Now that summer is reaching its peak, the air around you will get hotter and more humid. It’s best to prepare your house accordingly before that happens. Save money on your utility bills by locating and securing air leaks in your house. You should know the right way to test your house for air leaks that prevent your house from being energy-efficient.
Visual Inspection
First and foremost, you should conduct a thorough visual inspection of your house. Go and walk along the walls of your house and look for any holes that may be causing an air leak. They can easily be found where the window meets the wall. If you have damaged glazing around your windows and doors, there’s a possibility of air leaks in them.
During the day, turn off all the lights inside your house, and look for any holes through which light and air could be leaking into your house. You can even use your hand to feel for any air drafts coming through.
Flame Test
You can conduct a flame test if air leaks are not visible through visual inspection. Just light a candle and trace it around your window and doors or any other place you may suspect has leaks. If the smoke pulls in one direction, there’s an air leak present.
Smoke Test
An air pressure test can be the answer to your question as well. Turn off all the cooling and heating appliances in your house along with your HVAC system. Turn on all exhausts and fans in the kitchen and bathrooms. Few could be around your fireplace as well. Turn them all on and let them suck the air out of your house. Light an incense stick and trace it around the places where you think a leak might exist. If the smoke starts to waiver and is drawn inward, there’s an air leak in that particular area.
Use Technology
If none of those options work, or maybe they do work, but you want to be extra sure, you can use an infrared thermometer to test for air leaks around your house. An infrared thermometer checks for any thermal radiation wherever placed. Use that and trace it along with your windows and doors. If the infrared thermometer shows a colder temperature in any area, cold air is leaking into your house and messing with the energy efficiency of your house.
Call the Pros
If you think you could still be missing leaks and just want to be sure your whole house is covered, you can call a professional. Professionals usually conduct a blower-door test to check for air leaks.
Having trouble with air leaks? Call the pros at EcoView and make your life easier. You can get your old windows and doors replaced with energy-efficient ones today. EcoView is located in Pensacola, FL, and specializes in door and window installation and replacement that will help save you a lot of money. You can check their work now and reach out to them today.
