Energy Efficient Home – Winterize

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:42:45 +0000

Baseball season is over, and football season is in full swing. You know what that means: we’re gearing up for wintertime. With the change in weather, it’s time to make some changes in our homes to make sure that they are more energy efficient. There a lot of easy, little things you can do around your house to make a big difference.

A great idea that goes a long way is adding insulation. If your hot water heater is more than seven years old, wrap it in a pre-cut jacket or blanket, available at hardware stores. While you’re at it, check out attic insulation products. Insulating your attic, especially the roof, will prevent (or at least diminish) heat transfer from the room to your roof, which causes snow to melt and then freeze.

An even easier project would be to install a programmable thermostat, which costs about $50-$80, but saves an average of $180 each year. All you have to do is program it to automatically lower the temperature while you’re not home or sleeping. Also keep in mind that you won’t need as much heat if you’re cooking or baking– turn down the thermostat and let your stove or oven warm up your house!

Also be sure to check the weather stripping and caulking around your doors and windows. If it’s peeling, cracked, or just plain old, repair or replace it as needed. What’s even better– though quite a bit more expensive and involved– is investing in energy efficient, dual-paned windows.

Finally, saving some of the simplest for last, are two DIY solutions for winterizing your home. First, on those gloriously sunny winter days, open your blinds and/or curtains and let the sun warm your rooms! Just before the sundown, close them back up, and trap the warmth inside. Second, combat shrinking wooden doors and sneaky drafts by getting a couple draft blockers for you doors. Or, better yet, make them yourself with a simple sewing project that involves material, thread, and rice!

Want more ideas to winterize your home, email Brian at brian@phillydiy.com.

Saving on the Home Energy Bill

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:03:59 +0000

In these tough times everyone looks to save where they can. It’s very easy to save this winter with a few easy tips designed to make even the most inexperienced into thinking green and saving their hard-earned cash. Use less energy through not only reducing waste, but also through optimizing efficiencies with existing equipment! See my money saving tips below to begin spending smarter for utilities:

HEATING:
• The single-most cost-cutting measure is to replace your dial thermostat with a programmable digital model. These are widely available and relatively inexpensive (retails for approximately $20 at your local hardware store etc.). BENEFITS: through programmable times and temperatures you can enjoy a savings of about 10% per year by turning your thermostat down 10 – 15% when you are sleeping or out of the house.
• Clean your furnaces and boilers. Change filters and remove excess dust and dirt from the flute. Also, bleed radiators until all air is removed from the system.
• Check all windows for cracks and drafts. Repair any cracks with caulk (silicone outside, standard, paint-able caulk inside). If extremely drafty (and replacing the window is not in the budget) apply standard window film to keep drafts to a minimum.
• Check doors for drafts. If drafty apply weatherstripping (available at any hardware store, etc. for approximately $10) and make sure seal is snug after application for maximum benefit.
• Direct airflow into most used rooms while decreasing the flow in rooms seldom used.

LIGHTING:

• As summer comes to an end, we see less sunlight and more darkness. Our lights are used more inside our homes and thus our lighting costs increase substantially. To lower these costs we can do many little things that cost very little but make a huge impact. Aside from keeping lights turned off in rooms unoccupied, energy saving bulbs are a wonderful addition to any cost-cutting or environmentally conscious consumer. These hard working bulbs last up to 10 years and can reduce energy expenditures by up to 20%. *One note about these bulbs* When turning them on they warm up to their brightest state. Unlike traditional bulbs, they take a moment to achieve the brightest possible state.

WATER:

• Invest in an inexpensive shower-head that restricts water-flow but increases pressure – no lack of water-pressure with these heads.
• Wrap the hot water heater with a (fiberglass reinforced, water heater wrap available in home-improvement stores for approximately $30). When your traditional hot water heater need replacing, invest in an instant hot water heater that will drastically reduce residual hot water heating costs as water will be heated “as needed”. These can be moderately priced but will pay for themselves within one year through the energy savings achieved.
• Do not leave the water running when doing dishes. Use an energy-saving dishwasher when possible but otherwise, fill up a dishpan of hot, soapy water and rinse dishes with cool water.

APPLIANCES:

• Washing machines should be run with a FULL LOAD ONLY. When it needs replacing, move to a highly efficient, energy-saving model.

CEILING FANS:
• Not all ceiling fans are created equal. An economy ceiling fan will move minimal air while higher quality ceiling fans will prove to be a wise investment. A high quality ceiling fan will have a blade pitch of 13 degree or greater.
• When utilizing good quality ceiling fans, they can be of great value to you during the winter months. Reverse the blades to circulate heat (which will naturally rise to the ceiling) and push it down to the living spaces. They can reduce heating bills by approximately 10 % per season.

» Home Effeciency

Energy Efficient Home – Winterize

Saving on the Home Energy Bill