Homeowner Tips on Saving Energy
Being a Fort Worth and Dallas area home inspector has taught me some simple methods homeowners can perform to help reduce your energy bills.
Homeowners can easily conduct a simple home energy audit for themselves to find and repair obvious issues. With a simple walk-through, you can spot many problems within the house.
Locating Air Leaks
It’s possible to save 5% to 30% per year in energy savings from reducing drafts in a home, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Homeowners can check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring, and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Air might be flowing through places such as:
•electrical outlets;
•switch plates;
•window frames;
•baseboards;
•weatherstripping around doors;
•fireplace dampers;
•attic hatches; and
•wall- or window-mounted air conditioners.
Gaps around electrical outlets, pipes and wires, foundation seals should be checked. Caulking and weatherstripping should be applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and should be in good condition.
Homeowners can inspect windows and doors for air leaks. If they rattle, they probably leak air. If there’s daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks.
Here’s an easy way to help locate the leaks within your home by performing a pressurization test:
1.First, close all exterior doors, windows, and fireplace flues.
2.Turn off all combustion appliances, such as gas-burning furnaces and water heaters.
3.Then turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and bathrooms), or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms.
This test increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them easier to detect. My favorite thing to use is Incense sticks. If incense sticks are used, moving air will cause the smoke to waver and if you pick the right scent, smells good. You could also mist your hand to locate these leaks and if a damp hand is used, any drafts will feel cool.
On the outside of the house, a homeowner can inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including:
•all exterior corners;
•where siding and chimneys meet; and
•areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet.
Holes or penetrations for electric outlets, wiring, faucets, and pipes should be sealed and caulked. Cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation, and siding should be found and sealed with an appropriate material. The exterior caulking around doors and windows should be checked to see whether exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly.
Insulation
If the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum, heat loss through the ceiling and walls in a home could be extensive . When the house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended at that time. Given today’s energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), the level of insulation might be inadequate, especially if the home is older.
I see attic hatches that are inside the conditioned home left unattended and loss of energy is abundant. If the attic hatch is located above a conditioned space, it should be as heavily insulated as the attic, weatherstripped, and closed tightly. In the attic, the openings for items such as pipes, ductwork, and chimneys should be sealed. Any gaps should be sealed with an expanding foam caulk or some other permanent sealant.
The attic vents should not be blocked by insulation. Electrical boxes in the ceiling should be sealed with flexible caulk (from the living room side or attic side). Also, the entire attic floor should be covered with at least the current recommended amount of insulation.
Heating/Cooling Equipment
The homeowner should inspect the heating and cooling equipment annually, or as recommended by the manufacturer. If the HVAC system is a forced-air furnace, the air filters should be checked and replaced as needed. Generally, they should be changed about once every month or two, especially during periods of high usage.
Have a professional check and clean the equipment once a year.
If the unit is more than 15 years old, the homeowner should consider replacing the system with one of the newer, energy-efficient units. A new unit would greatly reduce their energy consumption, especially if the existing equipment is in poor condition.
Lighting
Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of an electric bill for a typical residential house. A homeowner could check the wattage size of the light bulbs in the house. There may be 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do. Homeowners should also consider compact fluorescent lamps for areas where lights are on for hours at a time. Their electric utility may offer rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps.
You can contact your utility company to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits to their customers. In many states across the country, homeowners can get a free energy audit. If not, they can hire a home energy professional to evaluate the home’s energy efficiency.
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