Calling all junior detectives! Use your sleuthing skills to spot sneaky leaks.
Is it a GHOST or a drafty window? Did a BLACK CAT just cross your path, or is there a breeze sneaking in under a door? Is your bedroom HAUNTED, because it’s always chilly — even when the heat’s on? If any of this sounds familiar, there may be energy mysteries in your home — and YOU can help solve them.
Here’s what you’ll need in your energy sleuth’s detective kit:
- Post-it notes (Write: “BOO! An energy ghost lives here!” on at least 12 of them)
- Craft feathers (the feathery the better!)
- Flashlight
- Thermometer (optional, for comparing room temps)
Ready for your first mission? Grab your energy sleuth’s detective kit and your grown-up because we’re going on a home energy ghost hunt.
Mystery #1: The ghost in the window.
Windows let you keep a friendly eye on the world outside, but sometimes they let in more than you’re bargaining for.
DETECTION: On a windy day — the windier the better! — grab the lightest feather from your kit. Very slowly move the feather around the edges of every window in your house. It’ll help you detect unwanted airflow around window frames, doors, baseboards, electrical outlets, crawlspaces, registers, and attic doors.
When your feather is “tickled” you’ve found a draft ghost! Sound the alarm (we recommend a ghoulish howl) and mark it with a BOO note.
Fresh out of feathers? Run your hand under cold water and you’ll be able to feel the ghostly drafts for yourself!
SOLUTION: For a low-cost fix, your grown-up partner can use clear weatherstripping or a window insulation kit to seal the gaps and keep warm air inside. For more hot tips on air sealing and insulation, be sure to check out this article!
Mystery #2: The case of the chilly door.
DETECTION: Make a list of all the doors in your home — front door, back door, sliding door, side door. Do any of them feel colder near the bottom? Can you see light coming in around the edges? Take a piece of paper and close it in the door. Then, try pulling it out. If it slides out easily, air is probably slipping through there, too!
SOLUTION: Add a door sweep or a rolled-up towel to block the draft. Feeling crafty? You can make and decorate your own “draft snake.”
Mystery #3: The clue of the cold floor.
DETECTION: On a chilly day, take your socks off — if you dare! — and walk around your home. Pay extra close attention to areas where your toes feel chilly. If you feel a cold spot, mark it with a BOO note.
SOLUTION: Ask your grown-up if you can help them pick out a few area rugs. You can even grab your flashlight and head down to your basement or crawlspace to look for leaks. Insulation and air sealing can help stop chilly floors.
Mystery #4: The secret of the whistling outlets.
Did you know cold air can sneak in through electrical outlets? Especially on outside-facing walls!
DETECTION: On a windy day, place the palm of your hand gently over light switches or outlets near exterior walls. Feel a tickle of air? That’s a hidden leak! Mark it with a BOO note.
SOLUTION: Encourage your grown-ups to take you on a field trip to your local hardware store to buy outlet gaskets. These inexpensive insulating foam pads go behind outlet covers — they’re easy to install and super helpful.
