Energy Evaluation: Have You Planned Yours for Fall?

Now that the weather is cooling off, it’s a good time to schedule an energy evaluation that will pay off in reduced heating and cooling bills for years to come. The audit, when performed by an HVAC contractor or an energy auditor, will show you precisely where you have air leaks and thermal losses in your home. 

The blower door occupies center stage with this evaluation. It sits in an expandable frame that the technician will fit tightly inside an exterior door frame. A large fan sits in the bottom half and air pressure gauges measure the falling air pressure. After the technician readies your home, he or she turns on the fan and the blower pulls the air from your home.

This drops the interior air pressure, and the gauges measure how quickly the pressure inside returns to normal. If it occurs quickly, this means your home is leaky; if the pressure returns to equilibrium more slowly, it means your home is more airtight.

The second tool used in the energy evaluation is a thermographic scan. These cameras show the surface temperature throughout your home. While the blower door is running, it will show where air is entering your home, identifying leaks.

The thermographic scan also will identify spots in your home that have inadequate insulation. The audit may also turn up ductwork leaks that can be just as big a contributor to high heating or cooling bills than air leaks or inadequate insulation.

Once you know where your home is losing air and energy, you can develop a plan for sealing air leaks, adding insulation and taking other steps to improve home energy efficiency.

For more information about an energy evaluation, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’ve provided exceptional HVAC services for Orlando and Central Florida homeowners since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy evaluations and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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