Reducing Home Energy Consumption

By simply cleaning and performing minor maintenance tasks homeowners can significantly improve energy efficiency and realize savings on their energy bills. For example:

• Cleaning refrigerator coils and removing sediment around the water heater tank will ensure these major appliances operate at maximum efficiency, and
• Proper insulation in the attic will prevent ice dams from forming on the roof during the winter thus allowing heat to escape, and unwanted heat in the summer forcing the air conditioner to work harder.

Cleaning and Maintenance Improves Home Energy Conservation

There are seven major energy-related areas to focus basic cleaning and maintenance activities and none require significant investment. They are:

• Refrigerator Coils: The coils underneath and behind a refrigerator offers a repository for dust, which besides detracting from a look of cleanliness acts as insulation which in turn precludes the fan from efficiently removing heat. Most energy efficiency experts recommend cleaning these coils twice a year with a vacuum and brush as well as placing the refrigerator out of the path of direct sunlight, away from the oven, and allow enough space between the refrigerator and the wall to accommodate sufficient air circulation behind the refrigerator.
• Furnace Filter: A Furnace filter improves air quality and protects the interior of the furnace from dust, dirt, and other debris It also enables the efficient transfer of heat from the furnace to the air passing through it. Keep in mind, homes with central air conditioning systems use the furnace blower to distribute cool and dehumidified air, further emphasizing the impact that an effective filter replacement can have on energy efficiency.
• Heating and Cooling Equipment: The mechanical, moving parts within furnaces, boilers, and air conditioning systems require periodic adjustment, lubrication, and cleaning. Deferring to the manufacturers’ recommendations, these “tune ups” should be performed by qualified and trained professionals at least every 2 years. Not only will these activities improve efficiency, they will also extend the life of critical components.
• Baseboards: Many homes have hot water or electric baseboard heating systems. In order for them to run at maximum efficiency, the convectors, fins, and radiators must be kept clean, typically by vacuuming and brushing. As with a forced air furnace, freely flowing air is more efficient and results in improved energy conservation.
• Ducts: Annual service cleaning of ducts coupled with an inspection for leaks will help ensure the proper flow of heat and air conditioning to all rooms in a house. Failure to do so will likely result in a 25 percent loss of heat or air conditioning, due primarily to leakage. Though duct tape is often used, a product called duct-sealing mastic provides a much better and longer lasting solution.
  

  Duct System

• Duct Wrappers: All ducts passing through unheated crawl spaces or attics needs to be insulated. By retaining the heat and / or cooling in these areas, the furnace or air conditioning system will certainly be more efficient. This type of insulation is available as wrapping or sleeve types. Though sleeves are more effective (i.e. fewer seams), they require more effort in installation as temporary disassembly of the ducts is usually called for.
• Air Conditioner: A key aspect of air conditioning efficiency is the free flow of air through the compressor. Plants, ivy, decks, and other obstructions can restrict this flow thereby reducing the efficient transfer of heat. Therefore, keeping the compressor clear of obstructions should be part of any homeowner home energy conservation program.

Water Conservation – Part of the Solution

Along with cleaning and maintaining the basic home systems and appliances, water conservation represents an opportunity to not only reduce the water utility bill, but also the electricity required to heat the water. The following ideas are presented to assist homeowners in performing basic water conservation activities, thus adopting a more comprehensive home energy conservation plan:

• Remove Sediment Buildup from the Water Heater’s Tank: Minerals that enter a water heater’s tank separate from the water during the heating process and fall to the bottom of the tank. Over time these deposits build up and act as insulator between the water and the source of heat. This results in longer run times for the burner to heat the water, shortens the service life of the water heater. By simply draining 5 gallons of water from the bottom of the water heater twice a year, any sediment that has collected will exit with the water, efficiency will be improved and the service life will be extended.
• Insulate Pipes: By insulating hot water pipes with closed cell foam pipe insulation, hot water reaches the distant bathrooms faster, reducing the volume of water necessary to ensure hot water arrives at the desired destination. Pipe insulation also reduces “standby” heat losses at the water heater, thereby lessening the number of cycles necessary to keep water in the water heater sufficiently hot.
• Water Heater Blankets: Allowing for the differences between electric and gas water heaters in terms of maintaining sufficient clearance for flames and flues (gas models), the wrapping of the exterior of a water heater with an additional layer of insulation, particularly on older units, will reduce “standby” heat loss, lessen the time that the heating elements come on, and improve overall efficiency.
  

  Energy Efficient Water Heater

• Reduced Flow Shower heads: Almost half of the water used in the home is used for bathing, virtually all of which needs to be heated. If your home was constructed before 1995, a fairly small investment of less than $25 will be enough to purchase a new shower head that meets the requirement that shower heads disperse less than 2.5 gallons per minute. If you have a shower head older than that in your home, it takes but a few minutes to replace it with a shower head that meets the modern flow rate standards. The savings will be immediate as the older shower heads typically allow up to 6 gallons per minute.
• Faucet Aerators: In using faucet aerators, the flow of water which includes air seems full though the actual volume of water is reduced. In fact, the older style bathroom and kitchen sink faucets provide between 3.5 and 5 gallons of water per minute, where as these newer ones reduce the flow rate to 0.5 to 2 gallons.