Power bills On-Line

How to reduce energy at home has gradually become a household desire as a result of high definition T.V.’s and  homes the size of  a castle. Throw in a struggling economy and the melt down of a nuclear plant and becoming more energy efficient seems like a great idea.

Our power bills rise as a result of increasing power costs and the need for more and more power to operate are power hungry homes and our power dependent lifestyles. Becoming energy smart and working to control energy usage and energy waste  is our defense against those hefty power bills.

Here are 9 steps you can take to answer the question, How to Reduce Energy at Home.

1.  Hang on to Your Power Bill.

Your power bill has a lot of information on it that you need to have to assess your homes power usage. You don’t have to worry about how you’re going to monitor the power you use throughout the year, your power company already has that information available. Your power bill tells you how many therms of Natural Gas and how many kilowatt hours of electricity you used last month and how it compares to the same month a year earlier.

Make Efficient Choices

Some households will need to hold onto the power bills that come in the mail and some can access that information from their power company on-line. It is important as household energy reduction programs are undertaken, that a years record of power consumption is available.

Tip: Ask your power company if they are participating in the Green Button program. The Green Button program allows people to access their energy usage on-line.

2.  Welcome a Change in Lifestyle.

You can no longer conduct yourself in your home like you did when electricity was 3 cents a kilowatt hour and the only electric appliance you had in your home, other than the Frigidaire, was a light bulb.

Lifestyle changes are necessary to reduce energy consumption and to avoid wasting energy. It will take a greening of the mind and a  conscious effort to follow desired energy saving practices.

Tip:  Start with something simple like turning off lighting when not needed and setting back the thermostat at night and when your away at work.

Some Energy Auditors Have Infrared

3. Conduct an Energy Audit. You’ll Learn How to Reduce Energy at Home

An energy audit of your home will help guide energy saving measures. A home energy audit will identify areas of energy waste and what measures you should address first to save the most energy on a cost-effect bases.

To start the home energy audit process, have your home assessed on-line. It’s free and it will offer valuable information. There is a number of web-sites that have home energy audit calculators that you can use. The first place to look for an on-line assessment program is your power companies website.

Tip:  Your power company may have an on-line audit program or they may even offer a free home visit from an energy auditor. Give your power company a call.

4.  Weatherization is Cost Effective. Now This is How to Reduce Energy at Home.

Usually, the most cost-effective method of reducing energy usage and lowering power bills is through weatherization measures. Whether you live in a cold climate and need to keep the cold weather outside or you live in a warm climate and need to keep the hot weather outside, weatherization measures offer the help you need.

Air Sealing and Insulation

Air Sealing:

Your home has more holes in it than you know. Air sealing these holes offers the air barrier you need to separate the outdoor climate from the indoor climate.

Insulation:

Adding insulation to your homes building shell – the ceiling, floor, and walls, – strengthens your homes thermal barrier and offers defense against heat loss or heat gain because of radiation, conduction, and convection.

Tip:  Low-income households can get weatherization help through Community Action Programs. Ask your power company if there is a home weatherization, Community Action Program in your area.

Ground Source Heat Pump

5.  Heating & Cooling Efficiency.

Upgrading your heating and cooling system to a more energy efficient source can save energy for years to come. There is no reason for any home to have a $400 dollar electric bill anymore. Air source and ground source heat pumps have greatly increased energy efficient in the last ten years. Ductless heat pumps provide heating and cooling for a fraction of the cost of baseboard heaters, resistant ceiling heat, or electric wall heaters.

The 70% efficient gas furnace of the 1970′s has been updated to the 95% efficient gas furnaces available today. Heating and Cooling Contractors are available to visit your home and discuss the options available that best fit your home and your needs.

Tip:  Before upgrading central heating or cooling equipment, have the supply and return ducts sealed against air leakage. No use  wasting all that efficiently conditioned air through ducts that leak.

Water Heater Blanket

6.  Water Heater, too Often Forgotten

The only time we pay attention to our water heater is right after a cold shower. After all, the water heater is often located in a mostly hidden location, it doesn’t make any noise, and it doesn’t have any bells and whistles. The water heater is often the #2 energy user in our homes and therefore, when we’re attempting to reduce energy use, needs to have some attention directed it’s way.

If your water heater is leaking water from the tank, replace it right away and pay attention to the energy efficiency rating of the new water heater. If your water heater is not leaking, do these two energy saving measures:

Adjust water temperature:

The most energy efficient water temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a gas water heater, adjusting the temperature is easy with the dial on the water heater gas valve. If your water heater is electric, you will need to remove the element covers to adjust the temperature. It is best to turn the electricity off at the circuit panel before attempting this adjustment.

Water Heater Blanket:

Your water heater maybe insulated already, but additional insulation blanket around the outside will save energy. Read the owners manual for your water heater and follow the directions. Water heater blankets are available at most building stores, the blanket will also contain written instructions for it’s installation.

Energy Star Appliances

7.  Appliance Upgrades Save Energy

Microwaves heat food more efficiently than a range. New refrigerators use less energy than ones manufactured 10 years ago. New clothes washing machines use less energy and less water. Clothes dryers with moisture sensors, turn off when clothes are dry. New surge protector power strips can stop phantom power loss.

When replacing an old appliance or shopping for a new one, remember to look for the Energy Star Label.

8.  Lighting Technology

You will be surprised at the number of light bulbs you have in your home. Take a guess at the number and then go around your home and count each one. Most people are surprised to realize how many light bulbs their home actually has.

CFL for Efficient Lighting

For those lighting fixtures you use the most and are left on the longest,  compact fluorescent bulbs and LED bulbs can save significant energy. There is a CFL bulb designed for every light fixture in the home.

9.  Renewable Energy

Homes with renewable energy sources like solar electric and wind turbines, not only produce energy but also save more energy. There seems to be a connection between the desire to produce renewable energy and the awareness to reduce energy use.  So, one good way to save energy is to produce the energy your saving.

If your considering a renewable energy system, the first thing you will want to do is contact your power company. Your power company knows more about renewable energy than you might think.

These are the 9 steps on How to Reduce Energy at Home. Reducing energy use does not require large sacrifices nor a degree in electrical engineering, it simply requires energy use awareness and a power bill that has the ability to open your eyes.

Thank you for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you will come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

72 and Smart

Last fall, I wrote a review of the Nest Learning Thermostat that attracted a lot of attention. It turns out they just came out with Nest 2.0, so I thought I would take a look.

The new software update Nest 2.0 includes:

1.  Enhanced Energy History, a more in-depth look at your usage
2.  Airwave, a specific energy-saving application for the cooling season
3.  Additional remote features via web, iPhone and Android
4.  Updated internal menus
The software update will be downloaded automatically over the next couple of days through the user’s Wi-Fi connection. Users should also be sure to update the applications on their mobile devices as well.

Nest Labs was formed by industrial designers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, both formerly of Apple. They decided that applying some Silicon Valley magic to the lowly thermostat would attract tech-oriented homeowners concerned about saving energy and money and reducing their burden on the planet.

Controlling Smart Heating & Cooling

The Nest thermostat could be considered a 3G programmable thermostat that interacts with you like a regular thermostat, then programs itself based on your behavior. It does this by paying attention to the settings you choose and when you choose them, as well as other indicators of household activity, then once it gets your pattern, it repeats it for you, automatically. Using this process, Nest clams they can save homeowners up to 20% on their heating and cooling bills.

Perhaps most useful is the remote access feature that connects to Wi-Fi and allows you to program the thermostat with your iPhone or Android device. This means that you can check your thermostat or reset your temperature wherever you are, whether that’s in bed or a thousand miles away. These capabilities were upgraded in Nest 2.0.

The Nest has an Auto-Away feature which utilizes occupancy sensors to determine if anyone is at home. If there is no one around, it will move into an energy saver mode after a period of time. The Nest senses the amount of activity in the home in its first few days and continually updates its readings.

The Nest also tracks your settings, and then encourages you to use more energy efficient ones, providing feedback in the form of a green leaf when you have saved and showing you your percent savings in your Energy History.

Joining Smart Technology

Regarding the update, Nest had the following to say about their new Enhanced Energy History.

To maximize your savings, you have to understand how much energy you’re actually using and why. When we first launched Nest, we knew we wanted to do something special with Energy History, but doing it right took time. The enhanced Energy History we’ve launched today is for those of you who’ve requested more detail about your energy use and easier access to energy info. No longer locked inside your Nest, this deeper energy data is now available on the Web app, iPad and both Android and iPhone smartphones.

With this new application you can click on any given day and see the energy usage details for that day. This information should be very helpful for those that choose to take advantage of it.

What Airwave does is basically squeeze extra cooling out of your air conditioning system, by turning the compressor off a little before its done and then “coasting” using the fan only to extract all the remaining cold air from the coils.

Mobile app upgrades include better information retrieval, the ability to change “Away” temperature, activate a Range Schedule and pause Auto-Schedule and Auto-Away. They also increased the number of devices that Nest is compatible with.

The Range Schedule feature is for homes with both heating and cooling. It can be used to set a range, below which heating comes on and above which cooling comes on. Internal upgrades also include the ability to adjust the away temperature in the Settings menu.

For more information, check out the Nest website.

RP Siegel, PE, is the President of Rain Mountain LLC. He is also the co-author of the eco-thriller Vapor Trails, the first in a series covering the human side of various sustainability issues including energy, food, and water.

rocket mass stove

Earlier today, I posted a video from Paul Wheaton on a wood-based design for a wood-burning rocket mass wood stove. As I was looking for follow ups on the project, I came across this related interview, in which Paul talks to wood heating engineer Ernie Wiesner about a rocket mass stove that he built to replace a traditional wood stove.

The claims he makes about its fuel efficiency are pretty astounding.

It’s well documented, of course, that there are major environmental concerns with burning wood for heat. While theoretically renewable, from land-use issues to air quality, a mass adoption of wood for heating would likely cause as many problems as it would solve.

But, as with any energy source, one of the first steps that we can take to make it greener is to use it much more efficiently. And advocates for rocket mass heaters claim that this technology does just that. Much like masonry stoves, they use thermal mass to provide a long-term release of stored heat over the whole day. And they also use the design principles and operation methods of rocket stove cookstoves (including burning small tree clippings, instead of large logs) to create an extremely hot, efficient fire that quickly builds heat in the surrounding thermal mass.

Still, the claim that this stove cut fuel use from 4 cords a winter to just under half a cord is rather astounding. And judging by the comments under the YouTube video, there are plenty of people who would like to have more information about how the thing was used. There are also plenty of fascinating discussions of rocket wood stoves and rocket mass heaters in the Alternative Energy forums over at Permies.com.

Thank you for stopping by Detect Energy, come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

If the player did not work for you, try this link to you tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfag47dRCs

energy audit base playing

Today’s Energy Savings is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, I am a Home Energy Auditor and I enjoy sharing my day with you. Here on Detect Energy, I hope you will find both the inspiration and the information that you need to conserve power and lower your energy bills.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing air waves about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning home energy savings, energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

Somewhere in the Big City

I had made the appointment about a week earlier. This morning I drove and hour and a half to be on time at 10 AM. Plenty of vehicles in the driveway so I feel I am in pretty good shape for a successful home energy audit. I step up on the front porch and knock on the door.

I get a little uneasy when it takes several minutes for someone to come to the door. After all, I am only 6 minutes late, it’s 10:06 and they should be near the front door eagerly expecting my arrival. Finally, I hear footsteps coming near the door and hear the deadbolt slide open. The door opens about 6 inches and a shy voice says, “Hello”.

I proceed with my normal hello, introduction, and friendly greeting and then wait to see what happens. The person says, “Is it today?” And I respond, “yes, sorry if I surprised you.” the response from the other side of the door is, “Just a minute, I need to get my son off the couch.”

There is little doubt at this point that these people have forgotten the appointment. Usually people will take the opportunity to straighten the house a bit and straighten themselves from a bit to a lot before I arrive. In the case of the forgotten appointment, I am more likely to face a grumpy homeowner who looks very much like a grumpy homeowner. People aren’t to thrilled to learn that a stranger is standing on the porch with a wagon full of equipment that would like to spend the next three hours looking and testing their home. Sometimes a re-schedule is in order.

I hate to waste a hour and a half drive, so I promise to be as quick as possible.

This home was constructed in 1956 and is a ranch style home with a full basement. The basement is finished and the entrance to the basement is from inside the garage. A little unusual.

There is a wood fireplace in the living room next to the big flat screen T.V. The home has been upgraded and repainted inside to the point that it makes the kitchen cabinets look really bad. The cabinets date the home, there is no place for a dishwasher.

Here are a few things that are “Energy Right” about this home:

• The furnace filters are properly installed and have been changed recently.
• The attic sports a newer layer of blown cellulose about 10 inches deep that’s nice, even and smooth.
• The windows and doors have been up-graded. The windows are vinyl double pane, U-35, low-E. Very nice.
• The fireplace damper has been securely closed and a nice picture placed where the fire usually goes.
• The supply heating ducts are inside the home between the basement and main floor.
• The plumbing penetrations under the kitchen sink have been filled with Great Stuff insulating foam.

Here are a few things that are “Energy-Not-So-Good” about this home.

• The gas furnace is 28 years old. Running well, but there are far more efficient furnaces available.
• There are two refrigerators and one freezer in the garage and they all look like they came across on the Oregon Trail.
• The refrigerator in the kitchen is not Energy Star efficient and it has a hole in the door seal that is big enough to slide three quarters through at once.
• The water heater is about 14 years old and the water temperature is set at 132 degrees.
• The return air ducts in the attic are solid round pipe, not sealed and not insulated.
• The plumbing penetrations under the two bathroom sinks have not been sealed.
• The washing machine is a old top load.
• The dryer is a match to the washing machine and the homeowner says she has to run a load in the dryer twice to get the clothes dry.

While I was taping off the heat registers for the duct blaster test, I found grandpa, a very nice man, sitting in his bedroom playing the base guitar. Kind of caught me by surprise.

This household has $3,500 to spent on energy repairs and up-grades. The question becomes, what should be done with the money so it does the most good for energy savings.

Energy Saving Recommendations.

I recommend to the homeowners that they first look at up-grading their 80% efficient gas furnace to a new condensing 95% efficient model.

Here’s why.

• The furnace is their main heat source and currently uses as much as 3.1 therms per day in the winter.
• The furnace is 28 years old and the heat exchanger may become a problem anytime. With a cracked heat exchanger, there is a possibility of getting Carbon Monoxide into the home.
• If the furnace goes out, you have a major expense all at once. Use the additional funds while you have them.
• The other energy saving items are less expensive and can be dealt with one at a time with out breaking the bank.
• There is a rebate from the gas company for upgrading an older furnace.

The next step for this home is to get three, gas company approved, rebate qualified Heating Contractors to take a look at the furnace and provide bids for a new one. Price is important, efficiency rating is important, and always take into account the contractor and equipment warranties.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you will come back soon, but I won’t leave a light on for you…

ENERGY SAVING TIPS

1.  Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers, etc.

2.   Check the furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each month, and clean or replace it as needed. Dirty filters block air flow through your heating and cooling systems, increasing your energy bill and shortening the equipment’s life.

3.  During hot months, keep window coverings closed on the south, east, and west windows. In winter, let the sun in.

4.  Glass fireplace doors help stop heat from being lost up the chimney. Also, close the fireplace damper when not in use.

5.  Activate “sleep” features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while. Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use to cut energy costs and improve longevity.

6.  When cooking, keep the lids on pots. Better yet, use a microwave oven instead.

7.  Dress appropriately for the weather, and set your thermostat to the lowest possible comfortable setting. On winter nights, put an extra blanket on the bed and turn down your thermostat more.

8.  In summer, use fans whenever possible instead of AC, and ventilate at night this way when practical. Using fans to supplement AC allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, using less energy. Fans cost less to use than AC.

9.  About 15 percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. To save hot water, take five-minute showers instead of baths. Do only full loads when using the clothes washer or dishwasher.

10.  Switch to cold water washing of laundry in top loading in top-loading, energy-inefficient washing machines to save energy and up to $63 a year–detergents formulated for cold water get clothes just as clean.

11.  Lower the temperature on your water heater. It should be set at “warm,” so that a thermometer held under running water reads no more than 130 degrees.

12.  Only heat or cool the rooms you need–close vents and doors of unused rooms.

Today’s Power Trip is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, in-a-way, you could say I have an slight energy conservation addiction.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing list about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning the broad subject of energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

Microsoft and Google not suppose to give up.

Sorry if I seem a little sad today. I am in denial over the news I heard yesterday. Two of the big players on the Internet – let me rephrase that – the two biggest players on the Internet, have seemingly given up on energy savings. Is this a sign of things to come? Is home energy savings just a temporary fling, are Microsoft and Google looking into the same crystal ball.

Well, if they’re not going to worry about home energy saving, then I guess I won’t either. Yah, right!

For some reason, these two giants could not get the power companies to go along with the programs they had to offer. Google Power Meter could not get the power companies to partner up and Microsoft-Hohm could not get the power companies to recommend the program to the consumers.

I sure like Microsoft-Hohm. Before the program goes off the web, I think you should check it out. And concerning your home and energy usage, I think it will be a real eye-opener.

And the Winner is: Ground Source Heat Pumps.

Ok, look at all the different ways there is to heat and cool your home. The best way depends on whom your talking to. Want to have natural gas high efficiency furnaces given the #1 sticker, then just talk to the gas man.

Want to have a high efficiency heat pump get the #1 thumbs up, just talk to the salesman down at the power company. Want to have the elctrical space heater look mighty good, have a conversation with the cadet representative. Want to have wood burning stoves look really black and shiny, talk to the stove company.

To the novice that takes the time to contact all the differnet heating Joe’s and he might end up heating every room in his house with a different heating method just to get the best of all worlds. If it’s the best, wouldn’t want to leave it out.

I think I can make a pretty good case for ground source heat pumps being the best and most efficient of all the contenders. The good old constent temperature of the earth provides the bases for the best. For heating and cooling in all kinds of weather and climates, the ground source heat pump does the best job and does it efficiently.

The initial cost of the system is the only negative. 1500 sq ft home – install electric forced air system, $5,000. Same home with a ground source heat pump, $13,000.

Is it worth it, Yes. Before you say no to ground source, contact a HVAC Contractor that has experience with this type of heat pump.

What’s in the Picture

As usual, the picture is about energy conservation, can you guess what’s in the picture and what it has to do with saving energy?

Hey, thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, hope you come back soon, but I won’t leave a light on for you…

Today’s Power Trip is my way of sharing my day-to-day adventures in home energy savings, in-a-way, you could say I have an slight energy conservation addiction.

My e-Newsletter, the Energy Spy Insider, hits the emailing list about three times a week and brings you the latest news, tips, methods, and stories concerning the broad subject of energy conservation, energy politics, and renewable energy. If you found this “Power Trip” and have not signed-up for my eNewsletter, just look around, there is a sign-up form here somewhere, just add your email address and hit submit.

I really appreciate your comments and ideas, so be sure and leave me some of your wisdom at the end of every article. Follow me on twitter and facebook @detectenergy.

I would like to share with you the fact that Detect Energy will be up-grading the old website once again. Visitors will still be able to access all the great “energy saving” articles, but, in addition, there will be a wealth of “How To” checklists and ebooks to choose from. Perhaps you would be interested in being a contributing writer – just let me know.

One Heating Systems, Two Furnace’s

The installation of the attic gas furnace is just about complete. Just waiting for the City to send an inspector by to complete the gas line pressure test. The inspector will check the pressure gauge and make sure the gas line is not leaking, wrap a green tag around the pipe indicating the pressure test passed, and then the pipe can be connected to the gas meter.

Remember this home, I wrote about it several weeks ago, click here for the original article. This is the home that has a gas furnace installed in a downstairs closet that is too small to heat the home. The complaint the homeowner had was:

• Upstairs always cold in the winter.
• Upstairs blazing hot in the summer.
• Furnace ran almost non-stop in the winter.
• Heating costs were cutting into the food budget.

With not enough room in the downstairs closet to install a larger more efficient furnace and few good options to get larger heating ducts to the upstairs, it was decided to install a second heating system just for the upstairs.

A 95% efficient gas furnace was installed in the attic with new heat ducts that just serviced the upstairs. An air conditioner was added to the upstairs furnace and now we’re just waiting for the gas line to get approved before we fire it up and give it a try.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this system performs over the year. Just about have to wait through next winter to really evaluate both the effectiveness of the two furnace system and the associated heating cost. The Contractor and the Homeowner are doing a little labor exchange with this installation and the total out-of-pocket expense is going to be under $3,000.

I bet getting to sleep on a hot summers evening is going to be a lot easier with that upstairs A.C. unit! Talk to you later about this one.

Guess What’s in the Picture

Here’s a picture, can you guess what it is?

Some of the larger Green Roofs that have been developed on large mid-town commercial buildings are very impressive. More like a painting or a decoration or sculpture. Green roofs will really be beneficial to our environment when they replace the asphalt roof on millions of homes across the country. Remember the housing developments where the homeowner rules stated that roofs were restricted to cedar shingles or tile?

Well, guess what. All those roofs are old and are failing and very few can afford to replace them with tiles or shingles. So here comes the asphalt shingles. Just what the environment needs, more rain water running off fossil fuel shingles before running into our lakes and streams.

I am looking forward to the next active housing market. Somewhere there will be a new neighborhood that has rules that simply state, “Each house in the neighborhood will either have a green roof or a renewable energy roof, your choice.”

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Energy Conservation

Todays Power Trip - High Power Bill and Where To Save Energy

by Don Ames

When your reviewing your home energy bill and become  concerned about a rising power costs and energy conservation, don’t overlook the possibility of a malfunctioning thermostat. Rising home power costs can often times be the result of an older thermostat or a thermostat that is not wired correctly. To save energy, the thermostat needs to be matched to the heating and cooling system and needs to be wired correctly.

Recently, I visited a home where the homeowner was concerned with rising power costs. About 6 years ago, a heat pump was added to his electric furnace and within the last four months the power bill had shown significant increases.

Homeowner complaints included:

• Rising power bill reaching just over $300.
• Furnace that blows cool air from the heating registers.
• Furnace fan that seems to run often and long.

A week before I visited the home, the homeowner became concerned that the thermostat might be the problem. He changed the thermostat, replacing an older style, mercury bulb thermostat, with a new programmable digital model.  Proud of himself and increased energy conservation, he showed me the old mercury switch and I reminded him to dispose of it in an appropriate recycle facility. Don’t mess around with mercury.

I am concerned about whether or not the thermostat is wired correctly. Sometimes the older mechanical thermostats didn’t have as many wires connected to them as a newer digital thermostat requires.

Recommendation:

In order to keep your furnace and heat pump working efficiently, have them checked and serviced once a year.

• Have a Heating and Cooling contractor service the heating system.
• Check for efficient operation of both the heat pump and the furnace.
• Check to see that the thermostat is wired correctly.

Heating duct air leakage

To follow up on other causes of high heating costs,  I got out the blower door and duct blaster. The blower door will tell us how much air is leaking into and out of the house and the duct blaster will tell us how much air is leaking out of the heating ducts. Stopping air leakage from the heating ducts is one of the most cost effect, power saving measures we can do for a home.

The blower door test indicated 825 CFM house air leakage. Since the home is about 1400 square feet of living space, this amount of air leakage is OK. If the home was air sealed and the air leakage was reduced, the home might begin to feel stuffy or stale. A home needs to breath in order to have fresh air for the household.

The duct blaster registered 520 CFM total leakage with 315 CFM leakage to the outside of the home. The figure of 315 CFM to the outside is the important figure. I would like to see  this reading below 100 CFM. It will be beneficial to have a contractor seal the heating system to save energy.

Recommendation – Free heating duct sealing provided

Since this is a manufactured home and since the power company feels sealing heating ducts is a productive, cost effective way to save energy, a contractor can come and seal the heating ducts and the power company will pay for it 100%. Now there is a good deal.

For this home and this power trip, I will recommend that a heating contractor service the furnace and heat pump and check to see that the thermostat is wired and working correctly. I will also help the homeowner schedule a duct sealing contractor that is approved by the power company to test and seal the heating ducts.

I’m looking forward to learning if the work being done to this home will lower the power usage and the power bill. Thanks for checking out Today’s Power Trip, come back to detect energy soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Furnace Air Filter

How to choose a furnace filter

by the DIY Experts of the Family Handyman Magazine

But if you’re the kind of person who forgets to change the oil in your car, buy a low-priced pleated filter, which require changing only every three months. If you stretched out the accordion-like material in these filters, you’d find two, three or four times the amount of surface area. This means they can capture smaller particles for longer periods of time without impeding the airflow of your furnace.

If members of your household smoke or have allergies or asthma, or if you have pets, look into the more expensive, high-efficiency electrostatic filters—ones that both filter and magnetically attract contaminants. Some are effective for up to a year. They can filter out bacteria, dander, odors and smoke particles. But health experts warn that you may be wasting your money on these filters unless you take the following steps: Use them in conjunction with a high-efficiency vacuum cleaner, install a dedicated air purifier, wash or vacuum the filter monthly and take other steps to clean up your air and house as well.

Keep in mind that filters work harder in summer! So changing filters isn’t only a heating season chore. Many blower motors work at a higher speed in air conditioning mode than in heating mode, meaning you should change filters more often in the summer. A clogged filter can make both your furnace and your air conditioner work harder and less efficiently.

Furnace filter comparison

Look for an efficiency rating

Many filters carry a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating, which indicates their effectiveness. The higher the MERV rating, the more effective. Most spun filters have a MERV rating of 4. Standard pleated filters average MERV 6. Electrostatic pleated versions start at MERV 8, with the highest quality ones hitting MERV 12.

Today’s Power Trip, The Furnace Is Too Small And The Upstairs Bedrooms Are Cold

by Don Ames

Like any school, the quality of the education has more to do with the quality of the teacher(s) and less to do with the location of the school. I am always a little surprised to visit a home in the middle of the day and find school age kids present. The first thing I think about is the little devils are home sick from school and I should just excuse myself and stay in the car.

I am relieved to find out that they do not have swine flu or some other life threatening vampire disease and they are home because they are home schooled. Funny there is not more books lying around, if home schooling is going on, where are all the books.

Today’s power trip takes place in a home build in 1931. From the street, I can see that the home is in good condition. If the newer paint is any indication, the home has  seen a few upgrades over the years.

Hope there are no dogs being home schooled to learn how to bite Energy Auditors. I like dogs; I just do not like your dog. You can tell me a hundred times that Fido has never bitten anyone, but all I can think of is – there is always a first time.

Cannot think of which I dislike the most, the big dog with big teeth that sticks his nose between your legs or the little dog that you cannot touch but will not stop barking. Why can’t homeowners hear their own dogs barking? “Please little doggie, stop barking so I can talk.”

So, why am I here? I am not strong enough in math or world history to give a lesson or correct a paper.

The main concern the homeowner has about their house is yelled to me over the yapping of the little precious canine. “The furnace runs all the time so our gas bills are really high and we are cold upstairs.”

A Heating and A.C. Contractor had visited the home the previous week and told the homeowner that the reason the furnace seemed to run all the time is that it is undersized. Too small for the house. The BTU (British Thermal Units) output of the furnace was not high enough to effectively heat the home.

After looking in the closet where the 80% efficient gas furnace was stuffed, I concluded an undersized furnace was installed because that is the biggest furnace you could fit in the closet. Fill the closet and just let the little fella run all the time – now that is efficient. Reminded me of the darn dog. Maybe the dog has been home schooled by the furnace to operate non-stop.

Several contractors have been by the house this week and described how they can get a new bigger high efficient gas furnace in the same spot as the old one. After providing an initial bid, one Contractor returned a second time and changed his plans. Scratching his head, he yelled over the barking dog, “Maybe we ought to put a second small furnace in the attic to heat just the upstairs!”

I will let you know what happens with this heating system, I know I do not like the second furnace idea because it leaves the 80% furnace in the tiny closet with no real indication that its run time will be decreased.

To learn more about high efficient gas furnaces, watch this video with just a click right here.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, this has been yet another “Today’s Power Trip”, Come back soon, but I will not leave a light on for you. Don Ames