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My electric bill dropped by $45 last month after I finally sealed all my windows
I live in an old house in Portland and always thought the drafts were just something I had to live with. Last month I bought a $20 tube of caulk and spent a Saturday afternoon sealing every window frame. My bill came yesterday and it was $45 lower than the same month last year. That's a huge chunk of change I wasn't expecting, and it means my heater isn't working overtime. Has anyone else seen a big drop from a simple fix like this?
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bell.evan2mo ago
My old apartment in Seattle had a gap under the front door you could see daylight through. I stuffed a rolled-up towel there as a temporary fix and my cat immediately claimed it as his new favorite bed. The draft stopped and he napped there for three years.
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umamoore2mo ago
That sounds like a fire hazard to me.
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jones.grace21d ago
That's a good question for umamoore - what exactly makes sealing drafts a fire hazard in your mind? I've been reading and the only real danger is if you seal up gas appliances too tight or block ventilation for combustion, but basic window caulking doesn't interfere with anything like that. Most fire safety experts actually recommend sealing drafts because it keeps your home safer by reducing the load on your heating system. Properly applied caulk and weatherstripping are standard maintenance items in any house, not something that creates risk. If you're concerned about blocking escape routes, that's a different issue than sealing cracks in the walls.
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