In a previous blog, we reviewed a few ways that you can cut your home heating costs this winter. One of the tips we suggested was getting a home energy audit to determine any areas of potential improvement for your home’s efficiency. In today’s post, we will look at home energy audits a little more closely, including the benefits of a professional audit and some tips for completing your own.
If you need assistance checking your home’s HVAC equipment as part of your home energy audit, contact Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning and Heating. As one of the leading HVAC companies in the Fort Worth area, we have the experience and the skills to ensure your HVAC system is operating efficiently. Call 817-478-1122 today to schedule your service appointment or request an estimate online!
Benefits of Professional Audits
Although they are not free, professional energy audits provide the benefit of an expert’s experience and judgment. There are a few home performance tasks that require professional tools and equipment to complete, including a blower door test, a duct pressure test, HVAC commissioning tests, and thermal imaging.
Blower door test — Measures a home’s overall air leakage and pinpoint the location of leaks.
Duct pressure test — Identifies potential leaks in the home’s duct system. Related tests confirm combustion safety, proper ventilation, and balanced air flow.
HVAC commissioning test — Confirms adequate airflow and refrigerant charge, allowing for efficient performance and durability of HVAC equipment.
Thermal imaging test — Uses infrared cameras to determine a home’s heat loss is occurring and areas of inadequate insulation.
Having these tests performed by a professional is essential to ensuring your home is as energy efficient as possible. In the absence of a professional inspection, there are several easy tasks that you can complete as part of a DIY energy audit. Check out the tips below:
Tip #1: Identify Potential Air Leaks
Did you know that you can potentially experience between 10 and 20 percent in energy savings each year just by sealing any possible air leaks in your home? On the inside of your home, inspect baseboards, window frames, and door jambs closely to make sure there are no gaps, spaces, or other areas where warm air can leak out of your home. You can check around exterior doors and windows, as well as exterior light fixtures, electrical outlets, and plumbing entrances. Replacing any worn weatherstripping and sealing any gaps with flexible caulking can make a big difference in your home energy costs and indoor comfort.
Tip #2: Ensure Your Home’s Insulation is Up to Par
In the winter, insulation is a very important feature on a home that prevents cold air from entering a home and hot air from escaping. If there is inadequate insulation in your exterior walls, your attic, or your basement, you may be paying more in energy costs than is necessary.
If you have an attic, checking the insulation levels is easy. First, check to ensure that your attic hatch itself is insulated and has weather stripping. In the attic, inspect the areas surrounding pipes, ducts, and chimneys to ensure they are properly sealed. If they are not, sealing them with a non-combustible expanding foam or caulk is recommended.
If your home has any type of subterranean space, you’ll want to confirm that it is properly insulated too. Depending on whether or not your basement or crawlspace is heated, it should be insulated with a material that provides an R-value between 19 and 25. If your furnace, water heater, plumbing, or ductwork runs through the basement, it is beneficial if these items are insulated as well.
Checking your exterior walls for proper insulation can be much more tricky, and this is one reason many people choose to hire an expert to perform a thermal imaging test.
Tip #3: Inspect Your HVAC Equipment
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nearly 50 percent of a home’s energy use comes from heating and cooling. This makes it the biggest energy expense for homes, and if your HVAC equipment is not functioning at its optimal abilities, you could be spending more than is necessary to keep your indoor air temperature comfortable. To help ensure your equipment is operating as efficiently as possible, you should change your furnace filter about once a month and have your HVAC system professionally serviced and inspected at least once a year. Additionally, systems that are more than 15 years old may need to be replaced for optimum efficiency.
As a Fort Worth resident, you have many HVAC companies to choose from when it comes to your maintenance needs. With more than 65 years of experience, the team Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning and Heating is your number one choice for HVAC equipment and service. Contact us today to schedule your seasonal HVAC inspection.
Tip #4: Check Your Lights and Appliances
Accounting for roughly 10 percent of your energy costs, your choice in lighting fixtures and bulbs can make a big difference in the efficiency of your home. There are several types of lightbulbs that are great for residential energy savings, including compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and energy-saving incandescents. When it comes to optimizing the efficiency of your appliances, there are a couple of tricks to reducing the energy load of inefficient items. You can unplug items when they are not in use, change settings, or try using the item less often. You can also consider purchasing new, more energy-efficient appliances to replace the old ones.
Researching HVAC Companies in Fort Worth?
If you are in the process of checking out various HVAC companies in the Fort Worth area to help you with the HVAC inspection portion of your home energy audit, be sure to call Arthur Hagar Air Conditioning and Heating. Our technicians would love to speak with you about your heating and cooling needs and provide you with exceptional HVAC products and services. Call us at 817-478-1122 to get started. We look forward to speaking with you!
