Home Energy Conservation

Energy Conservation need not be a complicated or challenging endeavor. Simply making sure all the window locks are engaged will save energy, as most windows have weather stripping that seals out air leakage along the edges and between the upper and lower sash and the locks assure a tight seal. With that as an example, here are other ideas that can be applied to any homeowner’s energy efficiency program:

Water Heater Temperature Settings

Heating water comprises a significant amount of a household’s utility bill, typically in the range of 15 to 20 percent. Lowering the heater’s temperature settings to approximately 130 degrees F can have a dramatic effect on the amount of energy required to heat and hold the water. In fact, for every 10 degrees F that a homeowner decreases the temperature setting, the corresponding water-heating portion of the utility bill be reduced by 3 to 5 percent. Keeping in mind that typically there will be 10 degrees F of heat loss as the water travels from the water heater to the actual fixture, the homeowner will need to adjust the settings accordingly:

• Gas and Oil Water Heaters can be adjusted fairly easily by turning a dial thermostat on the front of a control box.
• Electric Water Heaters can be slightly more difficult to adjust, likely requiring the removal of coverings over the heating units, and the turning a small adjustment screws that are attached to the heating elements.

One should allow a day or two for the water to stabilize at the new temperature setting.Besides the obvious driver to reduce energy costs, dialing down on the water temperature can:

• Extend the life of the water heater
• Slow down the rusting of the steel tank
• Reduces the rate at which sediment precipitates

Thermostat at Night

All homeowners should consider lowering the house temperature a few degrees throughout the day. The real opportunity to significantly reduce one’s energy bill lies in arriving at an optimal temperature setting for the night. The concern in effecting a dramatic change in temperature setting is the counter-productive effect of any surge in energy use when a homeowner dials the thermostat back up during the day. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the amount of energy saved in dialing down a thermostat is equal to that used in dialing it back up. In the meantime, any decrease in the number of times a system has to come on as a result of the lower setting translates directly to energy costs savings. Further, HVAC experts use as a rule of thumb that for every degree F that a thermostat is lowered, the homeowner will save one to three percent on his/her heating or cooling utility bill.

Programmable Thermostats

With the influx of more sophisticated programmable digital thermostats, homeowners with a fairly modest $40 to $100 investment can program their thermostats during the colder months to automatically reduce the heat at certain times at night or when gone from the home and to return to a predetermined operating temperature in the morning or at an estimated arrival time. The converse is true with respect to summer. The programming features of these thermostats allows for the temperature to rise in the house while the homeowner is away, thus reducing the frequency and duration of the air conditioning system coming on during this absence

Manual Thermostats

For those not so technically inclined or with highly variable sleeping or traveling schedules, the traditional manual thermostat can be made to operate like a programmable thermostat. The difference is the homeowner becomes the programmer; manually setting the temperature back each night and dialing it back up in the morning. But, whether manual or programmable, any time during the colder months that the thermostat is lowered, or during the warmer months raised, energy will be saved.

Fireplaces

The first line of defense in ensuring that a fireplace is energy efficient is to ensure the damper is shut when the fireplace is not in use. Even when the damper is closed, issues around its sealing can exist:

• Adding glass doors to the front can assist in making the fireplace more airtight.
• Similarly, the temporary addition of piece of plywood or rigid foam board under the damper opening will make the fireplace more airtight as well.
• In certain jurisdictions, fireplaces with installed gas logs or equipped with a standing pilot light, are required to keep the damper open at all times, which means air from the home is running up the flue or cold air from the outside is traveling down. The remedies for this are either an electronic ignition model which ensures the fireplace burns only when the ignition is turned on, or shutting off the pilot light during the warmer months.
• Even with work-burning fireplaces, care needs to be taken in shutting the damper, that the fire is completely out and ashes cold. Otherwise, there could be safety hazard in the form of carbon monoxide.

1. energyauthority says:

   August 16, 2010 at 12:40 pm

   sure