Heating and cooling systems have to work extra hard if your home has not been properly weatherized. Weatherization is an energy saving process that will help to lower your electric bill. Also, a system that is overworked can cost you a whole lot more. Below are some weatherization tips that can help you insulate and seal up the problem areas in your home. Common problem areas are around windows and doors, cracks in walls, worn out insulation, or it may be time for AC maintenance services.
Unwanted outdoor air seeping into your home as well as conditioned air escaping your home can be a year-round problem. During the winter months, cold air can creep in, and your cool air may be lost during the summer if there are unsealed cracks and crevices in your home. This leads to you having to run your heating and cooling system more, which results in a higher electric bill. And of course, no homeowner wants that. You can seal off these areas using caulking, sealant, or weather-stripping. These simple things will go a long way in making sure that when you are heating and cooling your home that the process isn’t being hampered by outside conditions. Finding all leaks in your home is the first step in the weatherization process, and using proper equipment and sealants to complete the job correctly is vital. Below are some tips for sealing up those leaks in your home.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air, or replace old weather-stripping that could be worn out
• Caulk and seal where plumbing, ducting or electrical wiring comes through
• Inspect your insulation for air leaks and mold. You can seal these leaks with low-expansion spray foam.
• Replace windows with more energy efficient ones
• Use foam sealant around larger cracks
• Seal air leaks around fireplace chimneys, furnaces, and gas-fired water heater vents with fire-resistant materials such as sheet metal or sheetrock and furnace cement caulk.
After taking care of air that could be seeping in from the outdoors, you need to make you’re your home is properly insulated. Proper insulation ensures that your home isn’t losing heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer due to poor or missing insulation. While you can inspect your insulation and possibly make repairs to it using spray foam (as noted above), beyond this is usually a job best left to professionals. They will usually remove and existing insulation and then install new insulation. A heating a cooling expert will install the new insulation properly, which will ensure that you can run your system more efficiently.
Another important aspect of is having regular maintenance performed on your heating and cooling systems. This needs to be done to ensure that everything is and continues to run properly, as well as to extend the life of your heating and cooling system. Because it is one thing to have a high electric bill, but even worse to have to replace your heating and cooling system.
It is important to hire someone that is licensed and has years of experience in the industry to perform work in your home. This is because it ensures that the work being performed is being done correctly, and being done by a team that is properly certified. The amazing staff here at Norwalk/La Mirada Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, who have been providing reliable and quality work in the Orange County and LA County area for over 50 years, would love to assist you with all your heating and cooling needs. Our team is available to complete service. For more information, or to book an appointment, please contact us at (562) 219-4085.
Norwalk/La Mirada, CA 91766 | (562) 219-4085
