High Energy Bills
A sudden surge in your energy bills, or even a gradual increase over the course of several months, indicates that something is wrong with your home.
Schedule Free InspectionDamaged crawl space? This is often caused by storms, groundwater, or a humid outside environment. Crawl space moisture raises home humidity, increasing electricity bills. Luckily, Tar Heel Basement Systems offers measures to prevent this from happening. Our crew is equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to do the job right the first time.
What Causes High Energy Bills
High Condensation
Condensation occurs when warm, humid air comes into your crawl space through open vents. This is similar to the stack effect. Also, groundwater that seeps into the soil under your crawl space evaporates over time, which makes the humidity rise. In both cases, water droplets form on wooden beams, pipes, and insulation in your crawl space when humid air mixes with cool air. At some point, the moisture will also evaporate, letting humid air into your home. Just like the other examples, this humid air makes your HVAC system work harder. No matter how it gets in, the humidity will make your energy bills go up.
Open Crawl Space Vents
When crawl spaces were first designed, open vents were supposed to reduce humidity levels. Even after thousands of people tried this notion, it still harms households today. Outside air can truly get into your home’s basement through open crawl space vents. If it’s humid outside, your crawl space will be humid as well. Your home’s floors will become saturated with humidity after years of letting it leak through open vents. To counteract the humidity, your HVAC system has to work overtime, resulting in higher energy costs.
The Stack Effect
The stack effect is one reason energy your bills may be high. All buildings have this happen to them for one simple reason: heat rises. Most of the time, the air in your crawl space is cooler than the air outside. But when your crawl space vents are open and warmer air can get in, the air below your crawl space starts to warm up. Since heat rises, this warm air will move through your floors and continue to rise until it reaches the ceiling. Warm air always rises, which makes it hard for your HVAC system to keep the temperature inside stable. Your energy bills go up again.
High Energy Bills
FAQs
Insulation is one of the best ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home because it keeps the heat or cold that your HVAC system makes inside. Encapsulating your crawl space is a good way to lower your energy bills because moisture directly causes an increase in energy use and costs, as well as helps prevent avoidable damage to your property. Professional crawl space encapsulation is a very flexible method that can be changed to fit your property’s specific needs and current state.
Your home and life can be affected by dampness and humidity. Most people can see damage to their homes and health problems. Most people don’t know that being wet can make you use more energy. Dry air is easier to condition and control than air that is humid. Remember that wetness and humidity can make your energy costs go up a lot. Damaged appliances, like water heaters that leak or sump pumps that don’t work right, can make your home more humid, damp, and prone to wasting energy. This drives up the price of energy.
Crawl spaces are more common than basements, so you or someone you know may have one. Moisture and humidity can also affect the basement. Moisture can enter your basement through leaking pipes or a hole in the basement walls, causing your home’s humidity level to rise. Warm air rises, just as it would in a crawl space, and fills the rest of your home. As the warm air flows, your HVAC system will have to work more to keep your home comfortable.
Explore Solutions
Crawl space encapsulation involves a combination of pieces of equipment, such as a crawl space sump pump, dehumidifier, vapor barrier, and more. Depending on the problem, total encapsulation may be required. However, if your crawl space is already encapsulated, then you may only need one of these components. Below, you can read more about Basement Authority’s crawl space repair and encapsulation solutions.
Call Us for a Free Inspection
The health of your crawl space affects your living environment. Open or damaged crawl spaces bring in air, moisture, and even pests. Once moisture and air get into the crawl space, mold, mildew, and musty odors emerge, making your home uncomfortable. Ignoring crawl space issues might undermine the structural integrity of your home.
If you live in Raleigh, Wilmington, or Northern North Carolina you might expect wet periods, thus your crawl space must be encapsulated and in good shape. Our team of professionals will evaluate your home at no cost or obligation to you. Contact us immediately!
