Batten Up The Hatches For Home Energy Savings

The economy more than the weather seems to be the catalyst for most homeowners these days seeking ways to conserve energy costs. And one of the main ways homeowners can save is to do some investigative work.

According to Carl Pedersen, of North Dakota State University Extension, this investigation literally means finding holes in the wall.

"Like a window. That's a whole in the wall, and so, is there air that can potentially leak around those windows. Are there penetrations going through the wall like a plumbing penetration going through or a heating penetration. A dryer vent that's a larger pipe going out, so a good spot for air to be leaking out."

Running a fresh bead of caulk around windows, door frames or any holes can help reduce costs.

"Think about your house as a balloon and your going to put hot air into that just like a hot air balloon. Your going to pay to put that hot air in your house to keep it warm through out the winter time. So the idea is to try to look through that and try to find where there are holes in that balloon (your house) where air can leak out costing you money and costing comfort as well."

He adds that home owners should use an infra-red thermometer to check for potential air leaks and to follow up on hole seals.