Finding Energy Leaks at Home

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

This summer’s unrelenting heat seems to have touched me in the head. I’ve been on a mission to find out how to make the house more energy efficient, especially since we seem to adopt a new electronic device every other month. I’ve done all the basic things like install CFC bulbs, program the thermostat, and walk through the house periodically turning off lights and televisions (or, as the household energy meister, yelling to others to do the same).

Besides pinching pennies, I have an aversion to needless waste in general. It bugs me to think I have an air conditioning unit rumbling along not far from a door that is simultaneously letting the cooled air out. Just as annoying is an upstairs area that is always warmer or cooler than the rest of the house, to the point that it’s not worth it to shed/don clothing to spend time up there. The AC folks who have come to check it always assure me that the system is working fine, but of course for several thousand dollars they can upgrade this or that feature…

I was intrigued when a friend of mine who publishes www.MyGreenBirmingham.com suggested an independent energy audit of my house. It would take less than two hours, I would receive a complete report and recommendations, and I wouldn’t have to get the house “party clean” in order for the audit to be accurate. Apparently piles of laundry do not necessarily restrict air flow. I decided to give it a try.

I was a little worried at first that this might be one of those experiences where someone tells you things you already know, like to buy newer appliances or to take shorter showers. However, Dan from ProEnergy Consultants brought more than a checklist when he came out to audit. He was armed with a thermographic gun, a tiny smoke puffer (my term), and a fan gizmo to insert in the front door to equalize the indoor temperature so cool/hot spots from the air system wouldn’t cause inaccurate measurements.

After setting up, Dan walked me around as he used the smoke puffer and thermographic camera. Here are the things I learned, both during his visit and later from his formal report:

*New windows are not the #1 energy-saving solution. Dan says he has clients who have paid a fortune for new windows and have not seen the savings they expected. There are many other easier, cheaper fixes that can have more impact.

*We have a walk-in attic and Dan’s thermographic camera lit up as the attic door was brought into range. Attic heat was entering around the door. Dan suggested we install a weatherstripped, insulated door instead to see a difference in comfort upstairs right away.

*Knee walls – those short walls next to an upstairs dormer or slanted ceiling – are frequently problems. Since the walls are directly under the roof, they can transfer heat or cold unless they have proper barriers, like insulation with channels that allow air to flow. Between our knee walls and the attic door, we had probably identified the source of our temperature problem upstairs.

*Bathroom exhaust fans are other “hot spots” since, if not properly sealed, they allow hot air from the attic or outside to come into the house. The photo shows how an upstairs bathroom fan appeared as a red spot in the camera view due to the heat it allowed in from the attic.

*Insulation in an unfinished portion of the basement, like the garage, can have a major impact. Specifically, insulating around the “joist band” (the perimeter where the floor joists meet the walls) will increase comfort upstairs, which for us is the kitchen floor.

*At Dan’s suggestion, I dialed the water heater thermostat back by five degrees. So far, no one has noticed. My husband will feel so duped when he reads this!

So now I’m on a mission to remedy the problems found in the home energy audit. The new door for upstairs is being ordered and insulation estimates are being obtained. I figure now is a good time to address these issues since the new home construction business has slowed. Maybe after we’ve addressed the energy efficiency issues with the house, I can increase my personal energy efficiency with less worrying about the escaping cool air.