An Energy Audit. What is it and why do you need it?
Your home interior and exterior probably looks reasonably airtight. But is it? Upon closer inspection, it probably leaks around door sills and window frames, around skylights and electrical fixtures. The reality is these leaks are generally not visible to a non-professional or the naked eye and any repairs are not much more than stabs in the dark. As a homeowner, you might be able to feel a few leaks with your hand, assuming a strong wind is blowing, but other than that… probably not.
With an energy audit, you will be able to see where your home is not only inefficient, but actually losing energy and costing you REAL money. In fact, that’s the primary value proposition of a professionally managed energy audit. Without it, you’re left to guess where the shell of your home is compromised and actually leaking.
A professional air management specialist will typically conduct two CRITICAL tests:
An air pressure test. Using a blower device, attached to an exterior door, the air management specialist can determine how much air the interior shell of your home loses, and precisely where any air loss is occurring.
An infrared camera test. If the insulation is compromised, degraded or non-existent, heat will migrate through the walls and cold will migrate in. This test is important because the home loses energy not just through cracks and leaks in the structure. The infrared camera essentially takes a picture of the heat loss/movement/activity, helping the technician pinpoint areas that need repair.
What are the TRUE Benefits of an Audit?
With structural and insulation issues identified, a homeowner can repair and seal all leaks as well as upgrade insulation to make sure the shell of the home is not only “air tight” but as energy efficient as possible. What this ultimately means:
- Comfort. More consistent temperature throughout the home, with fewer temperature swings and fewer drafts, results in more of the home’s heat being kept inside.
- Higher efficiency. With less heat lost, utility bills are reduced. When the cycle of continual heat loss is cut, more heat is kept circulating through the home, and the furnace does not have to run as often or as hard.
- Higher home value. As the home’s efficiency is improved, so is the value of the home. Buyers see the work that has been put into a home’s overall energy efficiency as a valuable selling point.
- Fewer greenhouse gases. When a home HVAC system doesn’t have to run as often to compensate for lost heat, it saves on energy consumption. Whenever home’s energy consumption is diminished, that means that the home is consuming less energy, thus releasing fewer greenhouse gases. Essentially, a tighter home shell translates into a greener home.
Money invested in an energy audit translates to not just a more comfortable home or a more valuable one, but into money in the bank because the energy savings from an audit are meaningful. Around the Clock Heating & Air Condition can help you determine the energy efficiency of your home throughout Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Northridge, Valley Village, Chatsworth, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, West Hills, Thousand Oaks, West Los Angeles, Hancock Park, Pasadena, San Marino, Santa Clarita Valley, and Ventura county CA. Contact us on online or call us today at 800 434 9277.