Easy Ways to Detect Air Leaks in Your North America Home

A leaky house is considerably less energy efficient than a tightly sealed one. Being familiar with how to detect air leaks in your house, sealing those leaks and scheduling a home energy assessment when needed can help you maintain a comfortable living environment and lower your energy bills.

Detecting Air Leaks from Inside Your Home

Start your air leak inspection on the inside. Here are four effective ways for locating air leaks in your house:

Conduct|Perform|Carry out]13] a detailed visual inspection, looking for gaps and cracks in and around windows, doors, electrical outlets and baseboards. Pay extra attention to the corners of rooms, as gaps can commonly be found there.
Put your hand near potentially leaky places on a cold or windy day. If you believe there is a draft, you’ve uncovered an air leak.
Complete a smoke test by lighting an incense stick or smoke pen. Then, slowly move it all around the edges of windows, doors and other potential problem areas. If an air leak is occurring in this location, the smoke will blow around or get sucked through the gap, revealing the leak’s location. The smoke test is most effective when performed on a windy day.
Utilize an infrared thermometer or thermal camera to detect temperature differences around your home. This equipment will help you identify areas with sizeable temperature variations, which often indicate air leaks.

Detecting Air Leaks from Outside Your Home

Examining the outer structure can also expose potential leaks. Here are two tips for detecting air leaks from the outside:

Do a visual inspection, paying close attention to corners and locations where different materials meet. Hunt for gaps or cracks that could create air leaks, as well as worn caulk or weatherstripping and incorrectly sealed vents and exhaust fans.
Conduct the garden hose test on a chilly day. This is where someone sprays water from a garden hose onto the outside of the house while another person stands inside where there is a suspected air leak. If there’s a leak, the person inside ought to feel cold air or moisture coming through the gap.

Sealing Air Leaks

After finding serious air leaks, it’s time to address the issue. Here are the best ways to seal air leaks in your home:

Use caulk to seal small gaps and cracks around windows, doors and other areas where air is getting out of the home. Decide on a top-quality, long-lasting caulk created for indoor or outdoor use and the specific materials you're using to ensure a durable seal. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper application and curing time.
Apply weatherstripping to doors and windows to help them close tightly. Various types of weatherstripping are available, including adhesive-backed foam tape, V-strip and door sweeps. Pick the proper style for your needs and follow the installation instructions.
Use expanding foam to fill and seal larger gaps and holes. Expanding foam comes in a can with a spray applicator for quick application in hard-to-reach spots. Wear protective gloves and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure you use them carefully.
Install insulation to newly sealed walls and attic floors to further reduce heat transfer. Whether or not you already have some insulation, consider upgrading to a higher R-value or adding more insulation where you need more.
Add door sweeps along the bottom of outside doors to restrict drafts. Door sweeps are made in various materials and styles to suit your requirements and aesthetic preferences.

Considering a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

A home energy assessment is useful for spotting concealed air leaks and pinpointing areas of improvement. A professional energy auditor performs this inspection, which consists of the following:

A blower door test includes putting in a temporary door with a sturdy fan over an exterior door opening. The fan pulls air away from the house, lowering the indoor air pressure and pulling in outside air through unsealed openings. This test measures your home’s air tightness and makes thermal camera images more pronounced.
Infrared imaging helps the energy auditor identify temperature differences in the walls, floors and ceilings, revealing hidden air leaks and insulation deficiencies.
A combustion safety test makes sure your home heating system, water heater and other combustion appliances are operating safely and effectively, reducing the risk of potentially deadly carbon monoxide buildup.
A homeowner interview is when the energy auditor analyzes your energy usage habits, home maintenance history and comfort challenges to spot additional energy-saving possibilities.

Schedule a Comprehensive Home Energy Assessment

While doing your own air leak tests is a great launching point, talking everything over with a professional is far more thorough. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can help you improve your home’s air tightness with a detailed home energy assessment and personalized solutions to enhance performance and comfort.