’ll know where air leaks are occurring because the smoke will be moving out of the room.

Caulking and weatherstripping can plug up cracks. Tightening up connections can also keep air from leaving a room.

A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

At Air Patrol Air Conditioning, we’re often called upon to perform energy audits and assessments. With the use of our tools, we can give you more exact information regarding where you’re losing air. In some cases, especially ones that involve ductwork, we can address the issue on your behalf.

LET US HELP YOU

Our company has been serving the Dallas-Fort Worth community since 2003. We’re accredited by the Better Business Bureau, with whom we’ve earned an A+ rating, and our technicians are NATE-certified. Contact Air Patrol Air Conditioning in Farmers Branch today if you’d like our assistance with your air leak issues. We can also assist with heating and cooling repair, maintenance, and installation.