Everything about HVAC & Your Professional Home Energy Audit

Generally, if we talk on average, every American household spends about $2500 per year on energy costs. Primarily the energy is used by the HVAC system to cool or heat your home, lighting, and other appliances in the house. The total energy cost for the year depends upon your uses, the fuel you use (it may be electricity, from oil, and propane to wood in the fireplace), and its cost in your area.

No matter which energy fuel you use, the cost is increasing daily. To save on your energy bills, you should conduct a professional home auditors to know about the energy uses and energy-saving opportunities. The professional home energy audit or home performance audit is not just limited to energy saving; this audit will also assess health and safety issues in your house. Here are a few reasons why you should conduct a professional energy audit. 

Great Reasons To Perform a Home Energy Audit

• When a professional completes the home energy audit, you will have complete data about your house’s energy usage.
• You can quickly rectify the energy-saving opportunities, and the professional you hired for the audit can also help you with potential energy-saving opportunities. 
• After understanding the energy use, you can make upgrades in your home accordingly and save up to 20%.
• It allows you to reduce the carbon footprint effectively. When you fix insulation and air leakage, use maximum daylight and upgrade to energy-efficient appliances, the environmental impact will be reduced. 
• Lots of energy is used by the HVAC system for cooling and heating. After the energy audit, you can fix the improper insulation and leaky windows to save energy.  
• Your house will become safe as the team checks for electrical and other hazards. The professional will ensure that all the wiring is done properly and check for fuel leaks in the furnace.

Process of Home Energy Audit

In simple words, a home energy audit means the assessment performed to check your home’s energy consumption so that the problem can be rectified quickly and you can save on your energy bills by making your home more energy efficient. The professional will check everything from electricity usage to the appliances you are using, from the condition of your house to electric fittings and from insulation to air leaks.

Those professional energy auditors will take the help of advanced devices. With their years of expertise, they will provide you with a list of suggestions and measures you can take to make your property more energy efficient. Talking about the time, this professional energy audit may take up to 2 hours, depending on the size of your house. 

Firstly, the professional will examine your property from the outside and calculate the number of doors, windows, walls, and more. They will see if they can find any issues inducing leaks. Then they will inspect the insulation of your house and check whether it is correctly installed.

The professional energy audit also includes the examination of the furnace; the auditor will check the filter in the furnace, and if there is any problem, they will suggest the replacement of the filter, and if your furnace is too old, then they can also suggest you for the complete upgrade. Your water heater will also be checked because it is on the list of appliances that consume the most electricity.

Examination of the duct’s connection is also an important part of an energy audit; the auditor will check your duct for any leaks where you may be losing heat and energy. If you have hired a good professional auditor, then your professional energy audit may also include the blower door test to check the air leaks.

The auditor will suggest switching to LEDs or CFLs after the audit if you use the standard incandescent light bulbs.

The professional energy audit includes lots of things. All can’t be explained here. The steps in the energy audit may also depend upon the tools your auditor has; we suggest you always go with an experienced professional energy auditor.

Is An HVAC Professional Energy Audit Worth Going For?

The HVAC energy audit is the more detailed type of professional home energy audit we have explained above. In an HVAC energy audit, the auditor will only check the appliance used for heating or cooling your home, including fans, vents, ducts, heat pumps, air conditioners and other parts of the HVAC system. When your HVAC system gets old like if you have been using the same unit for the last 8 to 10 years, it becomes less efficient with time. By conducting the audit, you will get an idea about the problems in your HVAC unit. You easily fix the rectified problems and save more.

While conducting the heat and cooling load calculations, the professional will first check for the air filters for blockages and ducts, then go to the thermostat and check for the settings; you can also change the thermostat setting according to the climate in your area. The HVAC energy auditor will also inspect your ductwork thoroughly to check for leaks, and if they find anything, they will patch and insulate it.

Highly recommend you go for the HVAC residential energy audit if you are spending lots on energy bills and think that bill is more than what you are using.

Final Words

This is all the professional energy audit is about; after the audit, you will know about the energy uses, and then you can take steps as suggested by the professional auditor to save on energy bills. The suggestions include adding weather stripping, sealing air leaks, and adding more insulation. The auditor may also suggest the windows replacement if they are causing drafts in your home. Get in touch with Eds Tech’s team today to know more about their super efficient Home Energy Audit and Assessment that can save you some big bucks in the long run. Click here to know more.