Tightening up air leaks in your home
Conserving energy in your home is about better insulating the envelope inside as well as outside. A very easy and inexpensive project to help you accomplish this is to install wall and switch plate seals.
Posted by Guest Blogger on January 10, 2012
Conserving energy in your home is about better insulating the envelope inside as well as outside. A very easy and inexpensive project to help you accomplish this is to install wall and switch plate seals.
Wall outlets and switches allow pathways for air to infiltrate your home. Even though the air leakage is small per opening, when you add all of these openings up, this infiltration could be substantial and affect your heating bill.
I made a trip to a local hardware store and found closed cell foam seals – a simple product that will help you eliminate these air leaks. The package I found contained four light switch seals and eight receptacle seals for $1.38. (I wasn’t kidding when I said this would be an inexpensive project.)The seals are pre-cut to fit a switch or receptacle. All you have to do is remove each plate, place a seal behind the plate and reinstall it. It’s just that simple.
Another inexpensive and easy step is to place outlet plugs in unused outlets. These are clear, plastic plugs that can be inserted directly into any unused wall outlet. These will reduce air infiltration as well, and provide safety for young children.