Saving Money With A Whole Home Performance Audit
A good way to make your home a great deal more energy efficient is by determining where your home is using energy that you are paying for monthly. A home energy audit is a great way to do this, and will enable you to figure out the energy saving products and methods that will help you. By finding out which system uses what energy in your home you can establish a baseline so in the future you have something to compare it to, make an estimation of how much each method and product will save you and evaluate how effective the ones you are using are. Below are steps that will guide you through a home energy audit and what it entails.
Initial Interview
When you are in the interviewing phase, the energy auditor will collect some background information about your home. You will need to discuss any existing ventilation or energy problems during the interview process, as well as any concerns you have, any plans you have such as a building extension and goals.
Outdoor Inspection
The exterior areas of your home will be inspected during the outdoor inspection. The auditor will do a thorough assessment of the windows, doors, skylights and overhangs, if you have any. They will also take into account the outside perimeter of your home. This will include taking a look at any vegetation or building orientation that can affect windbreak or shade.
Indoor Inspection
Indoor inspections are divided into the following:
Basement & Main Level – The auditor will examine areas in this section which include the furnace, thermostat, basement wall, water heater, ducts for insulation and sealing and band joist insulation, weather stripping for windows and doors, window glazing, locking and sealing, flooring, washer hoses and other components of all appliances.
Upper Floors – This section includes: canned lighting, attic hatch seals, sealing of ceiling perforations below attic, attic ventilation and insulation.
Blower Door
The auditor will conduct a blower door test which will entail using special diagnostic equipment to determine the homes air tightness. This test will help to determine the total amounts of air leaks and where the air leaks are coming from. It will also help to check if there are condensation and moisture issues, as well as to test indoor air quality. This test utilizes a powerful fan that depressurizes the entire home and checks the rate at which airflow enters into the home through openings like unsealed cracks in the building envelope.
Review Results
The auditor will then sit down with you and review their preliminary findings, which will give you a general idea of what types of improvements you will need to do on your home. In around a week, you will get a fully detailed report. This detailed report will give you the specific steps you need to take to upgrade your home so it is more energy efficient. These energy efficient improvements you will be doing to your home will quality you for tax incentives that the state and federal government offers.
Marvin Ball is a licensed energy auditor and has been trained by the EPA. He works with various industries doing energy audits for homes, office, factories and even for the US Military. He is associated with CPHAC who specialize in AC Repair Encino
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Category: Energy, Saving Money
