Your house feels cold, especially in certain parts, even though you have the heat turned on. You get the gas and electric bill and your usage has skyrocketed compared to the previous month. Confusion sets in; you aren’t sure why this would be. You don’t notice anything abnormal about the doors and windows, and you sure didn’t have this problem last winter. After some thinking and problem-solving, you decide to go online and google the issue. You definitely have a draft and you need to determine where it is coming from before it gets colder.
First and foremost, you need to be able to identify where drafts can come from in a home. According to Allstate, these include:
- Doors
- Windows
- Exterior corners
- Knee walls (side walls that support attic rafters)
- Attic or hatch opening
- Wiring holes (cable TV, electrical outlets, phone lines)
- Plumbing vents
- Recessed lights
- Furnace flues or ducts
- Basement rim joists (the meeting point between the foundation and wood framing)
Next, go around to each room, including the attic and/or basement, if applicable, and visually check everything out. It is also important to inspect the exterior of the house, not only the interior. Pay close attention to weather stripping and caulking and notice any loose sections or cracks on any portion.
If you are having difficulty observing an air leak, there are some methods for detecting one:
- At night, grab a partner and shine a flashlight from the inside out or the outside in, where you believe there is an air leak. Light will directly shine through a spot that has a crack.
- Use the dollar bill trick. Take a dollar bill and place it underneath a suspicious door or window and shut it. If you can pull the dollar out from underneath without it tearing, you more than likely have an air leak on your hands.
- Dampen your hand and place it around where you believe there to be a draft—this works best on a cool and windy day—and you will be able to physically feel the draft more easily.
- Use a thermal leak detector. This detector can be bought online or at any hardware store and is used to read temperatures of doors, walls, windows, or baseboards. If a small area is significantly different than around it, you probably have a leak.
Lastly, you will need to decide what to do about the problem, which will be dependent on where the leak is, how big the leak is, and if anything is in the way such as a pipe or electrical wiring. Some basic ways to fix the problem are:
- Use caulking
- Use a draft stopper
- Use spray foam
- Use a professional to install new or additional insulation or learn how to do it yourself
Regardless of the air leak size, shape, or location, it needs to be taken care of immediately if you want to save energy and expense. Usually the problem is simple and can be taken care of yourself; if you find out that is more involved than you’d like, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Dale Heating Cooling and Sheetmetal, who have been proudly serving Sonoma and the surrounding areas since 1989.