How to Detect and Seal Air Leaks

One of the biggest efficiency killers for your HVAC system is air leaks in your home. These leaks develop on exterior walls and allow heat to transfer in and out of your home. This leads to rising heating costs in the winter and higher cooling costs in the summer.

Detecting Air Leaks

The key to maximizing the efficiency of your HVAC system and optimizing your indoor comfort is successfully locating and sealing those unwanted air leaks. Some leaks will be in obvious locations like around your exterior doors and windows. However, others may be in hidden places that you may not think about.

We always suggest starting with the most common locations first. These include your windows and doors. Run your hand around the frame of the door or window, and take note of any difference in temperature or airflow. If you feel a difference in a certain place, there’s an air leak in that location.

While you’re assessing your exterior walls, also pay attention to your electrical outlets and switches. Both of these locations can allow drafts to enter your home. Leaks are common in your basement or attic where any of your ducting, plumbing, or wiring passes through your floors or walls.

Recessed overhead lighting can also contribute to air leaks. It’s common for many of the old-style can lights to leak air around their housing. You may also notice that air is coming in through your fireplace because the damper isn’t completely shut.

Sealing Air Leaks

Once you locate the sources of the air leaks throughout your home, it’s time to be proactive and seal them up. The particular location of your air leak will determine the type of product you use to create an airtight seal. We’ll discuss some key products you can use to effectively seal your home from unwanted drafts.

Weather Stripping

Weather stripping is a common option to replace worn-out or missing seals along your door and window frames. Weather stripping comes in foam, felt, vinyl, or magnetic options, depending on your specific application. Ensure that your weather stripping is thick enough to seal the leak without being so large that it will easily rip off.

Caulking

Caulking is a popular option when it comes to sealing abundant locations throughout your home. Its ability to mold to your desired location makes it easy to apply and extremely effective. Caulking is great for sealing window and door frames and areas where wiring, ducting, and plumbing pipes pass through your floors and walls. It can even be an ideal choice for sealing those older recessed can lights.

Foam Pads

When it comes to sealing leaks around your outlets and light switches, solutions like weather stripping and caulking simply won’t do the job permanently. For that, you’ll need specialized foam insert pads that are designed to sit behind the cover plate for your outlets and lights. When you screw on your cover plate, it presses the foam and creates an airtight seal.

Spray Foam

Whenever you’re dealing with large gaps, spray foam can be an appropriate solution. It works really great for sealing around your plumbing lines, air ducts, and even larger wiring that runs through your walls and floors. When you spray this foam, it naturally expands to fill the space and create an airtight seal.

Door Sweeps

A helpful tip to deal with air leaks around the bottom of your exterior doors is to install door sweeps. These are very effective at blocking drafts coming in from underneath them. Door sweeps allow your doors to open like normal, making them an easy addition to any household.

Professional Blower Testing

While sealing air leaks throughout your home is something that you can definitely DIY to get good results, there’s always a better option for superior results. Professional blower door testing is a comprehensive check that one of our HVAC technicians can perform to measure air infiltration into your home. This will allow us to effectively locate where these air leaks are so that we can work to seal them.

Expert HVAC Service

Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling Inc. offers expert HVAC services for the Downers Grove, IL community. We can also help with your indoor air quality needs.

Call our team at Fire 'n' Ice Heating & Cooling Inc. today to book a service appointment with one of our helpful technicians.