How to Seal Electrical Outlets Against Air Leaks
According to an article by Dan Thompson in E Building Envelope Forum, 20 percent of all heat loss occurs around electrical boxes located in outside walls. Sealing electrical outlets against these air leaks is actually a two step process. Minimal expanding foam is used to fill in the gaps between the outside of the box and the finished wall, and then a foam gasket is employed to keep out any air that enters the box around the cables and through the unused cable entries. The same steps should be taken to leak-proof any electrical switches that are mounted in outside walls. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Small 1 inch wide paint brush
- Rubber gloves
- Minimal expanding foam (aerosol cans)
- Razor knife
- Foam gaskets for receptacles
- Foam gaskets for switches
Instructions
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1
Turn off the circuit breaker or remove the screw-in Edison Base fuse protecting the receptacles that you will be working on. Safety should be your first thought when working around electricity. You won't be working inside the box, and there shouldn't be any reason to come into contact with the live terminals on the receptacles or switches, but it's best to deactivate the circuit just to err on the side of safety.
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Remove all the receptacle covers. To keep from losing the cover screws, screw them back into the receptacles.
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3
Using the paint brush, remove any dirt and loose particles from between the outer edge of the boxes and the wall finish so the foam has a clean, firm surface to adhere to. As an added precaution, wipe the wall surface off with a damp sponge.
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4
Using the straw applicator that comes with the aerosol can, run a small bead of minimal expanding foam around the outside of each box. The foam will expand to fill the gap quickly. Add more if needed. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when using this foam because it's extremely difficult to get off your skin once it starts to set up, which is almost immediately.
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Allow the minimal expanding foam to set for 24 hours, and then trim even with the wall surface with the razor knife.
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6
Place foam gaskets over the receptacles and over the switches, and replace the cover plates.
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7
Turn the circuit breaker back on or replace the Edison Base screw-in fuse.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit electrical outlet image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
