No matter how well your home is insulated, drafts around doors, windows and plumbing fixtures can increase your energy costs. These drafts are especially common in older homes, which may not be as thoroughly insulated as more recent construction.

Locating drafts and sealing them thoroughly is one method of improving home insulation. Fortunately, there are a number of different, easy ways you can locate drafts in your home, several of which are quite simple and require no special tools.

Where to Check for Home Insulation Problems

You may find air leaks in a number of areas in your home. Some of the most common include:

• Areas around window air conditioners, light fixtures and radiators
• Circuit-breaker box
• Doors
• Ductwork
• Electrical outlets
• Exhaust vents
• Places where plumbing penetrates outside walls
• Windows.

Using a Leak Detector

One way to locate drafts in your home is to use a thermal leak detector. This is a small, hand-held electronic device that detects changes in air temperature.

While leak detectors are useful tools, they are more expensive than some of the other methods for detecting leaks. However, leak detectors are able to quickly isolate the draft that needs to be sealed.

Other Ways to Locate Drafts

The simplest way to locate drafts in your home is to wait for a windy day and then light a candle. Carefully pass the flame around the edges of doors, windows and other areas where you suspect leaks. If the flame flickers as you do this, you have a draft.

You can isolate the draft by making smaller passes around the window or door until you have pinpointed the exact location of the leak. You can then either mark the leak for your contractor to fix, or seal the leak yourself with caulking, sealant, insulation or weather stripping.

Another way to locate these drafts is to drape kitchen plastic wrap over a coat hanger and pass it along areas where you suspect leaks. If the leak is around a window frame, you may need to install additional wall insulation to reduce the drafts. Many homeowners will also use a window insulation kit to reduce drafts around windows.

Hiring a Professional

You should be able to find many of the leaks in your home using a leak detector or other method. However, hiring a contractor to do a more thorough energy audit of your home will help find additional trouble spots, such as leaks in your foundation or attic.

The contractor will be able to use special tools, such as a blower door, to measure air leaks and also give you specific tips on things you can do to minimize air leakage. While hiring a professional may be costly, identifying and fixing these problems will help you save money on heating and cooling costs in the long run.