Location: Ceilings and Floors
Mission: Check insulation on pipes and ducts and in the attic.
We don’t normally spend a lot of time above the ceiling and below the floors in our house, but these are places where energy is commonly wasted.
Insulation
If you live in a house with an attic, ask an adult to make sure there is enough insulation. Insulation works like a thermos bottle. The insulation in the walls of the bottle keeps your soup hot and your drinks cold. The insulation in your house keeps your living area comfortable. If there is not enough insulation, air can creep down from the attic and drift up from the basement or crawl space, which makes your air conditioner and heater work harder.
Wrap Pipes and Ducts
When hot water leaves your water heater, it runs through pipes to your sink and tub. Exposed pipes should be wrapped with insulation. The insulation will keep the water hot until it reaches the sink and shower.
When air leaves your air conditioner and heater, it travels along tunnels called “ducts” to get to the vents in each room. During summer, the air conditioner sends cool air through the ducts. If hot air touches the ducts, it makes the cool air inside the duct get warmer. Have an adult wrap exposed ducts under the house or in the attic with insulation to make sure the hot air stays hot and the cold air stays cold.