The colder weather is fast approaching with winter not far behind. As you begin running your heating system this year, you should consider calling an HVAC expert to conduct an energy audit of your home. An energy audit, or energy assessment, can tell you where your home is potentially costing you in energy costs due to inefficiencies, air leaks and other issues.
Here what you can expect to learn from an energy audit:
Energy Consumption
The assessor will want to know how much you’re paying each year in heating and cooling costs so be sure to have a summary ready. This information can help identify higher than normal heating or cooling costs and help lead your assessor to potential problems.
Energy loss
During an energy audit, you will receive an inspection of the interior and exterior of your home as well as diagnostic tests to determine where your home is experiencing leaks, lacking insulation or experiencing other inefficiencies.
A blower door test uses a large fan set into an exterior door to pull air out of your home, causing outside air to rush back through any crack or leaks. Once air leaks are found, you can begin he process of sealing with caulk, spray foam or weatherstripping, to reduce energy usage.
Similar to the blower door test, a duct leakage test will detect any potential air loss within the air ducts of your home. Sealing duct leaks with mastic or metal-backed tape will help air flow properly to all areas of your home and increase the efficiency of your heating system.
Infrared cameras are commonly used to help the energy auditor identify any potential problems within the walls of your home. Gaps in insulation and damaged roofing can be discovered using these cameras.
For more information on scheduling your own home energy audit or to talk to one of our experts, please contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning, proudly serving the greater Fresno area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy audits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “pixinoo/Shutterstock”