Infiltration or air leakage is major cause of energy wastage in buildings. 
What can be done about it in order to make your home more energy efficient?
What is Infiltration?
Infiltration is the loss or gain of untreated an unregulated air through gaps and crevices
around windows, doors, roofs, sky lights etc.
These gaps could be minute or considerable depending on the workmanship,
type of material and design, age of the installation etc.
What are the causes?
The movement of air in or out of a building is due to wind blow causing an increase or decrease
in pressure to force the air through.
The infiltration can also take place through the porosity of the building envelope material as well.
This may be due to partial pressure difference of air.How does this lead to Energy Wastage?
With the movement of air in or out of a building without a regulation several undesirable occurrences take place.
- In the winter the heated air from within the building leak out while to compensate this cold dry air rushes in.
The energy used to heat the indoor air is lost while to heat up the fresh air more fuel burn up.
The fresh air is dry and causes an imbalance in comfort humidity level within the space.
More humidity is therefore added through humidifiers which represent a loss of energy and also water.
- In the summer a reverse process takes place.
The Hot and humid out side air representing an additional heat load leak in pushing conditioned cool air out.
More energy is used by the Air conditioner to lower and stabilize the indoor temperature and humidity.
The leaked out conditioned air is a considerable loss in energy.
- The unconditioned fresh air will bring in pollutants such as spores, pollen, ticks and mites,
microbes, dust etc. This necessitates efficient filters which tend to get clogged soon due to their miniscule air passages.
They therefore require more power to push air through.
What are the possible remedial actions?
The remedial action is to seal off these crevices and gaps in and around windows and doors,
seal the gaps in pipe and duct penetrations, roofs and ceilings etc.
Moisture ingress and air infiltration through the walls can be minimized by the use of water
sealant paints, vapor barrier films and foils etc.
What assistance can ENTECH provide you?We provide the following services to you with view to
enable you obtain the financial grants offered by the HES program of SEI.
- Provision of free information and guiding on HES program, BER
Advisory reports, routing the services of accredited BER assessors in your area etc.
- Provision of estimates based on the initial BER Advisory Report.
- Supply and installation of purpose made fire rated non toxic weather stripping and fittings.
- Supply and apply vapor sealant coats, vapor barrier films and foils of your choice on the walls etc.
- Retrofitting roofs and ceilings
- Modifying entrance areas to incorporate aesthetic air locks
- And any other related service
Contacting us
For information on infiltration call us on 1890 245 345 or please complete our
Free
online enquiry form...click here
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