Is your Graham area home in need of an energy-saving makeover? Whether you are considering a water heater replacement or upgrading inefficient single-pane windows with more energy-efficient options, a home energy audit is an essential first step to home energy improvements. A home energy audit helps you discover how your household uses energy, guiding you to make the most cost-effective individual efficiency upgrades.
A home energy audit can also be called an energy assessment as it helps determine and assess where energy is being wasted, helping homeowners and contractors prioritize efficiency upgrades. When the results of an energy audit are followed, homeowners can save anywhere between 5 to 30 percent on their monthly home energy bills. In addition to saving money, making the proper energy upgrades can also help ensure the health and safety of your household.
What Happens During a Home Energy Audit?
A professional home energy audit involves a complete assessment of your utility bill history, family member comfort preferences, home walk-through, and various tests to measure the effectiveness of your home’s thermal envelope and the safety of your indoor environment.
The Walk-Through
To create the most energy-efficient home, a whole-house approach is necessary. This means that the various components of your house all play a part in increasing energy efficiency. One of the first tasks your professional energy auditor will do is to walk through your home and take note of the key areas that are susceptible to air leaks and inefficiency. This includes:
- Checking for air leaks around fixtures, doors, outlets and windows
- Inspecting the fireplace
- Noting the thermostat, or thermostats used, their types and their regular settings
- Tracking the amount and location of air registers and ensuring that they are unobstructed
- Inspecting windows and doors for any excess condensation
- Checking wall and attic insulation values and wall framing type
- Testing to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly
- Inspecting lighting fixtures and any recessed lights
- Determining whether any hazardous indoor air quality problems exist. This includes checking whether lead-based paint was used on either interior or exterior walls.
More Specific Area Walk-Through
- In the attic. Attics are huge culprits of wasted energy. Your professional home auditor will take special note of the insulation type used in your attic. Additionally, he or she will inspect electrical wiring for safety issues and note any suspicious signs of water leakage. Attics are often where the majority of ductwork is placed. The energy auditor should inspect your ducts for signs of air leaks and disconnected sections. Additionally, your chimney bypass and recessed lighting will be inspected for air leaks.
- Basement and utility room. Your HVAC equipment plays a lead role in your home comfort and energy use. Your furnace should be inspected for fuel leaks, its filter should be changed and the furnace blower should be cleaned. Your energy auditor will note your water heater’s current thermostat setting and tank and piping insulation before testing the draft hood. Additionally, all of your combustible fuel-fired appliances should be tested.
- Kitchen and bathroom. These rooms are susceptible to both electrical and water or humidity issues. All electrical appliances should be assessed with a watt meter. The room should be thoroughly checked for any moisture buildup and excess water vapor. Finally, vent fans should be assessed for their flow rates.
In addition to the walk-through, your professional energy auditor will perform a blower door test and use infrared imaging to detect air leaks and determine a home’s air infiltration rate. A blower door test uses a special fan to depressurize a house. When the house is depressurized, your energy auditor will go through with a smoke generating device to find air and duct leakage. In addition to a smoke pen, many auditors use thermographic scans, or infrared imaging during the blower door test. Infrared imaging shows surface heat variation, allowing users to detect heat losses and air leaks occurring in a house’s envelope. They are especially useful for checking the effectiveness of a home’s insulation. A blower door test and thermographic scans should be performed both before and after you make any energy-efficient upgrades and changes.
The home energy audit is only the beginning stage for slashing your home energy bills and improving energy efficiency. Following the audit, your auditor will suggest the best improvements you can make to improve your home. Adhering to these suggestions is the next step.
For more information on this, contact James Lane Air Conditioning & Plumbing Co.
