The ductwork of your HVAC system is the pathway through which heated or cooled air travels to reach all points around your home. Ducts that leak reduce the overall efficiency of your HVAC systems and significantly impact home comfort. But sealing leaky ducts can create optimal performance conditions. Continue reading “Sealing Leaky Ducts Can Significantly Improve HVAC Efficiency”
Tag: air leaks
Check Your Ventilation If You Discover Water In Your Attic
Not too many people wander up into their unfinished attic after the cold weather hits—but winter is the perfect time to check and see if your attic ventilation is sufficient. Why? Because sub-freezing temperatures can make it easier to spot two of the biggest problems associated with poor ventilation: condensation and water damage from ice dams. Continue reading “Check Your Ventilation If You Discover Water In Your Attic”
Do-It-Yourself Energy Evaluations Are An Effective Way To Locate Air Leaks In Your Home
Energy evaluations can help you to identify places in your home where air leaks into and out of your home. Energy evaluations can be performed by professionals who will use special equipment such as infrared cameras to detect leaks. You can also perform an energy evaluation on your own – if you know where to look for leaks and how to fix them. Continue reading “Do-It-Yourself Energy Evaluations Are An Effective Way To Locate Air Leaks In Your Home”
Put The Brakes On Air Leaks, And Stop Energy Losses
Air leaks in your Long Island home can cause you not only to be less comfortable than you should be, but can cause a spike in energy expenses. When cold air can seep into your house and warm air leaks out, your heating and air conditioning system gets overworked. Continue reading “Put The Brakes On Air Leaks, And Stop Energy Losses”
Attics Score High In Energy Loss, But Attic Sealing Scores Higher In Energy Efficiency
As a homeowner, you probably understand the importance of insulation in preventing energy from leaking through the attic. However, sealing out moisture and closing up air leaks are also important. Attic sealing can reduce energy loss and moisture problems and can improve your indoor air quality.
Moisture finds its way into your attic from several sources. Household vents, such as bathroom fans, are a particularly common culprit, directing moist air into the attic instead of outside. Water can damage insulation, and can turn your attic into a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as mold, reducing your indoor air quality.
Attic sealing can help protect your home and save money. Some ways you can make sure you have quality attic sealing:
- Having a quality roof. Making the investment for a high-quality, weatherproof roof is important. It’s simplest during construction, but an existing roof can be weatherproofed.
- Identifying leaks. Your contractor should check every place the ceiling and attic floor are penetrated. Leaks are often located around light or plumbing fixtures, chimneys, ducts, wires and near entryways. The best time to seal the attic is before adding insulation, because insulation often covers some of the worst sites of leaks.
- Sealing smaller leaks with caulk. It may even be beneficial to add caulk around pipes and ceiling penetrations that aren’t currently leaking. Larger leaks can be sealed with a spray foam, and weather stripping can also help. Sealing around chimneys requires fire-resistant materials, such as high-temperature caulk.
- Ensuring there are sufficient barriers between the attic and the ceiling. Moisture and humidity from kitchens and bathrooms commonly drifts right up into the attic.
After air and water leaks are sealed, there are other steps you can take to increase your attic’s efficiency, such as installing a radiant barrier to reduce solar gain and using the right insulation. The Energy Star program recommends total insulation valued at R-38 to R-60 for attics in Long Island.
For professional quality attic sealing that can increase energy savings and make your home a healthier environment, call T.F. O’Brien. We’ve been proud to serve Long Island since 1934.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about attic sealing, energy efficiency and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area. To get started, get a quote from us or check out our special offers.
Stop Air Leaks Before They Become A Big Problem
Air leaks are common problems in older homes. They are one of the biggest ways that Long Island homes lose valuable heat. Here are a few ways you can stop those expensive air leaks. Continue reading “Stop Air Leaks Before They Become A Big Problem”
Sealing Air Ducts for Savings
You may have the newest, most energy efficient heating and air equipment, or maybe your system getting on in years but still performing well. Whichever is your situation, a sure way to get the most out of either is to check your air ducts.
Continue reading “Sealing Air Ducts for Savings”
Airflow Issues? Maybe Your Air Returns are Lacking.
If it seems that some of the rooms in your home are comfortable while others are too cool, too warm or stuffy, it could be your air returns. Most homeowners don’t really think about the air ducts; as long as your HVAC system seems to be functioning, all is OK. In reality, it could be that inadequate return air ducting is the reason your home isn’t quite as comfortable as you would like.
For the air in your home to feel consistent and comfortable in every room, it is necessary that stale air is drawn out of the room so that heated supply air can enter the room. This is why it is desirable that air returns are placed in all major rooms, such as the living room, bedrooms and kitchen.
When return air ducts are located only in one or two rooms, the newly heated air coming in to your home has to force through the air in all of the rooms, making your HVAC system work harder. This also means an inconsistency in temperatures throughout your home.
We know that you don’t give these details much thought; we simply want you to be aware that air returns are essential to your family’s comfort, and to your HVAC system working as efficiently as possible.
If your home is lacking in return air ducts, consider having more installed. Avoid placing furniture over air returns, or blocking them with wall coverings or other items if located in the wall. Also, consider having a professional check your return air ducts for air leaks and proper air flow. You will save on energy costs, and your family will remain comfortable no matter what room they are in.
T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area. We strive to educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). You can find more information about air returns and other HVAC topics by downloading our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Furnace and Boiler Energy Saving Tips to Avoid Late Winter Surprises
This has been a brutal winter already on Long Island, but we have some simple tips to maximize your energy savings and skip that nasty surprise when you open your LIPA bill.
Ideas to keep hot air in and cold air out are often common sense and simple, but easily overlooked. Dedicate just a little bit of time and you’ll be surprised just how much energy savings result. And it doesn’t matter whether you have a furnace, which heats air to heat your home, or a boiler, which heats water and distributes it throughout your house to get the temperature up when the thermometer drops.
First off, many houses in Nassau County are now aging, so it’s important to check your house for air leaks, and seal them. Check around doors and windows for that telltale breeze, and break out the caulking gun. And don’t forget there may be hidden holes in your attic and your basement. For a comprehensive survey of where those hidden leaks might be, give us a call.
Next on the list of energy savings tips is keeping an eye on your home’s ductwork. Leaky or dirty ducts and poor connections will keep your furnace working overtime to try to heat your home. And leaky pipes in a boiler system can end up costing you thousands in repairs due to water damage!
So you’ve patched the leaks, and your ducts are clean? An older system may be burning excess energy due to outdated technology, or simply because it’s starting to get worn out. It may be time to upgrade to a new system.
But, finally, the simplest remedy is often the best one. Save money and energy by turning your thermostat down.
T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, please download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.