That small opening in your exterior wall where your pet door is located may not seem like much of an energy waster, but if it could be costing you plenty in utility bills. The best pet doors lock conditioned air in and keep unconditioned air out so they don’t compromise your home’s efficiency.
Here are some suggestions on how you can stop wasting energy through your pet door.
Choosing the Right Pet Door
Pet doors with sturdy plastic flaps that fit tightly in the openings are among the most energy-efficient models. One flap should open to the outside, while the other is located inside. The double flap design traps air between them so that extra insulation keeps your home’s air from leaking out. An even better model is the pet door with triple flaps.
Flaps with magnet locks that snap into place are also helpful because the flaps won’t blow about in the wind. If your current pet door doesn’t have magnets, you can add them.
Locking Features
There are many types of locking mechanisms for pet doors. Some may open either through sensing a key in the pet’s collar or by being synchronized with the pet’s chip. Either way, they keep unwanted animals, such as raccoons, feral cats and rats from entering your home through the pet door. Electronic models are also available that unlock the door to let the pet out and lock it when it comes back in.
Pet doors are also available that allow you to operate them remotely through an app. Imagine: You’re watching Fido on a security camera. You see he wants out when he goes to the door; you can actually open and close the door for him from wherever you are.
Tight Installation
No matter what style of pet door you have, it should be installed tightly, with all sides flush against the opening so that air can’t leak in or out. If you find air leaks around the frame, fix them with weatherstripping or caulk
For more on pet doors, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing of Indianapolis.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
