Things to Expect During Your Home Energy Audit

If someone told you exactly where your home is wasting energy, would you fix the problem? Having a home energy audit is your chance to find out what’s wrong so you can make it right.

This type of inspection gives you the chance to spot areas where your home is wasting energy. Following the comprehensive assessment, you can then take steps to improve efficiency while also increasing safety and indoor air quality.

What to Expect During a Home Energy Audit

Your home energy auditor should perform the following steps:

• Analyze your energy bills from the past year – This gives the auditor a base from which to start from.
• Interview the homeowner – You can discuss with the auditor any concerns you have, such as window condensation, stuffy rooms or unexplained temperature fluctuations.
• Explain the audit process – The auditor will likely invite you to accompany him around the home as he performs his inspections.
• Inspect the exterior  – The auditor looks for gaps in building materials, poor connections or other issues that could leak air and waste energy.
• Complete a health and safety inspection – Home energy audits aren’t just about discovering areas of wasted energy. They also pinpoint safety hazards. The auditor checks for electrical problems, wiring issues, potential backdrafting, furnace vent leaks and more.
• Scrutinize the interior – This includes noting air register locations, checking window seals, inspecting walls and the attic floor for insulation and noting the thermostat type and settings.
• Examine appliances and lighting – This step ensures good performance and proper venting in the case of combustion appliances.
• Conduct a blower door test- A blower door test involves closing all windows and doors in the house and covering the front door with a temporary blower door. The powerful built-in fan depressurizes the house, giving the auditor a chance to easily spot air leaks with an infrared camera.
• Analyze the findings and leave a report – The report details areas that could use improvement and suggestions on how to fix them.

If you’re interested in having a home energy audit performed for your Middletown residence, please contact CR Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy audits and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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