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This article discusses
home energy savings.
There are a number of simple maintenance chores to attend to before
getting into high cost, energy-saving investments in insulation, solar
energy, etc..
• Plug the
holes. Weather stripping, caulking, and patching foundation cracks are
always worthwhile. Adding storm or combination windows in front of
existing window sashes may be cost-effective, depending on
circumstances. Replacing existing windows with double-glazed units can
rarely be justified on the basis of cost alone in temperate areas of
country. Double panes are also tough to replace if broken. Tip: If your
windows are equipped with screening, but lack storm sash, covering them
with plastic sheets looks awful, but works well. Don't make the house
too tight and stuffy, however. It's not comfortable, and can lead to
moisture buildup, rotting, and mildew inside walls. Really tight houses
may need a small fan (more like a kitchen range fan than the large attic
fans in many older homes) to draw out moisture from time to time.
• Check the furnace. Caution: Don't depend on oil-burner service people
to keep it clean. Even if they do, they'll only handle cleaning once a
year. That's not enough.
There are several devices available for checking burner efficiency.
Contact your local gas utility (the person to talk to usually has a
title like "energy conservation liaison"), county energy conservation~
office I many areas have them), or plumbing and heating contractor for a
test. Utilities and gm-ornament offices do it free; contractors charge
about 530.
See
energy savings
for more information.
Have the
contractor change the oil (or gas) burner nozzle for the spring and
summer. A smaller nozzle cuts the burning rate 30%. It saves fuel
(especially in hot air or water systems).
Heating system modifications. Units that close the flue when the burner
is not operating are rarely cost-effective at current prices ($400
installed).
Other s\-stem modifications to consider first: (1) Old. open-circulating
hot water systems (the expansion tank is under the roof, and vents to
the outside) should be converted to pressurized systems with a
circulating pump and expansion tank in the basement. (2) Zoning heat (to
reduce now to all but bedroom area at night) may be worthwhile to do at
same time. (3) Fan on hot air furnace should be wired to continue
running when the furnace burner is off-that increases the electrical
bill slightly, but improves comfort and cuts fuel bills by decreasing
stratification (hot air at top of room, cool near floor). (4) Day/night
thermostats, or even computerized units to change desired temperature at
various times during the day, are usually cost-effective especially if
you're about to replace old thermostats anywhere due to normal wear. (5)
In flue heat exchangers are usually worthwhile ($150 to $300 installed),
especially on older furnaces (plenty of wasted heat in flue to capture)
and where heat can be ducted to nearby living space. Problem: Units
require frequent maintenance and cleaning. The task is messy, but simple
and worthwhile.
•
Radiators. Oldest are best. Cast-iron radiators even out the flow of
heat from furnace, circulate air in rooms by convection. Leave them
uncovered and undraped (drapes should end at the bottom of a window, or
fall behind the radiators). Covers, if you insist on them for looks,
should offer wide spaces for air flow in front and above radiators
themselves. Avoid covers with solid tops. Paint radiators a flat black.
Shiny silver cuts efficiency.
• Hot water heaters. Often set at 160°. Cut to 140 ° if you have
dishwasher (you may have to insulate hot water line to distant kitchen;
low-cost kits are available from builders' supply houses), 110 ° without
dishwasher. Consider a booster unit to heat water for dishwashing only
(see plumbing contractor). Average family uses 26,000 gallons of hot
water per year. That takes more energy than refrigerator, TV, stove,
freezer, and lights combined.
• Air conditioners. Buy units of correct size for room. Common mistake:
Buying a bigger unit because it costs only a few dollars more. This
wastes money in the long run. Keep filters clean-change them once a
month in summer. Install the air conditioner on the north side of the
building, if possible. Reason:
It's the side that keeps the coolest in the summer. Central air
conditioning: The condenser should be on the north side for the same
reason. If located elsewhere, shield it from the sun.
• Sign of
wasted heat: Quickly melting snow on the roof of the house indicates
that heat is being lost because of poor attic insulation.
• Test for air leaks: On a windy day, hold a lighted candle near the
frames of doors and windows. If the name flickers, there are leaks that
need sealing.
• Don't plant tall evergreens on any side of the house but the north.
Otherwise the sun's warming rays will be blocked in the winter.
• Energy conservation trap: Too-tight insulation reduces air
circulation, which increases humidity and allows bacteria to breed.
Solution: A dehumidifier.
• Wrap up your water heater. An average 14% of the heat from a water
heater escapes into the house, lowering the heater's efficiency and
raising cooling costs. Solution: Install insulation, which shouldn't
cost very much, around the heater. Energy savings should pay for the kit
within a year.
• Quartz heaters. Advertising claims are greatly exaggerated. Their
energy efficiency is about the same as other electric space heaters.
Ads
implying that quartz heaters are a technological innovation are
nonsense. They have been on the market for over 20 years.
• Attic fans. Proper use: When evening temperatures drop, open house
windows and turn on the fan. It will draw in the cool night air. Next
morning, shut off the fan, close all windows, and draw all drapes. The
temperature in a well-insulated house will stay comfortable all day.
Attic fans are relatively inexpensive (about $ 500) and they use only a
small portion of the energy of central air conditioning.
• Save hot water. Shower: Remove the shower head, and insert a common
washer inside the threaded end of the head, as far as it will go. Then
reattach the head. This will cut water flow by half. The cost is about
10<1:. Or use a plastic or metal water restrictor that fits behind the
shower head and doesn't decrease spray intensity. Taps: An aerator will
reduce water flow by 50%. (Brass disk aerators last longer than rubber
or plastic ones.) Dishwasher: Wash only full loads. Don't rinse the
plates beforehand, just scrape them clean.
• Energy-saving cooking. Rules: (1) Use the smallest pot and the least
amount of water possible to speed up cooking time. (2) Bring water to a
boil on high heat, then cook on medium heat. (3) Match the pot size with
the size of the electric range element. Discard wobbly pots with uneven
bottoms. They don't distribute heat evenly and can cause accidents.
• Plug up
the damper in your fireplace with insulation or wood. Saving: $20 to $45
a year for Snowbelt areas.
• Seal holes in the attic floor where pipes, ducts, and exhaust fans cut
through. Potential saving: $25 to $80 each year.
• Extend caulking or weather stripping beyond windows and doors. Other
areas worth looking into: Baseboards, wall outlets, pipes, wires, and
vents. Covering heating or air conditioning ducts that pass through
unfinished attics or basements alone can save up to $100 a year in
heating and $35 a year in central air conditioning for many houses.
• Roofing in warm climates. Consider aluminum asbestos-fib rated roof
coatings that reflect heat. They cost more to install, but there's
sizable saving in air-conditioning costs when the aluminum is compared
to black asphalt (which absorbs heat).
Source: Consumer Information Center
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