How to Find Costly Air Leaks in Your Home

If you feel a draft in your home when all your doors and windows are shut, you probably have an air leak. Cracks and openings on your walls and floorboards can let the conditioned air you pay for escape, carrying your hard-earned dollars with it. Keep reading to learn how to find and seal these leaks, helping you keep more money in your pocket.

Look Around Your Structure

Many leaks can be large enough to see or easily feel, so walk around the inside of your home and look closely at any area through which air may be leaking out. Be sure to check the common culprits, such as drier vents, TV and phone lines, baseboards and window-mounted air conditioners.

Next, walk around outdoors. Cracks and openings in your home’s exterior siding are major openings for air to get in and out. Look closely at places where different materials meet, as well as corners and outdoor water faucets. Once you find a crack, be sure to seal it right away. Small openings can easily be insulated with caulk, while larger holes will need spray foam to properly seal.

Depressurize Your Home

Another easy way of locating harder-to-find leaks is by performing a simple building depressurization test. To do this, make sure the heating and cooling system is turned off to reduce any extra air flow. Then turn on the exhaust vents in the kitchen and bathroom. This will create an area of negative pressure inside your home that will make it easy to locate leaks. Finally, walk around with a lit incense stick, observing the movement of the smoke. As you pass the incense over possible leak areas, if the smoke blows in or gets sucked out suddenly, then you’ll know there’s a leak in that area.

Get Professional Help

As air quality experts, the technicians here at Reed Service Company can help you find and fix your home’s air leaks. We specialize in helping you keep your Beaumont, TX, home comfortable and energy efficient, and we’d be more than glad to perform an in-home assessment.

Here at Reed Service Company, we pride ourselves in delivering high-quality HVAC services. Whether you need an installation, repair or simply would like to extend the life of your equipment through regular maintenance, we can help. Give us a call today.