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If snow melts away from your house in the dead of winter, you have a problem too.[/caption]
My Vet and I have been working for a few months to improve our home's energy footprint. In addition to improving insulation and filling the gaps, I've been contemplating spending a few hundred dollars on a Home Energy Audit. Which is when someone comes in and tells you where your home is wasting energy.
Imagine my surprise when I opened my March 2013 issue of All You. All You is a magazine that is dedicated to saving around the house, and is chock full of
coupons that you can't find anywhere else. It featured a 4 page article on how to invest in your home to improve your bottom line. I read a lot of tips I already knew and turned the page, and there it was in a little pink box on page 106. A Thermal Leak Detector for the DIYer! I could hardly wait for My Vet to get home.
After showing My Vet I was even more excited. He started shopping online right away, then before clicking "buy", he remembered a friend who already had one! He borrowed it soon after. It works just like a scanner at self check, or when you sign up for a gift registry, this was going to be fun. I started on what always feels like the coldest wall in the house.
67 degrees Fahrenheit. Not exactly what I expected, maybe I should have tried a colder day? It didn't make any sense. Then I wondered if the wall was warm because it was reflecting the inside temperature?
I went into a back bedroom were we keep the furnace vents covered and the door closed. and tried to get a more accurate reading.
Well that's better. Well not really, but you know what I mean. Hmmmm.. How do I get a more accurate reading in an area that is heated better? I place some snow pants along the base of that wall to insulate that portion from the inside temperature. A few hours later I tested it again.
Yeah! Crap! That's a 21 degree difference on the same wall and it's actually a pretty nice day out. I wonder what the other side of that wall feels like from the outside?
Ouch! That is a 4.5 degree difference between inside and outside. We suspected this was one of our biggest problem areas, and already plan on attacking it this summer. I just didn't imagine it was THAT bad! Hopefully that will be the biggest improvement to our enegry consumption.
If snow melts away from your house in the dead of winter, you have a problem too.[/caption]
Well that's better. Well not really, but you know what I mean. Hmmmm.. How do I get a more accurate reading in an area that is heated better? I place some snow pants along the base of that wall to insulate that portion from the inside temperature. A few hours later I tested it again.
Yeah! Crap! That's a 21 degree difference on the same wall and it's actually a pretty nice day out. I wonder what the other side of that wall feels like from the outside?
Ouch! That is a 4.5 degree difference between inside and outside. We suspected this was one of our biggest problem areas, and already plan on attacking it this summer. I just didn't imagine it was THAT bad! Hopefully that will be the biggest improvement to our enegry consumption.
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