Is My Home Energy Efficient?

The surest way to know whether your home is energy efficient is to have it tested. A home energy audit measures how leaky the house is, checks insulation and ducts, and looks at how your heating and cooling equipment is performing. You end up with a list of specific weak points instead of a hunch.

In a climate like the Tri-Cities, with summer heat and winter cold, a house that leaks air makes the furnace and air conditioner work harder in both seasons.

What an audit looks at

A thorough audit is a mix of observation and testing. The auditor walks through the house, looks at the attic, crawl space and walls where possible, and inspects windows, doors and appliances. Then comes the testing.

• A blower door test, which pulls air out of the house to reveal how much outside air leaks in.
• Infrared imaging, which shows cool or warm spots where insulation is missing or thin.
• Duct testing, to find out how much conditioned air escapes before reaching the rooms.
• A review of the heating and cooling equipment, including its age, condition and settings.
• A look at insulation levels in the attic and other spaces.

The findings usually point to a handful of priorities, such as sealing gaps around penetrations, adding attic insulation, repairing ducts or replacing equipment that is well past its expected life.

How long it takes

Most audits take a few hours for an average house, and larger or more complicated homes take longer. Being home while the work is done is helpful, because the auditor can ask about rooms that are uncomfortable, drafts you have noticed and how you use the house day to day. Those observations often lead straight to the cause.

Is it worth doing?

It is most useful when you have a real question to answer. Maybe one room is always too hot, your bills seem high for the size of the house, or you are considering a big purchase such as new windows or a new furnace and want to know where the money will make the biggest difference.

It is also valuable before replacing equipment. A house that has been sealed and insulated may need a smaller furnace or air conditioner than it did before, and equipment sized for the old, leaky house may end up too large for the improved one.

Ask the auditor to explain the order of the recommendations. Air sealing and insulation are often done first because they reduce how much heating and cooling the house needs, and equipment decisions are easier once that is settled. Get the findings in writing so you can work through them over a few seasons rather than all at once.

Be wary of anyone who recommends a big purchase without measuring anything. A good assessment gives you numbers, photos or images of the problem areas, and a reason behind every suggestion.

Small steps you can take now

You do not need an audit to start. Change filters on schedule, seal visible gaps around doors and windows with weatherstripping or caulk, and make sure attic access hatches are insulated and close tightly. Close drapes against afternoon sun in summer and keep them open on sunny winter days. These are modest measures, but they add up.

Efficiency in new construction

If you are building, air sealing is far easier to get right before the walls are closed. Air-Tech installs AeroBarrier air sealing in new construction, which seals the building envelope from the inside so the heating and cooling system starts with a tight house to condition.

For existing homes, Air-Tech's technicians can check how your heating and cooling equipment is performing and talk through what an audit might point to. Call the Pasco office at (509) 392-2021 to start that conversation.