How heat can escape from your home and how you can prevent it
As the cold season approaches, the energy bill increases. This is mainly due to the need for heating systems in the winter months. But not all of the heat generated by your heating device stays in your home. Some, or on certain occasions, most run away from home. As a result, your heating device has to work harder, resulting in an unwanted increase in energy consumption and cost.
This can be avoided by effectively searching for the root cause of the problem and dealing with them accordingly. Follow these easy DIY methods and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in energy costs.
Doors and windows
Doors and windows often have gaps and spaces where heat can escape. Although it may not be that many, when you consider how many doors and windows are in your home, they collectively result in a huge loss that will reflect negatively on your energy bill next month. A simple remedy to this problem is to cover the gaps with curtains, draperies and/or sheets. You can also use rugs and weather stripping to cover the gap under the door.
electrical and cable ducts
Electrical, telephone, internet and other similar cables enter your home through holes and/or conduits. And through these channels, heat can escape. You can easily remedy this by installing outlet gaskets or by filling the holes and ducts with certain materials such as foam.
Cracks, gaps and leaks
First, you need to find where they are, but looking for them with your eyes alone can be very tricky. You can use a burning candle and move it near suspicious places. A candle flame is sensitive to airflow and will sway with the slightest movement of air. When you see the flame swaying in a certain spot, there must be an air leak there. Once you have found the cracks, you can seal them using a putty. But make sure you apply it both inside and outside.
Attic and roof.
A popular physical law states that “hot air rises”. This is also true inside your home. The heat produced by your heater is likely to collect on the roof and in the attic. This will only result in wasted energy because people don’t normally stay in those places. You can prevent this by making sure gaps and cracks in the roof and attic are sealed. You may want to check out folding attic ladders if you are using one. You can use weather stripping and caulking to remedy the problem.
Heat only certain areas
You may be asking yourself, “do you really need to heat the whole house?” Perhaps there are areas in your house that are not frequented by people and do not need to be heated. If you can limit the range of your heater to only places frequented by people and avoid places like hallways, storage rooms, attics, and the like, you can definitely reduce your energy consumption cost.