Is your Home Secretly Pumping Hot Air Out of the Window?
Stop the Leaks & Save Money Now
Cooler temperatures are here and that means furnaces and space heaters are beginning to run. Did you know you could be pumping hot air out the window - literally. That’s right, air may be leaking from your home and you don’t even know it. We think it’s time to get rid of high energy bills.
Let's use the analogy that your house is like an envelope. When an envelope is sealed - the letter inside can't get out. There may be a spot or two on the envelope that didn't stick all the way - or there could be a small hole in in it somewhere.
When it comes to your house, think of the structure itself is the envelope. Then you add things like windows, doors, recessed lights, vents over your stove, dryer vents, electrical outlets, etc. Nearly everything you install in your home puts a hole in that envelope (so to speak). Suddenly, you're losing air from inside your home. In the winter you’re losing air warmed by the furnace, in the summer it is air cooled by your air conditioner.
What Can You Do?
- Caulk, weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air
- Caulk and seal air leaks in areas where plumbing, electrical wiring comes through walls or floors and soffits over cabinets
- Install foam gaskets behind outlets & switch plates on walls.
There other places in your home that may be leaking air that aren’t easy to see. You could have leaks in your air duct system.
Let’s break it down: The ducts take air from the furnace and circulate the warm or cold air throughout your home. Those ducts are attached to one another. You could have an instance where there is a hole in one or more of the ducts. The ducts may not be attached correctly or somehow come apart. With each gap in the system you're losing warm or cold air. Aire Serv would help you solve the problem by sealing those leaks so air spreads more evenly throughout your home. The energy department estimates that by sealing the air leaks in your home you can save between 20-to-30 percent in your home heating bill in just a year.
Rack Up the Rebates
Sealing air leaks in your home isn’t the only way to save money on your energy bill. Consumers Energy offers some pretty big rebates if you upgrade your heating and cooling system. In fact, Consumers offers a rebate up to $900 if you install a new natural gas boiler and almost $500 if you install a natural gas furnace.
There are other ways to get some money back without getting a full system replacement. Consumers offers a $50 rebate if you have a furnace tune-up. Having a programmable thermostat installed could land you a $10 rebate.
You can see the full list of available rebates here.
If you’re looking for ways to save money on the energy bill of your home or service, be sure to call Aire Serv today to schedule an assessment. Aire Serv is always here to help you find peace of mind with clean, comfortable air.