Stop Air Leaks for Energy Efficiency | Savings

by JerryDyess

Summary: Air can get into and out of your home in any number of different places. However, many of these leaks are easy enough to fix as simple DIY projects. Take care of these leaks and you'll start seeing energy savings almost immediately. The statistics from the US Department of Energy state the case quite simply: homes lose energy from floors, ceilings and walls (31% of leaks), doors and windows (21% of leaks), heating and cooling ducts (15% of leaks), fireplaces (14% of leaks), plumbing (13% of leaks) and other places (6%). Of course, these are averages and the exact figures depend on your home and where you happen to live.

The US Department of Energy publishes statistics on where American homes tend to lose energy. In descending order, these are floors, walls and ceilings (31%), windows and doors (21%), air ducts (15%), fireplaces (14%), plumbing gaps (13%) and other places around the home (6%). These figures are averages and may not reflect your home; it all depends on what sort of home you live in, how old it is and its location, among other factors.

One of the easiest things one can do is recaulk windows and doors. In addition to eliminating air leaks, this can also eliminate water leaks. To do this, first remove existing caulk (don't just recaulk over existing caulk). You may need to use a putty knife, a window scraper, other blunt scrapper tool or even a screwdriver to loosen and remove the caulk. Be careful not to gouge the framing. Then clean the entire window or doorframe with rubbing alcohol or other cleaning compound to ensure good adhesion.

Recaulking windows and doors in your home can stop air leaks as well as water leaks, especially if yours is an older home. The first step is to remove the caulk which is already there. You can use a putty knife, a window scraper or even a flat head screwdriver for this job - just be careful so you don't damage the framing as you work. After the old caulk is gone, clean the frame thoroughly with rubbing alcohol to ensure that the new caulk will adhere well.

Choose the type of caulk and color that is best suited to your home and any associated remodeling activity. But in most cases, a paintable, light-colored caulk is what you'll want. What works for windows and doors, also applies to skylights and any other places where gaps may occur. This can include places where air conditioning, phone or electric lines enter your home. You can now find special cover plates that be placed over the once massive caulked or sealed areas. You'll still need to seal these, but it looks a lot more attractive.

You can also caulk skylights as well as the spots where air ducts, phone lines and electrical cables enter your home: basically, anywhere you have an air leak. After caulking these areas, you may want to cover them with a plate. The plate also needs to be sealed after installation, but this looks much better than a lot of caulk!

You should look for air leaks in your ductwork, especially in your basement, attic and crawlspaces. For this job you can use duct tape instead of caulk, making this a much easier and faster job. However, you can make this easier still and seal those leaks you can't reach by using an aerosol sealer. These sealers will collect wherever they pass a leak, sealing them without you having to crawl around through your home trying to duct tape them all!

Finally, address weather stripping along the bottom of doors and windows. This can become brittle and/or damaged over time. Sometimes you can simply slide in a replacement piece. At other times you may have to tip out the window or remove the door from its hinges and then physically remove and replace the entire weather stripping unit.

Finally, you can seal leaks around electrical outlets and light switches, especially on outside walls. Make sure the electricity is off before you start and remove the plug covers and switch plates, feeling for air leaks. You can cover most of these using foam inserts and if needed, you can use some insulation or aerosol foam sealant. Wait until the sealant is in place, then feel for air leaks again.

These are all easy projects which can stop air leaks, make your home more energy efficient and save you quite a lot of money in energy bills. Best of all, the savings begin as soon as you complete these easy projects; you may wonder why on earth you didn't do these projects sooner!

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

About the author: Jerry Dyess has been in the Texas Electricity business and written about Texas Electric prices for many years.