DIY Home Air Pressure Test - seal the leaks

Cooler weather is approaching, or warmer if you’re in the southern hemisphere. Either way, you’ll want to find and seal off any air leaks in your home to keep your heating or air conditioning bills to a minimum. A simple Home Air Pressure Test can help you find those leaks.

1.  
   1. Close up your house and turn off the heating and cooling sources. We’ll be drawing air INTO the house during this test, so make sure you extinguish all sources of fire such as a fireplace, furnace, or gas water heater. Close all windows and doors, the damper on the fireplace, skylights and all vents.
   2. Turn ON all exhaust fans in your house. These are normally found in the kitchen (over stove), in bathrooms and laundry rooms. If you don’t have any exhaust fans, then open a window and set a portable fan in the window. Try to close up the area to keep the air flowing out, without letting more air in.
   3. First place to check for leaks is the fireplace. If there are leaks around the damper, you could be getting some nasty smells and soot coming into the house. If so, stop the exhaust fans and fix the damper.
   4. With the exhaust fans on, search for leaks using a stick of incense. These sticks give off a trail of smoke that will easily take off in any breeze from an air leak. You could also use a “wet hand”. Carry a bowl of water with you and keep your hand damp while you run it around the windows, doors, outlets and switches. A cool breeze from an air leak with feel very cool if your hand is damp. I would not use a candle for the leak test due to the open flame - too much opportunity for an accident.
   5. Check all openings for leaks: around doors and windows, electrical outlets and light switches, around light fixtures, skylights, attic access doors, at the bottom, top and corners of walls.
   6. Turn off the exhaust fans and fix the leaks. Caulking works wonders.
      • For windows, it is best to caulk both inside and outside. Window shrink wrap coverings can also make a big difference in drafts and heating bills.
      • For doors, you can buy foam weather stripping for the sides and top. The bottom of outside doors are sealed with a special threshold strip - measure the opening size before heading to the hardware store.
      • For power outlets and light switches, you can buy foam inserts made specifically for sealing air leaks.
      • Make sure your duct-work is closed up tight. Though it’s easiest to test for leaks in the ducts when the furnace or air conditioning is running - if you find leaks, the metal based tape works best as it sticks better and lasts longer.
   7. After fixing the leaks, repeat. Turn the exhaust fans on once more and look for air leaks. You may find “new” smaller leaks that were not noticeable when you had much larger leaks letting the air in.

That should reduce the drafts in your home. Next step: Outside Inspection

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Filed under: DIY