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Slash Heating Bills PDF
Slash Heating Bills PDF
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A basic part of an energy audit is the blower door test. The auditor closes all the doors and windows and then places a blower fan in a front or back door.
This blower door test measures the 'tightness,' or air in"ltration rate. The pressure and #ow gauge shows the di$erence between the inside and the
outside air#ow so the auditor can calculate the air leakage rate.
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Close all the windows in the house, turn o$ all the fans and exhaust fans, and shut o$ the furnace. Light some incense and walk slowly around the outer
walls of the house. Anywhere you notice the smoke blowing away from something or being sucked toward something, there's probably an air leak. Now
that you've found it, seal it! Here's how.
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Stick your head through the attic access door and measure how much insulation you have. If your insulation is at or below the minimum, adding some will
lower your heating bills. If you need to add more, go with loose-"ll insulation rather than "berglass batts even if you already have "berglass. Loose "ll is
usually composed of cellulose or "berglass and lets you cover joists and get into crevices. Pros charge about 70?? per sq. ft. to blow in 7 to 8 in. of
insulation. You can rent a blower ($55 a day) and do the job yourself for less than half that cost, but it's a messy job and you have to watch your step so
you don't go through the drywall '#oor' in the attic.
'Eighty percent of houses built before 1980 are underinsulated.' —Department of Energy.
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Place the cover over the outside of the air conditioner, "tting the sewn-in corner straps over the bottom corners. Wrap the middle straps under and up
the sides of the unit, then hook them over the top. Inside the house, apply removable caulk around the air conditioner where it meets the wall or window.
If the air conditioner is a built-in unit, permanently seal it with latex caulk.
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perform the annual tune-up yourself in about three hours (see Do It Yourself Furnace Maintenance Will Save A Repair Bill). Change the filter every month of
the heating season (or year-round if the filter is also used for A/C). Be sure you insert the new one so it faces the right way. The filter protects the blower and its
motor; a clogged filter makes the motor work harder and use more power.
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Clean Out the Lint for Dryer Efficiency and Save up to $25 a Year
A clogged lint screen or dryer duct drastically reduces the e!ciency of your dryer, whether it's gas or electric. Clean the lint screen after each load and
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clean the exhaust duct once a year. The Linteater (shown) has an auger brush that attaches to a drill to clean out the ducts.
Electric dryers use about $85 of electricity annually. A dirty lint screen can cause the dryer to use up to 30 percent more electricity, according to the
Consumer Energy Center. Lint buildup is also a common cause of "res.
Dry loads of laundry back-to-back so the dryer doesn't cool down between loads (a warm dryer uses less energy). And only run the dryer until the clothes
are dry. Overdrying damages your clothes and runs up your electric bill. If you're in the market for a new dryer and already have a gas line in the house, go
with a gas dryer. A gas dryer is more e!cient.
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If the #ap doesn't close on its own, try cleaning it and then spray silicone on the pivot point. If the #ap still won't close, replace it. A new vent costs about
$5 at home centers, and installing it will only take about 15 minutes.
Start by cutting away the caulking around the vent on the siding with a utility knife, remove any screws and unclamp the duct leading to the dryer. Slide
the old vent out of the wall, slip in the new one and reattach it to the duct. Caulk around the vent #ange.
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Before you start, #ip the circuit breaker o$ and use a noncontact voltage tester to ensure there's no power. Remove the cover plate. If the gap between
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Before you start, #ip the circuit breaker o$ and use a noncontact voltage tester to ensure there's no power. Remove the cover plate. If the gap between
the electrical box and the drywall is less than 1/4 in., "ll it with acrylic latex caulk. If the gap is bigger and lopsided, use foam sealant that's formulated for
use around doors and window framing. The minimally expanding foam won't drip down your walls. After the foam dries, cut away any that protrudes, add
a foam gasket (to reduce drafts through the box) and replace the cover plate. Do the same around register openings on the inside of exterior walls.
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Shake the can vigorously, then squirt the foam around the pipes inside the wall. Don't completely "ll the gap—the foam will expand. If it expands too
much and you can't get the escutcheon back on, wait for it to dry, then slice it #ush with the wall with a utility knife.
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To help generate actual leakage, place a box fan in a window so it blows air into the house. Then close all other windows and doors. Tape cardboard
around the fan to eliminate large gaps. When you turn the fan on high, you'll slightly pressurize the house, just like an in#ated balloon. Then when you're
in the attic (with the hatch closed), you can con"rm a leaky area by feeling the air coming through. You may even spot the insulation blowing in the breeze.
Another helpful sign is dirty insulation (photo above). Insulation "bers "lter the household air as it passes, leaving a dirt stain that marks the leaky area.
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Remove the old vent and install the new one (it takes less than 10 minutes). The vent comes with easy-to-follow installation instructions. The company
guarantees it will keep out birds, rodents and bugs too. You can paint it to match your house.
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The door bottom we're using is available at most home centers and hardware stores. If you can't "nd a door bottom that's smooth on one side, you can
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The door bottom we're using is available at most home centers and hardware stores. If you can't "nd a door bottom that's smooth on one side, you can
slice o$ the barbed #anges from bottoms designed for steel or "berglass doors.
Cut the bottom of the door to allow enough (but not too much) clearance to install the new door bottom. The goal is to create an even 3/8-in. space
between the top of the existing threshold and the bottom of the door. Close the door and measure the largest gap between the door and the threshold. If
the gap is less than 3/8 in., calculate how much you'll have to cut o$ the bottom to equal 3/8 in. Mark this distance on the door at the point you measured.
Then use a scribing tool to extend a mark across the bottom of the door.
Remove the hinge pins and move the door to a set of sawhorses. Mount a sharp blade in your circular saw and cut along the line. Protect the surface of
the door with masking tape. If you have a veneered door, score along the line with a sharp utility knife before sawing it to avoid chipping the veneer.
Cut the door-bottom weather strip about 1/8 in. shorter than the width of the door and tack it to the bottom of the door with a staple gun. Rehang the
door to test the "t. If it's too snug, remove the weather strip and trim a bit more from the door. When the "t is perfect, remove the staples and mount the
weather strip.
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If the weather strip is in good shape and loose in only a few places, like the corners, apply a dab of polyurethane sealant to the groove and press the
weather strip into place. Otherwise, replace the entire weather strip. First remove the sash and set it on a work surface so you can access all four sides. If
the weather strip is one continuous piece, cut it apart at the corners with a utility knife.
Starting at a corner, pull the weather strip loose from the sash. If the spline tears o$ and remains stuck in the groove, make a hook from sti$ wire to dig it
out.
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Work the new weather strip into the groove, starting at a corner. You'll hear it click as the strip slides into the groove.
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plate and the top of the foundation wall. Use expanding spray foam anywhere there are gaps larger than 1/4 in. between the sill and the foundation. For
hollow-block foundations, stu$ "berglass insulation in the holes, then seal it with expanding foam.
Caulk along the top and bottom of the rim joists and use expanding foam to seal around holes for electric, water and gas lines. Then cut rigid foam
insulation to size and place it around the rim joist. Caulk around all four sides of the foam insulation. Check out 9 more home energy conservation tips
for winter.
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Start by adjusting the threshold. Newer versions have screws that raise and lower them. Turn all of the threshold screws until the door opens and closes
without much drag and any draft is eliminated. If that doesn't work, or your threshold doesn't have adjustment screws, replace the door sweep.
Close the door and pop out the hinge pins with a pin punch to remove the door. Set the door on a work surface and remove the old door sweep. Caulk the
ends of the door, then install the replacement sweep. Some sweeps are tapped into place and stapled along the door bottom; others are screwed to the
side along the door bottom.
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Baseboard, fan-forced air and oil-"lled electric heaters all have roughly the same energy e!ciency, although oil-"lled units are the quietest (but are also
larger and heavier). You'll have to turn down the heat enough (usually 5 degrees F or more) to o$set the cost of the electricity used by the space heater
and still pocket a savings. Space heaters range in price from $30 to more than $100, depending on bene"ts like remote control, a programmable
thermostat and safety features. You can buy them at home centers, discount stores and online.
Remember, space heaters cut heating bills only if you turn down the temperature in the entire house. The heaters work best in walled-in rooms (rather
than in open spaces), where the heat can be contained.
A towel warmer ($50 and up) can act like a small space heater for your bathroom and provide you with a toasty towel after bathing. There are
freestanding units and units that mount to the wall and are plugged in or hardwired. Towel warmers are available at comfortchannel.com and other
online retailers. Towel warmers don't save energy, but they can keep you warm in the bathroom when the house thermostat is turned down.
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