With temperatures around the country dropping over the past few days, any air leaks in your home are more likely to be noticed. Maybe you were aware of the cracks and crevices but hadn't dealt with them yet. You may have taken the time to properly seal your home, but the cold air coming from your wall says otherwise.
It should be easy to find the additional leaks and seal them up. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't find the leak. If you run into that problem, here are the things to do.
A candle can be used to find a mystery air leak. This is what to do.
Lighter candles, like the ones you would put in candlesticks, work better than candles that come in glass jars. You need the flame to be open and accessible to be able to see it.
The US Department of Energy suggests lighting a stick of incense instead of a candle for this task. It will make your home smell like incense and not everyone is on board with it.
If there is no blowing air coming from fans or forced-air heating systems, this method is more effective. If you don't want to switch off your furnace, at least wait until it doesn't blow air through the vents. Close the vent or block it.
Get to work by lighting your candle. Paying close attention to areas prone to air leaks, like windows, doors, baseboards, and switch plates, starts with the wall, floor, or general area where you have felt the air leak, slowly and extremely carefully.
You may have found your leak if the flame starts to flicker or extinguish completely. To see if the flame flickers or goes out again, hold the candle completely still near that spot. If it happened for the first time, it was because you moved the candle.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
