Use this Checklist to Perform a Home Energy Evaluation

If you want to increase energy efficiency around your home, the first step is to identify areas where waste is occurring. The following home energy evaluation checklist can help you locate deficiencies and boost efficiency in key areas:

• Check for adequate attic insulation. To keep energy losses to a minimum, you should have between R-38 and R-60 installed on the attic floor. Make sure there’s a vapor barrier underneath the insulation and that your attic vents aren’t blocked. The access hatch should be insulated, weather stripped, and tightly sealed.
• Maintain the HVAC system. To maximize heating and cooling efficiency, have the HVAC equipment professionally cleaned and serviced yearly, and replace the air filter monthly.
• Eliminate air leaks. Indoors, check around the perimeter of each room at the floor and ceiling levels to identify leaks. Outside, look for gaps, cracks and holes around the foundation, wherever different types of building materials meet and all penetrations through the shell. Seal any leaks you find with caulk or expandable spray foam insulation.
• Weatherize windows and exterior doors. Inspect the window frames and doors and replace any damaged or missing caulk and weatherstripping to keep out drafts.
• Reduce water heating energy waste. Lower the thermostat setting to 120 degrees, and drain the tank to flush out sediment. If you have an older unit, install an insulated water heater jacket, and cover the connected water lines with foam pipe insulation.
• Upgrade your lighting. Replace any inefficient bulbs with energy saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs), compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), or halogen incandescents.

For a more in-depth assessment of your home’s efficiency and advice about where to make improvements, schedule a professional energy audit. A pro looks at the previous year’s utility bills, asks about your usage habits and concerns and thoroughly inspects your home. An auditor also performs specialized testing to identify problem areas, such as a blower door test to measure air leakage and a thermographic scan to check insulation levels.

Contact the Lorain comfort pros at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning today for more expert advice about how to perform a home energy evaluation.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home energy evaluations and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.

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