PROJECT GREEN

Energy Goes Up In Smoke

Our old house leaks heat (and money) like a sieve.

By Anne Underwood | NEWSWEEK

Mar 17, 2008 Issue | Updated: 12:37 p.m. ET Mar 8, 2008

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Discuss

Posted By: sirhc @ 04/05/2008 7:46:14 PM

Comment: THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS VERY REAL. I TRIED TO DENY IT BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AL SHARPTON MAKING COMMERCIALS WITH PAT ROBERTSON AND NEWT GINGRINCH DOING COMMERCIALS WITH ANNCY PELOSI ALL FOR THIS-THEN THAT'S A LOUD AND CLEAR SIGNAL. Go to www.dakshidin.com for the environment uptick on other energy source(mainly air and wind-I saw on Glen Beck about the air powered car-HOPE SO!)and www.greenglobeint.com for the companies that specialize in tourism and traveling in the most green way because traveling is very, very much a pollutant as people discard and tarvel more frivilous than when they are home.
Posted By: TitanGreens @ 03/26/2008 11:13:08 AM

Comment: The Kill a Watt is a really cool product, so it deserves a really cool video. Here???s a funny infomercial spoof that highlights this useful energy-saving product. Check it out!

http://video.titantv.com/content/000B00YI/video.aspx
Posted By: RayEvangelista @ 03/13/2008 10:45:33 AM

Comment: Kilowatt-Hour

Watts per hour, such as kilowatt-hour or higher prefixes, is frequently used as a unit of energy, especially by energy-supply companies, which often quote charges by the kilowatt-hour. A kilowatt-hour is the amount of energy equivalent to a power of 1 kilowatt running for 1 hour.

Raymond Evangelista
http://www.411InspectionServices.com/
Posted By: DougShaver @ 03/11/2008 6:36:26 PM

Comment: "A digital showed that the humidifier was using 330 watts per hour."

I've almost gotten used to the average reporter for my hometown newspaper being scientifically illiterate enough not to know that watts are not measured by the hour. But is it too much to ask that an environmental reporter for a national magazine know that much?
Posted By: RayEvangelista @ 03/11/2008 11:05:49 AM

Comment: This piece refers you to the government???s ???Do It Yourself??? web page. The government web page will give you some valuable information, but without properly identifying and repairing the exterior blanket of your home you are not addressing the biggest problems.

A professional energy audit done using an infrared camera will help identify how well your home is insulated and more importantly it will help identify air leaks. Sealing a home???s air leaks is one of the cheapest ways to make your home more energy efficient and pays for itself quicker then any other repair you can make.

When looking for an energy auditor make sure you find some one that uses an infrared camera as part of the audit and make sure he is a certified Thermographer. For more information in Infrared cameras you can visit www.Flirsystems.com

One of the biggest problems a home has is related to its attic access points. They are not insinuated and are one of the biggest air infiltration points a home has. One of the best attic access hatch / pull down stair insulators is the Energy Guardian. It insulates to R30 and drastically decreases air infiltration. For more information on this products visit www.essnrg.com.

Raymond Evangelista
www.411InspectionServices.com
Posted By: batticdoor @ 03/08/2008 6:17:36 PM

Comment: How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home

Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.

These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in -- costing you higher heating bills.

Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.

But what can you do about the four largest ???holes??? in your home -- the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.

Attic Stairs

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling.

Whole House Fans and AC Returns

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a whole house fan cover. Installed from the attic side, the whole house fan cover is invisible. Cover the fan to reduce heating and air-conditioning loss, remove it when use of the fan is desired.

Fireplaces

A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces.

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. Available from Battic Door, a company known for their energy conservation products, a fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow is removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after.

Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal. This will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape.

If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan, an AC return, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.

Mark D. Tyrol is a Professional Engineer specializing in cause and origin of construction defects. He developed several residential energy conservation products including an attic stair cover, an attic access door, and is the U.S. distributor of the fireplace draftstopper. To learn more visit www.batticdoor.com
Posted By: evanmi @ 03/08/2008 2:13:33 PM

Comment: The Home Energy Saver do-it-yourself audit (mentioned in the second paragraph) can be reached at http://HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov.