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sealing air leaksThe air leaks in your Metro-Detroit-area home contribute to higher energy bills, and sealing them is a simple energy-saving project you can do on your own in your spare time. Most air leaks are small, and while they may not be visible, they can have the same energy-draining effect as leaving a window open all year long. When you find and fix air leaks, your heating and cooling bills will go down, and your home will be more comfortable year-round.

Finding air leaks in your home

Professional energy auditors and HVAC contractors conduct a blower door test to pinpoint air leaks in your home. You can emulate this test by following these steps:

  • Make a simple drawing of each level of your home.
  • Close all the windows and exterior doors and extinguish your gas-burning appliances.
  • Turn on the exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen.
  • Light a stick of incense and walk through your home. Keep an eye on the smoke and note where it wavers; this indicates air leaks.

Good places to look for air leaks include:

  • Window and exterior door frames
  • Fireplaces
  • Sill plates (joints between your home’s basement and first floor)
  • Flues
  • All places where cables, wires or pipes enter your home
  • Recessed lights
  • Attic access door

Fixing air leaks in your home

Exterior caulk is good for sealing small air leaks, and expanding foam works well for larger gaps or holes. Use fireproof sealant if your furnace flues have leaks. Fresh weatherstripping around exterior doors and the attic access prevents air infiltration, and a door sweep cuts down on air seeping inside or out. Use fire-retardant insulation around recessed lights.

For more on finding and fixing air leaks in your home, or other heating and cooling topics, contact Aladdin Heating & Cooling. We’ve provided HVAC services for Metro-Detroit areas such as Lake Orion and Rochester Hills since 1945.

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

Aladdin Heating services Novi, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Oak Park, Ferndale, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp., Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Madison Heights, Clawson, Sterling Heights, Warren, Troy, St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit, Utica, Shelby Twp., Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, and Clarkston.

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