The best way to beef up your home’s energy efficiency is to conduct a thorough check for air leaks. While it’s virtually impossible to cut off all sources of airflow between the outdoors and your home, you should try to seal off as many air leaks as possible. Here are three ways to identify air leaks in your home.

1. Look to Exterior Doors Without Weatherstrips or Tight Fits

Your exterior doors will always allow air to come in from the outdoors. However, one good way to reduce the amount of air leakage around doors is to install weatherstrips and get better-fitting doors.

2. Hold a Lighter to Windows

Windows are one of the most common sources of air leaks in homes around the San Antonio, Texas, area. A surefire way to identify air leaks in your home’s windows is to hold a lighter, match, or another flame to the seals around the edges of your windows.

To get accurate readings, make sure all fans are off, as well as your home’s HVAC system. Next, simply hold the flame to the places where the window frames meet the walls. Carry the flame all the way around the frame for each window to determine if there are major air leaks or not.

3. Use an Incense Stick Via a Pressure Check

First, make sure all candles, pilot lights, and other sources of flames or combustion are off. Next, close all windows, doors separating the outdoors from the interior of your home, and fireplaces.

Now it’s time to blast all of your home’s exhaust fans. These include exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and elsewhere. This takes all the excess air out of your home.

Immediately after turning the exhaust fans off, light an incense stick. Wherever the smoke travels is where you should find air leaks. The best time to perform a pressure check, also known as a pressurization test, is on a windy day.

Even if you try your hardest, it’s easy to mess up when checking your home for air leaks. Why not trust our team at MD Air Conditioning & Heating? We are your HVAC service experts in the San Antonio area. We offer repair, installation, and maintenance services along with help with indoor air quality. Call today for assistance.

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