Sadly, many homeowners and property managers don’t pay close enough attention to their energy bills. In many cases, they may be paying more for their heating and air conditioning bills, and this isn’t necessary. If you’re concerned about the amount of money that you’re spending to maintain your indoor comfort, it’s a great idea to schedule a home energy audit. This will give you valuable information about how energy is used and wasted in your home. Knowing how and where your energy is wasted will help you to fix those problems and save money on your future energy bills. Let’s take a closer look at what happens during a home energy audit.
Do You Need a Home Energy Audit?
Many homeowners believe that their energy use is efficient enough and that an energy audit is an unnecessary expense. It’s important to note that every HVAC system loses energy efficiency every year after the installation, and regular servicing is needed to maintain efficiency. An older system can be problematic; in many cases, it’s a better idea to replace the system with a modern energy efficient unit. A home energy audit evaluates your entire home and highlights any energy efficiency problems. This can include areas of the home that may surprise you, and this is a great first step if you want to reduce your environmental footprint and create a greener home.
10 Steps to a Professional Home Energy Audit
A residential full home energy audit is carried out by a qualified inspector when they pay a visit to your home. This is not a quick process, a comprehensive inspection can take several hours depending on the size of your home, and it will cover many areas. Let’s take a look at ten key steps that should occur during a professional home energy audit.
- A Preliminary Interview
The qualified inspector should arrive on time at your home, and a preliminary interview will take place. The inspector will ask the homeowners questions about their home to find out more about the property. This typically includes a guided walkthrough of the home, and the homeowner is encouraged to mention any particular areas of concern.
- Reviewing Energy Bills
Then it’s likely that the inspector will ask about the current level of the energy bills for the home. Reviewing the bills with the inspector will help to identify any unusually high charges and/or any discrepancies in the energy bills that don’t add up. At this point, the inspector can often begin to understand the current state of the energy efficiency in the home.
- A Visual Inspection
Next, the inspector will move around the home and carry out a visual inspection. This will include areas such as attics, basements, doors, windows, ducts, fixtures, and insulation levels in those locations. This will help to identify any areas where treated air could be lost to reduce the energy efficiency in the home.
- A Blower Door Test
The inspector will carry out a blower door test. This will depressurize the home and help to identify any less obvious areas where air leaks could occur. This type of test cannot be carried out by anyone without the experience, knowledge, and specialized equipment of a home energy audit inspector. As such, it’s a perfect example of the importance of hiring a professional for this type of specialized work.
- A Furnace Inspection
The furnace will be thoroughly inspected to evaluate any areas where maintenance or a repair could help to boost efficiency. Over time, a furnace will become less efficient due to dirt, debris, and other issues that need to be fixed. An aging furnace may be less energy efficient than a modern unit and the inspector will offer advice as needed.
- Finding HVAC Air Leaks
The inspector should carry out a duct blaster test to find any air leaks that could be located in the HVAC system. These leaks are hard to locate without this type of testing, and many areas of the system may be located in attics, basements, and behind walls where they are hard to reach. The loss of treated air is one of the primary causes of poor energy efficiency in any home or business.
- Combustion Appliance Testing
The inspector needs to test the combustion appliance zone to make sure that the gas burning equipment is working correctly. This testing will also detect any gas leaks that may be lurking in your home, and this will help to make your home safer.
- An Electrical System Assessment
It’s important to evaluate the home electrical system to locate any hidden hazards and/or loose or dangerous connections. Areas in your electrical system could be wasting energy, and any problems could pose a danger to technicians working in your home. Any electrical problems need to be fixed before any other work is carried out.
- A Water Heater Inspection
The inspector will also check the hot water heater to discover if it’s working as intended in an efficient manner. Most water heaters have some level of sediment or scale inside the unit if it isn’t maintained regularly. In some cases, a thorough cleaning and flushing can restore the water heater to a good working state. But, in many instances, it’s easier and cheaper to simply install a new energy efficient water heater instead.
- Final Safety Checks
The home energy audit will end with a series of additional safety checks to ensure that your home is safe. This will verify that your carbon monoxide detectors are present and working correctly. The fireplace will also be evaluated to determine whether it’s a fire risk.
After the Audit
Once the home energy audit is completed, the inspector will be in a position to offer you detailed recommendations on the energy efficiency in your home. They will advise you on key areas where you need to focus your efforts to get the best improvements in energy efficiency. The best time to carry out a home energy audit is before the next heating or cooling season. Always hire an auditor for a local professional HVAC company that you can trust.