Cold air coming through eletrical outlets.

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swimmer_spe

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In my kitchen I noticed a draft. It was coming from a wall outlet on an exterior wall.
Are there simple solutions for this, or an I going to have to rip the drywall apart?
 
I would try some great stuff spray foam before I ripped the wall apart. take off the outlet cover and see if there is a big gap around the Jbox where air is blowing in.

It is not the best fix because air / wind is getting in some place but in the middle of the winter it will seal it up I would think.
 
So, I removed the cover on the outlet. It has one of those foam things for it. I am replacing it with a new one.

Without tearing apart the wall, is there any safe option to insulate the box?
 
So, I removed the cover on the outlet. It has one of those foam things for it. I am replacing it with a new one.

Without tearing apart the wall, is there any safe option to insulate the box?

I doubt if there is a fix for it with much less that a vapour barrier.

Air is sucked into a house as it is needed to replace fire air and bath fan and people.
Do you have fresh air intake near the furnace?
When the pressure is higher inside, the warm air will leak out. That is worse as that warm air has moisture in it that will condense in the walls.
 
I doubt if there is a fix for it with much less that a vapour barrier.

Air is sucked into a house as it is needed to replace fire air and bath fan and people.
Do you have fresh air intake near the furnace?
When the pressure is higher inside, the warm air will leak out. That is worse as that warm air has moisture in it that will condense in the walls.

There are 2 pipes from outside directly plumbed to my furnace. One is intake, one is exhaust.
 
There are 2 pipes from outside directly plumbed to my furnace. One is intake, one is exhaust.
So that is fire air. You don't have replacement air for all the other stuff.
It has to come from somewhere. If you crack a window open a touch somewhere in the house will the draft change? We used to see air run right into the return air, I think that would allow the house to pressure up and cause mold at all the leaks.
 
So that is fire air. You don't have replacement air for all the other stuff.
It has to come from somewhere. If you crack a window open a touch somewhere in the house will the draft change? We used to see air run right into the return air, I think that would allow the house to pressure up and cause mold at all the leaks.

My cold air return for the duct work is in my living room, about 20 feet away.
 
My cold air return for the duct work is in my living room, about 20 feet away.
Yeah, they used to run an outside air intake into the return air. Then you would be pushing warm air out those leaks I think you best bet is to have fresh air coming in somewhere so the pressure difference inside to outside is neutral. If testing that with an open window proves that the drafts decreases then you could add a fresh air vent somewhere.
 
Most common cause is the attic and or crawl space have not been air sealed.
The wires to supply the power is ran through the top or bottom plates inside the wall.
If the holes have never been sealed with expanding foam cold air can get in.
 

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