Stop Air Leaks for an Energy Efficient Home

Summary: Air gets into and out of our homes from a wide range of places. Many of these can be fixed with some simple do it yourself handiwork. Undertake any of these and you'll start to realize instant energy savings on your Texas electric bill.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, American homes lose energy from the following places (in decreasing order of importance): floors, ceilings and walls (31%), doors and windows (21%), heating/air condition ducts (15%), fireplaces (14%), plumbing penetrations (13%) and all others (6%). Recognize that these numbers may vary based on home type, age, geographical region and other factors.

For some of these problem areas, better insulation or more energy efficient windows or doors may yield significant savings on your Texas electricity costs. But, these can be costly. Instead, why not take a few simple steps to eliminate those pesky air leaks plus go to www.ChooseEnergy.com and sign up for a lower rate.

One of the easiest things one can do is recaulk windows and doors. In addition to eliminating air leaks, this can also eliminate water leaks. To do this, first remove existing caulk (don't just recaulk over existing caulk). You may need to use a putty knife, a window scraper, other blunt scrapper tool or even a screwdriver to loosen and remove the caulk. Be careful not to gouge the framing. Then clean the entire window or doorframe with rubbing alcohol or other cleaning compound to ensure good adhesion.

Reapply caulk (pushing the bead to ensure it gets into gaps). Be sure NOT to caulk window weep holes (small holes at the bottom of the window that allow for any condensation to drain). It's best to apply the caulk when outdoor temperatures are between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In most locales, this is when most building materials are at the midpoint of their contraction and expansion range.

Choose the type of caulk and color that is best suited to your home and any associated remodeling activity. But in most cases, a paintable, light-colored caulk is what you'll want.

What works for windows and doors, also applies to skylights and any other places where gaps may occur. This can include places where air conditioning, phone or electric lines enter your home. You can now find special cover plates that be placed over the once massive caulked or sealed areas. You'll still need to seal these, but it looks a lot more attractive.

In your attic, crawl space and/or basement, you should plan to seal all air conditioning and heating ducts. Instead of caulk, however, duct tape can be used to seal seams of exposed ducts.

An even better approach (one that can reach all ducts) involves injecting an aerosol sealer into the ductwork. During the course of the process, the sealant collects at any leak sites, sealing them.

Finally, address weather stripping along the bottom of doors and windows. This can become brittle and/or damaged over time. Sometimes you can simply slide in a replacement piece. At other times you may have to tip out the window or remove the door from its hinges and then physically remove and replace the entire weather stripping unit.

Another easy-to-do sealant project involves eliminating leaks around electric outlets or switches on outside walls. Turn off electricity and carefully remove switch plate or plug covers. Feel for air leaks (especially in colder months). Then use foam inserts to cover much of the opening. You may also want to stuff insulation into gaps along the outside edges of the electric box or spray in some foam sealant. Wait a few moments and feel again for air leaks.

You can also undertake some temporary fixes, but nothing beats fixing leaks outright. Once you do, you'll start saving real money, really quickly on all of your Texas electric costs.