Energy Efficiency Tips: How To Find Drafts In Your Home
One of the fastest ways to lose money in your home is with a draft. Drafts can very easily run up your heating bill over a short period of time. In addition to cooling things down, a draft can keep your furnace running much longer and working harder than it needs to. Additionally, in warm weather, the draft can cause a major loss of cool air. This constant turning on can cause your system to break down faster. It is important to find drafts, especially when preparing for the winter. There are several things that you can do to find a draft in your home and improve your energy efficiency.
Older Homes Are Challenging
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Finding a draft can be challenging, particularly in older homes. The exact location of the draft can be eluding with so many possibilities. You can first use your senses to find the draft you are looking for. Using your hand to feel around windows and doors is a great first step. These can be major locations for drafts, particularly if the windows and doors are older and have poor seals. These areas might also have very little or no insulation around them.
Do Some Detective Work
You can also use a candle, light material fabric, or a string to hold near the areas that could have drafts running through them. This will show you where the draft is and how strong it is. Care should be taken when attempting to find drafts with this method. Be sure that you note the direction of the draft and whether the air is cold or hot.
In some cases, the locations of the drafts can be easily detected by standing in one room with a flashlight and having someone else in another. Using the light on the walls and inlets can help you see any potential problems from the other side.
If you have doors you are concerned about, you might consider placing something very thin such as paper under the door when closed and pulling it out. If the paper comes free easily, you are likely to have a major source of the draft.
Work With A Professional
One of the best ways to accurately detect the location of drafts in your home and attaining more energy efficiency is by hiring a professional technician to do the job for you. These individuals have the equipment and experience to find all of the drafts within the home and assist you in determining possible solutions to the problem. Some of the locations that they are likely to check are switch plates, electrical outlets, baseboards, weather stripping, windows and hatches, utility line inlets, vents for dryers, fireplaces and even plumbing.
Heating Oil Prices Hazleton PA
Even a well-insulated home can have major drafts that you are not aware of. Take the time to make sure you are getting all of the drafts dealt with accordingly at once. You can work with a professional to ensure that you make your home more energy-efficient. This will save you money in the long run and make your home more comfortable. Even the best air conditioner or furnace can’t keep your house at the temperature that you want if there are major drafts to contend with.
What it really comes down to is that you, as a homeowner, want to reduce your energy use so that your home heating expenses are reduced. The best way to do this is by finding drafts. Additionally, you should schedule a heating system tune-up so that your heater will run at peak performance. This means that is will run more efficiently which helps you reach your goal of reducing your home heating costs. Be sure to find high quality and affordable heating oil to further reduce your energy expenses.
Contact R.F. Ohl for affordable and professional HVAC services and fuel deliveries. We deliver high-quality fuel oil and propane. Our certified professionals can also make your heating system more energy efficient to help you reduce your energy use. This will allow you to stay warm and cozy in your home at a fraction of the cost. Be sure to contact R.F. Ohl for all of your home heating and comfort needs.
We service Beaver Meadows PA 18216, Ebervale PA 18223, Harleigh PA 18225, Hazleton PA 18201, Junedale PA 18230, Lattimer Mines PA 18234, Mcadoo PA 18237, Milnesville PA 18239, Pardeesville PA 18243, and Tresckow PA 18254. We also service all of Carbon County, Monroe County, Lehigh County, Northampton County, and Schuylkill County.
Contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.