Energy Efficient Homes – 5 Energy Saving Tips During Global Fuel Crisis

Energy efficient homes are a great way to reduce the impact of rising global fuel prices. People are now being forced to spend a greater proportion of their monthly budgets on energy bills. There has never been a more crucial time to carry out simple energy saving home improvement works.

In 2008, after countless energy price hikes, people are finally beginning to realize that energy saving as beneficial for their bank account as it is for conserving the environment.

Shell last year announced record profits of $27.5 billion and that was when the cost for a barrel of oil was under $100. This year they are reportedly making well over $75 million each day. Surely with all that profit our energy costs should be falling not rising.

What’s the solution?

We can’t control global economics and most of us do not have an oil well in our back yard. However, to a large extent we can control the amount of energy we use and the energy saving measures we employ. In particular we can start by maximizing the energy efficiency (i.e. minimize energy usage) of our homes.

Households spend on average around 10 per cent of their annual income on home energy bills. Using a few simple, often overlooked, techniques annual energy bills can be cut by around 75 per cent. The following five ‘no-cost’ or ‘low-cost’ energy saving measures offer some of the best and most cost-effective solutions to the energy problem with relatively short payback periods:

1. Home Energy Audits – easy to carry out and useful to identify areas for home improvement. Focus on areas of lowest energy efficiency, such as un-insulated lofts, single glazed windows, open fireplaces and energy ‘eating’ appliances (e.g. tumble dryer).

2. Home Improvements – include loft insulation, wall insulation, draft proofing, and double / treble glazing (can generate total savings of around $1,000 a year).

3. Heating system solutions – include adjusting programmers, fitting thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) and lowering thermostats (lowering your room thermostat by just 1°C can save you over $100 a year).

4. Energy saving products include energy saving light bulbs and home appliances such as tumble dryers and fridge/freezers (can generate total savings of up to $500 a year).

5. Other techniques include changing your energy supplier and seeking financial assistance from governments or other bodies to increase your home’s energy efficiency.

These simple energy saving solutions are cheap and easy to implement and, unlike more costly solutions such as solar power, do not require massive investment. They can quickly generate significant reductions to annual energy bills whilst lowering carbon dioxide emissions.

Jane Longton, Orlando, Florida fitted loft insulation, double glazing, and draft proofing in 2007 and her annual energy bills have fallen by more than $900. Energy efficiency upgrades also have the benefit of providing year on year savings once installed and they enhance property saleability.

According to the U.S. government global energy demand is set to rise 54 per cent by 2025 so, unfortunately, we are likely to see many more uncapped energy price rises over the next few years. By increasing our home energy saving any future increases in global energy costs will have less impact on the energy bills of those who have made some sensible changes.

Source by Ed W

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Oil Burner Cleaning How to Prepare Your Shop Vac For the Job

So you think you want to clean that oil furnace or oil boiler yourself. You have watched the service guy do it and really didn’t think that it looked all that hard. You stick the hose of your shop vac into the chamber and all the soot is broadcast all over the place! Yikes, what did he have that you don’t in there?

When cleaning an oil fired appliance you need to remember that the dust created by the unit is very fine and will just go right through the filters that are standard to most shop vac’s. You will have to go to the store and find some special equipment to catch all that fine black dirt. It is very easy to find if you know what to look for.

Most vac’s have a foam filter over a cage that holds the ball on wet/dry vac’s or the cage that holds the foam filter on just dry vac’s. When you go shopping for your new filters, look for the paper filter and ring that hold the filter paper over the cage. This filter is actually your second stage of defense. To really help out you need to get your first stage.

The first stage is a paper filter bag that installs over the intake to you tank. These bags come in different sizes depending on the size of your vac. You take the bag and carefully install it in the tank making sure that the mouth of the bag is seated securely onto the intake of the tank. This bag will catch the majority of the dust and make it very easy to contain and throw out also.

Now you are ready to clean your oil furnace or boiler like a pro. As long as you keep everything dry you will be fine. Dampness or water will make a hole in the bag and filter which will ruin any chance of filtering your air intake properly. Also remember that you are filtering through a fairly fine media and it will plug up rather quickly. You may need to change the bag and filter a couple of times to complete a job.

One final thing for you guys. If you are planning to use the shop vac that your wife uses for her everyday cleanups, you may want to rethink this. After you get done with it and have black soot all over the nozzle and such you will be sleeping in the doghouse if your wife goes to use it and ends up with black on something good of her’s. You have now been warned. Don’t blame me for anything that happens to you as a result of not heeding this warning.

Source by D. Floyd Kolb

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Cleaning Your Air Conditioner’s Grilles – Outlets

Air conditioning grilles like all things in life unfortunately get dirty. Air conditioning grilles however can be a breeding ground for mould, dust and all sorts of bacteria. Below are some hints and tips on how to clean your air conditioners grilles to keep you and your family safe.

The main air conditioning grille to clean is the return air grille and filter. This grill is the large grille usually located in the ceiling in the hallway or sometimes in a wall. Usually 2 clips can be loosened where the cover will pivot down making the filter accessible. The filter can then be vacuumed or cleaned with warm soapy water. You can clean the filter whilst still in the housing or you can usually take it out to clean it.

The filter frame itself can also be cleaned using warm soapy water or by vacuuming. Ensure that the water around the grille is completely dry before re-starting the system.

Ceiling grilles (diffusers) also can breed bacteria and often can appear quite dirty after many years use. If you look in some old commercial stores and buildings you can often find white grilles dirtied by black dust and mould growing on the grille. To clean simply get a ladder and wash with warm soapy water. Take care when standing on the ladder and if possible get someone else to assist you. Some grilles can actually come out of the ceiling quite easily which means you can take them out and then clean in the sink.

When cleaning ceiling grilles, avoid using harsh detergents, chemicals or scrubbers as you may discolor, stain or scratch the grille. You should also never place the grilles to be cleaned in the dishwasher as the intense heat can melt and warp the grilles.

With these tips in mind, you should start cleaning your air conditioners grilles today. Cleaning the grilles will ensure you and your family stay healthier. Take care when using any ladder and if you think you might struggle, always seek a professionals help.

Source by James Fletcher

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HVAC Tips to Save Time And Money With Reusable Air Filters

Most of the filters used in HVAC system vents and cold air returns are made of cardboard and fiberglass. They are disposable air filters that must be replaced every one to three months during periods of intense operation. What do they do? Pretty much the same thing any other type of filter does, i.e., they catch unwanted materials and stop them from slowing down the system.

If you own an air conditioner, hopefully, you are aware of the fact that it has an air filter. This disposable device helps keep harmful allergens, dirt, and pollution from entering your home. The more you use your AC, the more dirt and airborne agents the device will trap. When it becomes completely clogged, your HVAC system will not work as well. After about a month of heavy use, a disposable model should be removed, discarded, and replaced with a new one.

Are Reusable Models Better?

Made of more durable materials like aluminum or steel, reusable air filters can be cleaned and replaced every one to three months. They are available in various dimensions and can fit a wide range of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system vents and cold air returns. A well-made one can easily be cleaned with either a vacuum cleaner or a garden hose. If the device is clogged and dirty, it is often best to turn the hose on it. Just remember it should be sprayed in the opposite direction of the airflow – that is, from the inside out.

Possible Exceptions

While they do offer some obvious advantages, reusable models may not always be necessary. If, for example, you are only renting a home for a short time, disposable devices will save you money. Sold in multi-packs at most hardware and home improvement centers, they are quite a bit cheaper than reusable filters.

However, if you own a home or intend to live or work somewhere for over a year, reusable models make sense. There is absolutely no question that they will save you money in the long run. They may also save you big bucks on Kleenex and allergy medication since they are generally better at trapping airborne particles, especially the electrostatic models.

What Are They?

Electrostatic filters use special filtering materials that actually create a static charge when air passes through them. This charge causes airborne particles to be attracted to the material like a magnet. Whether dust, fungi, mold, or any other allergen or impurity, the average electrostatic model is said to be ten times more efficient than the standard disposable device. Many of the leading names claim to trap up to 94 percent of the dust and dirt that run through them. They will also pay for themselves in about a year.

What To Look For?

All of the top reusable models have sturdy metal frames that will stand the test of time. These parts can be used to replace disposable devices in your entire HVAC system, including your furnace, central heat, and AC. They should also come with a lifetime money-back guarantee.

Reusable air filters can save you time and money on HVAC maintenance and repair for many years to come.

Source by Aaliyah Arthur

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Tips For Central Air Conditioning Maintenance

Performing your own central air conditioning maintenance is not as hard as you may think. It is just a matter of knowing where to start and paying attention to what you are doing. Knowing the parts of your system is very important before you start performing a maintenance. Know the components of your system. The system consists of an air handler, condensing unit, drain line, and line set plus other components within these parts as well. The purpose of performing a maintenance is so that you may identify problems with your system before they become major problems and cause a breakdown when you least expect it.

Cleaning your air conditioner regularly will prevent the dirt from building up which is among the leading causes of air conditioner failure, To do this, you need to clean your air conditioner thoroughly twice every year depending on the frequency of use and the length of time you keep the unit running.

Always check the operation of your system before performing a central air conditioning maintenance to make sure that all components are operating. Because there is nothing worse than to complete your maintenance and find out that your system is not operating correctly. It may lead you to think that you caused the problem if you had not verified first that all was working at the start of your maintenance. Also at this time if you are not getting air flow to parts of the home, check your duct work for possible leaks and repair them if needed.

Now that you know something about maintaining air conditioners it will be easier for you to understand the detailed manuals for central air conditioning maintenance that are provided on the internet.

Source by Steven Gail

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Energy Efficient Home Design – The Basics

Good house design takes its form in part from the forces that act on it. Climate and weather are two of the strongest form-makers (there are no igloos in the tropics) since houses must be designed and built to repel the damaging effects of the world we live in. Mother Nature is always trying to tear our buildings down.

Climate and weather also affect the comfort of our homes, and cause us to seek out ways to maintain the temperature and humidity of our homes within tolerable levels. A great deal of design effort is devoted to keeping the heat in or keeping the heat out, depending on the climate and season.

This Old House

At times throughout American history, the forms of our homes have reflected – to greater or lesser extents – our ingenuity in making our homes’ internal climates more comfortable.

Settlers in the Deep South built deep porches around their low-slung homes to shade them from the harsh sun and to create a reservoir of cooler air that could be drawn into the house.

New Englanders built compact homes with small windows to shield them from winter winds and to hold in as much heat as possible. And prairie homes, often built of stacked sod, were half-buried in the earth to even out the temperature swings and to protect them from the frequent violent storms that sweep the plains each summer.

Simple and effective strategies like these were necessary because fuel for heating homes was limited. We created houses that conserved resources; we didn’t know how not to.

That changed with the era of cheap and plentiful electricity and natural gas for home heating, and with the introduction of the first air conditioners for private homes in 1928. Suddenly, houses didn’t need to respond to their environment; any home could easily be kept as warm or as cool as desired using mechanical means regardless of the weather outside. Little thought was given to energy conservation strategies until the early 1970s, when the cheap energy we’d taken for granted became suddenly very expensive, and the climate-ignorant houses we’d built for decades became expensive to heat and cool.

That 70’s Show

But then a very cool thing happened. Architects and builders across the country began to revive the “lost art” of designing homes that responded to climate and weather. Ancient ideas like earth-sheltering and thermal massing were used again. New passive-cooling strategies and unique ideas like the Trombe wall were invented.

And most interestingly, the houses using low-energy techniques took on new, exciting forms. Suddenly there was something else out there beside Old World inspired design. It was a fun time full of invention and experimentation.

But that era was short-lived. By the mid-1980s fuel was cheap again and energy-efficient unique home design was all but forgotten.

Back To The Future

So it’s no surprise that we now find ourselves having come full circle, with rising energy prices and a revised interest in home energy efficiency. It’s a critical concern in a time when some studies show residential buildings consuming up to 21% of the nation’s energy.

Today’s home energy efficient strategies are different than they were 30 years ago, however. Today the focus is on technology rather than on design. New materials are techniques have been developed that make otherwise climate-insensitive home designs (and there are plenty) better stewards of the energy they need to maintain human comfort.

Technical solutions can be expensive, however, since they demand that common building materials perform at a higher level. Windows have “high-tech” glass with low-emissivity coatings, Argon gas-filled spaces, and up to three sheets of glazing. Heating systems are running at higher efficiencies, and may come equipped with programmable thermostats and insulated ductwork. Solutions like these do conserve energy and are important components in any home but the technology crutch shouldn’t be leaned on too heavily. We also need better design.

Designer’s Challenge

What if, instead of spending hundreds of additional dollars on high-tech glazing to keep the sun’s heat out, we more carefully located our windows to avoid direct sunlight in the first place? What if we used elements of the house itself to shade those windows from heat radiation and UV rays?

Suppose we took better advantage of the ground’s relatively stable temperature to stabilize the temperatures in our houses, rather than exposing every square foot of a home’s exterior surface to the elements? Instead of constant mechanical air conditioning to remove heat and humidity, why not try opening windows onto shady porches and let the breeze cool the house?

And what if we opened our minds a bit – stopped thinking so much about fashion and resale value – and allowed the forms of our houses to be shaped more by how they respond to the climate and the environment we live in?

The surprising result might be interesting and beautiful homes that cost very little to heat and cool – just like the old days.

Source by Richard Taylor, AIA

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How to Clean a Gas Furnace

Many homeowner’s today looking to save money can start by learning how to clean a gas furnace. Many homes have a gas furnace, and keeping it clean improves its efficiency and life span. It is easy to learn, and with step by step guide it is even easier.

To clean a gas furnace, you must first safely shut it off. Find the main power switch, and turn it to the off position. If desired, for extra safety, you can shut off the gas valve serving the furnace. Please note: if you shut off the gas, you may need to relight the pilot light. Older style furnaces have a pilot light that stays lit all the time- called a “standing pilot”. Modern furnaces have electronic devices that light the pilot, or the burners automatically, and do not require manual re-lighting.

Once the furnace is shut off, remove the panels. Use a vacuum with extension tool to clean dust, dirt and cobwebs from surfaces. Being careful not to bump or damage control parts and wiring. Locate the furnace filter and see if it has signs of excessive dirt. Most filters are white or bluish in color. If the filter looks gray, brownish, or is full of pet fur (if you have pets), purchase a new filter from a local hardware store and replace it. Be sure to get the same size, and note the direction of airflow. The arrow on the filter should point towards the furnace fan.

Also note: some furnace have washable filters. They usually are made of a plastic or sometime aluminum frame. Wash the dirt off, by spraying water through the filter. Spray through the filter opposite of the airflow. Look inside burner area, and down burner tubes. Check for excessive rust, soot (ash) or corrosion. If you see any, have furnace inspected by qualified professional to ensure the furnace has no blockage or holes in the heat exchanger that could result in carbon monoxide leaks.

Put panels back on, turn furnace back on. Set thermostat to call for heat, and verify furnace is still operating properly. Set thermostat back.

Source by David Huber

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