If you’ve just moved into your new home here in the greater DC or Northern Virginia area, you may still be settling into how your home feels (and how much it costs to keep it that way). Even if you got a good rundown from the previous homeowner or realtor on the heating and cooling system, insulation, and other parts of your home that could affect your indoor comfort, scheduling a home energy audit now can provide you with valuable information that will inform how you go about maintaining or even upgrading your home. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is an Energy Audit for Residential Homes?
So, what is done in an energy audit? An energy audit is an in-depth look at your entire home inside and out including all of the systems in your home that relate to comfort and energy. The goal of any energy audit is to determine where a home isn’t operating properly. A large portion of this is determining where it’s losing heat/energy and gaining moisture or other contaminants. This is all done through a series of inspections and diagnostic tests conducted by a building science professional.
At Home Energy Medics, our energy audits include the following tests:
Combustion safety testing
Heating, cooling, and water heating system efficiency analysis
Blower door test (to test total air leakage)
Infrared camera imaging
Duct leakage analysis
And more!
Each of these tests contributes valuable information that will end up on your audit report, which will include pictures and a detailed recommendation as to how to improve the comfort, efficiency, and health of your home.
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Even if you haven’t noticed any drop in comfort in your new home, an energy audit may find ways to keep your home comfortable while actually reducing your energy use. This is because an energy audit from Home Energy Medics accounts for the entire home as an interconnected system, meaning changes in one area of the home can have positive (or negative) effects on other areas of the home. Here are some of the upgrades that might be particularly beneficial to your home:
Insulation
The insulation in your walls, attic, and crawl space or basement often goes overlooked as a comfort and energy-saving upgrade. But improving the insulation stabilizes temperatures indoors, which will have a positive effect on indoor air quality while also requiring less of your heating and cooling system.
Air Sealing
You may not be able to see them, but hidden throughout your home are holes and gaps allowing air to freely move in and out of your living space. Air sealing is the process of locating these holes and closing them with an expanding spray foam. This greatly improves the effectiveness of your insulation, and can further improve your indoor air quality!
Windows and Doors
The best window is still less efficient than the worst wall, and windows and doors are traps for energy loss. Our team can pair you with the right replacement windows and doors to meet your aesthetic needs and your budget, and install them with long-term efficiency in mind.
Early Energy Audits Mean Early Energy Savings
Looking to stay on top of your heating and cooling maintenance, energy costs, and indoor air quality now that you are in a new home? Schedule an energy audit with Home Energy Medics, and keep your home (and your family) healthy and comfortable from the get-go.
Keep your new home comfortable and your energy bills low from day one - and keep it that way! Click here to schedule an energy audit.