This time of year it is sometimes hard to get warm. Does your house have that one room that is always a few degrees colder than the rest of the house? Are there places in your home you don’t use this time of year? Look for the air leak if your house is cold or uncomfortable and seal them. This simple act will improve the comfort of the rooms in your home and cut your energy bills.
One of the most common places I find HUGE air leak are electrical outlets and light switches. Here is a thermal image of a light switch next to a window. You can see the dark area which shows cold air is 44 degrees inside the house. The way it is shaped shows that air leak is coming through the wall and around this outlet running up and down the wall.
If you remove the decorative cover plate there is a plastic box that holds the light switch in place. Use a silicone caulk to seal the box tight to the drywall or plaster surrounding the box. This will reduce the amount of air leak around the switch. There are also small insulation sleeves that you can put over the switch behind the cover plate. This will help as well, but caulk first.
