How Does a Home Lose Heat and AC?

October 20, 2017 6:04 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Are you finding it difficult to maintain comfortable temperatures in your home? Is your utility bill higher than you hoped it would be? It’s possible your home is losing precious heated or cooled air in a variety of ways. The problem may be with your HVAC system, or there could be other issues in your home.

Following are some of the most common issues that cause homes to lose heat and require the assistance of a heating service in Oklahoma City, OK. Rather than piling on the blankets this year, look for these issues and determine what you can do to make your home more comfortable year-round.

Poor insulation

What type of insulation does your home have? Does it have any insulation at all? A poorly insulated home acts like a heat sieve. Your furnace faithfully cranks out nice, warm air which then quickly escapes through the walls, ceilings and floors. Check your home’s insulation and consider adding to it if it proves to be inadequate. Don’t forget unfinished areas such as attics and crawl spaces.

Poor windows

Modern windows are available in a wide variety of styles. Some are highly energy efficient, offering good insulation and solid seals. Others are good at keeping insects out, but fail to keep hot or cool air in. It’s common to experience 20 percent of your total hot or cool air loss through your windows and doors. When this is the case, upgrading your windows could prove to be a great investment that pays off quickly in utility savings. If you decide to upgrade, look for windows that have a federal Energy Star rating.

Poor efficiency

As technology improves, so does furnace efficiency. HVAC systems that were manufactured only a few years ago are significantly less efficient than current models. How old is your HVAC unit? Your home may be losing heat or cooled air because your unit is not doing a sufficient job of heating or cooling your space. It might be time to upgrade to a more efficient unit. Consult with a professional heating and air conditioning service in Oklahoma City, OK to determine the best solution for your home.

Poor seals

Your home has dozens of tiny spaces where heat and cool air can escape. Some air loss is inevitable, but you can take steps to eliminate some of these holes. One of the common air escapes is thresholds. Check each of your exterior doors to ensure they seal tightly when closed. Test this by laying a piece of paper down in the doorway, and then closing the door. If you can pull the paper out from under the closed door without ripping it, it’s time to get a new threshold for the bottom of your door. If paper can escape, heat and air can easily do so.

Other potential leaks include dryer vents, electrical outlets and plumbing exits. If you find any gaps in these locations, seal the areas with caulk to prevent air loss.

Taking these steps will help you make your home more energy efficient. You’ll enjoy more comfortable surroundings and more comfortable utility bills. If you need any assistance with these efforts, or if you suspect you need repairs or upgrades for your HVAC, seek expert air conditioning and heating service in Oklahoma City, OK from the team at Dailey Heating & Air Conditioning today.

Categorised in: ,

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *