Despite it still being summer outside, some of us are already thinking ahead to winter. Have you caulked windows and\u00a0replaced weatherstripping\u00a0on your doors? Good for you. But if you think you\u2019ve sealed up all your air leaks, you\u2019re in for a shock.<\/p>\n
The biggest air leak in your home is right under your nose.<\/p>\n
Or, underfoot, more accurately.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the hole that a plumber cuts in the subfloor to make room for the drain assembly at the bottom of a bathtub. Because the drain assembly is big, plumbers make way for it by cutting a generous-size hole that gives them some \u201cwiggle room\u201d when connecting\u00a0plumbing pipes. This big hole often is left open to the space below.<\/p>\n
If you have a first-floor bathroom over a\u00a0crawl space\u00a0or unheated\u00a0basement, you likely have one of these giant energy wasters in your home.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving that big hole for the bathtub drain can waste about as much energy as leaving one of your windows open a few inches, all day, every day,\u201d says Allison Bailes III, president of energy consultant firm\u00a0Energy Vanguard<\/span>. \u201cThe main difference is that you can easily close the window, but most people don\u2019t even know about this other open window.\u201d<\/p>\n And important to note, that hole also is big enough for good-size critters to crawl inside your home!<\/p>\n