Caulking to Save Energy and Money

You don't have to install solar panels or geothermal heating to green-up your home or business. Simply plugging holes and cracks in your home or business with a caulking gun or spray foam delivers a better return when it comes to saving energy and money.

Homes are embarrassingly inefficient when it comes to loss of energy.  They consume 21% of all energy used in the U.S., according to federal figures. That's more than cars, planes or offices. Yet studies say U.S. homes commonly waste more than 30% of the energy they use. About one-third of that energy loss could be stopped by the simple techniques of caulking cracks and holes and insulating walls.

Air leaks cost us dearly. According to the Energy Star program, most people could save about 20 percent or more on their heating and cooling costs by sealing up air leaks. Most older homes are riddled with holes in the “building envelope,” which is made up of the outside walls, roof and foundation.

These leaks range from large, obvious holes, such as broken or missing windowpanes in the basement, to tiny, almost invisible cracks. Small cracks can have a big impact. An eighth-inch-wide, 6 foot long crack between a door and a doorjamb, for example, is equivalent to a 9 square inch opening!

To seal air leaks, you first need to identify them, either on your own or with the help of a professional energy auditor. To identify leaks yourself, begin by looking for large openings in outside walls, then search for smaller, less visible openings. On windy days, you can find these leaks by feeling around doors and window frames, at the base of walls, and anywhere else with an opening from outside to inside walls. You can also detect leaks with a stick of burning incense, air leaking into a home will deflect the smoke. Be sure to check around electrical outlets and light switches (even those on interior walls.) Ceiling fixtures, especially recessed lighting and whole-house fans, are other major sources of heat loss in the winter.

After you’ve found the air leaks in your home, you can hire a professional retrofitter to seal them, or you can do the work yourself. If you choose the latter, you’ll need some inexpensive supplies and simple tools, including clean rags, rubbing alcohol, a caulk gun, clear or paintable caulk, liquid spray foam (expanding foam), weather-stripping, foam gaskets for sockets and light switches, a utility knife or scissors, a screwdriver, and a good stepladder for safety.

Looking for a great place to get your AC unit serviced? Give Aaron’s Mechanical Service a call at 623-388-4436.

Brought to you by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@coolingaz.com
http://coolingaz.com