Air Sealing and Insulating Can Lights
Can lights (or recessed lights) became so popular in recent years that many new homes these days are built with them, so they are already installed when the homeowners move in.
Compared to other common overhead features, can lights are easier to clean and maintain, and the light output helps divide the space, define task areas, and highlight artwork and architectural features. They are also especially valuable in low ceiling areas.
For all the reasons above, new and newly remodeled homes tend to have this type of feature in at least some of the rooms. Some have them all through the house.
There is only one problem concerning can lights: they can be a huge source of energy loss year round!
Older fixtures — especially those installed before 2004 — were built with little to no regard to energy efficiency, and have plenty of holes and gaps to allow conditioned air from the living space to escape into the attic.
How much energy can you lose? Using high-tech home energy diagnostic equipment and procedures, such as a blower door test and thermal imaging camera, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, demonstrates just how much energy is lost through the gaps left in and around can lights.
He also demonstrates how to simply and quickly stop air leakages through can lights using covers specifically designed for this purpose. There are many different types of can light covers, and in some cases, an energy conservation expert can even build a custom cover, using fire-retardant materials. In this particular home, a rockwool cover was used, and spray foam insulation was applied to seal air leakages and secure it in place.
If you suspect energy waste through canned lights or any other area or fixture of your home, call Dr. Energy Saver for a complete home energy evaluation and let us help create an energy-efficient home that is at the same time comfortable and affordable to own.
For more tips on how to save money and energy at home, visit our website or watch other episodes of Dr. Energy Saver’s ‘On The Job’ videos!
Ducts in an Attic
In episode 66 of the On the Job video series, Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, is back to once again talk about the energy waste problem created by HVAC ducts that run through an unconditioned attic.
The energy penalties in these cases are so significant that Larry had previously dedicated an entire episode to discuss this problem — the ‘Problems with Ducts in the Attic’ video available on Dr. Energy Saver YouTube Channel — and is now back to the subject.
This time, with the help of thermal imaging equipment, Larry walks us through a recent inspection performed by his company, demonstrating exactly how much heat can be gained or lost year round through ducts that run through unconditioned attics.
In this particular home, the inspection performed in mid-May found an unconditioned attic with temperatures reaching scorching 115 degrees, housing long lines of air ducts and an air handler — all of which were also very leaky contributing for an even higher rate of energy loss.
The running air conditioning system was consuming energy to cool the air down to approximately 55 degrees while the air ran through a handler with a metal case that was just as hot as the attic itself. With long lines of uninsulated ducts, it kept gaining heat on the way to the rooms it was supposed to cool.
In the master bedroom — closest to the handler — the air coming out of the vents was only 2 degrees below the target temperature. That means that the air conditioner would have to work longer and harder just to make that room comfortable.
In another room, further from the handler, the air gained so much heat while running through the long, uninsulated duct that it was coming out of the vents 10 degrees hotter than the target temperature. That room simply couldn’t be made comfortable until late at night.
If you consider that an average of 40% of all the energy consumed by the typical home in the US goes towards heating and cooling, you can imagine how much energy and money this homeowner had been wasting year-round. Over the course of many years, just because the uninsulated and leaky air ducts run through an attic that is scorching hot during the summer and freezing cold during the winter, the homeowner was literally throwing money away.
At Dr. Energy Saver, we are passionate about finding and fixing problems like this one. . Subscribe to our channel for the latest videos on how we can make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Or call us to locate a dealer in your area and schedule your free estimate!
Insulating Multi-Level Attics
Unusual architectural features, such as multi-level attics make a home unique by giving it personality and helping to define the building’s style.
Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Dr. Energy Saver, demonstrates how these charming features can significantly impact the home in terms of energy efficiency.
Multi-level attics create spaces that are hard to access, and therefore hard to insulate and air seal. These areas are often overlooked during construction, and they usually become gaps in the building envelope.
If properly insulated attics are the most important feature of an energy-efficient home, gaps in insulation and sealing in the attic are usually the number one sources of energy loss. In multi-level attics, small portions of the walls usually protrude from the attic floor. If not properly air sealed and insulated, they will cause heat from the living area to be lost to the unvented, cold attic during the winter, through the wall cavity. In the summertime, cool, conditioned air will escape and the scorching heat from the attic will transfer to the living space putting a burden on your air conditioner system.
Each insulation challenge demands a custom-designed solution. There are several techniques and insulation materials that can be used to close these gaps and the choice will depend on specific features of the area in question.
In this particular case, the portion of the wall protruding from the attic floor was insulated with SilverGlo foam board insulation, and air sealed using spray foam.
Are you experiencing inexplicably uneven temperatures around the house, with some rooms that are either much colder or much hotter than others? Does your home feel drafty or damp? At Dr. Energy Saver, we can help you fix all these problems and make your home more comfortable and affordable to own, by lowering your energy bills.
So don’t wait! Give us a call today and see just how easy it is to have a greener, more enjoyable home.
For more tips on how to save money and energy at home, watch other episodes of Dr. Energy Saver’s ‘On The Job’ videos!
Insulation and Air Sealing Improve Comfort and Value
Using NYSERDA rebates to save on upgrading your home’s insulation and air sealing isn’t just securing stable indoor temperatures year-round – it’s an investment in the value of your home.
By reducing the amount of heat and air that leak in and out of your home, insulation keeps your energy right where you need it and maximizes the comfort you feel, requiring less air conditioning in the summer, and less heating in the winter – an attractive asset for potential homebuyers who are willing to pay more for energy efficient homes.
Winter Home Checklist
Watch this video to learn how to prep your home for winter with our checklist for efficient warmth. From air filters to insulation, Halco keeps you warm.
FOAM HOME!
Hal Smith, CEO of Halco, is delivering ET’s to your neighborhood. That’s ‘E’ for Energy and ‘T’ for Technicians. Halco ET’s recommend two steps to maximize heating comfort and savings: (1) FOAM your HOME, and (2) Electrify your home. Have a Halco E.T. visit your home for a no-cost energy assessment!
