Comfenergy Case Studies: Making Temperatures More Even in Chester Gap, VA
Challenge
Homeowners in Chester Gap, VA called Comfenergy to come out because they had uneven temperatures in their home. Ever heard of thermal convection? Basically, hot air is less dense and tends to rise, while cooler air is denser and falls. That’s why it can be warmer upstairs and cooler downstairs. Thermal convection means that your house may be uncomfortable in the winter and summer months, or in unfinished areas like basements, attics, and garages. Most of the time if temperatures are uneven, the upstairs is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. These issues not only make you feel uncomfortable but can also lead to expensive energy loss because your system has to work harder and never really gets the temperatures even around the whole house. This home was uncomfortable due to lots of air leaks throughout the house and ducts that were not sealed properly,
Solution
The Comfenergy home comfort specialist, Carl, found the source of multiple air leaks in this home. To reduce overall air leakage, the attic is always the first priority because warm air rises to the attic and finds any and all ways to escape. Comfenergy air sealed and insulated the attic properly with expanding foam, boards, and TruSoft Cellulose insulation. Carl also found gaps around the metal chimney and the can lights causing air leakage, which we properly sealed. We sealed and insulated the duct system in the attic with closed cell foam insulation which air cannot leak through. This is so that when you heat or cool the air, it is delivered to the rooms without loss along the way. We installed spray foam along the rim joists to prevent the outside air from getting inside, and finally, we air sealed and insulated the fire place bump out. Metal fireplace housing is very leaky and there is nothing to stop the air from coming in. The metal housing also isn't insulated, letting the heat you paid for get lost to the other side of the fireplace. The very last step was to add supplemental weather stripping to the exterior door. This home was now way less drafty, had lower energy bills, and most importantly the temperatures were more even and the homeowners were much more comfortable.
Project Summary
Evaluator: Carl Depner
