Start With an Energy Audit When Making an Investment in Home Efficiency

The amount you spend on home energy efficiency improvements will be repaid many times in improved comfort and reduced energy bills. However, to be effective, you need to know where to concentrate your efforts. Energy audits are detailed and effective procedures that will show you where you need to make efficiency improvements to reduce energy loss and slash your heating and cooling bills.

The Nature of a Professional Energy Audit

A residential energy audit is conducted by a trained professional who does tests and makes assessments about your energy usage. Your auditor will be able to devise a detailed plan for improving home energy efficiency by reducing energy usage, sealing air and energy leaks, boosting insulation, and curbing energy waste.

Elements of a Professional Energy Audit

• Energy bill evaluation: Your auditor will be able to analyze your energy bills for signs of unnecessary energy usage and waste. This process will give the auditor a good idea of how much energy you normally use and where cuts could be made.
• Home inspection: The editor will conduct a thorough physical inspection of your home, looking for physical flaws that could promote energy loss. He will look for air leaks, areas that lack proper caulking or weatherstripping, and similar issues.
• Thermographic scans: The auditor should also conduct some sophisticated tests to pinpoint areas where energy is being lost and retained. These scans detect heat. If the scans show significant areas of heat loss during the winter, those are the points where energy-efficiency should be focused.
• Infiltrometer testing: Testing could also include a blower door test, or infiltrometer test. This involves placing a powerful fan in an external door. When the fan is turned on, it changes the air pressure inside the home and reveals air leaks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to detect.

For more than forty years, Davis Air Conditioning and Heating has provided top-quality heating and cooling services to customers throughout Houston, Galveston, Brazoria, Sugar Land, and surrounding communities. Contact us today for more information on energy audits and for help improving your home’s energy efficiency.

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