Have you noticed that your HVAC system has not been cooling or heating up a room as efficiently as before? Or maybe you have noticed that your utility bills have been astronomically high lately. If your air conditioner or heater is fairly new, the next thing to look into is sealing air leaks in your home.
To learn more about finding and sealing air leaks in your St. Louis home, please consult the experts at Galmiche & Sons. Our heating and air conditioning experts can be contacted at 314-993-1110 or contact us online.
How Air Leaks Reduce Your HVAC Efficiency
An air leak happens whenever the cool or hot air produced by your HVAC system escapes your home through cracks and openings. This increases the load on your HVAC unit, because it needs to work even harder in order to properly cool or heat your home. The end result is drafts and hot or cold spots all over your home, as well as an increase in both your energy consumption and energy bills.
To prevent this from happening, you should take steps to detect air leaks around your home. This may include conducting a home energy audit to see if the insulation in your home is working properly. Sealing air leaks prevents cooled or heated air from escaping, and outdoor air from coming in.
Tips for Sealing Air Leaks
- Seal around doors and windows: It is surprising how much minute gaps around doors and windows can contribute to the decrease of your HVAC efficiency. Adding caulking and weather-stripping around the gaps will help seal air leaks.
- Check your floors: Aside from your doors and windows, your floor can also be a spot for air leaks. There may be gaps in between the baseboards and hard floors, allowing the air to pass through. Latex caulk is perfect for sealing air leaks in floors.
- Seal around outlets and electrical wiring: Gaps can also happen through your electrical wiring and outlets. You can install an inexpensive foam gasket, which can be bought at any hardware store. The gasket will fit snugly around the switch, and will create an airtight seal.
- Check your fireplace: There may be gaps around the flue and chimney that allow the air to leave easily, which can be fixed with fireproof caulk or any other filler material. Also, make sure that the flue damper is tightly closed when the fireplace is not in use.
- Check your exhaust fan: Air leaks in the bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan happen if the fan was not properly installed. Sealing air leaks around an exhaust fan will prevent cooled or heated air from leaking.
- Check your ductwork: Finally, gaps, holes, and leaks in your ductwork can be a major contributing factor to reducing efficiency of your system. Sealing air leaks in these with the help of a professional can make a big impact.
Learn More about Sealing Air Leaks in Your St. Louis Home
While there are some do-it-yourself things you can do to detect and seal leaks in your home, to ensure that you are properly sealing air leaks, consider allowing a professional HVAC company to get the job done. In the St. Louis area, you can schedule a home energy audit from Galmiche & Sons, and we will check for air leaks, and fix them if we find one.
Call our St. Louis heating and air conditioning experts at 314-993-1110 for help in sealing air leaks in your home or business and to schedule your HVAC checkup or maintenance appointment.
