Do It Yourself Energy Audit

You can easily conduct a home energy audit yourself. With a simple thorough walk-through, you can spot many problems in any type of house. When auditing your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems found. This will help you prioritize your task list.

I. Identify Potential Air Leaks

The potential energy savings draft reduction may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward.

Make a list of common indoor and outdoor air leak locations some examples are: Windows and doors, baseboards, electrical outlets and switch plates, fireplaces, attic access panels, wall or window mounted A/C units or evaporative (swamp) coolers, outdoor faucets (hose bibs), penetrations through exterior walls such as: electrical, plumbing, phone and cable lines, dryer vents, etc.

II. Locate Air Leaks

Simple

Using a stick of burning incense or the dampened back of your hand check each of the locations you noted on your list. Cold air will make the smoke from the incense waver or you will be able to feel the cold air on the back of your hand.

Alternative

If you’re having trouble finding leaks you can do a simple ‘pressurization’ test by using the following steps.

1. Close all exterior doors, windows, and fireplace flues.

2. Turn OFF all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and water heaters, gas fireplaces, etc. (Remember to turn them back on when you are done with the test.)

3. Turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and bathrooms) or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms. This increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them easier to detect.

4. Use a burning incense stick or your damp hand to locate these leaks. Moving air causes the smoke to waver, and you will feel a draft when it cools your hand.

High Tech

If you want a high tech way to check for leaks check out this Thermal Leak Detector from Black and Decker (http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=20626) available at Ace Hardware Alameda Station

Ace Hardware - Alameda Station
417 South Broadway
Denver, Colorado 80209-1517 USA
Phone: (303) 733-3200

Hours of operation:
Monday through Saturday 8:00am to 8:00pm
Sunday 9:00am to 6:00pm

III. Locate Other Air Leaks

Windows and Doors – If doors or windows rattle or are loose in their frames you can expect air leakage. If you can see daylight around door and window frames, then the door or window leaks.

Out side - On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet. For example: inspect all exterior corners; where siding and chimneys meet; and areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet.

A future post will discuss various methods for sealing different types of leaks.

Update on Toxic Chinese Drywall

The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has come out with a statement today regarding the current status on the investigation into reports of 'toxic chinese drywall'.

The following is an excerpt from the report issued today:

Executive Summary of November 23, 2009 Release

Overview
Released today is additional information from the investigation of problem drywall including the results from three preliminary scientific reports: a fifty-one home indoor air study; an electrical component corrosion study; and a fire safety component corrosion study. Most significantly, the fifty-one home report released today finds a strong association between the problem drywall, the hydrogen sulfide levels in homes with that drywall, and corrosion in those homes. The two preliminary component corrosion studies support this finding. The fifty-one home study also provides some basic tools necessary for development of processes to identify and remediate affected homes, and advances the Interagency Task Force’s investigation to a new phase focused on these objectives.

For more detailed information please go to this site http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.html

Some specifics from the report that may be of interest to you:

States Reporting Problems:

The majority of the reports to the CPSC have come from consumers residing in the State of Florida while others have come from consumers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Consumers largely report that their homes were built in 2006 to 2007, when an unprecedented increase in new construction occurred in part due to the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.

Common features of the reports submitted to the CPSC from homes believed to contain problem drywall have been:

• Consumers have reported a "rotten egg" smell within their homes.
• Consumers have reported health concerns such as irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infection, and asthma attacks.
• Consumers have reported blackened and corroded metal components in their homes and the frequent replacement of components in air conditioning unit.

Read and download a copy of the press release or get much more detailed information at the CSPC website specifically set up to address this issue.

http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.html

Life Expectancy and Replacement Costs

This article is intended to provide a homeowner with some general information about the typical life expectancy and estimated replacement costs for the major systems and components in your home.

The information regarding life expectancy was taken from a study completed in 2007 by the National Association of Home Builders. The detailed report can be downloaded at: http://www.nahb.org/page.aspx/generic/sectionID=152 . The study indicated that the figures are average findings that took into account quality of product and installation, level of maintenance, weather, intensity of use and changes in taste and technology.

The information regarding replacement costs was taken from "Residential Construction and Remodeling Estimates" compiled by Pillar to Post

The following items address the components and systems I am most frequently asked about during home inspections. If any of the component or systems in your home are nearing the typical life expectancy listed below I recommend you start budgeting to replace the item. This information gives you a guideline for budgeting purposes.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Handywoman or Man :)

This is a somewhat random list of products that you might find interesting. I haven't personally used all of these yet but a few are definitely being considered for my Christmas List :)

Ryobi (sold exclusively at Home Depot) has come out with a line of cordless "household" tools that are powered by a single 4-volt rechargeable battery. Some items include: Rugged digital camera, cell phone charge, LED flashlight, headphones and more. Visit www.ryobitools.com/tek4 All this stuff is rugged and can be used outside or in a workshop.

Handmade custom vinyl wall decals. It looks like you have a hand painted mural on your walls. For those of us a bit 'artistically challenged" http://www.etsy.com/shop/leenthegraphicsqueen

1 year subscription to The Family Handyman magazine. This is on I can personally recommend! It is published by Readers Digest and has some great tips, advice and recommendations along with some fun stories in the "Great Goofs" column in every issue. http://www.rd.com/family-handyman/

Power Hammer by Craftsman. This one gets mixed reviews on-line but I think it's worth a try if you have issues that don't allow you to swing a hammer like you used to. At least you'll get a full refund from Craftsman if you don't like the product. If you buy one, let me know what you think.
Auto Hammer Link

I'll be posting again on some great stocking stuffers for the Handyman or Handywoman in your life.

Merry Christmas!