Enter your search terms Submit search form Web www.siteforarticles.com

Print | Send To Friends | Add To Favorites | Comment

Real Energy Savers By: New Jersey Home Inspector Michael Del Greco Article Word Count: 667 words  [Comments (0)] Total Views: 2 Views

Real Energy Savers Submitted by: Michael Del Greco, President of Accurate Inspections, Inc. a New Jersey Home Inspection company. Click here for a New Jersey Home Inspector. Why the title Real Energy Savers? Because the tips listed below go beyond the standard tips which are usually recommended. Standard tips include: insulating the attic, wrapping the water heater, and adding storm windows. Implement these real energy savers and start saving big $$$. 1. Outside air for heater burners with an appropriately sized trap (Gas, oil, wood, or coal) Combustion needs fuel and air. If you use air for combustion from the basement and house, you create a negative air pressure system inside the house which will draw or induce outside air to be pulled into the house. When cold outside air mixes with warm inside air it lowers the ambient house temperature and causes your heater to go on or stay on. Outside air ducted to the air intake of the burner will reduce the fuel consumption approximately 17% in an average house. An appropriately sized trap is necessary to resist the colder outside air from falling in the basement continually in the heating season. Look to a mechanical tradesperson for your specific size. 2. Dampers for furnace and water heater flues Open flues and chimneys create an opening in the house which allows the thermally buoyant warm air from a basement and/or house to rise out of the chimney. Losses are significant due to the thermal momentum created by warm chimney walls. Warm air loss draws cold outside air into the house and is a chronic waste of energy. Proper dampers on the flue will reduce these losses considerably. 3. Reduce thermal air loss vertically through the house and in the walls of the house Warm air will rise in any opening in a house (i.e., plumbing or electrical chases, balloon-framed houses, masonry walls that are stripped on the inside to receive plaster or drywall and any openings around windows, doors, baseboards, trims, etc.). Warm air loss is the largest and single most wasteful energy loser in some houses. It also creates an inducement which draws cold outside air into the house. The solution to this problem is to close any openings that you find. The most effective way to do this is with a blower door, infredscanner and monitor. The blower door is a large panel with a fan that adjusts to a doorway. The infrared scanner with monitor allows you to see where the heat loss is. Once you know where you are losing warm air, it s relatively easy to reduce thermal air loss. Commercial companies can do the scans, reduce the air loss, and re-do the scanning (Look in the yellow pages under Energy Conservation and Management Products and Services). 4. Insulation Ceilings above the living space should have 6 to 12 of insulation. Vapor barriers should be installed on the warm side of any insulation situation. The only function of insulation is to reduce thermal conductivity. It does not stop air infiltration. Though wall insulation is beneficial, it is only recommended when you can blow in 3 1/2 and when the workmanship can be verified by an infrared scanner to check for leaks and uneven application. 5. Storm windows Storm windows have two basic functions: (1) reduce air infiltration and (2) protect the main windows from the weather. Storm windows should be installed on wood thermal breaks if the main windows are metal. Storm windows have very little effectiveness as far as saving energy if you do not address energy saving tips #1, 2, and 3 listed above. The negative air pressure system that tips #1, 2, and 3 create will simply cause cold air to be drawn into the house from some other place. 6. Weather stripping Give doors and windows a tight seal with weather stripping. This will reduce air infiltration. To realize the maximum benefit from weather stripping you must implement tips #1, 2, and 3. Look for more real energy savers in a future column. Information provided by Michael Del Greco, New Jersey Home Inspector Lic. GI 0121, American Society of Home Inspectors Member 102273, Pesident of Accurate Inspections, Inc. A West Paterson New Jersey Home Inspection firm.

Print | Send To Friends | Add To Favorites | Comment

Related articles

Synthetic Grass: An Increasingly Popular Alternative for the Yard By: Allen Wilson - As Australia’s severe drought has turned many green, lush gardens and yards into brown, lifeless dustbowls, an increasing number of Australian homeowners are turning to synthetic turf as a viable solution.
 
Build a Rain Garden By: JD McGuire - Build a Rain Garden There's a new garden in town.
 
Bonsai Trees By: Andrew Green - What are Bonsai trees? Many people think of tiny little Japanese trees cut and pruned to a miniature size but literally speaking Bonsai means ‘plant in a tray’ and while they are smaller than their wild counterparts they don’t have to be a couple of inches tall; they can be grown in a pot in the garden and will be smaller than their wild counterparts.
 
Lawnmowers Guide And How To Save Time Installing Synthetic Turf In A Tennis Court By: Mr.Andrew Caxton - Why install synthetic turf instead of real lawn? Most of the following steps are not required when you choose to install synthetic surfaces rather than a traditional one.
 
5 Steps To A Better Lawn And Garden By: George Chapman - If youÂ’re lucky enough to have a lawn with a good topsoil base, much of the hard work of keeping a lawn beautiful is already done for you.
 
6 Indoor Plants That Love The Dark: A Tip From The Garden Center Nursery By: Flor Buenaventura - It was a long search that took me more than ten years.
 
Bonsai Care By: -JD - What are the basics of effective Bonsai care.
 
Using Popular Rose Varieties In Your Garden By: Steven Hall - When many people think of gardening, their thoughts turn first to roses, and there is no wonder.
 
A Beginners Guide To Garden Bridges By: Charles and Susan Truett - Just because you dont have huge, elaborate gardens does not mean you cant accentuate what you do have with l garden bridges.
 
Why Teak Wood is so Popular as Garden Furniture By: tobody - Why is Teak Wood so Popular? As the days go by, teak is becoming rarer, harder to acquire and more expensive to own.
 
Amazing Artemisias By: Susun Weed - WHO IS ARTEMIS? Amazonian moon goddess.
 
Handcrafted Garden Bridges Builds Traditional Arched Span Bridges with Modern Flair By: joeguraro - Though handcrafted wooden bridges have been used for many centuries for things such as draw bridges, spanning crevices, creeks, ponds, gulleys and anything from dips to depressions, a California-based custom bridge maker is currently receiving international recognition for spanning the divide between traditional to modern bridge making.
 
Reliable Lawn Mowers For Healthy Gardens By: A.Caxton - Learn how lawn mowers are able to save time when mowing around your beautiful garden.
 
Make A Coffee Can Herb Garden By: Katelyn Thomas - If you drink a lot of coffee, you probably have quite a few metal coffee cans on hand.
 
Flowers Are A Great Gift By: Alan Jason Smith - Flowers are a great gift, useful in home decoration or in landscaping.