Losing Air?
As summer turns to winter and winter turns to summer, there is one form of maintenance that should always be performed. To ensure that your air conditioning and heater are working properly, you should always take the time to check that there aren't any air leaks. This can be done quite easily, though it's typically best left for a heating and cooling team like Prestige Air Heating and Cooling. We can help to ensure you that your house isn't leaking cool or warm air in any area of your home.
Why this is important may not seem clear at first. After all, does it really matter if there's a little leak in your home? With the following reasons listed in this article, you may just come to realize just how important checking for air leaks is for your home.
1. Saving Money
First and foremost, a leaking house means you are leaking money. Perhaps you've even noticed that your energy bill has been steadily rising for seemingly no reason. This can be due to the fact that your house has to continue to heat or cool itself because that warm or cool air is escaping. Essentially, your HVAC unit is working a lot more than it needs to and requiring a lot more energy than it would normally. The direct result of that is a higher energy bill.
With our team on hand, we can check that your doors and windows are properly situated in their frames. During the changing of the seasons, the abrupt changes of temperature can make these access points shift in their frames. They expand and shrink. As a result, they leave tiny gaps in the frame that allow air to escape. By sealing those areas off with weatherstripping or other methods, the air no longer can escape and remains exactly where it belongs--inside your home.
Another area our team will inspect is the attic. Not a lot of people examine their attic since it isn't always the easiest of places to access. However, the attic could be a major location for leaking air. The damage that has been done to the roof over time can create tiny holes. Since the attic is typically the first place to become heated, especially, that's warm air that is leaving your home. An indication of the severity of the leak can often be determined by the number of icicles your house has in the winter. If there's a lot of icicles, then it could mean your house has quite the leaking attic. All of that warm air you'd prefer to have warm you and your family is instead escaping outside. We can seal up those damaged areas so the warm air remains in the house and keeps your family toasty.
All of this results in a reduced energy bill. No one minds saving a bit of money every month.
2. Prolongs HVAC Unit
As with most machinery, the more you use it, the less life it has remaining. For an HVAC unit, it's typically used frequently, especially on those extremely hot or cold days. If your house is leaking air, then your HVAC is working overtime to keep your house cool or warm. With its consistent use--perhaps the fact that it's always on--you can be sure that it's going to break down sooner rather than later. By checking for air leaks, you can help make the HVAC unit run efficiently. This will reduce the chances of it breaking and requiring you to put in an order for a repair. Considering how chilly the winter can become, the last thing you want to expose your family to is a series of cold days while you have your heater fixed.
3. Health
One last aspect you may want to consider is the health of your family. As mentioned before, if there are air leaks in your home, then your HVAC unit is going to be running harder and longer than it needs to. If it breaks down in the middle of a blizzard, your family may have to suffer until it can be repaired. Or, in the event of a hot summer month, you may be facing dehydration and heat sickness. These are all potentially serious conditions. To prevent those from occurring in the first place, you can have us perform a check of your home for air leaks. We'll deal with the problem and make sure that your HVAC unit is efficient.