Short days, long nights.

The autumn has made way for the wintertime, and if you lot're like most people, you're probably worried nearly rising energy costs during this chilly fourth dimension of year.

During the wintery months, many homeowners don't consider that numerous parts of their homes might exist assuasive cold air to enter, and that these parts tin actually be sealed up to save you lot money.

Air leaks around windows and doors are specially to blame for higher hydro costs, and that'southward why information technology's essential to test for air leaks earlier the temperatures drop even more. Here are four simple ways to measure the quality of insulation in your home:

Carry a visual inspection

Before you kickoff really testing for air leaks around windows and doors, you'll desire to thoroughly investigate the interior and outside of your entire home for possible openings, cracks, and failure of caulking materials.  This will enable yous to paint a clear motion picture in your listen'due south eye of possible weak links in the chain contributing to your rise energy costs.

On the outside of your home, carefully investigate all the areas where dissimilar building materials encounter for possible openings, such as:

  • Corners
  • Outdoor faucets
  • Chimneys and siding

On the inside, you lot'll want to audit:

  • Window and door frames (it's crucial to cheque for dirt or droppings in frames)
  • Electrical outlets
  • Gas entrances
  • Cable and phone lines
  • Vents and fans

In addition to looking for gaps, use your hands to experience around suspected areas to further examination whether information technology is colder than other parts in the house.

Blow smoke

You volition need:

  • a lighter
  • candle or stick of incense

To begin the smoke test, you must close all your windows and doors, and switch off all fans or anything else that might be moving air in your home. Calorie-free either your candle or incense stick, and move it advisedly around the frames, trying as best you lot can to keep the flame vertical.

If yous observe the flame or fume moving in a horizontal direction toward the outside of your home, and so you've got an air leak on your easily. Repeat this procedure with all window and doors in your habitation, remembering to cheque frames for clay and droppings that might be causing gaps for common cold air to enter.

Buy an air leak detector

An air leak detector, otherwise known equally an infrared thermometer, tin can measure the ambient air temperatures around your windows and doors. The thermometer indicates the areas in your domicile where a colder temperature is present, enabling yous to pinpoint where a leak might exist coming from.

In order to reduce your free energy costs, check out our winter windows and doors checklist which will show how to correctly insulate your home and prepare for the frigid temperatures ahead.

If you find that your windows and doors are all the same causing air leaks after attempts to seal and insulate them, and so it might exist time to supersede windows or doors for a more than energy efficient alternative that will pay for itself in savings over fourth dimension.

Got more questions almost air leaks and/or saving money on your Ontario hydro nib? Feel complimentary to contact Casa Bella at one-800-407-9917.