Converting your heating system to use radiant heat and an alternative energy source is by far the best way to lower, or even eliminate, your heating cost. For those that are unable to undertake the expensive conversion at this time, I offer six inexpensive tips that can save you a lot of money.
1. Lower your thermostat. For every degree you lower your thermostat, you will save 3% of your heating cost. Lowering your thermostat even further at night will save even more as night time is generally when your house has the greatest heat loss.
2. Humidify your air. Using a simple humidifier can help you save as well. One way your body loses heat is through the evaporation of water from your skin to the air. The drier the air, the more evaporation takes place. A humidifier cuts down on the evaporation and causes you to feel warmer. When you feel warmer, you naturally lower your thermostat.
3. Don't heat the outdoors. Simple, right? Maybe not as simple as you would think. Infiltration, or heat loss from air leaks, accounts for the majority of your heating costs. Search high and low for cracks, holes and gaps. If you feel a draft or can see light coming in, seal it with caulk, weather stripping or insulation. Place insulating "draft socks" at the base of your doors (a rolled up towel works fine.) If you have a garage or enclosed porch, use that as your main entrance in the winter. The enclosure creates a buffer between your heated living area and the cold outside and cuts down on the heat loss compared to a door directly linking your heated space and outside. If this buffer zone is not available, use the smaller of your two doors. Using your 32" side door instead of your 36" front door will save 15% of the heat lost by opening the door. When bringing in your groceries, bring them all in at once. It is better to open the door once for a little longer than several shorter times.
4. Insulate. Adding insulation to your attic (minimum of R30) is simple and will pay for itself quickly in energy savings. The same is true for your pipes. All hot water and heating pipes should be insulated.
5. Have your heating system checked by a professional. A properly adjusted heating plant can operate 10%-20% more efficiently than a poorly maintained unit. A properly adjusted heating plant also minimizes the risk of deadly carbon monoxide seeping into your home.
6. Lower your water temperature. Many codes set a limit of 130 degrees for domestic hot water and some set the limit at 120 degrees. You want to set your water temperature as hot as you can stand it at your kitchen sink without adding cold water (usually 110-115 degrees.) Any hotter and you are wasting energy. It takes 30% more energy to heat water to 130 degrees than to 110 degrees.
I hope these tips are helpful to you. Not only will you save money, you will also reduce your carbon footprint.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Water Conservation
According to the EPA, the average family of four in the U.S. uses about 400 gallons of water per day. Flushing your toilets uses 27%, your washing machine uses 22%, showering uses 17%, your faucets use 15%, leaks account for 14% and 5% is for other purposes. I'll give you some tips to save water in each of these areas.
Toilets: An older toilet can use 3.5-5 gallons per flush (GPF) compared to modern toilets which flush 1.6 GPF. If you have an older toilet and can not bear the cost of replacing it, you can cut down its usage by lowering the water level in the tank by adjusting the float. If tinkering is not your thing, you can simply displace some of the water in the tank by filling a glass jar with water (a 1/2 gallon milk bottle works well) and submerging it in the corner of the tank. If you want to conserve even more water, you might want to try a 1.4 or 1.28 GPF toilet. The 1.4 GP toilets are usually pressure-assisted, meaning they store water under pressure for flushing. Though very effective toilets, they are loud and might not be ideal for your home. The 1.28 GPF toilets are what are called "flapperless." They rely on a bucket that holds the water. When you flush the toilet, the bucket tips and a tidal wave of water flushes the toilet. I would shop for a toilet that is rated high in flushing performance because if you have to flush it twice, you aren't saving any water. Switching to a water conservation toilet can save 14,000 gallons per year over an older toilet and 8,000 over a 1.6GPF toilet. Also, installing a fill valve that limits the water entering the bowl during the refilling cycle can save thousands of gallons per year.
Washing Machines: I don't have much to say here that you probably already know. Buy an appliance with the Energy Star rating, make sure the machine is filled completely, use the proper wash size for the amount of clothes, and don't wash things that don't need to be washed.
Shower: A typical shower head uses 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM.) By switching to a 2GPM shower head, you can save 4,300 gallons per year. By switching to a 1.75GPM shower head, you can save 7,600 gallons each year. I caution that the flow from a 1.75GPM shower head seems "weaker" at first, but you get used to it. I have a 1.75GPM shower head in my bathroom.
Faucets: Most faucets have a standard 2.2GPM aerator screwed on the spout, though many have been removed or tampered with over the years. Changing your aerators is a simple, effective and inexpensive way to conserve water. You can purchase aerators with flow rates of 2.0, 1.75, 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5GPM, all offering savings over the standard 2.2GPM. I recommend using 0.5GPM aerators on your bathroom faucets for maximum savings and a 1.5GPM aerator on your kitchen sink faucet to save water when washing and rinsing while not sacrificing expediency in filling large pots for cooking. Following these recommendations can save you over 14,000 gallons per year. Also, put bottles of water in the refrigerator instead of running the water until it gets cold. When drawing hot water, consider installing a recirculation pump under your sink if it takes a long time for the water to get hot.
Leaks: A leak of one drip every second adds up to 3,000 gallons per year. You might not even know you have a leak. To test a toilet, add a few drops of food coloring to the tank before you go to bed. If the water in the bowl is colored in the morning, the toilet is running. Also, dry out the basins and spouts of your sinks and tubs and put a tissue under the spouts at night. The tissue will show if there were and drips overnight. Check your water meter. If it is spinning when you are not using water, you have a leak. If you don't have a water meter you can use a trick an old plumber showed me when I was an apprentice. Place the point of a pencil against your main water pipe and the eraser against your ear (not in your ear) and listen for a leak.
Other: Pretty vague...Lets call it outdoor usage. For watering your garden and lawn, I advise planting "rain gardens" and using rain water recovery barrels on your gutter downspouts to utilize water that is usually allowed to run off. If you have to water, do so in morning and evening when evaporation is less of a concern. If your sprinklers come on via a timer, shut the system off when rain is in the forecast. Don't leave the hose running when washing your car. Instead use a conservation-type sprayer head. Use a pool cover when you are not using your pool. The evaporation from a pool is tremendous, not to mention the loss of heat and chlorine.
If the average family follows these tips, they will save over 30,000 gallons per year. I am serious about water conservation. I hope you are too.
Toilets: An older toilet can use 3.5-5 gallons per flush (GPF) compared to modern toilets which flush 1.6 GPF. If you have an older toilet and can not bear the cost of replacing it, you can cut down its usage by lowering the water level in the tank by adjusting the float. If tinkering is not your thing, you can simply displace some of the water in the tank by filling a glass jar with water (a 1/2 gallon milk bottle works well) and submerging it in the corner of the tank. If you want to conserve even more water, you might want to try a 1.4 or 1.28 GPF toilet. The 1.4 GP toilets are usually pressure-assisted, meaning they store water under pressure for flushing. Though very effective toilets, they are loud and might not be ideal for your home. The 1.28 GPF toilets are what are called "flapperless." They rely on a bucket that holds the water. When you flush the toilet, the bucket tips and a tidal wave of water flushes the toilet. I would shop for a toilet that is rated high in flushing performance because if you have to flush it twice, you aren't saving any water. Switching to a water conservation toilet can save 14,000 gallons per year over an older toilet and 8,000 over a 1.6GPF toilet. Also, installing a fill valve that limits the water entering the bowl during the refilling cycle can save thousands of gallons per year.
Washing Machines: I don't have much to say here that you probably already know. Buy an appliance with the Energy Star rating, make sure the machine is filled completely, use the proper wash size for the amount of clothes, and don't wash things that don't need to be washed.
Shower: A typical shower head uses 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM.) By switching to a 2GPM shower head, you can save 4,300 gallons per year. By switching to a 1.75GPM shower head, you can save 7,600 gallons each year. I caution that the flow from a 1.75GPM shower head seems "weaker" at first, but you get used to it. I have a 1.75GPM shower head in my bathroom.
Faucets: Most faucets have a standard 2.2GPM aerator screwed on the spout, though many have been removed or tampered with over the years. Changing your aerators is a simple, effective and inexpensive way to conserve water. You can purchase aerators with flow rates of 2.0, 1.75, 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5GPM, all offering savings over the standard 2.2GPM. I recommend using 0.5GPM aerators on your bathroom faucets for maximum savings and a 1.5GPM aerator on your kitchen sink faucet to save water when washing and rinsing while not sacrificing expediency in filling large pots for cooking. Following these recommendations can save you over 14,000 gallons per year. Also, put bottles of water in the refrigerator instead of running the water until it gets cold. When drawing hot water, consider installing a recirculation pump under your sink if it takes a long time for the water to get hot.
Leaks: A leak of one drip every second adds up to 3,000 gallons per year. You might not even know you have a leak. To test a toilet, add a few drops of food coloring to the tank before you go to bed. If the water in the bowl is colored in the morning, the toilet is running. Also, dry out the basins and spouts of your sinks and tubs and put a tissue under the spouts at night. The tissue will show if there were and drips overnight. Check your water meter. If it is spinning when you are not using water, you have a leak. If you don't have a water meter you can use a trick an old plumber showed me when I was an apprentice. Place the point of a pencil against your main water pipe and the eraser against your ear (not in your ear) and listen for a leak.
Other: Pretty vague...Lets call it outdoor usage. For watering your garden and lawn, I advise planting "rain gardens" and using rain water recovery barrels on your gutter downspouts to utilize water that is usually allowed to run off. If you have to water, do so in morning and evening when evaporation is less of a concern. If your sprinklers come on via a timer, shut the system off when rain is in the forecast. Don't leave the hose running when washing your car. Instead use a conservation-type sprayer head. Use a pool cover when you are not using your pool. The evaporation from a pool is tremendous, not to mention the loss of heat and chlorine.
If the average family follows these tips, they will save over 30,000 gallons per year. I am serious about water conservation. I hope you are too.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Basics of Radiant Heat
Heat 101-"Heat travels from hot to cold...always."
Question: What is the coldest isle in the supermarket? If you said the frozen food isle, you'd be wrong. All the isles are the same temperature, you just feel cold because the heat from your body radiates directly to the cold freezers. This is like being outside in the sun. You feel warm because the sun is heating you through radiation. When a cloud passes in front of the sun, you suddenly feel cooler. The temperature hasn't changed, you just feel cooler because instead of absorbing heat from the sun, you are transmitting heat to the objects around you. Now apply this concept to your home. With radiant floor heating, you heat the objects in a room through radiation instead of heating the air in the room through the convection of conventional heating systems. Why is this important? Simple, air is an insulator. It takes a lot of energy to heat air.
Since you use the entire area of your floor to heat the room, lower water temperatures are needed to get the same heat output as a radiator. In a conventional heating system, you have a heating curve. Hot air rises, so you will have a high ceiling temperature and a low floor temperature. Radiant heating systems have a reverse heating curve, meaning a high floor temperature and low ceiling temperature. The heat stays low, where you want it. The majority of your heat loss is infiltration, heated air leaking out through doors and windows. Since you are heating the objects in the room with radiant heat instead of the air, you drastically reduce your infiltration loss. Also, with a radiant floor, you are basically in direct contact with your radiator. Because of this, people tend to keep their thermostat three degrees lower than they normally would. Lowering your thermostat one degree will save 3% of your energy consumption.
Combining the lower water temperature, reverse heating curve, saving on infiltration losses, and lower thermostat settings, a radiant heating system can save 30%-50% of your heating costs. A radiant heating system seems like a no brainer to me, but I make a living installing them, so I'm biased.
Question: What is the coldest isle in the supermarket? If you said the frozen food isle, you'd be wrong. All the isles are the same temperature, you just feel cold because the heat from your body radiates directly to the cold freezers. This is like being outside in the sun. You feel warm because the sun is heating you through radiation. When a cloud passes in front of the sun, you suddenly feel cooler. The temperature hasn't changed, you just feel cooler because instead of absorbing heat from the sun, you are transmitting heat to the objects around you. Now apply this concept to your home. With radiant floor heating, you heat the objects in a room through radiation instead of heating the air in the room through the convection of conventional heating systems. Why is this important? Simple, air is an insulator. It takes a lot of energy to heat air.
Since you use the entire area of your floor to heat the room, lower water temperatures are needed to get the same heat output as a radiator. In a conventional heating system, you have a heating curve. Hot air rises, so you will have a high ceiling temperature and a low floor temperature. Radiant heating systems have a reverse heating curve, meaning a high floor temperature and low ceiling temperature. The heat stays low, where you want it. The majority of your heat loss is infiltration, heated air leaking out through doors and windows. Since you are heating the objects in the room with radiant heat instead of the air, you drastically reduce your infiltration loss. Also, with a radiant floor, you are basically in direct contact with your radiator. Because of this, people tend to keep their thermostat three degrees lower than they normally would. Lowering your thermostat one degree will save 3% of your energy consumption.
Combining the lower water temperature, reverse heating curve, saving on infiltration losses, and lower thermostat settings, a radiant heating system can save 30%-50% of your heating costs. A radiant heating system seems like a no brainer to me, but I make a living installing them, so I'm biased.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Outdoor Wood Furnaces
Outdoor wood furnaces are self contained exterior residential heating plants that look like a small shed which transfer heat from a wood fire to water which is then pumped into the heating system inside the house. The advantages are that you use wood, a renewable resource, instead of fossil fuels to heat your home; the mess, bugs, soot and fire hazard are kept away from your home; and a well-designed unit will be very efficient and not wasteful of your wood. The disadvantages are that they are labor intensive in cutting, splitting and stacking the wood, and the smoke can be a nuisance in suburban settings. All OWF's are not the same. There are several manufactures who have engineered a fine product factoring in an efficient combustion chamber, large water tank, insulation and the ability to meet EPA regulations and there are many, many inferior products, including "home made" units, which are terribly inefficient, smokey and even dangerous. When selecting an OWF, be diligent in your research, adhere to the Best Burn Practices for the chimney height, follow all local codes and DON'T BURN TRASH in it. The old saying, "You get what you pay for." is so very true for OWF's.
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