Insulating electrical outlets/other holes in your house

[jeffg]

Our house is newer yet we notice cold air streaming in from the outlets, plumbing and other openings, even on interior walls (though the problem is much worse on exterior walls). We found this video on Lowe's site and are hoping for any first-hand experience, either with this product or other spray polyurethane insulation. Thanks!

If you can't make it through the video (we almost didn't) it claims an average house has energy waste equivalent to a 4-foot square opening in an exterior wall. Also if it's true that 30-50% of the energy to heat or cool an average house is wasted, that's a whole lot of energy.

 

[whirlcool]

When we moved into this house we insulated all the switch boxes and electrical outlets with those foam inserts made for that purpose. In addition around the boxes with the cover plates removed we used a clear silicone sealant to close the gap between the box and the wall. Then we went around and removed all the air registers and did the same there, filled in the gap between the ductwork and the wall.

We did this about 12 years ago. Did it work. Definitely, the house is less drafty now and we notice in the summer that the a/c doesn't switch on until noon or so.

 

[sudsmaster]

I also used the foam inserts on this '41 home. But equally if not more important was going up into the attic and sealing off the gaps around the wiring running down into the walls, as well as dong the same under the home for wiring run up from there. Sealing off these and many other air leaks as well as adding insulation to the attic (there was none) cut my winter gas consumption at least 30%, while reducing drafts and making the home more comfortable. More recently I renewed the weather stripping on the horizontal slider windows. That also seems to have had a major effect on air worthiness. I also got tired of some of the windows rattling in the wind even when closed. That doesn't happen any more!

 

[jeffg]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think the previous owners weren't the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.. They spent $20K for dual-pane windows all around the house, but wouldn't invest $8 in two cans of insulation to stop the cold air streaming in from the electrical outlets and plumbing cutouts in the kitchen. It's a two-story and the difference between floors is usually 20-30F.

 

[goatfarmer]

When we bought our house, a PO had insulated the electrical outlets. With the same type spray expanding foam.

 

Talk about a PITA to change outlets, etc.