How to Remedy Heat Loss in Your Home

Heat loss in your home can put unnecessary strain on your heating system and cause your heating bills to skyrocket. Therefore, as you look for ways to make your home comfortable during the cooler months, don't forget these simple ways to prevent your home from losing heat.

Insulate Your Attic

Your home can lose a significant amount of heat through the attic because hot air tends to rise. Insulating the attic helps trap your home's heated air. Inspect your attic and evaluate the quality, amount and condition of its insulation. Replace the insulation if it is moldy or mildewed. Ensure the attic floor has the recommended amount of insulation. An HVAC contractor can help you evaluate the quality and quantity of your current attic insulation.

Seal Attic Air Leaks

You should also survey the attic for air leaks. Typically, air leaks occur around attic hatches, stairs, stairwells, fans, ceiling junction boxes and holes that accommodate ductwork, pipes and vents. Seal these leaks with caulk, weatherstripping or foam spray.

Caulk Ceiling Trouble Spots

Your home can lose heat through ceiling fixtures and wall-ceiling junctures. Make sure you caulk any gaps and cracks in these trouble spots.

Get Energy-Efficient Windows

Windows are major sources of heat loss. If you have single-pane windows, consider adding storm panels to reduce the amount of heat lost through them. Alternatively, replace them with energy-efficient double-pane windows.

Seal Up Window and Door Frames

Interior heat can escape your home through gaps found on your window and door frames. Check for gaps between exterior frames and your home's siding. Check the condition of the weatherstripping around all your windows and doors. Seal any cracks or gaps with caulk. Replace any damaged weatherstripping.

Seal Electrical Outlets

Heat loss can also occur through electrical outlets. Install pre-sized foam gaskets behind them to prevent that.

By preventing your house from losing heat, you'll maximize the efficiency of your heating system and save money. For more information on heat loss, contact us at Air Assurance. We serve the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “tassel78/Shutterstock”

Why You Should Have a Pro Seal Your Air Ducts

You may not think about your home's ductwork often since it's hidden from sight, but deficiencies in this critical HVAC system component can erode your comfort. If ducts aren't properly sealed and insulated, up to 40 percent of the system's conditioned air output can escape before it reaches the registers. Duct sealing can solve this problem and prevent other serious issues as well.

Benefits of Professional Duct Sealing

When you hire an experienced professional, you'll have peace of mind that the air ducts in your home are thoroughly inspected and any damaged or disconnected sections are repaired. A pro seals the seams with fiberglass mesh and mastic and then wraps the ducts with R-8 insulation. Taking these steps is especially important in hard-to-access areas like the attic, garage, and crawl space where air losses often occur. Some of the major benefits you'll gain from the process include:

• Greater comfort — When duct deficiencies are corrected, conditioned airflow from the registers improves. You'll experience fewer hot and cold spots in different rooms, and you'll find it easier to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house.

• Lower energy bills — Heating and cooling devours roughly 45 percent of the energy used in your home each year. Reducing air leakage in the duct system by 30 percent can result in energy savings of up to 16 percent and help curb high yearly heating and cooling costs.

• Better indoor air quality— When the ducts are properly sealed, unhealthy contaminants can't enter the air supply from the attic, wall cavities, or other unconditioned spaces.

• Enhanced safety — Eliminating leaks in the duct system lowers the risk of carbon monoxide exposure from a back-drafting gas water heater or furnace.

• Longer equipment life span— Compensating for air leakage puts added strain on the HVAC equipment, which can shorten its service life. Sealing and insulating ducts reduces this unnecessary wear and tear, and it also helps keep out debris that can build up on sensitive components and cause a premature failure.

To learn more about the many benefits of duct sealing, contact the Broken Arrow HVAC pros at Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lopolo/Shutterstock”

5 Popular Myths About Attic Ventilation

Despite being located in one of the most beautiful parts of Oklahoma, Broken Arrow still faces some challenges when it comes to protecting homes from harsh elements. Attic ventilation helps, but only if you make sure your ventilation is optimally designed by avoiding a few common misconceptions.

Myth: Only homes in warm climates truly need attic ventilation.

Fact: Ventilation is important in all climates, but contrary to popular belief, it's even more important in climates with frequent periods of cold weather. Cool, damp weather increases the risk of moisture buildup in your attic, which can lead to mold growth. Ventilation removes this moisture, protecting your attic from damage.

Myth: One or two attic vents is enough.

Fact: Don't assume your attic was built with adequate ventilation because many attics aren't. Passive ventilation systems, including gable vents, soffit vents and turbine vents don't always provide sufficient air exchange. This is especially true if your roof cavity isn't properly insulated. Attic baffles don't always help and are often unnecessary.

Myth: Attics need as much airflow as possible.

Fact: In most attics, 1 sq. ft. of ventilation for every 300 sq. ft. of ceiling space is enough ventilation. Much more than this and you risk creating uncontrolled air leaks. The open spaces in your attic walls may also leave your roof vulnerable to wind damage.

Myth: Powered fans are ideal for providing continuous airflow.

Fact: While these fans can help in some cases, they're not a one-size-fits-all solution. When used, it's essential to seal any air leaks around the attic hatch, dropped soffits and recessed lights. Otherwise, the fan can suck air from rooms into your attic, wasting energy.

Myth: Attic vents make it harder to heat your home during the winter.

Fact: Air sealing and insulation can minimize the amount of heat that enters your rooms, so a cold attic won't make your home cold. It can also prevent ice dams that may damage your roof.

For professional guidance on assessing and optimizing your attic ventilation, contact Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Enrique Ramos/Shutterstock”