Where Is All That Heat/Cooling Going?

Why are my energy bills so high?

Are you paying to heat or cool areas of your home that should not be heated or cooled? are you paying to heat or cool the outdoors? Well, you may be doing this and not know it!

There are several ways that energy "leaks" from a structure.

• Infiltration & Exfiltration - This simply means that hot or cold air is entering or leaving your home by various pathways that are unintended.
• Convection - The process of heat or cold energy moving through solid materials.
• Radiation - the tendency of heated objects to emit energy toward an area of lower energy.
• Absorption - the tendency of cold objects to remove heat from the surrounding area.
  

Why is this happening?

It is a matter of energy and physics. Heat is energy. Warm substances have a higher energy state than cooler ones. It is a law of physics that higher energy states always move toward lower energy states. In other words, heat moves to cold, always. This is Nature's way of balancing things. Unfortunately, this leads to wasting energy you have paid for to either heat of cool your home.

When it is cold outside, you turn on or up your heating system. This raises the energy state of the air in your home. Now Mother Nature takes over and tries to achieve a balance by making this heat you just paid for seek a way outside. Obviously, you are not going to achieve this balance no matter how much energy you add to the home. But, if you don't want to freeze, you keep adding energy to the home, trying to stay ahead of the curve. The same concept applies to cooling, just in reverse. You cool the air thus creating an imbalance with the outdoor air and Mother Nature takes over.

So, what is the solution? Can I "beat" Mother Nature?

It is virtually impossible to totally solve this problem but you can improve the odds in your favor just by understanding the "game" as it were. Now that you are aware of this natural phenomena, you can do some pretty simple things to help.

Since it is now winter here in the US, I'll focus on the heat side of the problem. Actually, both can be addressed at the same time. What is a problem for heating is also a problem for cooling. Improving the heat loss problems of a structure will improve the performance overall and visa versa.

Let's start with the easiest and less expensive things first. Why not get the most "bang for the buck" for your efforts?

While you can never achieve perfection, you can improve the performance of you home. One of the first things to look at and often the easiest thing to address is the problem of exfiltration, the movement of air through and out of a structure. Where does this happen, you ask? It happens at every opening in the building: windows, doors, fireplace flues, exhaust fans, ceiling light fixtures, outlets and switches, the actual walls and more.

This process is called "weatherstripping" and it involves slowing or stopping the airflow through the above mentioned places. This is done by various means.

One of the best tools for diagnosing this problem is called a "smoke stick" or "puffer".
Here is a source or two for these products;

http://www.amresupply.com/product/19806%20SMOKE%20PUFFER
http://www.hayes-uk.com/gallery/gallery_item.htm?id=260

• Windows - The method varies depending on the type of window you have. but the concept is to stop the air leakage by applying various forms of weatherstripping material at the joints between the window and the structure. This weatherstripping will slow or stop the flow of heated (or cooled) air. There are tools in the form of non-toxic smoke generators called "smoke sticks" or "puffers" that can help you locate leaking areas. If there is a temperature difference, the air will flow and you will be able to see it by the pattern of smoke movement to and through the joints around the window.
• Doors - Basically, the same process as for windows.
  
• Ceiling light fixtures - Often called "can lights" these recessed light fixtures provide a path to the unconditioned attic space for air flow. Many current manufacturers provide gaskets to put under the lights themselves when installing them. They can also be sealed from below by simply adding some caulk around the rim of the opening through the ceiling.
• Receptical and switchplate covers - there are inexpensive, pre-made foam gaskets that can be installed under each coverplate.
• Fireplace flues - did you know that a fireplace without glass doors is negitively efficient? It's true, without glass doors, the fireplace when in operation, sucks out more heated air than it supplies to the house! Adding a properly installed set of glass doors to your existing fireplace can plug a huge hole in your energy loss problem.
• Exhaust fans - Not all homes have these items but if yours does, they can suck out that heated or cooled air that you are paying for. The solution here is to use them only when needed and do not let them run all the time. Consider adding a spring wound "timer" switch on the bathroom fan and light system. This will shut off the lights and fan after a time automatically.

In colder climates, the addition of storm doors and windows can help tremendously to insolate and isolate the doors and windows from the direct attack by wind and cold air.

If you really want ot step up your game and do the most that you can to make your house energy efficient, you will need to dig a little deeper, in both your pocket and the house itself.

This can mean replacing that old inefficient furnace with a new high efficiency unit, repairing or replacing leaky ductwork, replacing those old, drafty windows with new double or triple pane windows, adding insulation (or more, it is already there) to the attic, walls and crawlspace or floor.

As you get more serious abut this issue, your "ROI" (return on investment) time gets longer. Do the math and consult with an expert home energy auditor to get current figures on energy costs in your area verses the cost of the improvement your are planning. This service is often provided free of cost by the local utility companies, they have a vested interest in saving energy.

The first measures I discussed in this article are the least expensive and have the best ROI. Do them first. They really are DIY projects that almost anyone can do.

Don't forget! To get a FREE copy of my eBook "How To Inspect Your Own Home"
Just put "Send Me My Book" in the subject line.

Text time; Moisture Intrusion, and Condensation

Conserving Energy (and Money)

In this very tight economy, saving money in the operation of your home is one way to help.

This is the first in a series of articles on how to save money in the operation of your home.

The energy cost of heating/cooling, hot water and lighting can be a significant factor in your budget.
Every dollar that is spent on this is one less dollar available for other budget items like mortgage, rent, food and vehicle expenses. Let's discuss a few ways to recover a few of those dollars.

Let's start with your home heating system.

Heating a building is one of the major expenses for many people in the colder parts of the country. Be it heating oil, electricity or natural/propane gas, it is a resource that needs to be conserved. Even if you are not a "conservationist", being aware of how energy is being used in your home, and more importantly, where it is being wasted can have a big effect on your budget. This can be a huge issue, especially for those on a fixed income. Unfortunately, it can come down to making a choice whether to heat the house or have food to eat. Not a good situation!

During the winter months in the colder climates, this can be a significant portion of your household energy budget. One of the first things that should be done is to make sure that you're following the manufacturers recommendations for maintenance. It is typically recommended to have the system serviced at least two times a year, especially if it is a combination heating and cooling system. This should be done early in the season. Service companies, often run "pre-season" specials that can save you a significant amount of money on the typical service call. If you wait until the heating or cooling season is well underway, you may find yourself on a long waiting list to get that service technician out there. Especially if there is a breakdown. You're not going to be happy sitting in a freezing house waiting for the service technician to come next week, when the system breaks down.

Here are a few of the things that you can do yourself rather than pay the service technician to do them for you. Let them spend their expensive time on the more technical evaluation of the system.
1. Check and replace filters, if your system has them. Filters are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased in lots of six for usually less than $20 at the local big box or hardware store. A dirty or blocked filter will cause your system to overwork, significantly reduce its efficiency, and exacerbate the effects of any leak in the ducting system.

2. Clean the air outlet and air inlet grilles, called registers to assure good airflow. It only takes a few minutes with a vacuum cleaner and a hose.

3. If you can get to it, look at the ducting system. Does it appear to be in good condition. Are all the visible connection points in good condition, with no exposed insulation or missing insulation and raggedy looking duct tape. Leaky ductwork is one of the major energy wasters in a forced air heating system. It is fairly easy to correct the situation and really should be done.

4. Now look at the furnace itself. Is the area around the furnace clean and in good order? Or has it become one of those areas it just seems to collect junk? Proper clearance around the furnace is mandatory for safe operation and service access. Potentially flammable materials stacked around or leaning against the furnace are significant fire hazard.

5. Listen to the furnace, as it operates. Is it making odd noises? Squeaking, vibration, or anything else that just doesn't seem right? These may be signs of an impending failure. Get them addressed.

6. Do you have an "automatic or night setback" type thermostat? Believe it or not, these can be a significant energy saver. They will automatically adjust the thermostat setting on a pre-determined schedule. Typically, if everyone is gone during the day, there is no need to fully heat the house up to a comfortable temperature and it only wastes energy. Lowering the set temperature by only 5° during the day when no one is home and at night after everyone has gone to bed, can save 10% or more on your energy bill. That can be a significant savings.

So, as you see, it is important for you to do your part in maintaining your home heating system. There are things that you can do that are not "technical" in nature and cost next to nothing. Your budget and your family will appreciate it!

Next time: "Where is all that heat going?"