Oct 16 2008
A Simple Way to Reduce Energy Costs for Heating
It’s time to make sure that your windows and doors are weather tight and that the weatherstripping on them doesn’t leak. I did a little checking on this subject and came up with a few odd notes.
Experts used to recommend holding a candle and moving it around the perimeter of your window or door to check for air leaks; the flame would move if there was a draft. I guess too many people caught their curtains on fire, because that method isn’t recommended anymore. The safe way to check is to use a lit cigarette (safe?) and watch the smoke as you move it around the edges of your window or door, but with so many people NOT smoking these days (hurray!) you can also use a lit and smoking incense stick.
I kinda like the idea of NOT using something that is smoking.
A light downy feather will also show a draft.
So will a small sliver of tissue.
When you find an air leak, try to fill it or block it. A trip to the home/hardware store will give you many different solutions for plugging air leaks. Fit the solution to your specific problem.
Did you know this? One study shows that the average home in America has so many small air leaks that if they were combined as one it would be like leaving a window open all year. That’s astounding.
Where’s my feather?
