Home Energy Audit

Amitabh

Hello All

I am thinking of getting a home energy audit (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), as i cannot find out why i have a temperature difference between the two levels of my house and why its drafty!

i feel like my house doesnt retain heat, but also the furnace is not running 24/7 so it must be retaining something (at least on the main floor that is)

any thoughts or suggestions?

jagans

Just make sure you don't get the window salesman with a light meter like Archie Bunker did!

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gregzoll

Drafty windows, poor insulation, poor returns, leaks around windows an outlets. You do not need to do an energy audi or pay someone for it, since you can do it yourself.

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Amitabh

how can i tell?

gregzoll

By using your eyes to go look at what is in the attic, use a smoke stick to see if any drafts are around windows, doors, outlets. Returns you can see with your eyes. Not rocket science.

What an energy audit does is tell you how efficient or non-efficient your home is. Most use it to sell you services or new equipment & materials (new windows & doors, insulation, hvac equipment), that you really do not need.

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Amitabh

So this is my plan, get a six pack of beer, grab an incense and walk up to each of my windows (see if smoke changes path), walk up to my returns (see the strength of the pull) walk up to my registers (see the strength of the push). walk up to external doors and outlets, (see if smoke moves)

Am i missing anything, if i could i would share the beer!

PTMD

gregzoll

Yes. The smoke trick does not work with returns & vents, that you can have a hvac tech check your system for how efficient it works, which a home energy audit does not do. The smoke trick is to see if there is any draw or draft around outlets, windows & doors.

BTW, how old is this place, and how old is the hvac system? Any changes on windows & doors since it was built, or since you have owned the place? We go through a lot of this talk over on the general & building & construction forums all the time, in how to make your place more efficient & better insulation, along with making the envelope tighter and better.

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creeper

Don't forget to make sure you have adequate insulation in the attic. Energy savings and your own comfort will be realized the first day.

Go up there with a ruler. In your area code is R40. Soon the code for new builds will be r50.

r40 = 20cm to 33cm.

The big orange or Lowes will usually throw in a free machine rental if you buy the blown in from them.

Amitabh

Hi Greg

I definitely need a tighter envelope! I moved in about 8 weeks ago and have noticed that my whole house is drafty! My house was built 8 years ago (2004) and my furnace is the same age. In terms of the windows, i believe they are the same ones from the day of the build.

Any insights would be extremely helpful.

So far i have found the following
1. fireplace has a huge wind tunnel coming out of it (which i posted in the insulation section)
2. temperature difference between floors (almost 2 degrees)
3. am thinking of removing the molding around the windows to see if there is any spray foam between the frame of the house and the window itself. and then caulk over the joints when i put the molding back
4. I had to caulk all my external windows, as the crack was bigger than 1/2 in between the brick and window itself. I could not remove the existing caulking, and spray foam the inside, as it got cold real fast.

Thanx

PTMD

Amitabh

thanx i will check that this weekend.

gregzoll

It may just be the convection currents from inadequate returns, and supply for the rooms. Now depending on the builder, as what I have seen from Holmes on Homes, there is a lot to be desired even on brand new builds. What temp do you keep the heat at during the day & night hours? How many square feet, and how many floors? Any rooms over the garage?

Also, if there is a basement or crawlspace, is there any insulation around the perimeter where the main floor meets the foundation? Go ahead and post pictures. Also, if you contact City hall, they should have permit & build info, and hopefully the blueprints still on file.

Now the worst case scenario is that if you are in a large subdivision that was built at around the same time, subs would have been paid by the structure, not the hour, and would take as many short cuts as they could, so they could get each one done as quick as possible, so they could move on to the next one.

Post supply & return temps, along with room temps, and depth of insulation in the attic space.

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Amitabh

Completely agree with the whole holmes on homes deal. i have seen a few episode and its scary what one sees. Those neighbourhoods are close to me too.

i keep my temp constant at 22C, but on the second floor the temp only reads 20C.

House description:

- 3 floors: unfinished basement, main floor, upstairs (Bedrooms)
- one room half over the garage.
- 2700 sqft, hvac is tranexr90


We are a subdivision that went up in 2004. Not a one off build.

I have some homework to do, meaning getting the depth insulation in the attic and running the incense.

As for supply temps and return temps, how do i get that?

Here are two pix of the basement meeting the subfloor. You will notice in the second picture a natural gas pipe that goes up into the natural gas fireplace on the mainfloor, that whole is huge and dont know if that is contributing to the draft that comes from the fireplace.

thanx for the help

Attached Thumbnails

   

gregzoll

68 to 71 is not bad for temps. As for temp & cfm from Supply, you can get one of these http://www.extech.com/instruments/ca...es.asp?catid=1 You may be able to rent one from the local Home depot, or just contact your guy that checks your hvac equipment regularly, and see if they have access to one.

To just take the temps fo Supply & return, I use a Kitchen thermometer like this http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Classic...en+thermometer to check. Not only good to have in the Kitchen, but comes in handy for checking hvac air temps.

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Amitabh

Hi

Been busy! i havent gotten to all my homework. I did however walk over to all my registers and noticed that the air flow is stronger on the west side of the house vs. the east side.

Then i went to insect my duct work, and it looks pretty good, no major leaks.

interesting, why would one side of the house have weaker air flow through the registers.

PTMD