Happy Monday!

Solar Energy Expansion

Solar energy is becoming an increasingly popular solution for US homes and industry. While other sectors have suffered in this economy, solar is continuing to grow and expand its market. And since the technology is becoming more sophisticated, this expansion is not surprising. For some information about how much it is expanding, here is a some info from onlinetes.com:

Solar system prices are becoming far more competitively priced as the consumer and business demand for solar power soars. It’s safe to say the solar industry is just heating up in the United States.

Today, the solar industry is one of the few bright spots in the U.S. economy. Last year, the industry grew an astounding 69%, making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the nation as noted by the Solar Energy Industries Association. In the last two years, the number of Americans working in the solar industry has doubled to more than 100,000 employed.  

Solar energy has become cost-competitive with grid-supplied electricity, helping to positively impact our domestic energy supply and the U.S. economy as a whole. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of new jobs are being created across the country. Chapel Hill’s own Strata Solar LLC is doing its part locally by creating jobs for over 60 construction and installation workers and engineers through a variety of state-wide, utility-scale solar projects just this year. Strata has installed 10MW of solar energy systems across the state this year, and forecasts an astounding 30 megawatts and an even stronger hire rate in 2012.

 “Americans are beginning to adopt renewable energy in their own personal savings and are seeing the value it creates for our economy,” says Markus Wilhelm, CEO, Strata Solar. “The solar industry will no doubt continue to progress and remain significant to the growth of our country going forward.”

For the full article, click here.

Energy Efficient Windows

One of the most important ways to make your home more energy efficient is to upgrade your windows. Energy Star rated windows will make sure that the warm, heated air will stay inside this winter instead of leaking to the outside. There are some additional benefits to Energy Star windows though, here are a few more from EnergyStar.gov:

Get Comfortable

Comfort. It’s the essential quality of home. ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights do more than just lower energy bills — they deliver comfort that other products just can’t match.

PROTECTION FROM WINTER CHILLS

On cold winter nights, do you avoid seats near the window? The cold, inside surface of an inefficient window pulls heat away from your body, so you can feel chilly in a sweater with the thermostat at 70 degrees. With ENERGY STAR qualified windows, the interior glass stays warmer, so you can enjoy your window seat even when the temperature outside dips well below freezing.

SHIELDING FROM SUMMER HEAT

Do some of your rooms feel like a sauna in the summer? A standard double-pane window allows approximately 75 percent of the sun’s heat into your home.1 With ENERGY STAR qualified windows you can stay cool all summer long. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.

1 Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

Protect Your Valuables

Drapes, wood floors, a favorite photograph: all these things can fade or discolor after repeated exposure to direct sunlight. Whether their value is monetary or sentimental, you want to protect your belongings from fading and discoloring.

ENERGY STAR qualified windows have coatings that keep out the summer heat and act like sunscreen for your house, protecting your valuables from harmful, fading ultraviolet light without noticeably reducing visible light. These special coatings reduce fading by up to 75 percent.1

1 Source: Residential Windows. Carmody, Selkowitz, Arasteh, and Heschong. 2007.

For more information, visit the Energy Star website.

How Forced Air Heating Works

You have probably heard the term forced air heating before, but do you really know how it works? Forced air heating is a very popular heating method that is used throughout the country. Here is an explanation from a Houston heating contractor of how it works:

The truth is that a forced air heating system is simply a heating system that distributes heat throughout your house using air to carry it. In this type of system, heated air travels through a system of ducts and is expelled through vents into the different rooms and areas of your home in order to maintain a particular temperature. That temperature, of course, is whatever you set your thermostat to, and when the desired temperature is reached, the heat will shut off until the temperature drops down again.

Many forced air heating systems are remarkably energy efficient and can effectively keep you home comfortable all winter long. Additionally, they are generally made to be incorporated with central air conditioning systems for year round temperature control. Heat pumps are especially convenient in this way, as they’re able to both heat and cool your home depending on the season and your home comfort needs.

For more information, check out the full article.  

Heating Cost by Fuel Type

Have you ever wondered exactly how much it would cost to use another heating source? For instance, would it be worth the initial expense to change for oil to gas? Or maybe it would be better to switch to a pellet stove? In order to answer these questions, an article on InspectAPedia has developed a table that compares the average cost of various fuel types:

Table 1 - January 2009 Comparison of Current Energy Costs per BTU for Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Firewood, Pellet Stove Fuel, Propane, Coal
Heating Fuel	Heat Content in BTUs	Unit Cost	Cost / 1000 BTUs	Notes on Formulas & Fuels
Home Heating Oil	140,000 BTUs/Gal HC = 140	$2.00/gal UC = 2.00	1.42 cents	Price varies by time, season, economy, locale
Natural Gas	1029 BTUs/Cu. Ft. HC = 1.029	$7.00/1000 Cu. ft. UC = 0.7	0.68 cents	Price varies by time, season, economy, locale.
Firewood	150,000 BTUs/Cu. ft. HC = 150	$75/face cord UC = 6.46/Cu. ft.	4.30 cents	BTUs vary by wood type, condition, design of wood heater. A face cord is 4' x 8' x 16" of wood tightly stacked = 42.6 cu. ft. About $50./face cord in Dec 2008 in MN A full cord 4' x 4' x 8' = 128 Cu. ft. about $150. in Dec 2008 in MN, more in NYC
Electricity	3413 BTUs / KWH HC = 3.413	$0.11/KWH UC = 0.11	3.22 cents	1 KWH = 3413 BTUs. Cost/1000 BTUs = $0.11 / 3.413 = .032258
Propane				in process
Pellet Stove Fuel	8200 BTUs/pound HC = 8.2	$225 / Ton	1.4 cents	$225. per ton of pellet fuel, 70% efficient. 50 40-pound bags per ton, or 60 40-pound bags per skid. One bag of pellet fuel burns for 24 hours in a typical pellet stove. $225 / 2000 (pounds per ton) = 11.25 cents / pound. .1125 / 8.2 = .0137
Coal				In process Assuming xx-sized coal for use in coal stoves used as interior heat source, not coal fired furnaces or boilers which use pea coal.
Formulas Used [1]	HC	UC	(UC / HC) * 100	Unit Cost (UC)__ x 100 = Heat Cost per 1000 BTUs Heat Content (HC) See notes above for specific fuels.

For the full article and methodology, visit the website.

Space Heater Safety

Space heaters are a good way to supplement your main home heating system, but they can be dangerous if not utilized properly. The main thing to remember about space heaters is to only use them occasionally and to keep them away from anything flammable. WOLX had some other good suggestions:

"You have the weather coming in, and most people haven't thought about their heating devices, whatever it may be. The space heaters, or the regular heating in the house, or the fireplaces. And they haven't done the maintenance that we suggest that they do," Harrison County Fire Marshal Pat Sullivan said.

Though that maintenance may seem tedious to some, it could very well save your life.

"Those kinds of things can cause fires. If the wires are frayed on your space heaters, if you put the space heaters too close to other things it could burn, such as clothing or wood. Those things, those common sense things. Just get everything away from your space heater," Sullivan said.

Making sure all the elements in the device are working is also a good idea. If you've had a space heater for several years, it might be a good idea to replace it. Still, it's not all about space heaters.

"Using extension cords for the space heaters, using extension cords anywhere in the house is not recommended. Short term, for a few minutes, use it and then unplug it. But to leave it on all the time and use it for your heating devices, that's dangerous," Sullivan said.

Naturally, you'll want to be comfortable and warm in the frigid temperatures. Just remember that safety is of the utmost importance.

For the full article and some more safety tips, click here.

 

Are You Switching to Wood?

Many Americans are turning to wood to heat their homes because of rising gas and oil fuel cost. However, many older wood stoves and fireplaces emit a lot of pollution into the air, as well as heating your home inefficiently. If you are choosing the burn wood, it is best to look into a newer wood or pellet stove that is EPA ceritified. An article in the Tuscon Citizen talks about this new trend:

“The access to cheap wood made a difference,” says Walton, a carpenter who lives on heavily forested land in Keene, N.H., where he chops his own fallen or dead trees.

“It saves us a bundle,” he says, adding his wood stove can manage all winter with just two cords because he added insulation and good windows to his tidy, 1,300-square-foot home.

As energy prices rise, and winter approaches, more Americans are turning to wood to heat their homes, some hurrying to cash in on tax credits for efficient stoves that expire next month.

This upswing is prompting federal officials, concerned about the health and environmental impact of burning wood, to update 23-year-old certification criteria for stoves and set the first requirements for outdoor wood boilers, which heat water that’s piped into homes.

“We are not in the business of telling people how to heat their homes,” says Alison Davis of the Environmental Protection Agency, which plans to propose the new rules next year. But if they want to burn wood, Davis urges them to buy an EPA-certified stove and operate it properly so no smoke gets inside the house.

She says boilers are “significantly more polluting” than wood or pellet stoves because they have short stacks and use 10 times as much wood. Even so, she says those meeting the EPA’s 2007 voluntary standards are 90% cleaner than older ones. “The technology has improved for wood stoves,” Davis says, as has the research on the dangers of wood burning.

Wood heating’s upswing

The number of U.S. households heating with wood rose 34% nationwide from 1.8 million in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2010 — faster than any other heating fuel, according to Census data.

“We’re seeing a rise mainly in states with high oil and gas prices,” most notably in Michigan and Connecticut, says John Ackerly of the Alliance for Green Heat, a nonprofit group that promotes wood stoves.

“It’s a combination of rising energy prices and the economic downturn,” he says, adding low- and middle-income households are much more likely than others to use wood for primary heating. In rural areas, he says many cut their own wood and in the suburbs, they get it free when trees fall.

He expects wood will become more popular this winter, citing the projected rise in household heating costs. Compared to last winter, heating will cost 3% more with natural gas and 8% more with oil this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Retailers are gearing up. U.S. shipments of pellet stoves, considered the most efficient way to burn wood, jumped 59% in the second quarter of this year, compared to the same time last year, and pellet fireplace inserts rose 72%, according to Leslie Wheeler of the the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, an industry group.

“We’re expecting those numbers to continue to increase,” Wheeler says, because of high fuel prices. She says the tax credits expiring this year — up to $300 for EPA-certified stoves — are not as generous as in 2009 and 2010 when they covered 30% of the cost, up to $1,500. She says many cost $3,000 to $4,000 with installation.

For more info, you can read the full article here.

Stephen King Heating Things Up

While many of us are a fan of Stephen King's writing, we don't know much about him. But with him donating $700,000 to help heat low-income home's in Maine, people are now seeing his charitable side. Here is an article from the LA Times about his donation:

With federal budget cuts taking a bite out of a charitable fund that helps lower-income Maine residents heat their homes, author Stephen King announced plans Wednesday to help bridge the gap. His Stephen and Tabitha King Charitable Foundation will match up to $70,000 donated to Maine's heating oil fund, with hopes that they can raise $140,000 total.

King no longer lives year-round in Bangor, Maine, but he returns there and owns three local radio stations that will spread the word about the effort, the Bangor Daily News reports. “We’ll match up to $70,000 of the amount raised,” King said. “This economy is terrible and Tabitha and I both worry so much about Bangor because it truly is a working-class town and we are always looking for ways to help, and right now this is a great need.”

King added, “And on top of it the price of fuel continues to rise. The cost goes up, the need goes up and the assistance goes down. That’s the bottom line. That’s what is happening.”

To read the full article, click here.

Furnace Filters

When you think about home maintenance, many people forget changing their furnace filters. While it is a simple chore, it is easy to overlook. However, changing your furnace filter on a regular basis will improve your home's indoor air quality and help your furnace work more efficiently. To learn more about when to change your furnace filter, check out this article from Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling:

Just like the filter in your air conditioner, replacing your furnace filter is the key to a healthy and comfortable Willow Grove home. By keeping a good filter replacement schedule, you will reduce wear and tear to the furnace and keep your home warm, while keeping your family healthy and controlling energy costs all winter.

But when does your furnace filter need to be changed? Well, each system is different, but there are some general guidelines and recommendations to follow that can help you keep it all straight and stay on top of your furnace filter situation.

Conventional Wisdom

The long-standing rule of thumb on furnace filters is to change them every month. This is good practice if you are using older fiberglass filters, but for newer, more efficient filters, you should do it a little differently. These should be inspected and cleaned at least once a month, but you may need to replace them that frequently also.

Sometimes it is a little more complicated than these general guidelines, so it pays to be aware of some factors and conditions in your home that may affect how frequently you need to change your filter.

Things to Consider

As mentioned above, the first thing to consider is the efficiency of the filter. Because new filters are so efficient, when they get dirty or clogged with dust and debris, they actually restrict airflow, making your furnace bog down and work harder. So, it is important to stay on top of a monthly inspection and cleaning schedule with these filters.

Also take into account air quality and sources of allergens both inside and outside your home. If you live in an area with a lot of pollutants in the air, you’ll want to replace your filters often to keep those out of your home. If you own a lot of pets, the dander and hair will wind up in your furnace filter and you may have to replace it more often.

To learn more, visit their plumbing and heating blog.

Cut Your Heating Bill

Heating your house can get expensive, so many people look for ways to lower their heating bills. Upgrading your heating system is a good investment; many of today's equipment is much more energy efficient than systems even bought as recently as ten years ago. You can also make sure that you have good insulation, energy efficient windows, and no leaks in your house. If you have done all that and still think your heating bills are too high, an energy audit would be a good choice. A professional could assess your house and give you some new suggestions. In Atlanta, the state require that Georgia power help's homes become more energy efficient:

ATLANTA -- State regulators require Georgia Power to help its customers improve energy efficiency, so if you make an appointment, they'll send an expert to your home or business to do a lot of the dirty work for you.

Efficiency Expert Rodney Welch says a few quick fixes can cut your bill in half, starting in the attic. "You want to make sure you have at least 10 to 12 inches of attic insulation," he said.

Welch said a programmable thermostat prevents you from heating an empty house. He said for optimum efficiency it should be set at 68 degrees in the winter. "Any temperature above 68 will increase the bill anywhere from three to five percent per degree," he said.

On a recent audit of a Craftsman style bungalow in Atlanta, Welch found a lot of ways the homeowner was saving energy but also a few ways she was wasting it. 

The fireplace damper was open, allowing cold air in, and the stripping was starting to peel away from the front door. Outside, the HVAC unit had some tree branches starting to creep around it.

To learn more suggestions, check out the full article: http://www.11alive.com/news/article/211968/3/Cut-your-heating-bill-by-up-to-60-percent-

Replacing Oil for Geothermal

If you are thinking about upgrading your heating system, geothermal is a good way to go. You will not need to spend money during the year for oil or gas to heat your home, and those savings can really build up over time. Here is an example of one family who decided that upgrading to geothermal was the right choice for their home:

“We knew we had to replace our old oil heat system, and we were looking around for options,” said Hanson, a retired Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway clerk. “At first this seemed too expensive. But, when you throw in the rebates and tax incentives, and the fact we’ll never have to buy oil or gas again, it really makes sense for us.”

Hanson has a bit of a green side as well, and he’s happy to stop burning fossil fuel to heat his home.

The U.S. Department of Energy says 40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the nation come from burning gas, coal and oil to heat and cool homes and buildings. Heat-pump systems already in place are cutting more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of taking 650,000 cars and trucks off the road.

If the term geothermal conjures images of bubbling hot springs in Iceland, that’s only half right. In the Northland, geothermal heat in the ground actually comes from the sun and is stored below the surface in the ground or water.

Hanson’s system uses water from an old well on his lot that’s at a nearly constant 45 degrees as the source of heat energy. While the science is hard to explain, the heat pump transfers energy from that 45-degree water and converts it into 130-degree hot air to heat the house. In the summer, the same system can create cold air to cool the home.

The basement unit is about the same size as a traditional furnace.

In Hanson’s open loop system, after the well water is run over coils of antifreeze, the water, about four gallons per minute while it’s operating, is discharged back into the ground to percolate through a gravel field. Closed loop systems use a finite amount of fluid running through large coil systems buried to absorb warmth in the ground. Closed loop systems, buried about 8 feet under the surface, generally require a footprint about twice the size as the main floor of the building, so a larger lot is required.

“This (open loop) type of system was more attractive for us because we didn’t have to tear up the entire yard,” Hanson said.

Hanson’s system, including work to expand his well’s capacity and install a new electric service board in his home, will cost about $20,000. But rebates from Minnesota Power and the state of Minnesota, along with a 30 percent credit for the system off his federal income taxes, will bring the price way down.

And Hanson will never need to write another check for gas or oil again.

“The payback is generally about five years compared to a heating oil system or propane, maybe a little more, eight years, for a natural gas system,” said Jeff Aili, estimator and project manager for Summit Mechanical Systems of Duluth that installed Hanson’s system. “Think of it as an investment, and the rate of return is about 20 percent per year. How’s your IRA compare to that?”

For Hanson, the new system will eliminate last year’s $1,700 fuel oil bill and trim heating costs to about $550 for this winter, all for electricity. Heat pumps generally use more electricity than traditional systems, although the water-heating savings often help make up that difference. 

Moreover, Hanson’s system will provide cheap central air conditioning in the summer. By a quirk of physical science, many systems actually use less energy in the summer if they are producing cold air for air conditioning, Aili said.

For the full article, visit the Duluth News Tribune.

Save Money on Your Heating

With the big storm that hit many in the Northeast, most have had to turn on their heat a little early. And with oil and gas pricing rising, that can be a little expensive. Here are some tips from Smart Money on how you can cut down on those expensive utility bills:

For consumers looking to cut costs this winter and beyond, experts recommend looking into financial assistance from the government while it lasts. Federal tax credits worth up to $500 for energy efficiency home improvements, in place most years since '05, may expire at the end of the year, says Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy. Eligible projects include new insulation (10% of the cost, up to $500), biomass stoves ($300) and energy-efficient windows (10% of the cost, up to $200) -- so long as the items meet federal guidelines.

A handful of states also have rebate cash lingering from the "cash for clunker" appliance program of 2010 and more recent initiatives, according to the Department of Energy. Oregon, for example, still offers 70% of the cost for a qualifying gas furnace, up to $2,000. Ohio reimburses 100% of the price for an Energy-Star-qualified gas, oil or propane furnace. The government estimates the more efficient products could cut your energy bill by as much as 15%, to boot.

It's not too late to shop around for deals on fuel, either, says Gamson. Providers' rates largely depend on when they purchase their fuel supply, so calling around or joining cooperative buying groups that locked in prices months ago could yield a better price.

Consumers can also cut their energy costs by making smaller home improvements , says Dayle Zatlin, a spokeswoman for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. A home energy audit, available for free in many states, can help pinpoint problems -- including too-thin insulation and drafty areas. Spending as little as $30 for some caulk and sealing kits can cut your energy bill by up to 20%, a savings of as much as $1,000 a year. Actually programming your programmable thermostat so that the house is 10- to 15-degree cooler while you're out at work and asleep can save you up to another 15%, Zatlin says.

For the full article, click here.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Plumbing Basics

Everyone has plumbing in their house, but most people ignore it until something goes wrong. However, if you   know some basic information about your plumbing, you will know some basics on how to take care of it. And if you know how to take care of your plumbing, plumbing disasters will come along a lot less frequently. Here are some basics about plumbing from Ace Pelizon:

Fundamental Plumbing

Plumbing is based entirely on the properties of gravity and water pressure. A plumbing system has two basic systems – one that brings water in and one that removes that water once you’ve used it. To bring water into your home, it is pressurized. With enough pressure, it can travel against gravity, rising in the pipes to your fixtures.

Every fixture in your home has a valve on it that allows you to shut off the flow of water when making repairs or if there is an emergency. If the emergency is big enough, you can turn the main water supply valve off outside your home as well.

Drainage Systems

While the water coming into your home is relatively simple – pressurized cold water goes directly to the fixtures and hot water comes from your hot water heater – the drainage system is slightly more complicated.

Once water has exited the faucets in your fixtures, it is no longer pressurized so gravity is needed to remove it. Each drain consists of a few basic parts – the flange, tail piece, trap, and drain extension. When you put water down a drain it goes into the trap and flows into the drain extension, eventually to the sewer line.

The trap is designed to always hold a small amount of water so that sewer gasses cannot back up into your fixtures. Vents are installed in your home as well to ensure there is always air in the plumbing system. That air ensures a vacuum doesn’t generate. If it did, water couldn’t flow out of the house. It’s the same as pouring from a small hole in a can – if you poke a hole in the opposite side, it flows much faster because air enters the can to displace the liquid.

For more information about plumbing, visit their website.

Americans and Solar Heating

Americans are becoming more and more energy conscious every year. This is leading to increased interest in alternative energy solutions for residential homes. One of these is solar heating. As almost everybody knows, solar power (and solar heating) uses the sun's rays and converts them into energy. This is very easy to implement in the case of water heaters, which are a large percentage of any home's heating cost. An article from Earth Techling explains how Americans are taking advanatage of this technology:

“Solar heating and cooling technologies” is an umbrella term used to describe solar energy technologies that capture the sun’s heat, providing energy for water and pool heating as well as space heating and cooling. These technologies save homes and businesses money by offsetting the use of electricity, natural gas and home heating fuels. Today, there are enough solar water heating systems installed in the United States to serve 1.5 million homes.

A recent study by Gotham Research Group, conducted on behalf of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), found that public support for solar water heating remains unsullied by the the bankruptcy of Solyndra (a cutting-edge photovoltaic company, after all). The poll found that three out of four respondents (74 percent) agreed that “the growth of the solar water heating industry will produce jobs and help the American economy.” Positive perceptions of solar water heating systems exceeded negative perceptions by more than 10 to one.

For the full article, click here.

Fall is here!

Happy Fall! How is the foliage where you live? Here is a great picture from Weather.com that really shows how beautiful fall can be!

Taken In Bethlehem, CT By FineArtVideo
The sun shines brilliantly through a panorama of red maples. 

Nest Thermostats

Not a lot of us worry about the thermostats in our house. Even if you have a programmable thermostat, only a few homeowners will utilize its full, energy saving potential. But there are lots of savings available if your thermostat is able to adjust your heat accurately; you will save money without having to feel uncomfortable. In order to pursue this end, the Nest Thermostat was developed. Here is some of what it is capable of:

However, Nest reckons it’s the Learning Thermostat’s intelligence that will be giving you chills, not the temperature. The system observes your normal heating/cooling routines – using movement sensors, humidity and temperature sensors, and proximity control – and can mimic them itself, as well as automatically tweaking the settings when there’s nobody home. That takes about a week, Rogers claims. It can even pull in weather forecasts over WiFi to adjust temperatures automatically based on conditions outdoors: cranking up the aircon if the sun makes an appearance, for instance.

The Nest Learning Thermostat will go on sale priced at $249 in Best Buy midway through November, and is intended to be easily installed by the home owner (rather than demanding professional help). If that seems a lot for a fancy thermometer, Nest reckons that in a year it will pay for itself: saving 20- to 30-percent of the average $1,000 energy bill for the American home.

To learn more, check out the full article here: http://www.slashgear.com/nest-learning-thermostat-makes-heating-ipod-sexy-25190536/

Happy Monday

A customer’s new, computerized furnace stops working. But each time the technician shows up, it works flawlessly.

The exasperated technician tells the customer:

“I had a car just like that. Every time I drove it past the junk yard, it ran just fine”.


HVAC tech to homeowner:

“Your furnace has a few problems. But things could be a lot worse.”

Somewhat, relieved, the homeowner replies: “Oh, that’s good news.”

HVAC tech:

“I know. It could be my furnace instead of yours.”



And I have no idea how to describe this, but it is definitely worth watching: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=02a_1307119966

Fall Maintenance

No one likes to think about maintenance, it often seems like a lot of trouble for no immediate cause. But when  your heating system breaks down in the middle of a cold night because you neglected it's fall checkup, you can quickly regret not taking the time to maintain it. Here is some great advice from Design Comfort about fall maintenance:

Most heating and cooling contractors offer service or maintenance agreements, which lock in at least one or two visits a year for furnace or air conditioner inspection. It is rare to find a contractor who will schedule a furnace inspection during the cold winter months. They know that time is usually saved for people with real emergencies. If you don’t have a service agreement with a contractor, you may want to consider signing up for one and avoid the risk of waiting in line for a furnace repair in the dead of winter.

During fall maintenance, your heating equipment will be switched on and inspected. That may sound routine but by running your heating system early, you may be spared the expense of repairing your system when it fails to operate or run smoothly during the cold months. If there is a problem, it is better to fix it ahead of time.

There is no guarantee that a furnace that is tuned up in the fall will last throughout the winter without needing service. But a little preventive maintenance ahead of time will save a lot of heartache – and dollars – when a real emergency comes up.

For the full article, visit their website.

High Tech Heat Gear

If you want to try something a little different this fall, try purchasing some high tech heat gear instead of cranking up the thermostat. A whole new wave of clothing with heating features is being developed, many of which are very stylish. The New York Times had a great article about it:

“In the wintertime, generally people like to warm up more and more, and as a result, people become really bulky,” said Aoi Matsumoto, Uniqlo’s manager for global marketing and communications, explaining how the idea for its Heattech line was born. “We thought we’d like to make people feel comfortable. If we warm up closer to the skin, people can actually enjoy fashion.”

Uniqlo has sold 100 million Heattech items globally since sales began in 2003. The company started with basic tops and tights, but this year has expanded to leggings, mufflers, hats and, yes, even skinny jeans.

It is not alone. Brookstone offers its own line of “Cold Weather Gear,” which includes jackets and fleeces with “built-in heating” — basically thin, battery-powered heat bundles that can reach up to 113 degrees and last up to five hours, according to the company Web site. There are also heated sock liners, complete with a battery strap that seems disconcertingly like an ankle bracelet Lindsay Lohan might wear.

And then there is WarmX, the family-run, Germany-based business that stumbled upon its heating line after “some experimentation with fabrics for the German government,” said Keith McCoy, the company’s distributor for the United States and Canada. Their clothes have silver threads woven into the fabric that, when hooked up to a battery pack, create a current that runs along the threads and into the clothes. “It’s like your whole body is immersed in a warm bath,” Mr. McCoy said.

For the full article, click here.

New Cooling Tower Technology

We often wonder if it is better to replace our old systems or get a new one. This is the same for commercial buildings, whose HVAC systems are huge investments that can require a lot of time, money and manpower to replace. But the people in the LAX Airport Center office were grateful that they decided to upgrade their cooling tower. They upgraded to engineered plastic cooling towers from their old galvanized metal towers, which was great for them when the heat wave hit. Here is more info from HVAC News:

"We felt that a newer type of cooling tower, designed with a shell of engineered plastic, would be more efficient and less maintenance-intensive for the application than simply replacing the old injector system with a new one," McGuire says.

 The engineered plastic cooling tower, innovated by Delta Cooling Towers (Rockaway, NJ), has been used in industrial and commercial applications of many types because of its inherent resistance to corrosives as well as high-efficiency features.

Because the 5777 West Century Boulevard building was located near Los Angeles International Airport , it was exposed to the corrosive effects of industrial effluents, jet fuels and the nearby Pacific salt air. Those corrosive effects as well as prevailing high humidity no doubt were contributing to the increasingly waning performance of the building's old injector cooling tower system. McGuire was convinced that the Delta plastic model would be best for this application.

"I like the Delta design," he says. "The double-wall plastic shell is impervious to UV light, pH or corrosives, so it's very low in maintenance. The tower operates well in high humidity. The shell has a 15-year warranty, which is unique in the cooling tower industry. Also, I think it's got strong price advantages."

The model that McGuire recommended was a single, 500-ton Delta TM series cooling tower to replace the old injector tower. The high-efficiency TM Series is an induced draft, counter flow design that is modular, and capable of providing from 250 to over 2,000 cooling tons.

 The cooling tower fan runs off a variable-speed drive, so the fan runs slower, consumes less energy and creates less wear and tear on the motors. In office building applications, the variable-speed fan gradually starts in the morning as the weather warms, typically running at 30 percent until it shuts off in the evening.

For the full article, click here.

Radiant Heating

Have you heard of radiant heating? It has been used for centuries to heat house without needing a furnace or air ducts, it warms people and objects directly instead of heating the air around them. Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Radiant heating heats a building through radiant heat, rather than other conventional methods such as radiators (mostly convection heating). The technology has existed since the Roman use of hypocaust heating. Underfloor radiant heating has long been widespread in China and Korea. The heat energy is emitted from a warm element, such as a floor, wall or overhead panel, and warms people and other objects in rooms rather than directly heating the air. The internal air temperature for radiant heated buildings may be lower than for a conventionally heated building to achieve the same level of body comfort, when adjusted so the perceived temperature is actually the same.

The radiant heating systems can be divided into:

• Underfloor heating systems—electric or hydronic
• Wall heating systems
• Radiant ceiling panels

Underfloor and wall heating systems often are called low-temperature systems. Since their heating surface is much larger than with other systems, a much lower temperature is required to achieve the same level of heat transfer. The maximum temperature of the heating surface can vary from 29–35 °C (84–95 °F) depending on the room type. Radiant overhead panels are mostly used in production and warehousing facilities or sports centers; they hang a few meters above the floor and their surface temperature is much higher.

Do you have radiant heating in your house? Have you ever been in a house that has? Share your experiences!

Space Heater

Space heaters are a great way to supplement a main heating system for rooms that are inadequately heated. It can also be a way to zone your heating, only have space heaters for rooms that need to warmer than the rest of the house. However, safety is an important concern for space heaters, the government estimates that more than 25,000 fires each year are associated with their use! With that frightening statistic, it is important to understand some of the safety precautions you can take. Here are some guidelines from Energy Savers:

Only purchase newer model heaters that have all of the current safety features. Make sure the heater has the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label attached to it.

Choose a thermostatically controlled heaters, since they avoid the energy waste of overheating a room.

Select a heater of the proper size for the room you wish to heat. Do not purchase oversized heaters. Most heaters come with a general sizing table.

Locate the heater on a level surface away from foot traffic. Be especially careful to keep children and pets away from the heater.

For more information about space heater safety, check out more the Energy Saver's website.

Solar Heating Savings

As we mentioned a few days ago, solar heating is a new trend that can save you a lot of money. You simply capture the radiation from the sun and use it to heat water to use in your house. Here are some great statistics from The Press Association on how much money it can save you:

Solar water-heating systems can provide as much as 60% of a home's hot water if they are properly installed and used, research into the technology has shown.

On average, the systems provide 39% of a household's hot water, a study of 88 homes which had solar thermal panels installed found, but there was a wide variation in how well they performed.

While the best systems were able to deliver 60% of the hot water demands of the home, some were providing as little as 9%, the study for the Energy Saving Trust said.

With most solar hot water systems retro-fitted into existing homes and heating units, good quality installation and insulation, for example of hot water tanks, was key to delivering a high performance.

And the way people use their hot water will also affect how much benefit they get from the technology.

For more information about how solar water heating can help you (and how to utilize it efficiently), check out the full article. 

Energy Saving the Easy Way

We are all looking for ways to cut down on our energy bills and save some money this fall. Actually, there are quite a few simple chores you can do to make your house more energy efficient and save you money on your utility bills.  I promise that you can perform almost all of these energy saving tips yourself, and you will very grateful for the added heat (and the lower bills) when winter really sets in. Here is a list from mass.gov:

Windows and Doors

Repair broken or cracked glass and putty older windows; check to see that windows close properly and window locks pull sashes together.

Make sure doors close properly; repair or replace non-working doorknobs, latches and striker plates.

Weatherstrip windows, doors and attic accesses; caulk the frames around windows and doors from the inside using a clear, pliable caulk.

Other Air Leaks

If you have a fireplace, be sure it is fitted with a tight sealing damper that is closed when the fireplace is not in use. If the fireplace is used infrequently, use a chimney block to eliminate heat loss.

Caulk foundation cracks and openings. Make sure kitchen and bathroom vent dampers close properly.

Lights and Hot Water

Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent lights. Over its lifetime, a fluorescent bulb will save $30 - $50. Look for rebates from utilities to save you even more. Today's new compact fluorescent bulbs perform even better than the models of a few years ago.

Install low flow showerheads and faucet aerators to save energy and water.

Reduce your hot water heater temperature to 120°.

Repair leaking hot water faucets, tanks and pipes.

All of these tips are easy to do and they make sense, why waste money heating air that escapes outside? For more information, check out the Massachusetts State website.

Ground Source Heat Pumps

When you think of geothermal energy, you think of a massive project and lots of digging to put pipes under the ground. But there is another way to take advantage of geothermal heating and cooling, and that is with a ground source heat pump. Many homes all of the US are taking advantage of the heating power that they earth can provide. Here is some more information about ground source heat pumps and their history from the New York Times: 

Ground-source heat-pump geothermal systems take advantage of the earth’s constant temperature below the frost line to heat and cool buildings.

That line varies according to latitude, but ranges in the United States from about three to six feet. Below that depth the temperature stays around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. That is why a subterranean cave feels warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Wells for this geothermal energy usually go down in the hundreds rather than thousands of feet.

The technology is hardly new. The first successful commercial installation of ground-source heat pumps for climate control was in 1946 in an office tower in Portland, Ore. And the technology is best known in the Midwest and the South where the Department of Energy reports two-thirds of the nation’s geothermal systems are located.

The trend is steadily upward, according to Steven Chalk, chief operating officer of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The 115,442 heat pumps that shipped from manufacturers in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available, Mr. Chalk said, “was triple the number from a decade earlier.” He said that 3.5 percent of homes built that year installed geothermal heat pumps.

Click here for the full article.

How to Fix a Furnace Fan

Your furnace breaking, even in the early fall, is pretty upsetting. But there are a few things that you can do to see if you can get it working again without having to call in a professional. A problem with your furnace fan can be simple to fix. Here are some suggestions from RineAir Heating and Air Conditioning of things your should check if your furnace fan stops working:

The first thing to check when your furnace is running but the fan isn’t turning is whether or not the fan is actually switched on. Certain models of furnaces have a separate switch to turn the fan on and off. While there is probably no reason that you would want to turn off the fan by itself, it’s worth taking a look just in case. If that really is the problem, you’ll be up and running and back to dealing with better things in no time.

If that’s not the problem, you might try looking to see if any wires leading to the fan are loose or the fuse is blown. If the fan has no power, of course, it won’t be able to work but the rest of the furnace likely would work just fine as long as it doesn’t run on electricity as well.

Of course, the problem very well may be beyond your power to solve on your own. Don’t despair though. Even though you need to call in a professional, that doesn’t mean that the problem will be expensive to fix. In fact, it may be as simple as replacing your thermostat or the motor for the fan itself.

For the full article, go to their website.

Solar Hot Water Heating

Everyone knows about solar energy, but have you heard of solar heating? Solar heating is a simple and effective way to heat your home's water. It is clean, renewable, and best of all, it is free! While the installation cost might be more expensive, you will more than make it up with the money that you save each month on your energy bills. But how does solar heating work? Here is a great explaination provided by Solar Novus Today:

The technology relies on the sun’s radiation being absorbed by a “collector” to heat water in a thermal store. The collectors are the most critical system components and come in two main forms: flat plate and evacuated tube, although a third type, unglazed plastic, finds more specialised uses such as heating outdoor swimming pools. Flat plate designs are the most simple and are based on a thin sheet of metal, typically copper or aluminium, which absorbs the solar energy, backed by a fluid tubing system and placed in an insulated casing with a protective glass cover. Fluid is circulated through the tubing which absorbs heat from the collector and transports it to the thermal store.

Evacuated tube types are more complex and costly and the absorber material is located in an evacuated and pressure-proof glass tube. The heat transfer fluid flows through the absorber and several single tubes, serially interconnected, or tubes connected to each other via a manifold, make up the collector.

Solar thermal systems may be classified as active or passive; the former uses an electric pump to circulate the heat transfer fluid whereas a passive system has no pump and relies on convection. Some active systems minimise power consumption by using a small PV panel to power the pump. Systems are also characterized as open-loop (direct) or closed-loop (indirect). An open-loop system circulates household water through the collector whilst a closed-loop system uses a heat transfer fluid (e.g., water or dilute antifreeze) to collect heat and a heat exchanger to transfer it to the household water. 

For the full article, click here.

Ensuring You Have a Radon Resistant Home

Radon is a toxic substance formed by the decay of uranium in soil. It happens throughout the globe and normally it isn’t a risk. It dissipates in the air and no one is the wiser. However, when we started building houses and closing them off to the outside world with closely fitting windows, insulation and concrete foundations, radon became a problem.

Because it rises from the soil naturally and can enter your home through cracks in your foundation, a sump pit or a crawlspace, it is a very real danger for many homeowners. Worse yet, there are no specific risk factors you can watch for when buying a house. Any home can high radon levels, regardless of where it is located. So, it is important to build radon resistant homes to combat the problem. It costs only $350-$500 to build radon resistance into a new home versus upwards of $2,500 to add it to an existing home.

What Does Radon Resistance Incorporate?

There are a number of factors to take into account when retrofitting a home or building a new one to block radon from entering. The following features are used to vent the gas from the basement and ensure it doesn’t enter the home at any point.

• Gas Permeable Layer –A four inch layer of gravel or other permeable material is placed beneath the slab or flooring of a non-crawlspace house. This allows the radon gas to permeate throughout the soil, not just straight up into your home.
• Sheeting – A plastic sheet is then placed above the permeable layer to block the gas from entering your home and force it away from the house toward the open air where it dissipates naturally.
• Sealing – All openings and vents from the soil are closed with caulking and sealant. This requires a careful inspection of the space, especially if you have an existing home that needs to be sealed against the radon gas.
• Venting Pipe – a pipe is placed from the layer of soil beneath your slab or flooring to vent excess gas up and away from your home through the roof.

When combined, these features reduce how much radon can enter your home and ensure when it does it gets vented out quickly so it doesn’t cause any health problems for you and your family. Proper testing is a must before any upgrades are made, so call a local air quality inspector near you today.

Recycling Shower

Did you know that your shower not only wastes water in your house, but it also can be a drain of power? Heating the water for a shower requires a lot of energy, and it also wastes a lot of that energy because a lot of the water that is heated is never used! It just goes cold in the pipes and storage tanks. To save water and power, Nick Christy invented the recycling shower. Here is a summary of what is does from GreenBeat:

The recycling shower captures water you have already used in a reservoir, which is likely to be built into the base of the shower. The water is then filtered in a component called a hydrocyclone, which uses similar technology to a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and spins the water around to separate out any heavier particles or materials. The 70 percent of the water that survives this filtering mechanism is pasteurized to kill any bacteria and redirected back into the shower head. The whole real-time, recycling process takes a mere 25 seconds and reduces the amount of water used in an average shower by 70 percent. Since you are recirculating water which is already warm, energy costs are further reduced over heating cold mains water.
The inventor of the shower technology, Peter Brewir, is a director of Water Recycling Shower. He also invented concrete canvas, a fabric that, when sprayed with water, turns into concrete with 24 hours. Concrete canvas allows solid structures to be built quickly in disaster zones.

 To read the rest of the article and learn more about this amazing device, check out the original article: http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/15/water-recycling-shower-wins-684000-in-the-green-challenge/

Ways to Reduce Your Heating Bills

As fall sets in, I am sure that many of you are trying to think of ways to reduce your heating bills. Here are some great tips from the Kansas Corporation Commission with some ideas:

Reduce thermostat setting to 68 degrees.
Reducing your thermostat setting can substantially lower your heating costs. Putting on those extra layers will help you stay comfortable while saving on your heating bill.

Set back thermostat at night and when you leave home.
Setting the thermostat back 10 degrees at night or when the house will be unoccupied can save up to 15% on heating costs. The furnace will have to run more to reheat the house, but the energy saved while the home is cooler more than offsets the extra run time to reheat the home.
Install a programmable thermostat. 

Programmable thermostats allow you to reduce your home's temperature at night and during the day and still have the home warm when you wake up or come home from work. Some programmable thermostats cost less than $50 and can be installed by homeowners.

Change furnace filter monthly. 

Clogged furnace filters lower the heater's efficiency by preventing proper airflow through the furnace. Low-cost filters are available from your local hardware store. Check filters monthly to see if they need changing.

Have furnace "tuned up" annually.
Having your furnace cleaned and tuned annually helps the heating system operate safely and efficiently. Tuning may involve resetting the fuel-air mixture for proper combustion as well as cleaning of the blower and burners to assure maximum airflow and complete combustion. New furnaces don't need to be cleaned and tuned for the first few years.

Let sunshine in south windows.
Open drapes on the south side of your home during winter days and close them at night. Sun angles are low in winter, allowing substantial solar heating through all south windows. You may want to trim vegetation that shades south windows.

For the full list, visit their website.

Radiant Heating

Radiant heating is a method of warming your house by supplying heat directly to the floors, walls, or ceilings of your house. The heat is then transferred to people and objects by the radiation of this heat.  This type of system also depends on convection, the natural rising of heat from the floor to the ceiling. As an article on Inspectapedia tells us, there are a number of advantages to using a radiant heating system:

The radiant heating system is unobtrusive - in fact not visible in the occupied space, saving floor space as well

Radiant heating systems are quiet and clean and require little or no maintenance (depending on the heating source: an oil fired heating boiler supplying a radiant heated building will still require annual maintenance).

Radiant heating systems save energy compared with comparable convective heating systems where the same fuel is being used to produce btu's of heat. Savings accrue from lower air temperatures as well as the omission of duct or pipe heat losses in the system.

Heating savings from radiant heat systems depend largely on the amount of thermostat set-back that the occupants find comfortable. Occupants of a radiant-heated building often are equally comfortable (compared with other heating methods) setting back the thermostat 5 degF - about a 20 to 25% savings on heating fuel expense.

Radiant heat "feels special" or "like being heated by the sun" - (an opinion difficult to verify objectively).

Taking Care of Your Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal is a great piece of plumbing technology. It makes cleaning up after cooking or a meal a lot simpler. But garbage disposals do need some maintenance to continue to function well. And if you do this maintenance on a regular basis, you probably won't have to call for expensive repairs to your garbage disposal later. Here are some great tips on garbage disposal care from Resolve Rooter:

TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL: A GUIDE FROM CLINTON

The garbage disposal is one of those innovations that we generally take for granted in Clinton, but was probably absolutely amazing to the guy who first saw one in action. The convenience of having a whirring blade just below your sink to pulverize food into pipe-friendly paste is pretty incredible.

However, because we sometimes take disposals for granted, we forget to take care of them properly. Disposals don’t ask for much, just a little attention now and then to keep them performing at their peak. There are some pretty simple maintenance tasks you can do periodically to keep your disposal happy:

When using the disposal, be sure to run water down the drain and leave it running for 15 to 20 seconds after you turn the disposal off.

The smaller the pieces going down the disposal, the better. Those blades may be powerful, but they can still sputter and stall against a formidable foe.

Grease, corn husks, potatoes and anything made of paper or plastic are not suitable for the disposal or plumbing in your home. Throw them away instead.

To subdue unpleasant odors, throw some lemon peels down the disposal.

To clean your disposal and remove mineral deposits, pour in a cup of vinegar and let it sit for about an hour, then flush with hot water.

Never use bleach or other chemicals to clean your garbage disposal, as it can damage the machinery.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Wood and Pellet Stoves

Are you looking for a new way to heat your home this winter? A wood or pellet stove is one cozy option. There are some questions that you should ask before you get one installed in your house. Is it legal in your area? Do you want it as a supplemental heating source or as a primary? And what size is right for your home? To help you answer these questions, Energy Savers helps us yet again with an excellent article:

Today you can choose from a new generation of wood- and pellet-burning appliances that are cleaner burning, more efficient, and powerful enough to heat many average-sized, modern homes. It's also important to use a properly sized appliance for the space to be heated. When an appliance is too big, residents tend to burn fires at a low smolder to avoid overheating, which wastes fuel and is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. A reputable dealer should talk with you about size requirements, but a good rule-of-thumb is that a stove rated at 60,000 British Thermal Units (Btu) can heat a 2,000 square foot home, while a stove rated at 42,000 Btu can heat a 1,300 square foot space.

Wood-burning appliances and fireplaces may emit large quantities of air pollutants. Wood smoke contains hundreds of chemical compounds including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, organic gases, and particulate matter, many of which have adverse health effects. In many urban and rural areas, smoke from wood burning is a major contributor to air pollution. Because of this, some municipalities restrict wood heating appliance use when the local air quality reaches unacceptable levels. Others restrict or ban the installation of wood-burning appliances in new construction. Before installing a wood-burning system, you should contact your local building codes department, state energy office, or state environmental agency about wood-burning regulations that may apply in your area.

If you have an older wood-burning appliance, consider upgrading to one of the newer appliances certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They include a catalytic combustor that allows combustion gases to burn at lower temperatures, thereby cleaning the exhaust gas while generating more heat. All woodstoves sold today should bear an EPA certification sticker. High-efficiency appliances not only have lower emissions but they are also often safer, since complete combustion helps to prevent a buildup of flammable chimney deposits called creosote.

For the full article, click here to see it on their website.

Green Your Home's Heating

When you are trying to make your own more green, you should think of you HVAC system first. There are many things you can do to make your heating system use less energy, from sealing your house to geting mroe energy efficient equipment. One family in Roxbury, MA is taking it to an extreme by trying to do without heat in the winter. Here is the article from Boston.com:

At a time when most people are contemplating whether to give in and turn up the thermostat, Simon Hare and his family are embarking on a bold experiment in green living: a winter with no heat.

Their modest, two-story cottage in Roxbury will be warmed by the sun, the body heat of Hare, his wife Damiana, and his 16-month-old daughter Lulu, and even the heat thrown off by its energy-efficient appliances. The airtight, well-insulated house is part of a small but growing movement to design and build extremely green dwellings by rethinking what is essential in a house.

“You make it really efficient; you design your house to do your work for you,’’ Hare said. “On a February day of 6 degrees, if it’s getting cool, we can heat the house by making a second batch of pancakes for my daughter.’’

As world leaders prepare to negotiate a new climate change agreement in Copenhagen in December, some homeowners are taking matters into their own hands, building structures that show just how far it is possible to shrink a house’s carbon footprint. While many green buildings are built from scratch on lots ideally situated for sunlight, a growing number of builders and designers are, like Hare, working with existing buildings, and studying the best ways to integrate green building techniques to densely populated, built-out urban areas like Boston.

Hare - owner of a small design and build firm called Placetailor - had hoped to save the original building, a gunsmith’s cottage from 1850, but the structure was too damaged. Instead, he salvaged portions of the chimney and some of the timber, and built his 750-square-foot house in the same footprint.

Hare has yet to spend winter in his new abode, but based on preliminary data and his own calculations, he believes the house will stay around 63 degrees. That’s a level he and his wife are comfortable with, in part because the temperature will be constant with no drafts. The house project is a match for Hare’s ideals. He travels to jobs on a bike, not by company truck, and took his own house as the first project, both to demonstrate these techniques to future clients and to provide for his family.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Heat Pump Systems

If you live in a moderate climate, you might have heard of people talking about heat pumps. Heat pumps are a great technology that are easy to install and can help keep your home comfortable. To learn more, check out this article on Energy Savers that explains how they work:

For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume.

The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. If you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30%–40%. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months. However, the efficiency of most air-source heat pumps as a heat source drops dramatically at low temperatures, generally making them unsuitable for cold climates, although there are systems that can overcome that problem.

 Click here to read the full article.

Easy Ways To Winterize Your Home

Keeping out the cold is not just about turning up the heat. You can also do a few simple things to your house to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. An example is a draft snake, which can be as simple as a rolled up towel, placed in front of a door can help prevent air from blowing in. Another thing you can do is put plastic over your windows to add another layer of air insulation, or insulate your pipes to keep the water hot. All of these things will keep you house warm and save you money on your energy bills. For more great tips, check out this slideshow on The Daily Green: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/winterize-home-tips-energy-461008 .

Controlling Indoor Air Quality in Schools

For years, we have heard tale of the risks that indoor air pollution can bring to our families, but what about our children when in school? After all, with indoor pollutant levels usually 5 times higher than outside pollutants, and 55 million children and adults inside elementary and secondary schools for 180 days a year, the risk of pollutants can be quite high.

Fortunately, in most states, laws are being adapted to ensure the chronically low indoor air quality of schools is fixed. In 1995, for example, the EPA estimated that as many as half of the nation’s public schools had indoor air quality problems. Today, that estimate is much lower, but there are still problems to be fixed and illnesses left unexplained. Moreover, there is a very real cost benefit to improving indoor air quality in schools. Preventative maintenance and cleaning can severely reduce the cost of eventual repairs and liabilities if the situation gets out of hand.

Managing Indoor Air Quality in Schools

The first step for many schools is to determine what problems need to be fixed. School districts are recommended to hire someone to coordinate indoor air quality systems with on-site follow-ups. A full evaluation should be completed to determine if there are any specific risks to be aware of, including:
• Asbestos in the insulation of classrooms, pipes or wiring in the school.
• Lead paint, solder, or pipes in older buildings.
• Proper ventilation in each room of the school.
• Proper cleaning and maintenance of ductwork.
• Frequent testing for potential dangers like mold, radon, and exhaust fumes.

Most schools built in the last 15-20 years comply with modern EPA recommendations but because the majority of public schools are much older, some of them 50 or more years old, the risk of indoor air pollutants existing in the building materials is high. So too is the risk of poor ventilation, contaminants getting in through poorly sealed walls and windows and much more.

Teachers and parents should pay particularly close attention to the health of students and watch for unexplained symptoms. If multiple students show signs of respiratory distress, it may be an indoor air quality issue and should be inspected immediately. Combined with the ongoing efforts of schools districts and legislatures, the air quality in our schools should only continue to improve.

Save Money with Better Windows

Everyone likes their windows, which bring light and beautiful views into your home. But unfortunately, they can also can account for 10 to 25 percent of your heating bill. This especially true if you have single-pane windows, it might be time to upgrade to double-pane. the US department of energy also suggests that: "You can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Remember, the plastic must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration." They have a bunch of great tips, check out their website to learn more.

Ways to Keep Your Heating Bill Down

As we gear up for fall, it is important to understand ways to save money on your heating bills. We all have to stay warm this winter, but we do not have to go broke doing it! There are lots of things you can do, from setting your thermostat a few degrees lower to sealing any air leaks in your house. An article on MSN suggests you, "Learn to love socks. If your feet are cold, your whole body will feel cold, so make a point of wearing socks around the house in the winter. The next step if you’re still feeling cold: Bundle up in a sweater or a blanket rather than cranking up the heat." To read more of their suggestions for keeping your heating bills down, check out the full list.

How To Fix a Drain

Your drains are an important but often overlooked part of your home's upkeep. They are easy not to think about...until something goes wrong. But there are a few warning signs you can look for and a few simple maintenance tasks that you can perform to keep those drains in great shape. Here is a guide from Milani Plumbing about drain maintenance and repair:

How to Fix a Slow Drain: A Tip From Delta

Ever fill up a bathroom bowl or kitchen sink  in your Delta home with water and then wait forever for the water to drain? A clogged drain can take forever to free up and is often the source of frustration and a loss of precious time as you get ready for work or play.

The solutions to fixing a slow drain can be very simple or complex, requiring a little patience or expertise to a major service or repair bill. Let’s hope the solution is the former and not the latter. And here are some suggestions.

If your bathroom sink is draining slowly, remove the stopper and inspect it for any “cling-ons” – namely hair. One of the most common clogs can be hair wrapped around the shaft of the stopper. Remove the hair, replace the stopper, run some hot water and check to see how quickly the water drains down. If that simple fix doesn’t work, dig a little deeper.

Hair can be tangled in the flange or the horizontal rod and clip, further down the pipe. You may need to dig out the hair or debris with a long object like a screwdriver or wire hanger. Don’t bring out the “big guns” like a snake or auger if something simpler will do the trick.

Once the debris is cleared, you may even want to use a small hand plunger to force air down the pipe and remove any other residual debris that may be slowing down the water flow. These steps should clear up the problem. A liquid or granulated drainer cleaner may also break up the clog. Running hot water can do the trick, too.

If these solutions don’t work, a slow drain could be the result of a more serious problem. At that point you may want to use a snake on the problem or call a professional plumber to fix it.

If your kitchen sink drains slowly, the problem could be a build-up of food or grease in the pipes. Once again, using a plunger or chemical drain cleaner may solve the problem. But don’t discount the fact that something may be blocking the pipes, like a piece of bone or a child’s small toy (if you have a mischievous toddler). A visual check of the problem might be the simple solution to the slow drain “mystery.”

If you are at your wit’s end and the water drainage continues to be a problem, call a professional plumber.

Heating News

Here is an article from the Stanford Advocate about proposals to limit the heating aid to low-income families:

Concerns are mounting over Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposal to address a reduction in low income federal heating assistance by restricting payments to oil customers only, shutting out electric and gas users.

It remains to be seen if the governor's fellow Democrats in the General Assembly, critical of past Republican efforts to tighten eligibility requirements, will insist on maintaining higher benefit levels even if it means the cash-strapped state somehow foots the bill.

"This is why we have hearings -- to get ideas together and get experts to testify and figure out what we should do," said Sen. Anthony Musto, D-Trumbull, chairman of the Human Services Committee.

Every year in the late summer the governor submits a proposal to the Human Services, Energy and Appropriations committees and to the Low Income Energy Advisory Board to divvy up Connecticut's share of federal heating aid dollars.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama recommended a major reduction to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, leaving Connecticut officials, who spent more than $115 million in federal dollars last winter, with an estimated budget of less than $50 million for 2011-12.

The Malloy administration last week unveiled a proposal to focus the dollars on homes heated by oil and propane deliveries. Officials reason that state law prevents electric and gas suppliers from shutting off delinquent customers between Nov. 1 and May 1, but fuel oil customers who rely on deliveries do not enjoy that protection.

"The administration's plan is a realistic approach in view of the deep cuts expected in federal funding," said Roderick Bremby, Malloy's social services commissioner. "These families and individuals are most at risk of freezing this winter."

But that approach, others argue, has serious consequences.

"I think there's substance to the (governor's) rationale you're able to keep more people heated during the season," said Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, a Human Services Committee vice chairman. "My concern would be those who have electric heat and are not covered during this period of time will be in greater debt in the spring."

Brenda Kelley, director of AARP Connecticut, said senior citizens in particular will be affected by the eligibility limits.

"Even if they have shut off protection, that's not how our members think," Kelley said. "What they'll see is a looming bill at the end of the year." She said some seniors will keep their heat too low or forgo medication and food to pay for it.

Patricia Wrice is director of Operation Fuel Inc., a Bloomfield-based safety net for individuals who do not qualify for LIHEAP. Wrice, who also sits on the Low Income Energy Advisory Board, said there is no way Operation Fuel, which is mostly privately funded, has the resources to make up for the loss of aid to electric and gas users.

"We're an emergency program," Wrice said.

Former Rep. Steve Fontana, D-North Haven, who lost his re-election bid last November, is a former Energy Committee chairman. Fontana said ex-Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell a few years ago offered a proposal similar to Malloy's, shifting LIHEAP funds from electric and gas users to heating oil consumers.

"It's an understandable approach but overly simplistic and overlooks the fact our heating assistance has been based on need and income and not fuel source," Fontana said. "You're saying we're going to distinctly disadvantage one large population of people ... in favor of another. In the past we rejected that notion."

Democrats on the three legislative committees usually have opted to avoid major eligibility changes to LIHEAP, instead promising to use future surplus money or budget cuts to cover shortfalls. And Washington lawmakers have come through and released more heating aid than anticipated.

But, Ben Barnes, Malloy's budget director, said this year's LIHEAP cut is so steep that if the same benefit levels are maintained, the state will run out by November, in part because oil prices are anticipated to reach $4 a gallon.

"We'd have to stop giving out assistance," Barnes said. "We have to be realistic with the resources we have today."

Considering the current mood in Congress, Wrice said, Connecticut might even get less than the anticipated $50 million. She said lawmakers should be proactive and put some state revenues on the table now, while the weather is warm.

Though Malloy inherited a $3 billion-plus deficit when he took office in January, the state comptroller this month reported a $236.9 million surplus. However, that money has been committed to paying future retiree health care and 2009 borrowing obligations.

Barnes said even if state lawmakers somehow found the money now to provide more heating aid, it would undermine ongoing efforts to lobby Washington to come up with additional LIHEAP funds for the winter.

"We have more limited resources than the federal government," Barnes said.

Staff Writer Brian Lockhart can be reached at brian.lockhart@scni.com.

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Malloy-takes-heat-on-energy-assistance-plan-2177193.php#ixzz1YOonkasN

Have Fun this Fall!

Fall is in the air this morning in the Northeast, and it is nearly the weekend! If you can, get outside this weekend and start some of the great fall activities that your kids love. And even if it is still warm where you are, you can do many of these things and just be a little warmer doing them! Here is a great list from FamilyFun.com with some great suggestions:

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. I just love the crisp air and watching the leaves change. I'd like to encourage my kids to appreciate fall with some fun activities. Do you have any suggestions?

Heading out into nature is a great way to soak up this colorful season and enjoy the outdoors before cold weather sets in. A walk in the woods, fields or even a city park, gives kids an opportunity to witness the changing landscape up close. It's also a great way to come together after a busy school and work week.

You don't need special equipment for an afternoon jaunt--just some jackets, water and snacks. Kids may also enjoy bringing along autumn journals and crayons for recording observations and making leaf rubbings, and small paper bags for storing treasures found along the path. Once home, kids can use these finds as craft materials. They can create lasting impressions with faux fossils and clay coasters, make whimsical stick hats or use gathered leaves to print colorful autumn place mats.

A trip to a local apple orchard is another fun outdoor activity and offers families a chance to participate in the fall harvest. Most orchards usually open the first weekend after Labor Day (call ahead to find out about picking conditions and the availability of apples). Some farms also offer horse-drawn wagon rides, making the excursion a real adventure for kids. Pack a picnic and you can make a day of it. Don't fret if your family's picking enthusiasm results in a bumper crop of fruit--an abundance of apples means there will be plenty to spare for craft projects. Cut apples in half to create an apple-stamp bag, dry a few for funny-faced apple dolls and sour puss puppets or carve a set of candleholders. Just be sure to save enough to make an easy and delicious apple pie and some homemade applesauce. Wrap any unused fruit in newspaper and store in a cool, dry place.

Of course, if you have a yard full of deciduous trees and a yard full of leaves that need raking there are plenty of ways to play away an autumn day at home:

• Walk a leafy labyrinth. When leaves cover the lawn, rake a twisting pathway through them. Copy a classic maze for extra credit.

• Find a lollipop. Hide a wrapped lollipop under a leaf pile. The first one to find it keeps it.

• Stuff a scarecrow. Break out an old shirt and overalls and stuff until firm. Complete with a pumpkin head.

• Make a sun catcher. Using a low setting, iron a leaf between two pieces of waxed paper with a sheet of plain paper on top. Hang in a sunny window.

• Preserve a leaf. Bring a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin (available in most pharmacies) to a boil in a saucepan (adults only). Pour the solution into a heat-proof container. Drop in a few brightly-colored leaves and gently submerge with a wooden spoon. Keep the container in a cool, dark place until there is a slight change in the leaves' tints. Then remove them and blot dry with a paper towel. Instead of turning brown and crumbly, the leaves will retain their brilliant hues.

• Play name that leaf. Go out into the neighborhood or local park and have players collect five unusual leaves. Back home, try to identify the trees they came from using guidebooks.

• Rake them into a huge pile and jump in!

Is Your Yard Ready?

Football has started, the kids are back at school, and summer is officially over. Is your house ready for winter? Even if you have done the typically things to get your house ready for fall, like have your furnace inspected and checking your house for leaks, you might have forgotten that your lawn needs maintenance too.  A little work this fall and it will be all ready for next spring, you won't regret any of the effort you put in. Here is a great article from ELA on a few things you should take care of in your yard:

Just because the weather is turning cooler doesn’t mean your work outside is done! Here are a few things you need to do to get your yard ready for fall, and ensure a great lawn and garden next year, too.

Fall is nearly here. You can smell it, feel the crispness of the air in the early mornings, see the beginnings of leaves changing color and the end of the rapid, lush growth of spring and summer. For many people, this is a favorite time of year, when the weather starts to get cooler but hasn’t yet gotten cold and wet.

Just because the most rapid part of the growing season is over doesn’t mean your work outside is done, however! There is a lot left to do if you want to properly prepare your yard for fall and, eventually, winter. Here are a few things that still need to be done.

• Check all landscape lights and other outdoor lighting. All of your outdoor lighting should be checked both spring and fall to make sure it’s in good working order and won’t be susceptible to moisture damage, especially in the wet winter months. Replace bulbs as needed, and be sure that your wiring is in good shape and well protected from the elements.
• Fertilize, aerate, and seed your lawn. Many people assume that just because the days are cooler and the flowers are no longer blooming, the time to do yard maintenance is over. Actually, the opposite is true. Fertilizing and aerating your lawn in the fall helps it to recover after the scorching heat of summer. Seeding in the fall also helps to fill in bare patches, because the grass can grow undisturbed by weeds.
• Mow to 2 or 2 1/2 inches, as needed. You will also need to continue mowing your lawn throughout the fall, until the grass totally stops growing. Between 2 and 2 1/2 inches is a good length. Long grass plus snow for a roof makes a perfect home for mice, so keeping your lawn short will help prevent animals from tearing it up during the winter!

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is an important thing to keep in mind when thinking about home maintenance. You can't see the air in your house so it is easy to overlook. But clean air is important for your health, and it will also help your HVAc equipment run more efficiently. Here are some easy tips from The Clean Act Air on how to maintain good indoor air quality.

There are a lot of reasons to clean your Canby house. Guests, children, pets, simple peace of mind – without the right amount of cleaning, a messy house can quickly get out of control. But, don’t forget the health benefits of removing excess dust and sediment from your home with regular cleaning. Of course, air cleaners are one solution, but there are other ways you can help improve your air quality. To ensure your indoor air quality stays good, here are a few basic cleaning tips you can implement right away.

Regular Vacuuming  – Most people vacuum occasionally when it’s obvious that carpets are getting a little messy. Consider increasing the frequency of your vacuuming to at least 3-4 times per week, possibly more, especially if you have pets. Regular vacuuming removes a lot of the airborne particles that can get into your lungs and cause allergies or asthma flare ups.

Remove Junk from Floor Spaces – Toys, garbage, clothes, and other random junk sitting on the floor can create air quality problems, especially if they are near or around vents.

Bathe and Brush Pets – Pet dander is a top contributor to indoor air quality problems. Bathe and brush your pets once a week to reduce hair loss and get rid of all that excess dander that builds up over time. Consider it an investment in the cleanliness of your home.

Shoes Outside – Shoes bring in pollen and other outdoor pollutants. Take them off outside and you will reduce the number of contaminants that make it inside.

Remove Moisture from Bathrooms – Bathroom moisture results in mold growth and the development of other allergens. Wipe down the walls of your shower and mop the floor daily to remove excess moisture after showers.

Food Waste – Throw away food waste immediately. Food in the sink or garbage can attracts bacteria and bugs and can result in mold growth very quickly. Consider a compost bucket or pile outside where food waste can be disposed or purchase a garbage disposal to get rid of it immediately after eating.

There are dozens more little things you can do that will reduce the amount of allergens and pollutants that build up in and around your home. Consider creating a simple calendar schedule you can follow from day to day to keep your indoor environment clean and healthy.