Air leaks are often one of the biggest causes of energy loss in a home. As conditioned air from your heating and cooling equipment is lost, your HVAC system is forced to work longer to maintain a constant temperature — driving up your utility bills. Manage air leaks in your home and minimizing their effects are essential to saving energy and money.

It is estimated that you can save anywhere from 5 to 30 percent a year on your utility bills simply by eliminating air leaks in your home. When searching for air leaks, be sure to check these locations:

• Windows and doors
• Baseboards
• Electrical outlets
• Fireplace
• Attic hatches
• Foundation seals
• Access holes to the exterior for pipes and wires

Your basement and attic are usually prime offenders when it comes to air leaks. If there are leaks in these two areas, whenever you run your furnace, your home will experience what is called the “chimney effect.” The chimney effect is when hot air rises up into your attic through leaks, and is replaced by cold air coming up through leaks in the basement. This forces your system to work longer to maintain a comfortable temperature, and also makes your home feel drafty.

It is also important that you know how to seal leaks when you find them:

• Use caulking and weatherstripping around doors and windows.
• Use caulking or spray foam to seal off any air leaks where plumbing, electrical wires and ductwork travel through exterior walls, interior walls and ceilings.
• Replace single-pane windows with double-pane windows.
• Seal exterior outlets by putting rubber gaskets behind the switch plates.

For more information on sealing air leaks, contact the experts at Smoky Mountain Heating & Airtoday.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about managing air leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smoky Mountain Heating & Air services Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

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