Air Sealing Outlets
Air sealing is one of the most critical aspects of energy efficiency in a home. Having the best insulation but many air leaks will nullify the insulation and cause problems in some parts of your home. You’ll discover that there are many air leaks around ceiling and wall penetrations after a blower door test.
Like we've said before, if you wear your biggest sweater to keep you warm and walk outside in the cold, the wind will still rip right through it. All of that insulation the sweater offers is nullified by cold air. Once you create a barrier for that air, all of the insulating qualities of the sweater return. Your house is like that sweater, full of holes and gaps for air to leak through walls, switches, electrical outlets, etc.
Having cold air entering from exterior walls or gaps in the attic are a leading cause of discomfort in the home. Here are several ways to properly seal outlets and electrical boxes from air leaks. From an easy to install gasket to caulk and foam.
Foam Gaskets
Gaskets are the cheapest and easiest fix for leaky outlets and light switch boxes. The gaskets are made of a rubber material that compresses when the receptacle or light switch faceplates are added. Do not overtighten the faceplates because they can crack depending on the material the faceplate is made of. This will help keep most air from around the outlet box from blowing around the outlets into your home. This is the easiest method to seal an electrical box.
Foam Gaskets aren't always the best option. Sometimes the cover plate may still have gaps around the electrical box that needs to be sealed, and the foam gasket didn't reach.
Canned Spray Foam
The best way to seal the outlets is to seal the gaps around them. This can be tricky, especially when the drywall is already installed. Use a drywall saw to work around the electrical outlets and create a gap around the outlet box about 1/8" wide. Take your can foam and shake it up well. It also helps if it is kept warm, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Stick the can foam straw in, so it is past the rear of the box, and depress the trigger, slowly pulling the straw out as you dispense foam. Do this in all four corners. Then fill in along the edges of the outlet box.
It will take about 10 to 15 minutes before the foam has fully expanded and cured. Once the foam has cured, cut away any excess from the wall, and install an oversized outlet or switch plate cover. This switch plate cover will be large enough to cover the edges if there is any showing foam.
Caulk
If the air leakage is coming from inside your outlet box, the wire knockouts or more commonly called, holes, are not properly sealed. The first step is to remove power from the electrical boxes you want to work on. Plug a radio into the outlet that you want to seal and turn it up loud. Go to your electrical panel. If you do not know which breaker turns off the particular circuit you are plugged into, you will be able to tell when the radio shuts off when you have turned off the appropriate breaker.
You can also use a second person to assist you in this as toggling breakers in your home and assuming the power is turned off can be a safety hazard. Electrical outlet boxes are in the top 5 for electrical hazards in the house.
Always test an outlet after turning off the breaker to ensure that it is indeed dead.
Now remove the outlet cover and the outlet from the outlet box. Locate where the wires come through and caulk around the top of the wires. Be sure you get around the back of the wires also. Do not use regular can foam in outlet boxes. This canned spray foam is most times not fire rated for this use.
A combination of Caulk and Gaskets means that you don't have to create a larger gap in your walls to tackle the leakage and is a great combination for sealing electrical outlets. But again, you may need help for that one since you have to make sure the power is turned off where you're trying to work.
Using these methods will take away those annoying drafts that you feel and increase your home's efficiency. You may need to use multiple methods to seal your outlets and switch boxes fully.
Sustainable InteriYours performs Blower Door Tests in Maryland. This testing can show you which outlets are leaking within your home. Don’t you think doing these types of tests and work is worth it? Check out the benefit of this testing here. Contact us at info@siy.biz or through our Contact Us page here on the website. Want some more energy-saving tips? Here are 9 energy saving tips to get you started in saving money on your energy bills. Or follow us on Instagram @sustainableinteriyours.
