Ways to Detect Air Leaks

Air sealing your home's shell is one of the most practical and cost-effective home efficiency upgrades you can do. When you consider all of the potential benefits -- better comfort, improved IAQ, energy savings and less HVAC wear -- put a star next to it on the top of your home improvement to-do list! Read through the following tips to get started.

Ways to Detect Air Leaks

Air bypass and leaks may occur anywhere two (or more) different home building materials meet. So, that's a lot of ground to cover.

• Outside your home: Note any gaps between the materials of your home's exterior, such as walls to foundation, walls to windows and doors and cladding to cladding. Note any pipes, cables and vents that protrude the walls.

• Inside your home: Use a smoke pencil or incense stick to detect air movement by wavering smoke. Check around windows, all entry doors to the living spaces, wall switch plates, electrical outlets and your attic hatch.

• Basement: Note cracks and gaps in the floor, walls and ceiling of your unconditioned basement. Check for gaps around pipes, ducts and cables.

• Attic: Look for dirt marks on insulation. Note gaps around pipes, ducts, cables and the flue. Does the attic door seal tightly? It should.

• Garage: Sealing off an attached garage is a matter of safety and health.

Sealing Up Your Home

• Outside your home: Potential air leaks through gaps and cracks can be sealed with silicone caulk or a can of expanding spray-on foam.

• Inside your home: Replace brittle, damaged or missing door weatherstripping with silicone tubing. Caulk of various types, such as squeeze tube and rope, is great for sealing windows. Foam strips generally work well for sealing off your attic door. Gaskets are used to seal wall switch plates and outlets.

• Basement and attic: Use caulk and expanding spray-on for gaps and cracks in your attic and basement. Seal loose ductwork with metal tape.

• Garage: Finish, seal and paint unfinished walls.

If you need a professional's touch detecting and sealing air leaks in your Broken Arrow area home, contact us at Air Assurance today!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air leaks and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”

Summer Heat Gain and How It Wrecks Your Cooling Efforts

Broken Arrow's scorching summer heat requires heavy use of air conditioning to keep you comfortable. As a result, your cooling bills are probably much higher than you'd like. Preventing heat gain is a major factor when it comes to decreasing the cooling load of your system. Heat gain refers to anything that heats up your rooms in the summer, such as heat-generating appliances, air leaks, and solar energy that strikes your home's exterior.Heat gain increases the cooling load of your air conditioning system, which must then run overtime to keep you comfortable. This leads to more wear on your heat pump or A/C and increases your energy bills. Combating summertime heat gain is essential for comfort, optimum system performance and lowering your cooling costs. Here are some ways to beat the extra heat that infiltrates your home when temperatures soar.Treat WindowsInstall awnings over windows that are exposed to direct sunlight to help shade them from the sun's energy. Plant bushes or trees in front of them to further decrease the warming effects of sunlight. Keep your interior window shades closed during the day.Paint the ExteriorDark home exteriors absorb more heat than light colors. When you're ready to paint, choose lighter pastels to reflect more sunlight and keep your rooms cooler.Shore Up InsulationInsulation in your attic blocks heat from entering your home and helps keep your rooms cooler. You should have 15 inches of R-38 insulation in your attic, as well as adequate ventilation to control the temperatures in your home.Seal Air LeaksKeep warm air out of your home. Use caulk and weatherstripping to seal cracks and gaps around doors and windows, service entrances, and pipes that penetrate exterior walls.Use Appliances WiselyAvoid using heat-generating appliances like your stove and clothes dryer when the sun is beating down on your home. Instead, do your cooking and cleaning early in the morning or later in the evening.For more advice about combating heat gain, please feel free to contact us in the Broken Arrow area at Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Jane Kelly/Shutterstock”

Ductwork Showing Its Age? Here's How to Tell It's Time for a Change

A very important component of your home’s forced-air heating and cooling system contains no moving mechanical parts, doesn’t require expensive energy to operate and may even elude diagnosis when there are clear signs of trouble in the form of home discomforts and high energy bills. If the temperature in your home varies significantly from one room to the next, and energy bills are suspiciously high, it may be that your home’s ductwork system is finally showing its age.

Signs of Aging Ductwork

The typical duct system is manufactured of thin metal and fabricated into square segments, fastened together with, unfortunately, duct tape. If your comfort and pocketbook are suffering, look for these signs of aging ducts:

• Airflow – Unbalanced airflow at the registers from room to room indicates a leak, disconnection or damage, such as crushed ducts.

• Temperature – Duct's thin walls easily transfer heat energy between the heated or cooled air inside the ducts and the spaces the ducts traverse (often unconditioned attics, basements and crawl spaces), and valuable heat energy is lost or gained.

• Noise – Rattling and clamoring noises from the outlets, grills, ceiling, walls and floor (wherever ducts are located) are clear signs of aging duct seams that have become loosened or disconnected.

Inspecting Ductwork

A visual inspection of air ducts can often pinpoint issues. Look for these signs:

• Leaks – Air leaks often causes dust to radiate at seams. If your ducts are insulated, look for dirty streaks of dust.

• Disconnections – Ducts endure significant static pressure over the years, and when sealing fails, ducts loosen, disconnect and fall away.

• Damage – Portions of duct runs may become damaged, crushed or tangled (particularly in the case of flex ducts).

Seal and Insulate

Duct leaks and loose seams should be sealed with a thick substance called mastic, and followed by wrapping seams with metal tape. All duct runs in unconditioned spaces should be insulated with fiberglass rolls or rigid board to hinder heat energy losses through duct walls. These tasks require extreme caution, as ducts are typically located in hard-to-reach locations.

For more details or assistance with your home's aging ductwork, contact Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Get the Upper Hand With Heat Loss This Winter

It's the time of year when we in Broken Arrow can expect to see below freezing temperatures. Instead of paying high energy bills this winter, spend a morning inspecting your home for heat loss.

Here's what to look for:

• Check the areas around doors and windows. If you felt a draft last year, now's the time to fix it. An incense stick produces a fine stream of smoke you can use to pinpoint the leak. If the gaps or holes you find aren't too big, buy a can of insulating foam sealant—it expands inside the wall and keeps cold air out.

• Take a walk around your home's exterior. Be aware of junctions where pipes and wires enter the building. The original insulation may have weathered, shrunk and cracked in these areas, which leads to more heat loss.

• Make sure all the shingles on your home are intact. A spring or summer storm might have damaged your roof. Even if water isn't getting in, cold air still can. If you see something out of place, head to the attic and take a closer look.

• Inside your home, inspect your heater's air filter. Dirty air filters can increase the amount of allergens in your home and reduce the efficiency of your heater. Write down the size, or take a photo with your phone and head to the home improvement store to buy a new one.

• Is your water heater wrapped? Thermally insulating it will reduce your bills. Also, think about turning it down a few degrees—it's another easy way to save money.

• Is the hot water pipe from your water heater insulated? If not, it's losing heat. Pipe insulation is easy to install and doesn't cost much.

• Finally, examine the heater vents around your house (especially in the kitchen.) Debris and dust fall in them, reducing their effectiveness. Pop them out of the floor, take them outside, and shake the dirt out.

If you need help preventing heat loss in your home, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow. We want our customers to have a safe and comfortable homes year round.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Getting the Right Humidity Is a Balancing Act

Getting the Right Humidity Is a Balancing Act

No one likes to be uncomfortable. Humans spend a great deal of their time and money on achieving comfort, in whatever form that may be. One of the most important ways you can make your home comfortable is by ensuring you have balanced humidity year round.Achieving the right humidity is necessary for a variety of reasons, mainly for optimal health. Our bodies cool themselves through our natural process of evaporative cooling, and this is affected by the humidity level. If the humidity is too high, this becomes difficult.The right humidity level in your home is one way you can increase comfort and prevent health problems. Aim for a humidity level of 30-50 percent in your home. An inexpensive hygrometer can tell you what the humidity in your home is.You can use mechanical devices such as air conditioners, programmable thermostats, and humidifiers and dehumidifiers to regulate humidity. Humidifiers put more moisture into the air, decreasing problems around the home such as: static electricity build-up and dry nasal passages that can lead to sickness, as well as issues with wooden furnishings and musical instruments. Too little moisture in the air can cause any wood, including furniture, to shrink over time. It is necessary, however, to keep the humidifiers clean so they do not mold and spread that in the air.Dehumidifiers work the exact opposite: they remove excess moisture from the air. This prevents the growth of mold, mildew and sickness resulting from too much moisture. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers come in many shapes and sizes, from portable units for one room to whole house models that work with your heating and cooling system. Sealing your home can also keep out moisture and allergens while increasing the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems.For more expert advice on keeping your home operating at peak efficiency and comfortability, regardless of the season or temperature, contact us at Air Assurance. We are an award winning HVAC business that has been serving the greater Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Fall Maintenance: It's Not Too Soon to Think About It for Your Tulsa Home

AirAssurance 10.1.13

The sun and the elements are always taking a toll on your home, regardless of the season. As the summer begins to wane, it is a good time to start handling the maintenance tasks that you need to get to before winter sets in.Here are a few things to do to get the house ready for winter:

• Caulk around pipes and other openings into the house. Cold air can easily infiltrate these small cracks and make heating the home harder.

• Apply weather-stripping around doors and windows. This will keep these large openings free from air leaks.

• As the weather gets cooler, replace screens with storm windows and doors.

• Inspect the roof for damage. Air and water can infiltrate which makes heating and cooling the house difficult.

• Check the insulation levels in the attic. Consult with an expert to find the recommended R-value -- the thermal resistance rating for insulation -- for your area. Experts will need to know what type of insulation you have, where it is located and how thick it is to determine if it offers sufficient protection against heat loss.

• Have the heating system checked by a professional. All systems need routine maintenance to work properly.

• Make sure your stove or fireplace is in good shape. Have your chimney cleaned and serviced also.

• Change the direction of ceiling fans to pull air up. You want to pull cool air up and send warm air down to heat the house.

Getting your home ready for winter by performing fall maintenance does not take a great deal of time. And the time you spend is worth it for lower energy costs and a comfortable house during the cold months of the year.You also need to call in the professionals to check your heating system as part of your fall maintenance. Remember, by doing so, there is currently a $30 Rebate from Oklahoma Natural Gas!! If you want to talk to an expert in home comfort, contact us here at Air Assurance. We are a family owned and operated company that has served the Tulsa metropolitan area since 1985.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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Air Seal Your Home Against Allergens and Energy Loss

Air Seal Your Home Against Allergens and Energy Loss

If you’ve purchased an efficient air conditioner and installed new, efficient home insulation, you may think that you’ve done enough to prevent energy loss and boost air quality. However, it’s generally necessary for homeowners to air seal the perimeter of the building to keep heated air outside during the summer, which would otherwise compromise energy savings, as well as to prevent pollutants from moving into the home and degrading indoor air quality. To air seal your home and maximize energy savings and air quality, follow this easy guide.

Step one: Find leaks

Aside from a professional energy audit, which employs specialized tools to measure air leakage and find leaks, homeowners can use this comprehensive list of locations that commonly leak to root out problematic areas. Check around:

• An air barrier, generally installed in the attic

• Kneewalls and soffits in the attic

• Protrusions in the attic's building materials to accommodate plumbing, ducts or wiring

• Dropped ceilings

• The chimney or flue

• The access hatch or door to the attic

• Recessed lights

• A whole-house fan

• Protrusions through the building--other than the attic--made to accommodate plumbing, wiring or ducting

• Wall joints

• Basement rim joints and the foundation

• Window frames

• Door frames

• Connections where ceilings and walls meet

Step two: Air seal leaks

A DIY job, sealing air leaks involves choosing the right materials and then correctly applying them. You can seal most air leaks with standard caulk purchased from a home-improvement store. Apply the caulk by following these tips:

• Clean the area first and let it dry.

• Apply the caulk by pulling on the caulking gun’s trigger, holding the gun at a 45-degree angle.

• Force the caulk into the crack or gap, using one continuous motion, and releasing the trigger just before you reach the end of the crack, as the caulk will continue to stream out of the cartridge for a second or two.

• Run a wet finger or rag over the gap to force the caulk deeper, and wipe away any excess.

At Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re happy to help our neighbors in greater Broken Arrow with air sealing, upgrading insulation or boosting HVAC efficiency. Give us a call today or visit our website for more information.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Sealing Those Air Leaks? Don't Neglect The Attic Hatch

Taking steps to prevent air infiltration helps your energy bills -- and home comfort. But when you’re undertaking this kind of project, if you neglect to address your home’s attic hatch, you’ll likely counteract any measures that you take to keep heated air inside of your home.When sealing air leaks in your home, it’s important to evaluate the outer perimeter of your home, such as its walls, an area where air typically enters the home. You can use caulk to seal areas around window frames, doors, electrical outlets and plumbing protrusions.However, one of the main ways that homes lose conditioned air is through the attic, or crawl space, so you’ll also want to pay attention to these spaces. Seal air leaks that exist in the attic where walls abut other walls, the ceiling and floor. Pay close attention to plumbing and electrical elements that penetrate the attic floor.  Canned lights are a huge area where improvements can be made.If your home has an attic hatch, efforts to seal this access point will pay off. An attic hatch is generally constructed from a flat piece of plywood, which doesn’t offer much by way of protection.Here’s what you can do to prevent air infiltration into the attic via the attic hatch:

• Apply insulation to the door. Make sure it adheres by using duct or foam tape.

• The ideal insulation material to use is something durable and rigid, since you’ll be accessing the attic through the hatch. Rigid foam insulation works well.

• Seal air leaks that may occur around the frame of the attic itself.

If your home has stairs that you can pull down from the attic, you can purchase an attic tent to do seal off the space, generally installed on the attic side of the home.Ensure that your home can resist the movement of heated air out of your home, and be sure to pay attention to your attic hatch as well. For help with this project, or any other heating and cooling needs, contact Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Quality -- serving homeowners in the Greater Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!