Energy 101 Lesson 2

Lesson 2: Understanding Air Leakage

"Air Infiltration can account for 30% or more of a home's heating and cooling costs and contribute to problems with moisture, noise, dust, and entry of pollutants, insects, and rodents" NC State University, NC Solar Center

So what causes drafty, cold & hot rooms? What drives up our utility bills? AIR! More specifically, air that is either conditioned and escapes out of your house, or unconditioned air that finds its way in. In each case, that air must be replaced with conditioned air in order to maintain comfortable temperatures (otherwise known as your thermostat setting). As part of any assessment, we test to see how much air loss you have and identify key areas that need to be properly sealed and how air leakage may be affecting your IAQ (indoor air quality). Often, air comes from crawlspaces and attics, which can make allergies worse and increase dust. Now that we've covered air infiltration, let's talk about the other big waster, otherwise known as leaky ductwork.