Is your home losing heat?
We can help you discover where
Tackling home heat loss can eliminate draughts and make homes more comfortable to live in, while also reducing energy usage, which saves both money and carbon emissions.
Tackling home heat loss can eliminate draughts and make homes more comfortable to live in, while also reducing energy usage, which saves both money and carbon emissions.
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The AAFAF Warmer Homes group offers local residents a free home heat loss survey using a thermal imaging camera. Our support includes an initial twenty minute phone call to give us some understanding of your property and any issues you are concerned about. One of our surveyors then visits your property in the early evening, taking thermal images as you walk us round inside the house. This takes about 30-40 minutes. We follow up by sending you a report containing the images we have taken with comments about any obvious areas of heat loss. |
Image www.globalwarmingimages.net
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The thermal imaging camera measures the heat emitted by objects and shows it in a colour-coded way, so that colder areas are shown in blue and warmer ones in red. When used to survey a home, these kinds of problems are often highlighted:
- heat loss through windows
- draughts around doors and windows
- poorly insulated loft spaces
- slumped cavity wall insulation
- possible damp areas (which draw heat out of a building quicker than dry areas)
Some of these issues can be reduced quite simply. The effectiveness of drawing curtains can be demonstrated by the camera as shown in images 1 and 2. In several houses the camera has suggested that loft insulation is thin or patchy (image 3 - this owner emailed a few days after a survey to say:)
“We took the Christmas decorations down from the loft this afternoon so I took the opportunity to have a quick look at some of the areas the imaging showed up and right enough, there were places where insulation was thin or missing. A little DIY job to add to my list!”
Images 4 and 5 highlight draughts, which can often be quite cheaply rectified. More complex issues, such as cold walls or cold patches on walls, (image 6), might be from slumped cavity wall insulation or the walls being solid stone. These issues require more investigation to determine the right course of action.
“We took the Christmas decorations down from the loft this afternoon so I took the opportunity to have a quick look at some of the areas the imaging showed up and right enough, there were places where insulation was thin or missing. A little DIY job to add to my list!”
Images 4 and 5 highlight draughts, which can often be quite cheaply rectified. More complex issues, such as cold walls or cold patches on walls, (image 6), might be from slumped cavity wall insulation or the walls being solid stone. These issues require more investigation to determine the right course of action.
Over the last three winters we have carried out eighty surveys, which can only take place during winter months when the inside temperature is at least 10 degrees C higher than outside. We are continuing this service in 2024/5.
Comments about the surveys have been very positive, for example: “Many thanks for your trouble in doing this survey. There are some unexpected insights into where we lose heat, and we will definitely look at getting a Chimney Sheep.” Over half of those surveyed have told us of improvements they have made following on from our report.
Comments about the surveys have been very positive, for example: “Many thanks for your trouble in doing this survey. There are some unexpected insights into where we lose heat, and we will definitely look at getting a Chimney Sheep.” Over half of those surveyed have told us of improvements they have made following on from our report.
You can get some further ideas about saving energy in your home here, some of them more expensive and requiring expert advice. However if you are intending to do more extensive work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions do think about embodied carbon first.
We work closely with the Cumbria Action for Sustainability home energy team and we can refer you to them for further investigation or technical advice if needed - or you can contact them directly yourself.
We work closely with the Cumbria Action for Sustainability home energy team and we can refer you to them for further investigation or technical advice if needed - or you can contact them directly yourself.
Send us an email at aafaf.warmerhomes@gmail.com to find out more or to book a heat loss survey of your house, leaving your address and a phone number. All of your details and the outcome of the survey are kept confidential and are only accessible to our surveyors.
Warmer Homes Ambleside
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