If you’re on a mission to reduce air leaks at home or in the workplace, knowing how to find a draught is essential. It can lead to a more comfortable, healthy and less costly way of life. A Smoke Pencil can help you do so! Finding obvious air gaps might be an easy task, but to properly air seal a building the less obvious air leaks also need to be identified.
Whether you’re testing air pressure for a Passivhaus development or draught proofing your current home, a Smoke Pencil allows all air leaks to be easily found – taking you a step closer to creating a draught-free environment.
How do you find draughts?
Draughts occur when unwanted gaps or openings in a building allow cold or warm air to pass through. Air leakage through these gaps can be caused by either the buoyancy effect (when a warm air causes a building to rise and expand, therefore creating gaps) or by the pressure differential created by wind blowing on a building.
One way of finding draughts is to hire a qualified technician to conduct an energy audit, but this doesn’t come cheaply. The Smoke Pencil, however, is the ultimate DIY Draught Detector that will help you pinpoint where draughts come from at a fraction of the cost. See here how
When using the Smoke Pencil, make sure to test the following areas:
- Chimneys and fireplaces
- Windows
- Doors – including letterboxes Between floorboards
- Around pipework
- Plug sockets and light fixtures
- Attics
- Cracks in walls
How do I use my Smoke Pencil Draught Detector?
After inserting AA batteries and pressing the trigger of a Smoke Pencil, a plume of smoke-like substance is released. This is generated from a harmless glycerine-like fluid which gives off a slightly sweet smell. If there is any air escaping through your doors, windows or walls, the smoke will be directed away from it’s expected path – showing you that this is an area that requires draught management. The Smoke Pencil allows you to not only feel the draught, but see it too.
