The Biggest Air Leak In House That You Don’t Know About

There’s a hole in your home that you probably don’t know is wasting energy and inviting warm and cold air inside. Do you know where it is?

You’ve probably caulked your windows and regularly replaced weatherstripping around your doors. But if you think you’ve taken care of all of the leaks in your house, you’re wrong.

The biggest leak in your home is right in front of your face… Actually, right under your feet.

Plumbers often cut a hole in the subfloor to make room for drain assembly at the bottom of the bathtub. Because drain assembly can be giant and cumbersome, plumbers compensate by making the hole larger than it really needs to be to allow for some room to connect pipes. Unfortunately for homeowners, this hole is all too often left open.

How do you know if you have this hole

You’re probably wondering how you’re supposed know if you have this hole that’s causing an air leak in your house that you haven’t sealed up, yet. If you have a first floor bathroom over a crawl space or unheated basement, chances are likely you have one. This “bathtub hole” can waste as much energy as leaving your window open a few inches. Not only that, but it creates a hole that critters can crawl into to invade your home!

The best way to plug this air leak

Some plumbers plug up this hole with a bunch of loose insulation. Which isn’t a perfect solution as the insulation can deteriorate over time. The best way to plug up this hole is to:
Crawl under the bathroom to inspect the drain assembly
Patch the opening with pieces of foam board cut to fit around the pipes, screwed into place
Seal any remaining gaps up with spray foam insulation

While the above method is a great DIY solution, the best option is to seek a permanent solution from a professional plumber. For help sealing up the air leak in house and to get the job done right, contact A-Abel plumbing for assistance!