From frost-free refrigerators and self-cleaning ovens to central air conditioning, life’s modern conveniences make your home in Central Texas a more pleasant place to inhabit. Those same conveniences are also responsible for a large portion of your utility expenses. Fortunately, you don’t have sacrifice ease and comfort to cut those bills down to size. These simple tips can help you to identify sources of energy waste in your home that are impacting comfort and costing you money.
Locate Air Leaks
Cracks, holes, and gaps in exterior walls create drafts that force your HVAC system to work overtime to keep you comfortable. Sealing the leaks can result in energy savings of up to 30 percent. The effects of air infiltration aren’t always noticeable to the naked eye, but a stick of incense can help you spot the leaks:
- If the smoke blows sideways near windows, use weatherstripping and caulk to seal the leaks.
- For drafty exterior doors, install a tight-fitting sweep seal at the bottom.
- Fabric door guards offer simple solutions for drafty interior doors.
- For gaps around conduits like electrical outlets and plumbing pipes, a can of spray foam insulation works wonders.
Check the Attic
If you can see floor joists between the existing insulation in your attic, chances are you can lower your home’s energy consumption by adding more. Dirty insulation, on the other hand, is a sign that air is penetrating through the roof or attic floor. Sealing leaks and installing new attic insulation are money-saving solutions to stop energy waste from your attic.
Inspect the Ductwork
The effects of leaky ducts range from poor indoor air quality to energy waste and weak performance. Dirt streaks or accumulations of dust near the seams and connectors are a sure sign that ductwork repair services will save you money on energy costs.
At Woods Comfort Systems, we offer a broad range of products and services designed to optimize your home’s efficiency. For more information, check out our comfort solutions or call us today at (512) 253-8927.
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