Do you ever feel drafts in your home? If you do, you definitely have air leaks. Even if you don’t feel the drafts, you could still be losing heated and cooled air through leaks in your basement, attic, walls and door and window frames. These air leaks mean your heating and cooling system has to work harder to meet your thermostat settings, costing you money and potentially impacting your home comfort.

Your basement and attic are often the biggest culprits of air leaks in your home. Unfortunately, when air can travel through both of these areas, it compounds the air loss by creating what is known as “the chimney effect.” As outside air enters your basement, heated air rises through your home and is drawn into the attic. This makes your home feel less comfortable and causes your energy bills to rise. Follow these cost-effective steps to reduce energy loss in your home:

• Seal the large gaps in your basement and attic. Although small leaks will have an impact, it is the major holes that primarily contribute to the chimney effect. One way to spot leaks in the attic is to look for dirty insulation.
• In your basement, focus on the areas above ground where the foundation meets the floor above. Seal joists with caulk, or use spray foam for larger gaps.
• In both the attic and basement, seal gaps in holes made for wiring, plumbing and ductwork.
• Seal air leaks in door and window frames and consider installing weatherstripping in preparation for winter, especially if you have an older home.
• Add insulation to the attic to the minimum R-value rating of R-19 to R-30. The higher the R-value, the less heat will be transferred and the more money you will save.

Contact us at Valley Heating, Cooling and Electricalfor a free R-value rating to help you assess your insulation needs. Or give us a call at 408-294-6290.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy loss and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Valley Heating, Cooling & Electrical services the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas in California.  Visit our website to see our special offersand get started today!      

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