If reducing home energy costs sits at the top of your list of priorities, a home performance evaluation should be considered. Also known as an energy audit, such reviews involve a thorough inspection of major electrical appliances as well as various features of your home to determine how they impact energy costs.

Your Energy Audit

To be able to make a proper assessment, the auditor will need information such as the number of occupants, how the HVAC system and other appliances are used, and typical household activity. It is also important to have recent energy bills so that the auditor can clearly see your energy consumption. The auditor will relate this information to other findings during the examination.

Blower Door Test

A blower door test is an essential part of an energy audit. The blower door is a large fan that is mounted into an exterior door’s frame. The fan lowers the air pressure inside your home by pulling air out of the house. If there are any leaks inside your home, the outside air will seep in through those leaks. Auditors use infrared cameras or smoke pencils to find the sources of any leaks. Windows and doors are common sources of energy loss because of cracks and gaps around frames.

The evaluation may also include the following steps:

• Inspecting the amount and quality of insulation in the attic, walls and basement.
• Evaluating the HVAC equipment in your home to determine if it is operating efficiently. Your HVAC system or parts of it may need to be serviced or replaced.
• An assessment of the type of equipment or appliances used in the home with regard to their energy efficiency.

After all review has been completed, the auditor will be able to generate a report to show you areas in which energy is being wasted, and will also include recommendations. Recommendations can range from investing in energy-efficient systems and appliances to simply changing light bulbs to the more energy-efficient kinds.

Cool Care Heating & Air offers energy evaluations to improve energy efficiency in your Columbia-area office or home. Call us at (803) 772-7715 to schedule an appointment; or to learn about our general services.

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