Easy Ways to Detect Air Leaks in Your North America Home

A leaky house is dramatically less energy efficient than a tightly sealed one. Being familiar with how to detect air leaks in your house, sealing those leaks and scheduling a home energy assessment when needed can help you establish a comfortable living environment and decrease your energy bills.

Detecting Air Leaks from Inside Your Home

Initiate your air leak inspection on the inside of your home. Here are four effective techniques for locating air leaks in your house:

Conduct|Perform|Carry out]13] a detailed visual inspection, looking for gaps and cracks on or near windows, doors, electrical outlets and baseboards. Pay particular attention to the corners of rooms, as gaps can often be found there.
Put your hand around potentially leaky areas on a cold or windy day. If you believe there is a draft, you’ve found an air leak.
Do a smoke test by lighting an incense stick or smoke pen. Then, slowly move it all around the edges of windows, doors and other potential leaky areas. If an air leak exists, the smoke will blow around or get sucked toward the gap, revealing the site of the leak. The smoke test is best at finding leaks when conducted on a windy day.
Utilize an infrared thermometer or thermal camera to detect temperature differences around your home. These devices help you locate sections of your home with significant temperature variations, which often indicate air leaks.

Detecting Air Leaks from Outside Your Home

Examining the outer structure can also reveal potential leaks. Here are two strategies for discovering air leaks from the outside:

Do a visual assessment, paying close attention to corners and places where different materials meet. Hunt for gaps or cracks that could create air leaks, as well as damaged caulk or weatherstripping and improperly sealed vents and exhaust fans.
Perform the garden hose test on a cool day. This is where someone sprays water from a garden hose onto the building's exterior while another person stands inside near a suspected air leak. If there’s a leak, the person inside will more than likely feel cold air or moisture getting into through the gap.

Sealing Air Leaks

After identifying significant air leaks, it’s time to handle the issue. Here are the most beneficial strategies for sealing air leaks in your home:

Apply caulk to seal small gaps and cracks around windows, doors and other areas where air is escaping. Select a quality, long-lasting caulk made for indoor or outdoor use and the specific materials in question to ensure a durable seal. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the best application and curing time.
Apply weatherstripping to doors and windows to help them close tightly. A variety of of weatherstripping are on the market, examples include adhesive-backed foam tape, V-strip and door sweeps. Select the ideal style for your needs and follow the installation recommendations.
Use expanding foam to fill and seal larger gaps and holes. Expanding foam is sold in a can with a spray applicator for easy application in hard-to-reach places. Wear protective gloves and stick to the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you stay safe.
Install insulation to newly sealed walls and attic floors to further cut down on heat transfer. Even when you already have some insulation, consider upgrading to a higher R-value or adding more insulation where you need more.
Put door sweeps along the bottom of exterior doors to stop drafts. Door sweeps are offered in various materials and designs to suit your requirements and aesthetic preferences.

Considering a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

A home energy assessment is useful for identifying sneaky air leaks and identifying areas of improvement. A professional energy auditor performs this inspection, which involves the following:

A blower door test entails installing a temporary door with a sturdy fan over an exterior door opening. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the indoor air pressure and drawing in outside air through unsealed openings. This test measures your home’s air tightness and makes thermal camera images more pronounced.
Infrared imaging helps the energy auditor detect temperature differences in the walls, floors and ceilings, revealing unseen air leaks and insulation gaps.
A combustion safety test makes sure your home heating system, water heater and other combustion appliances are operating safely and correctly, lowering the risk of potentially deadly carbon monoxide buildup.
A homeowner interview is when the energy auditor looks at your energy usage habits, home maintenance history and comfort issues to learn additional energy-saving opportunities.

Schedule a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

While doing your own air leak tests is an excellent jumping off point, working with a professional is far more thorough. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you improve your home’s air tightness with a comprehensive home energy assessment and tailored solutions to enhance effectiveness and comfort.