Late winter or early spring is a good time to search for air leaks around your home to prepare it for the warm months ahead. The temperatures are ideal for working inside and out and caulking and expanding foams cure evenly in cool to moderate weather. This list will help you organize the project on a room-by-room basis.
Kitchens, Baths and Laundry Rooms
- Fans and pipes are frequent sources of leakage. Look around the seams between the fans and the ceilings or top cabinets for a good seal. If your kitchen fan doesnandrsquo;t exhaust to the outdoors, it wonandrsquo;t be a source for air infiltration.
- Plumbing pipes often have gaps around them that should be sealed, especially if theyandrsquo;re on the first floor of a home with a walk-out or full basement. Inspect the dryer vent for a tight seal around the exhaust pipe.
Living Areas
- Exterior doors will let a lot of air inside and out if their weatherstripping is worn or the exterior caulk has shrunk. If you can see daylight around door frames during the day, the weatherstripping could be worn. If the exterior door doesnandrsquo;t close tightly at the base, it will leak air.
- Over time, wood-burning and gas fireplace dampers warp and leak air continuously.
Bedrooms
- Verify that all the windows are locked.
- Open closet doors that sit on exterior walls and feel for leaks around the ceiling plate and baseboards.
Throughout the House
- There are probably ductwork leaks if the areas around the registers are exceptionally dusty or the rooms they serve arenandrsquo;t comfortable. Ductwork leaks can cause high energy bills and degrade indoor air quality.
- Look for gaps around recessed lights that protrude into the attic.
- Check the seals between the exterior walls and the window frames.
Finding the air leaks, especially in the ductwork, is the first step toward a more energy efficient home.
For help with this project, contact Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Solar by calling us at (408) 868-5500 or visiting our website for many HVAC-related topics. We provide trusted HVAC services for the entire South Bay, the Mid-Peninsula to Daly City, up to Fremont and Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin areas.