Tips to make your home more energy-efficient

Winter is as set in as it’s going to be and you already may be noticing higher utility bills as a result of the cold weather. Kevin Brenner, an energy efficiency expert and CEO of GetHealthyHome.com, offers these tips on how to make your home more energy-efficient: – HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT: Conduct an energy …

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Do Your Part: Energy-efficient upgrades under $50

Do you cringe when your utility bills arrive during these cold winter months? You can Do Your Part to save a lot of money when you make a few energy efficient upgrades. Don’t worry; you won’t have to shell out a lot of money to make a big difference. Here are my top seven upgrades …

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CO detectors not required in Manitoba Housing units

A Winnipeg woman says she was shocked to learn that carbon monoxide detectors are not required in public housing units, including the townhouse where a friend lives. Alison Nye said her 27-year-old friend, who is pregnant and has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, felt nauseous and dizzy after her furnace started making banging noises on Dec. …

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VIEWPOINT: Avoid the ‘silent killer’

The Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department’s recommendation to buy and purchase a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm should be heeded by homeowners. CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline and wood. This problem can occur in any device which depends on burning …

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Happy home heating: Some eco-friendly steps to keep warm in these colder months

Member of the Islands’ Energy Coalition  Happy New Year from the Energy Matters crew. With the holidays behind us and winter in full swing, we thought it would be a good time to talk a little about home heating. The steps to saving energy are often small and incremental, so let’s look at how we …

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Tips to make your home more energy-efficientDo Your Part: Energy-efficient upgrades under $50CO detectors not required in Manitoba Housing unitsVIEWPOINT: Avoid the ‘silent killer’Happy home heating: Some eco-friendly steps to keep warm in these colder months

Jan
22

Tips to make your home more energy-efficient

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Winter is as set in as it’s going to be and you already may be noticing higher utility bills as a result of the cold weather.

Kevin Brenner, an energy efficiency expert and CEO of GetHealthyHome.com, offers these tips on how to make your home more energy-efficient:

- HAVE AN ENERGY AUDIT: Conduct an energy assessment with a professional. Some utility companies now offer free or low-cost assessments. It’s much easier to address problem areas in your home once you can identify them.

- EASY CHANGES TO MAKE: Change a few simple things in your home for optimum energy performance, such as:

- Open curtains and shades on south facing windows to allow the warmth of the sun in.

- Re-caulk old windows.

- Move your furniture off of drafty exterior walls and onto interior walls.

- Replace air filters regularly.

- Install high grade weather stripping around doors.

- Use ceiling fans to circulate the air; in the winter, reverse the fan to pull the air up.

- Close the fireplace damper when not in use, or go a step further and install a chimney balloon to prevent drafts.

- Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees.

- Replace leaky faucets they are an energy drainer and install low-flow aerators.

- UPGRADE OR REPAIR APPLIANCES: Overhaul or replace furnaces, hot water heaters and appliances that are a major energy drain. Said Brenner: “The initial investment will pay off in the long run, and you may even qualify for a discount or rebate on the improvements.”

- Replace an older furnace with a high efficiency system: If your furnace was built before 1992 and has a standing pilot, it probably wastes 35 percent of the fuel it uses, and it is probably near the end of its service life.

- Improve the efficiency of your hot water system: First, turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120 degrees). Second, insulate your hot water lines so they don’t cool off as quickly between uses. Third, use low-flow fixtures for showers and baths.

- Make your New Year’s resolution to only buy appliances with the “Energy Star” sticker from here on. They will make your house energy-efficient and also give you a higher energy rating when the next buyer comes in. (Look for front-loading washers and dryers with a turn-off sensor.)

- KEEP YOUR RECORDS: Be a good historian of your home, the same way you keep your medical history, because the space we live in is one of the most influential factors in our health and well being. Document everything!

Kevin Brenner, energy efficiency expert and CEO of GetHealthyHome.com, is on a crusade to help Americans make their homes healthier and more energy-efficient.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/

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Jan
22

Do Your Part: Energy-efficient upgrades under $50

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Do you cringe when your utility bills arrive during these cold winter months? You can Do Your Part to save a lot of money when you make a few energy efficient upgrades. Don’t worry; you won’t have to shell out a lot of money to make a big difference. Here are my top seven upgrades for less than $50.

DIY Door Sweep

This is one of the quickest, cheapest, and easiest ways to save money instantly. A door sweep is something that attaches to the bottom of your door to keep the cold air out. For a couple bucks, you can attach a thin piece of rubber to the door base to do the trick. You can also find door sweeps that attach with screws or ones with self-stick adhesive.

Fireplace Fix

If your fireplace is more ornamental than functional, use a chimney plug to prevent warm air from rising right up and out of your house. These will usually cost you around $50 and take just minutes to install and inflate.

Lighten Up

Certain light bulbs can outlast traditional ones by 10 times and others can save you 75 percent in lighting costs. Some energy efficient options include CFLs, LEDs, and halogen bulbs. Be warned, not all will work efficiently in every fixture. Check out http://doyourpart.com/columns to see which bulb is best for every fixture in your home.

Program Your Thermostat

Investing in a programmable thermostat will help you slash your utility bills by roughly10 percent. You can use them to automatically adjust the temperature while you’re away so your heating system won’t run when you don’t need it to. You can also program it to lower the thermostat while you sleep.

Water Heater Blanket

This is one of the most inexpensive ways to make your conventional hot water heater run more efficiently. A hot water heater blanket will cost you around $20. It is super easy to put on and it helps keep the water inside the tank warm, which means the water heater won’t have to work as hard.

Power Strip Savings

Wasted power is becoming a big problem. Anything with a remote, continuous display or a charging cord all sip power even when they are not in use. That can add up to a 10 percent increase in your power bill for electricity you’re not even using. Some of our electronics need power to remember programmed settings (DVR, alarm clock, etc.). All of the others should be plugged into a power strip with an on/off switch. This is the only way to truly cut the power to the others that don’t need continuous power.

Go Old School

Clothes dryers are one of the biggest energy hogs in any home. And don’t be fooled by ones that claim to be energy efficient. Dryers can’t even be Energy Star certified because they all use about the same amount of energy. To slash your utility bills, line-dry your clothes. Even if you don’t have the room outside for a clothesline, there are plenty of new indoor drying rack options that will hold a complete load of clothes.

These small investments will bring big returns when it comes to your utility bills. Do Your Part and take a few minutes to make your house run more efficiently and economically.

 

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Jan
22

CO detectors not required in Manitoba Housing units

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A Winnipeg woman says she was shocked to learn that carbon monoxide detectors are not required in public housing units, including the townhouse where a friend lives.

Alison Nye said her 27-year-old friend, who is pregnant and has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, felt nauseous and dizzy after her furnace started making banging noises on Dec. 17.

When a repairman came to the woman’s Manitoba Housing townhouse last week, she was told the furnace was cracked and was possibly leaking carbon monoxide.

“CO is even more dangerous than a fire. [With] a fire, you can smell the smoke and you can feel the heat. Carbon monoxide? You don’t even know it’s there,” Nye said.

Nye’s friend had told CBC News about her experience but she did not want to be identified out of fear of eviction.

The provincial government has said it is up to tenants in existing rental units, including Manitoba Housing units, to get their own carbon monoxide detectors.

Nye, who used to be the woman’s support worker, said that puts vulnerable people like her friend at risk.

“If apartment buildings and Manitoba Housing, et cetera, are supposed to provide smoke detectors by law, why are they not required to provide CO detectors?” she said.

But late Tuesday afternoon, a Manitoba Housing spokesman said the provincial agency is in the process of gradually replacing smoke detectors with newer models that can also detect carbon monoxide.

Manitoba Housing has replaced about 2,000 smoke detectors in Winnipeg units to date, according to the spokesman.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/

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Jan
15

VIEWPOINT: Avoid the ‘silent killer’

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The Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department’s recommendation to buy and purchase a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm should be heeded by homeowners.

CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline and wood. This problem can occur in any device which depends on burning for heat or energy. For example: furnaces, boilers, room heaters, hot water heaters, stoves, grills and any internal combustion engine.

CO is an odourless, colourless gas which is extremely toxic. When CO is inhaled, it produces an effect known as chemical asphyxiation. Injury is due to the combining of CO with hemoglobin in the blood, lowering the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity. Even at very low parts per million levels, the body is quickly affected by oxygen starvation. Exposure during sleep is particularly dangerous because the victim usually does not awaken.

Today’s homes are super-insulated, sealed and wrapped in plastic. This “sealing” creates an environment that not only captures and holds pollutants but often results in a “negative indoor pressure” that can and does draw toxic fumes back into the home.

Canadians die each year from CO poisoning and many more are hospitalized. CO is often referred to as the “silent killer” and initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to flu symptoms: headache, nausea, and fatigue. With increased exposure time or CO concentration, symptoms become more severe, taking the form of drowsiness and confusion. Continued exposure can lead to brain damage and death.

The most common causes of CO accumulation in homes include; a blocked or poorly ventilated fireplace chimney or furnace flue, faulty or damaged heating equipment, malfunctioning space heater, automobile or lawnmower exhaust in garages with poor ventilation.

When properly installed and maintained, a natural gas furnace and hot water heater don’t emit CO. Natural gas is a “clean burning” fuel, because under correct operating conditions, the combustion byproducts are water vapour and carbon dioxide, which are not toxic. The exhaust from furnaces and water heaters is vented outside through a flue duct or chimney.

CO detectors should be placed near bedrooms, in the furnace room or other areas of the residence where CO might accumulate.

If a CO detector sounds or you believe you’re suffering symptoms of CO poisoning, exit the building or vehicle and call the fire department using 911.

 

http://www.petroliatopic.com/

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Jan
15

Happy home heating: Some eco-friendly steps to keep warm in these colder months

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Member of the Islands’ Energy Coalition

 66035iweeklyweb TypicalHousehold Happy home heating: Some eco friendly steps to keep warm in these colder monthsHappy New Year from the Energy Matters crew.

With the holidays behind us and winter in full swing, we thought it would be a good time to talk a little about home heating.

The steps to saving energy are often small and incremental, so let’s look at how we can ratchet down heating energy one click at a time.  Reducing your home’s energy use for heating can save you money, improve health, and even increase your home’s comfort.

According to the Department of Energy, heating is the biggest piece of the home energy pie and accounts for around 45 percent of our total energy consumption.

Reducing the energy used for home heating is the single most effective way to save money and ease your home’s contribution to global environmental concerns.

There are many benefits to keeping your home warm in the winter, beyond your obvious comfort.

When outdoor temperatures drop, our homes need to be kept warm to prevent mold and mildew growth.  Cold indoor temperatures can more easily reach dew point, creating unhealthy condensation.

To keep the air healthy, indoor temperatures in the winter should range between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels 30-60 percent.

How can we reduce our heating bills while effectively maintaining health and comfort?

We have two options: repair or replace.

There are three aspects to any heating system that can be fixed or changed out: source, distribution, or controls.  It is important to focus on the big picture.  Don’t simply swap out that old furnace (source) without sealing your ductwork (distribution), or you will just keep sending expensive heat into the crawlspace through all the duct leaks (dollars).

Let’s play with some numbers.  If you connect a new 90 percent efficient furnace to an old duct system that is only delivering 70 percent of its heat, the effective efficiency of your new system is only 64 percent.

Also, make sure your installer calculates the size of the system properly, so that the output matches the heat loss of your home.  An oversized heating system does not optimize efficiency, and if undersized you will not stay comfortable.

And don’t forget to take steps in reducing heat loss by air sealing and insulating floors, walls and ceiling.

If you’re interested in a low investment with a quality benefit, consider replacing your older thermostat (control).  Newer thermostats ensure a higher degree of temperature accuracy and keep the heat more even in the house.

Programmable units will allow you to set lower temperatures in your absence or at night.

An 8 degrees Fahrenheit decrease from your typical setting can save energy and money.  There are even “smart” new controls that will learn your habits and anticipate your heating adjustments for you.  Kinda creepy, but cool.

A significant energy reducing step can be found by utilizing Heat Pump technology.  A heat pump works just like a refrigerator, but in reverse.  An air-source heat pump can deliver 1.5 to 3 times more heat energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes. This magic is possible because a heat pump moves heat rather than converting it from a fuel.  Air-source heat pumps are ideal for our climate.

A heat pump is a good choice when replacing your existing ducted furnace.  Or if your current system does not have ducts, such as baseboards or wood heat, a ductless mini-split heat pump provides a very efficient alternative or addition.

While heat pumps are a significant investment, in many cases OPALCO offers rebates to help offset the cost.  As an added perk, on the five days in the year we could benefit from cooling our homes, you can run it backwards as an air conditioner.

Keep in mind that your most cost effective measures might be found in adding insulation and air or duct sealing, and that many heating systems require regular servicing in order to maintain maximum efficiency.

For guidance with your specific system, begin with the professional advice available from a $25 OPALCO snapshot or a licensed professional. You can find great tips on saving energy at energystar.gov or feel free to call me at 298-1313.

However you choose to improve upon your current heating system, remember you will be living more comfortably and consuming less energy. Happy heating

 

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Jan
15

Latest HVAC Shipment Data Released

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The following information has been provided by Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institue (AHRI), Arlington, VA.

Residential Storage Water Heaters
U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters for November 2011 increased 13 percent, to 332,886 units, up from 295,029 units shipped in November 2010. Residential electric storage water heater shipments increased 10 percent in November 2011, to 309,985 units, up from 281,702 units shipped in November 2010. For the year-to-date, U.S. shipments of residential gas storage water heaters increased 0.6 percent, to 3,589,059 units, compared to 3,567,601 units shipped during the same period in 2010.

Residential electric storage water heater shipments decreased 0.5 percent year-to-date, to 3,390,190 units, compared to 3,408,299 units shipped during the same period in 2010. Commercial Storage Water Heaters Commercial gas storage water heater shipments increased 16 percent in November 2011, to 6,955 units, up from 5,992 units shipped in November 2010.

Commercial electric storage water heater shipments increased 6% in November 2011, to 4,722 units, up from 4,468 units shipped in November 2010. Year-to-date U.S. shipments of commercial gas storage water heaters increased 3%, to 73,837 units, compared with 71,816 units shipped during the same period in 2010. Year-to-date commercial electric storage water heater shipments increased 3% to 55,075 units, up from 53,690 units shipped during the same period in 2010.

Warm Air Furnaces
U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces for November 2011 decreased 14%, to 221,159 units, down from 257,414 units shipped in November 2010.
Oil warm air furnace shipments decreased 31%, to 5,249 units in November 2011, down from 7,590 units shipped in November 2010.

Year-to-date U.S. shipments of gas warm air furnaces decreased 9%, to 1,993,386 units, compared with 2,183,205 units shipped during the same period in 2010.
Year-to-date U.S. shipments of oil warm air furnaces decreased 15% to 43,466 units, compared with 50,981 units shipped during the same period in 2010.

Central Air Conditioners and Air-Source Heat Pumps
 U.S. shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totaled 232,722 units in November 2011, down 19% from 287,676 units shipped in November 2010.
U.S. shipments of air conditioners decreased 19%, to 145,789 units, down from 179,647 units shipped in November 2010. U.S. shipments of air-source heat pumps decreased 20%, to 86,933 units, down from 108,029 units shipped in November 2010.

Year-to-date combined shipments of residential central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 9%, to 5,237,726 units, up from 4,826,684 units shipped in November 2010. Year-to-date shipments of central air conditioners increased 11%, to 3,571,256 units, up from 3,213,149 units shipped during the same period in 2010.
The year-to-date total for heat pump shipments increased 3%, to 1,666,470 units, up from 1,613,535 units shipped during the same period in 2010.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration, and water heating equipment.

 

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Dec
24

Officials Warn of Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

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At this time of the year the risk of Carbon Monoxide poisoning is always greater than any other time. This was evident in the early hours of Wednesday morning when Gwinnett County emergency personnel were summoned to a home in Lawrenceville by a family experiencing some sort of medical emergency. According to a press release by Gwinnett Fire Public Information Officer Lt. Eric Eberly, high levels of CO were found at the scene. Three people in the home had to be transported to Gwinnett Medical Center after being evaluated and treated at the scene.

In response, the following public service announcement from Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services was released:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) has been described as the silent killer.  It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is hard to detect.  CO can cause illness or possibly death before you know it’s there.  When inhaled CO bonds with the hemoglobin in the blood stream; displacing needed oxygen to the body.  The Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services suggest installing CO detectors on every level of the home, especially near the bedrooms.

Carbon Monoxide is a by-product of combustion.  It comes from incomplete combustion of gas or oil fired appliances such as furnaces, dryers, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, and car engines.  A high percentage of carbon monoxide poisonings are from home heating systems that are not properly installed or maintained.   Firefighters suggest having all home heating appliances inspected and serviced annually by a certified technician.  This important task should be done long before the temperatures outside begin to drop.

  Officials Warn of Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Symptoms of CO poisoning are often mistaken for those accompanying the flu. The difference is that these symptoms will go away after leaving the home (CO source) for a period of time.  Symptoms include headache, nausea, confusion, dizzy spells, and fatigue.  If you feel the effects of CO poisoning, go outside to fresh air immediately.  Seek medical attention if you experience any of the signs and symptoms of CO poisoning.  Remember to call the Fire Department (9-1-1) to report a carbon monoxide leak as well as any exposure symptoms.  Leave the house closed up and the appliances turned on.  This will help firefighters determine the source of the leak.  Never ignore an alarming CO detector.  Operate the reset feature (reset button) if provided on the device.  If the alarm continues to sound, evacuate immediately and call for help.

The following are tips to avoid a Carbon Monoxide poisoning:

  • Make sure that all home heating appliances are installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Appliances should be installed by a qualified professional.  When purchasing new heating and cooking equipment, select products tested and labeled by an independent testing laboratory.
  • Have all home heating appliances (space heaters, fireplaces, furnace, and hot water heaters) serviced annually by a certified technician.  This should be done before temperatures outside start to drop.
  • Install a CO detector in the hallway near the bedrooms and on every level of the home.  Make sure that everyone in the household knows the sound of the CO detector and the smoke detector.  Test and maintain CO detectors based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Never burn charcoal inside a house or other enclosed area such as a garage or tent.
  • Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a house, garage, vehicle, or tent.
  • Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers to heat your home.
  • Never use gasoline-powered tools and engines (such as generators) indoors.  Generators should be placed out doors away from the structure in a well-ventilated area.
  • If you have to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it.  Make sure that the exhaust pipe is not obstructed.
  • When using the fireplace, remember to open the flue for adequate ventilation.

 

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Dec
24

Fire between homes started by dumping hot ash into compost pile

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Hot ash from a fireplace is not a good thing to put into a compost pile, as a southwest Madison resident can attest to.

Madison Fire Department firefighters were dispatched at 11:39 a.m. Tuesday for an outside brush fire between two homes on Rae Lane that was caused by the dumping of ashes onto a compost pile.

“The resident indicated her furnace went out and she had been using her fireplace to heat the home until the furnace could be repaired or replaced that day,” Fire Department spokeswoman Lori Wirth said in a news release.

“The woman had had a fire in the fireplace Tuesday morning and cleaned out the ashes, putting the ashes in a metal bucket,” Wirth said. “When she thought the ashes had cooled, she dumped them onto the compost pile in the backyard.”

A short time later, the compost fire was discovered.

“It was unintentional,” Wirth said.

No injuries were reported and no damage estimate was given.

 

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Dec
24

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Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. has shipped a Red Devil Dual Chamber heat treating furnace, model RD8-H14, to Anomatic Corporation in Newark, Ohio. Anomatic is the largest supplier of anodized aluminum packaging in North America. With an upper hardening chamber of 9″H x 12″W x 14″L and a lower tempering chamber with the same working dimensions, this space saving unit is a complete heat treating system with 7 KW of power. Both chambers feature a ceramic hearth plate for load support of 25 lbs. per square feet of hearth area and are lined with 4 ½” of combined lightweight firebrick and mineral wool insulation for energy efficient operation. The upper chamber heats to 2200°F with easy-to-replace heavy gauge wire wound heating elements in radiant panels. The lower draw chamber heats to 1200°F with air recirculation provided by a rear mounted stainless steel, high volume CFM fan assembly. Both chambers are completed with a horizontal swing door with safety microswitch to shut off power to the chamber when the door is opened. Each chamber is controlled independently through Honeywell digital temperature controllers mounted in a side mounted NEMA 1 control panel. The Red Devil dual chamber furnace is constructed with heavy gauge reinforced sheet steel, and shipped completely wired, assembled and test fired, ready for connection to a power supply.

 

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Dec
11

Five tips to help get your home ready for winter

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With temperatures beginning to drop in most parts of the country, it’s the perfect time to prepare your house and family for hibernation. In fact, long-range forecasters are expecting this winter to be a cold one, so preparing now is a good idea before the blizzards and cold blow in.

10329270 large Five tips to help get your home ready for winter

Here are a few tips from Sears for preparing for old man winter:

1. Have your furnace inspected. It is a good idea to regularly have an HVAC professional give your furnace a once-over to check the carbon-monoxide levels, clean and replace air filters, clean the motor and fan and double-check the gas piping that connects to the furnace. The average life expectancy of a whole house HVAC unit is 10-14 years. Many of today’s newer models are more energy efficient than they were even just a decade ago. Select ENERGY STAR® units to help stretch your energy dollars.

2. Consider installing storm windows to save hundreds of dollars in heating bills. New, energy-efficient windows often have two layers of glass with insulating air in between. Older, single-pane models allow cold air to more easily seep in and make rooms feel cooler and waste energy.

3. Have your snow blower tuned up or repaired now, so it is ready for the first snow. Feeling adventurous and want to fix it yourself? In addition to selling snow blowers, sears offers snow blower repairs and tuneups and sells parts online through SearsPartsDirect.com from more than 450 manufacturers.

4. Wrap your water heater and pipes. If your water heater does not have an insulating blanket built into the unit, you should be sure to wrap the pipes in advance of winter. These heaters are often the least efficient appliances in your home, and they have to work that much harder to provide you with hot water on the coldest days if they aren’t insulated.

5. Clean out your home’s storm gutters. Clogged gutters lead to ice dams in winter, which occur when water freezes near the edge of a roof, creating a dam that blocks the flow of water off the roof. This can lead to water from melting snow finding its way under shingles and dripping into your house.

 

http://www.nj.com/

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