Hot, humid days in the summer and the long stretches of cold weather all winter translate to high cooling and heating bills. However, you can achieve energy savings in Utica and St. Clair Shores by looking for the little things that increase your bills. Sealing air leaks and adding insulation go a long way toward lowering the conditioning load in your home. You can use these tips to save energy dollars year-round.
Air leaks
Check your windows, doors, attic and basement for air leaks. One way to test for leaks is to conduct your own version of the blower door test, which is what energy auditors use to find the leaks.
- Make a simple drawing of each floor of your home.
- Close the windows and open the interior doors.
- Shut off any gas appliances under roof and turn on the ventilating fans in the bathrooms and kitchen.
- Light a stick of incense and walk through your home, noting on the drawing where the smoke wavers.
Seal the small leaks with caulk and larger leaks with expanding foam. As you inspect your home, pay attention to the windows, exterior doors, places where cables, wires or pipes enter the home. The sill plate in the basement may also be a source of air leaks, as are places in the attic where flues and vent pipes exit.
Insulation
The Department of Energy recommends that homes have a minimum of 16 inches of insulation in the attic for energy savings in Michigan. Batt and blown-in are inexpensive and durable ways to reduce heat gain and loss. Besides the ceiling, your water heater may be draining your energy dollars. Wrap an insulating blanket around it to cut standby losses. While attic and water heater insulation are easy to do, you may need assistance if you water heater uses gas because it needs proper venting.
Another reliable way to achieve energy savings in southeast Michigan is to have your heating and cooling equipment serviced annually. Contact Aladdin Heating & Cooling to learn how preventative maintenance and duct sealing lower your energy costs and increase safety. We’ve been providing HVAC services to Birmingham, Troy and the Metro-Detroit region since 1945.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings 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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