Your Energy Audit Guide
Medical professionals and construction specialists agree that preventing a problem beats treating it, every time. Regular check-ups from your doctor are important, because they can catch minor health issues before they become major ones. Why not schedule a regular check-up – in the form of an energy audit – for your house, too?
So what is an energy audit?
During an Energy Audit, a certified professional will give your home a thorough once-over to check for places and plumbing that could be wasting energy.
He’ll examine your home’s heating and air-conditioning systems for issues such as leaks, cracks, dirty air filters, and faulty or underperforming equipment. Plus, he’ll test the insulation in the walls and the attic to make sure it’s thick enough to keep hot air in and cold air out.
Some Energy Audits feature infrared cameras or other technology used to find places your home could be leaking heat. Depending on your home’s hardware, the professional auditor may install energy-efficient light bulbs and efficient-flow showerheads as well as insulation to exposed pipework – with your permission, of course.
Afterward, the specialist will analyze in detail the performance data from your home’s heating and air-conditioning systems. Then, he’ll gauge your home’s unique location and exposure to weather before calculating how to adjust your household systems to lower costs and boost performance.
Why should I get an energy audit?
There are many benefits to getting an Energy Audit, including the discover of possible health and safety issues in your home you didn’t know existed. Damaged roofs and holey walls are more than just eye-sores – they have the potential to let in water, which can quickly ruin electronics, flooring, furniture, and family heirlooms. Vermin like bats and mice are always looking for somewhere to nest. Keep vermin and the diseases they could be carrying out of your home by sealing up cracks or holes in walls.
An Energy Audit could also save you money. A leaky bit of ductwork or a drafty window can suck heat from a warm home, adding sometimes hundreds of dollars to yearly heating costs.
You’ll not just save money in the long run; you’ll be doing your best to avoid the types of headaches that can bring a home-owner to his knees. For example, ice dams are difficult to detect and expensive to fix. They tend to form when hot air leaks through a roof’s poorly insulated areas to melt the snows sitting on top of it. The flowing water then quickly refreezes, peeling up shingles and creeping deep into the substrate material.
Get the jump on Mother Nature’s destructive ways with a regularly scheduled Energy Audit from AROCON, and sleep well knowing that your home will continue to be the warm, dry place where friends and family love to gather.