Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit

Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit: Go On, Try These Improvements Yourself!

Whether you Do-It-Yourself or choose to hire outside assistance, Build Green and do your part in reducing the US Oil Dependency- while becoming an Energy Wise User of Electricity!

If you find outside Assistance is needed-Scotts Contracting if available to Help. Scotty will provide a Cost Effective solution to your Home or Business Energy Needs. Click Here to Email Scotty for a No-Cost Free Green Site Inspection

What is a Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit

As a homeowner you can easily perform your own home energy audit as there are many improvements that thousands and thousands of Americans have made in their homes to save energy. Below we have compiled a list of the critical areas in your home for you to inspect and take action on to fix in order to save energy. All of these suggestions require you to walk around your home and see how your home stacks up, then make the appropriate small home improvement.

D-I-Y Home Audit Checklist

	HOME AREA	WHAT IS WASTING ENERGY?	HOW TO SAVE ENERGY?
1	Lighting	Incandescent or halogen Light bulbs; lights turned on all the time	Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs or LEDs; turn off lights in rooms that you're not using
2	Water Heater & Piping	Un-insulated	Upgrade or install insulation
3	Water Heater Thermostat Setting	Set to 125 °F	Set to 120 °F or lower
4	Electronics and small appliances	Left on when not using, plugged directly into outlets (but still using electric power even when turned off!)	Plug all electronics and appliances into power strips that you turn off when not in use (turning off power strip completely shuts off power use)
5	Heating & Cooling Equipment	Older than 10-12 years	Time to replace with energy efficient equipment; Install programmable thermostat; make sure air conditioner has proper amount of refrigerant
6	Forced Air Furnace	Dirty, old filter on the air intake	Replace or clean air intake filter once every 1-2 months during high use season
7	Electrical outlets, windows and window frames, baseboards, doors, attic hatch and wall/window mounted air conditioners	Air flowing in due to gaps or deteriorating of exterior caulking or weather stripping*	Apply new caulking, seal or weather stripping**
8	Exposed faucets, pipes, electric outlets and wiring	Cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation, and siding	Seal effectively with mortar or caulking to prevent any heat loss
9	Attic floor	Poorly insulated floor with gaps, thin insulation	Upgrade or install insulation including the attic hatch cover
10	Attic vents	Vent and interior air flow blocked by insulation	Clear vents of any insulation to help interior air circulation
11	All exterior corners of home; where siding and chimneys meet; and areas where the foundation and siding meet	Air flowing in due to cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation, and/or siding	Apply new mortar, sealer or siding to seal leak*

* To determine whether there is a gap for air to flow in any of these areas, consider the following: rattle your windows and doors to see if there is a proper seal; put your hand on seams or joints and see if there is any air flowing through them; and use the incense test: carefully (avoiding drapes and other flammables) move a lit stick along walls or potential openings and where smoke flutters, you have air sneaking in.

** When sealing your home, please be aware of backdrafting. Backdrafting is when various appliances and exhaust fans pull the combustion gases they emit back into the living space which can create an unhealthy situation in the home.

-- Scott's Contracting scottscontracting@gmail.com http://stlouisrenewableenergy.blogspot.com http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com