One of The Biggest Air Leaks You Don’t Know About

Hidden Energy Leak in Your Bathroom? Here’s How to Fix It

There is a gap in your home that you may not know about and it is inviting cold air inside and wasting energy.  It’s a giant energy waster in your home.  It’s equivalent to leaving your window open a few inches all day.  Have a guess as to what the culprit is?

I’m sorry to say, but actually, the source of the problem is our friends—the plumbers. They cut into the subfloor to make room for the drain assembly at the bottom of a bathtub or sink. Consequently, this leaves a large opening, which unfortunately creates a major air leak. Over time, this leak allows cold air to enter your home and, in turn, costs you money on your heating bills.

Previously, we discussed sealing windows with caulk and replacing old weatherstripping. As a result, you’ve likely already started saving some energy. However, to maximize comfort and efficiency, it’s now time to seal this huge and hidden air leak as well.

Here’s how it happens. To install a drain assembly at the bottom of a bathtub, they need to make a larger hole.
This extra space gives them room to connect the pipes. Unfortunately, the big hole leaves the space below open and exposed. Cold air rises through the hole in your subfloor, increasing your heating bills.

If you have a first-floor bathroom over a crawl space or unheated basement you probably have this “bathtub hole”. You can save money and do this yourself. 

The Best Ways to Plug the Leak

1. Look under your bathroom drain assembly and patch the hole with pieces of foam board and screw it into place to block the air leak.
2. Seal any gaps with spray foam insulation.
3. Take it a step further by installing galvanized panning material. Secure it to the underside of your subfloor using sheet metal screws.

By sealing this hole you can save money and get some added comfort to your home!  Follow our Warm & Cozy Home Guide to learn more and as always if you’re interested in saving up to 40% on your energy bills call us (888) 812-2783 and we can educate you on the latest home exterior technology to keep your home warm. Our windows, siding, roofing and door products offer both energy efficiency and lifetime protection.  We look forward to hearing from you!