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Safely air-sealing your Home If you are done with insulating your walls, floors and ceiling, it is time to move on to some minor insulation work that can however go a long way. Note that there is a chance that even though you have managed to dress your home from head to toe in insulation, some things which have been left behind (as insignificant as they may seem) can affect the effectiveness of the installed material and jeopardize everything that you have invested and achieved with insulation. Well, we will herewith try to consider those small things that can help you increase the energy efficiency within your home, so please find below a few electrical outlets tips and tricks. If you are wondering why you should invest your time and money in such project, we will try to give you a few reasons: • First of all, insulating your outlets is not such a massive project, meaning that you can probably take care of all the outlets in your home in one day, so it will not require detailed and time consuming planning, • Another valuable fact is that it is not money consuming either, since it does not require expensive equipment and sophisticated materials. This is also connected to the fact that it can be a one-man job, meaning that you will not have to hire professional help, but do it yourself, • Probably the most important thing is the savings that proper outlet insulation can bring you. Namely, if you come to think about it, your outlets are actually holes in your walls that tend to get bigger in time, due to wall repair work, adding insulation etc. Well, as such they are a great source of air leaks and draughts coming from the outside why they are also a great source of energy loss. • Finally, if you have already decided to take the outlets out, now would be the perfect time to check whether anything needs to be repaired or whether any wire needs to be replaced. Outlet Insulation Instructions You will find it quite easy to insulate electrical outlets within your home if you follow the next few simple instructions and advices: 1. Our first advice on the matter is to always plan ahead. This means that you should never start any project before you have purchased everything you need and carefully planned everything you will have to do. This way you will save yourself a lot of time which could be wasted on interrupting your work and starting all over again simply because you have forgotten to gather all the tools or the gasket you have purchased is too small. This pre-planning involves a few things: Gathering all the tools which is not that complicated since everything you need is a screwdriver, a foam gasket that will fit your outlet, a circuit tester and probably some insulation material or some window sealant. In connection with the previously mentioned, you should always count the number of the outlets you plan on insulating and measure each and every one in order of purchasing just the right size. This is very important since buying a gasket that is a bit wider is not such a problem, but buying the one that is too small can jeopardize the entire project. 2. The next thing on our list concerns your safety. Since you will be dealing with wiring and electricity, it is extremely important to cut off the power within your home, best at the main panel. To stay on the safe side, always make sure the electricity is really off, by using a circuit tester. 3. Once you have made sure that it is safe to carry on with your outlet insulation project, it is time to remove the cover plate by using the adequate screwdriver you have previously obtained. 4. It is time to place the foam gasket onto the cover plate. Place the outlet cover face down and centre the gasket onto the cover so that the tacky side overlaps the cover. If you have listened to the previously given advice, measured your outlets and purchased the gasket accordingly, you will have no problems. Everything you might have to do is trim the gasket if it is too big. 5. Now is the time to use that insulation material (preferably spray foam) or the sealant you have previously bought to seal all the gaps and holes between the outlet and the surrounding wall. This way you will make sure that nothing gets in the way of your improved and insulated electrical outlet. 6. Finally, it is time to put back the cover now reinforced with the foam gasket in its original position and turn the power back on. You job is done! Learn more at Insulation Shop, the largest online insulation supplier and source of home insulation product in the UK.
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