|
|
 Here are a couple of simple projects to prepare for the longer evenings in fall, and the cooler temperatures. These will help you save energy and money too.
Project 1: Install 3 CFLs
Why? CFLs are more efficient than standard bulbs and last 4-7 times longer.
What you will need: 3 CFL bulbs to replace ones which get most usage in your home.
Cost of upgrade: Low
What you save (on average) per year: Money – $12, Carbon = 182 lbs, Trees = 7
Project 2: Install gaskets on electrical outlets
Why? A simple insulation project would be to install gaskets behind outlets and light switches for those areas of the house with most exposure or draft. This conserves energy by creating an extra layer of insulation to block drafts and helps in keeping the heated air inside the house.
What you will need: Screwdriver, foam gaskets available at home improvement stores.
Cost of upgrade: Low
Things to remember: Choose the exterior walls with most exposure and draft. While unscrewing the faceplace to remove it, please take normal precautions. Position the gasket over terminal, then replace faceplate and tighten screw.
What you save (on average): Money – 20% on heating costs.
At a recent seminar about energy audits, we learned that your home ducts are the place to save energy. “Please replace your ducts,” declared expert Scott Lowery, who works with Building Solutions.
It turns out that some 30 percent of energy leaks through the average Californian homeowner’s ducts. Yet something this elementary, which pays back quickly, commonly gets ignored. We asked Lowery why people don’t pay attention to the basics and he laughed, “it’s boring.”
According to Building Solutions, “testing and sealing duct systems is one of the most cost-effective energy improvements available for residential buildings. In addition to energy savings, proper sizing, sealing or replacing ducts can lead to dramatic improvements in indoor air quality and comfort.”
You should also examine the sealing around plumbing and other penetrations, because leaks happen there too. If these entries are insulated, then you will reduce energy consumption – not to mention block out rodents, a twofer.
Through an energy audit, many systems are checked out as well as every room in your home. The fundamentals boil down to testing insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, lighting and appliances. It seems worth your time and energy, and essential to qualify for various rebates, tax breaks and other financial incentives coming down the pike.
P.S. We suggest reading this article by Oaklander Gene Anderson, who arranged for an energy audit and shared what he learned – plus there are some cool pictures of the testing devices!
Assuming you have discovered all the leaky places in your home, it’s time to take some action. Weatherstripping will make all the difference, whether you do it yourself or get a contractor to help you with more ambitious efforts.
To fix windows and doors, there are many options made from vinyl, felt, foam, metal, wood and more. Courtesy of our very own Uncle Sam, here’s a list of the most common choices:
1. Tension seal
Self-stick plastic (vinyl) folded along length in a V-shape or a springy bronze strip (also copper, aluminum, and stainless steel) shaped to bridge a gap. The shape of the material creates a seal by pressing against the sides of a crack to block drafts. Use for inside the track of a double-hung or sliding window, top and sides of door.
2. Felt
Plain or reinforced with a flexible metal strip; sold in rolls. Must be stapled, glued, or tacked into place. Seals best if staples are parallel to length of the strip. Use around a door or window (reinforced felt); fitted into a door jamb so the door presses against it.
3. Reinforced foam
Closed-cell foam attached to wood or metal strips. Use in door or window stops; bottom or top of window sash; bottom of door.
4. Tape
Nonporous, closed-cell foam, open-cell foam, or EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber. Use on top and bottom of window sash; door frames; attic hatches and inoperable windows. Good for blocking corners and irregular cracks.
5. Rolled or reinforced vinyl
Pliable or rigid strip gasket (attached to wood or metal strips). Use for door or window stops; top or bottom of window sash; bottom of a door (rigid strip only).
6. Door sweep
Aluminum or stainless steel with brush of plastic, vinyl, sponge, or felt. Use in bottom of interior side of in-swinging door; bottom of exterior side of exterior-swinging door.
7. Magnetic
Works similarly to refrigerator gaskets. Use in top and sides of doors, double-hung and sliding window channels.
8. Tubular rubber and vinyl
Vinyl or sponge rubber tubes with a flange along length to staple or tack into place. Door or window presses against them to form a seal. Use around a door.
9. Reinforced silicone
Tubular gasket attached to a metal strip that resembles reinforced tubular vinyl. Use on a doorjamb or a window stop.
10. Door shoe
Aluminum face attachment with vinyl C-shaped insert to protect under the door. Use to seal space beneath door.
11. Bulb threshold
Vinyl and aluminum. Use in door thresholds.
12. Frost-brake threshold
Aluminum or other metal on exterior, wood on interior, with door-bottom seam and vinyl threshold replacement. Use to seal beneath a door.
13. Fin seal
Pile weatherstrip with plastic Mylar fin centered in pile. Use for aluminum sliding windows and sliding glass doors.
14. Interlocking metal channels
Enables sash to engage one another when closed. Use around door perimeters.
More info: Read more about these weatherstripping alternatives from the U.S. Department of Energy. We’re pleased that Uncle Sam helps you consider costs, advantages and disadvantages.
Even in climate-perfect Oakland, we get hit with winter’s chilly temps. There are a couple things you can do to winterize your home and save energy costs, starting with an old-fashioned treasure hunt for leaky places.
Yes, we suggest that you take a good look at every window and door. Then go ahead and investigate openings like mail chutes, electrical/gas service entrances, cable TV and phone lines, outdoor water faucets, dryer and other vents, and air conditioners.
How do you detect leaks? According to the U.S. Energy Department, leakages may be identified through these test approaches:
- Light test – “Shine flashlight at night over all potential gaps while a partner observes the house from outside. Large cracks will show up as rays of light.”
- Paper test – “Shut a door or window on a piece of paper. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you’re losing energy.”
- Smoke test – “Light an incense stick and pass it around the edges of common leak sites. Wherever the smoke is sucked out of or blown into the room, there’s a draft.”
We understand this smoke test provides the most complete leak detection. In our opinion, the incense smoke works best when you start chanting too. Only kidding! Remember that anywhere smoke’s getting sucked out is a leak, and keep track.
|
|
