Air leaks are a common issue that can wreak havoc on your home’s heating and cooling system. Not only do air leaks cause your energy bills to rise, but they also tax your heating and cooling system. This can lead to breakdowns. In the Mesa, AZ, area where temperatures soar above 100 degrees during summer, it’s important that your home is as energy efficient as possible.
Here are three simple, straightforward ways to check your home for air leaks.
1. Find Air Leaks With A Candle
Minor leaks can be detected with something as simple as a lit candle. In addition to grabbing a candle, you’ll need to shut off your AC or heat. For this test to work, you don’t want any artificial sources of air circulation in your home. Once your HVAC is turned off, light the candle and walk around your home while holding the candle near the seams of doors and windows. If the flame flickers, you have a leak.
2. Find Air Leaks By De-Pressurizing Your Home
De-pressuring your home is another easy technique to find air leaks. Just like with the candle test, you’ll need to turn off your AC or furnace in addition to any fans in your home. Once that’s done, light up a stick of incense (candles don’t work since they don’t make as much smoke). With the incense stick in hand, walk around your home and pass the stick over the edges of external facing doors and windows. If the smoke is blown inward or sucked outward, you have an air leak.
3. Find Larger Air Leaks With Your Hand
If an air leak is large enough, you can catch it using just your hand. For this test, you’ll want to choose a day when your AC or furnace is running. Walk around your home and pass your hand near the edges of all the doors and windows in your home that face the outdoors. If you feel a breeze or a noticeable contrast in temperature, you have an air leak in that spot.
Reliable AC and Heating Service
Air leaks are a pesky problem that makes your home less energy efficient and your utility bills more expensive. Our expert technicians at Honest Air Conditioning provide some of the best air conditioning service in Mesa. We also handle maintenance, repairs, and installations for heaters. Give us a call today.