With winter on the way, Fresno-area residents are looking for ways to button up their homes, improve energy efficiency, and enhance comfort and energy savings. Of course, before you can start the process of improving household energy efficiency, you must first determine where your home is losing energy. The best way to achieve this is through a professional energy evaluation.
While you may have pinpointed several trouble spots in your home, such as drafty doors and windows, a professional can find energy issues that the typical homeowner cannot. Using a combination of expert knowledge and specialized equipment, a trained technician can find the source of your problems and devise a plan to correct your energy losses effectively and affordably.
What can you expect from a professional energy evaluation? First, your technician will want a little background information. Areas of interest include:
- Last year’s energy bills
- The climate where you live
- Your family size and routine
- Average temperature settings and preferences
This information, combined with a visual inspection of the home, will help the technician establish a starting point for an in-depth energy evaluation. From there, specialized equipment may be used to ensure that every possible energy issue is addressed. Two common tests include:
- Blower door test – This involves mounting a door-sized fan to an exterior door of your home, and pumping the air out of your home. As your indoor air exits, outdoor air will be pulled in through cracks in your home’s exterior. This enables your technician to spot leaks that weren’t otherwise apparent.
- Thermographic scan – Using infrared technology, your technician can spot heat discrepancies that would otherwise go unnoticed. This can help in finding air leaks, patches of inadequate insulation, and even problems with HVAC components.
If you’re interested in preparing your home for the winter ahead, start by scheduling a whole-house energy evaluation. For more information, speak to one of our trained technicians. Contact Donald P. Dick Air Conditioningtoday for an expert consultation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy evaluations and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Donald P Dick Air Conditioning services the greater Fresno area in California. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!