7 Señales de que su casa de Atlanta necesita sellado de aire

A todo el mundo le gusta respirar aire limpio, sentirse cómodo y pagar lo menos posible por la calefacción y la refrigeración. Entonces, ¿por qué casi ninguna empresa de HVAC de Atlanta habla con sus clientes sobre el sellado de aire?

No podemos decirlo con seguridad, pero aquí hay una cosa que sí sabemos. Nuestro equipo siempre piensa en fugas de aire y sellado de aire cuando un cliente dice que su sistema HVAC tiene dificultades para hacer que su casa sea cómoda.

Eso es porque su sistema HVAC podría no ser el problema. El verdadero problema podría ser que tu casa tenga goteras.

Imagina un refrigerador lleno de agujeros.

Llegaremos a esos 7 signos en solo un segundo. Primero, asegurémonos de estar en la misma página sobre las fugas de aire y por qué deben sellarse. Para comprender mejor los efectos de las fugas de aire, es útil comparar su hogar con un refrigerador. El frigorífico de tu cocina es probablemente bastante eficiente. Mientras la puerta permanezca cerrada, no se encenderá con mucha frecuencia y no permitirá que entre mucho calor.

Pero, ¿y si tu nevera estuviera llena de agujeros?

Esto es lo que sucedería:Entraría mucho calor al refrigerador todo el tiempo . La nevera tendría problemas para mantener la comida fría. Y no sería muy eficiente en absoluto.

Claro, podrías poner algo de aislamiento sobre los agujeros, pero ¿adivina qué? El aire (y el calor que transporta) puede penetrar ese aislamiento. El aislamiento es útil cuando no hay agujeros en el refrigerador. Pero con los agujeros? Es casi inútil.

Una casa con goteras tiene los mismos problemas.

Cuando tu casa tiene fugas de aire, es como el refrigerador con agujeros. El aire caliente entra durante el verano. El aire caliente se escapa durante el invierno. Es extremadamente Es difícil mantenerse cómodo, incluso cuando su sistema HVAC funciona correctamente.

¿La solución? Es simple. Sella las fugas.

Por lo general, la espuma en aerosol enlatada y/o la masilla de silicona son suficientes para sellar los huecos, las grietas y las pequeñas aberturas por donde el aire entra (y sale) de su casa. Pero, ¿cómo saber si su casa necesita sellado de aire? Aquí hay 7 signos:

1. Su sistema HVAC tiene problemas para satisfacer la configuración de su termostato

Cuando hay muchas fugas de aire, el aire acondicionado se reemplaza constantemente por aire exterior no acondicionado. Como resultado, su sistema HVAC puede tener dificultades para mantenerlo cómodo.

Eso no quiere decir que los ciclos cortos de ejecución de HVAC sean siempre deseables. Los ciclos realmente cortos pueden ser un signo de un problema diferente, pero relacionado. Pero cuando el sistema sigue funcionando y tarda una eternidad en alcanzar el punto de ajuste de su termostato, podría indicar una casa con fugas.

2. Las facturas de servicios públicos aumentan en invierno y verano

Esto, por supuesto, es el resultado desagradable de un sistema HVAC con exceso de trabajo. The more the AC or furnace struggles, the more you'll pay for the privilege.

Many homeowners might not think about how hard their HVAC system is working, but everyone knows when their energy bills are through the roof. In many cases, a leaky home leads to high utility costs even as your HVAC system fails to keep you comfortable! It's a vicious cycle in which you pay inflated prices for inadequate heating or cooling.

Sealing the leaks can often break the cycle, allowing you to pay less and be more comfortable.

3. Temperatures are uneven throughout your home

While lots of factors may contribute to uneven temperatures, air leaks are a big one.

Some rooms, such as those near attic or crawlspace penetrations, might be very leaky while others aren't. The leakier rooms will be harder to heat and cool. If your thermostat happens to be in a less leaky part of your house, your HVAC system might never heat or cool these rooms effectively. You'll have to reduce or increase the temperature beyond your comfort threshold just to make those rooms comfortable!

Of course, this just results in even more uneven temperatures since the less leaky rooms will be too hot or cold compared to the leaky ones. To solve the problem, you've got to seal the leaks.

4. You feel drafts around windows, doors, and outlets

This effect is particularly strong on cold winter days. Who among us hasn't felt a draft from a cold window?

The thing is - and this is something almost nobody realizes - the biggest air leaks are rarely from the gaps around windows and doors. They're usually between your living space and your attic or crawlspace. A window draft might be more obvious because we're around windows all the time. But cumulatively, the leaks from your attic hatch, ductwork penetrations, and plumbing pipes that lead to your crawlspace have a bigger effect on comfort.

Yes, sealing the gaps around windows and doors will help. But it's rarely an end-all solution to your air leak woes.

5. You're constantly battling pests

The thing about mice and roaches is that they can squeeze through really little holes. Put out the traps if you'd like. Keep a can of Raid at the ready. But know that one of the best ways to rid yourself of these pesky critters is to seal off their access points.

Better pest control is a fringe benefit of air sealing. People often seal air leaks to feel more comfortable and lower their energy bills. They're pleasantly surprised when their pest problems disappear, too!

6. It's really humid (or really dry) inside your house

Here in Atlanta, we have a humid climate. No surprises there, right?

One of the great things about air conditioners is that they cool your indoor air and remove humidity. But when a house is really leaky, humidity can seep back into the home almost as quickly as the AC can remove it.

Since humidity doesn't actually affect a home's sensible heat load (that's the type of heat that lowers or raises temperature… and that your thermostat responds to), moisture can build up inside your house and the HVAC system will do nothing en respuesta. By the same token, leaky homes tend to get uncomfortably dry in the winter. It's all because of excess outdoor air infiltrating your living space!

Given our long Southern summers, air leaks can make homes feel overly humid for several months. And we all know that high humidity allows mold and dust mites to flourish. Speaking of…

7. Your allergies are really bad inside your house

High humidity is one way air leaks cause your allergies to flare up. Airborne outdoor contaminants are another. Thanks to air leaks, you might be breathing outdoor allergens inside your home - even with all the doors and windows closed!

As air outdoor air infiltrates your home, it brings with it all sorts of, well… stuff. In springtime, it brings pollen. If you live near a busy road, it brings vehicle exhaust. If your neighbor is mowing the grass, it brings in grass bits. When there's fiberglass insulation between your living space and the outdoors, the infiltrating air passes over that insulation and can bring in tiny particles of airborne fiberglass.

Yes, you're breathing all of this stuff. No wonder you're stuffy and sneezing all the time, right?

Here's how effective air sealing works

So you think you've got a lot of air leaks. ¿Qué debes hacer? The first step is find out whether air leaks really are the source of your discomfort or energy efficiency problems. If they are, the next step is to identify the biggest, most troublesome leaks. That way, you can prioritize which ones to seal.

Here's how we tackle those challenges at PV:

1. Blower door test: We pressurize your home using a blower door (a big fan that we temporarily set up in an exterior door.
2. Thermal imaging: With the blower door running, we explore your home with an infrared camera. The camera shows us all areas of air leakage.
3. Air leakage report: After our analysis, we deliver a report that identifies your biggest leak sealing opportunities… if there are any. There almost always are!
4. Air sealing: Our team seals your air leaks using caulk, spray foam, or new weatherstripping.

¡Eso es todo! The most important thing about this process is that there's no guesswork. The blower door test and thermal analysis show us exactly where your biggest air leaks are.

A whole home assessment gives you even more insight

Blower door tests are best performed in conjunction with a whole home assessment and energy audit. That way, we can determine what else in addition to air sealing can help solve your comfort and efficiency problems. Sometimes, air sealing offers the greatest benefit. Other times, different modifications (HVAC adjustments, for instance) offer comparable results.

During a whole home assessment, we can figure out things like…

• If your ductwork is distributing enough air
• Whether you're getting enough ventilation… or too much
• Combustion safety and carbon monoxide (CO) leak risks
• Whether your home is missing insulation - and where
• The most effective air filtration system for your home
• Ways to reduce humidity year-round
• Whether your HVAC system is properly sized for your home's heating and cooling needs.

In some homes, addressing these issues provides even greater comfort upgrades than air sealing! It all depends on the home, which is why a thorough analysis is required.

Air sealing offers benefits galore

Better comfort, better HVAC performance, lower utility bills, fewer allergy issues… There's a lot to love about air sealing!

If you're curious about air sealing for your Atlanta home, get in touch with us! We'll listen as you describe the issues you're experiencing. Air sealing, after all, isn't the only solution to every indoor comfort problem. When we know more about what's bugging you, we can point you in the right direction.