Last year, just before one of the coldest and longest winters that we have seen for a long time, energy providers all over the country decided to raise their prices leaving a lot of us facing increased costs just to heat our homes. This in turn has prompted a lot of homeowners to look for new ways of reducing these costs in an attempt to keep energy consumption down and money in the bank up.
There are many ways of doing this including insulating your home and living more sustainably but something that you maybe haven’t yet thought about is air leakage testing. Here’s how it could save you a lot of money in the long run.
What Is Air Leakage Testing –
Ever since 2006 in England and 2010 in Scotland, building regulations have stipulated that every new dwelling built should have to pass an air leakage test. This is in line with the government’s attempt to reduce CO2 emissions across the whole country by 60% by the year 2050 and also applies to any substantial extensions made to existing dwellings.
When any building is built there are natural gaps left between the fabric of the structure. These are only small but are there so that we don’t suffocate in our own homes when the doors and windows are closed. Air leakage testing is carried out to ensure that these gaps are not too big or too small. Too big and they could allow valuable heat energy to escape and if they’re too small there won’t be enough airflow through the building.
Obviously, all new buildings will have passed this test but if your home was built before the regulation came in then you may benefit from having it done.
How Is It Tested? –
There are a few ways to carry out air leakage testing all of which are non-invasive and easy to do. Some companies will use a thermal imaging camera to spot where the heat is being lost and others will carry smoke pens around the building to find the different areas where there is a draft. Once the areas of leakage have been discovered steps can be made to decrease this and make the building more energy-efficient.
Benefits To Carrying Out An Air Leakage Test –
An airtight dwelling has plenty of benefits not least the fact that your home will be in accordance to legal requirements. An airtight home will save you money on your energy bills every month which is sure to add up to a lot over time and you will have the added bonus of knowing that you have reduced your CO2 emissions which is great for the environment.
Your home will also be more comfortable after your air leakage test as there won’t be any more annoying drafts that can make rooms so cold during the winter months. Lastly, reducing the amount of air leakage will also decrease the noise you hear from things such as traffic and planes outside as well the noise that travels through party walls.
