Hidden spots where heat is leaking from your home can add hundreds to your heating bill.
Thermal leaks in a home can cause utility bills to skyrocket. In a commercial building, the annual cost can reach thousands of dollars. Leaks are most common along walls and windows, in flooring cracks and, particularly, through attics and lofts. If your heating bill is higher than it reasonably should be and your furnace is working properly, you should examine your home for heating loss. Making a heat loss detector can pinpoint the problem source and save you money.
Instructions
1. Your own hand is the simplest heat loss detector.
Roll up your sleeves -- literally. The most basic heat detector is your hand and the sensitive skin on your inner forearm. Move it lightly along walls and windows to find cold spots. When heat is escaping your home, cold is entering it. When you find these spots, make a note of them for repair or extra insulation.
2. Check your house thoroughly with an infrared laser thermometer. Some manufacturers make units for homeowners who want to check their homes for heat loss. The best of these thermometers retail for about $50 as of February 2011. The thermometer works by the color of the laser light, which changes based on the temperature of what it is pointed at. While it will not give a complete heat map of your home, it can find hidden heat loss spots quickly and easily.
3. Take photos of the inside of your home with a thermal camera. Thermal cameras are very expensive, in the thousands of dollars. They are really designed for large-scale projects, such as insulating office buildings. If you want a complete heat profile of your home, hire a professional to map it with thermal imaging. This will reveal every area where heat is leaking out of the building.
Tags: your home, heat loss, along walls, along walls windows, complete heat
