How important is having good air quality in a home and how can I obtain it?

Posted on March 17, 2012 by admin

As homes become more sealed with insulation and poly seals for energy efficiency, the air quality goes down. Without proper airflow systems in place, the air quality can be compromised, as you breathe in your pets’ dander and household chemicals.There are two types of air exhaust systems to promote air flow through your home. Traditional simple fan exhaust systems include inline and bathroom fans, which take stale air out and bring clean air in. The second is an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) system — air is pumped out of the house and the expelled air heats the clean air coming into the house. It goes through a heat exchanger so the warm air isn’t wasted. Furnace filters clean air contaminates and have a MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating ranging from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV rating, the more tiny particles that are caught. A MERV 16 filter or HEPA filter ensures the air quality is of a high standard. Cheap filters are meant only to protect the furnace and the motor. They have nothing to do with air quality.Tips for great air quality:

INSPECT YOUR FILTERS: Some filters need to be changed as often as once a month where others can last for up to seven months. You get what you pay for.

Maintain your humidifier: If someone in your home has a cold, it’s a very good time to put a bit of bleach across the top of your humidifier. Airborn germs like humidity, so this will prevent them from sticking around.

Inspect your furnace: If there are rusty marks on top, steam on the vents or the vent pipe isn’t hot anymore, this could mean your furnace is down drafting and pumping in dangerous carbon monoxide.

RUN YOUR FANS: By changing the air all the time, you are constantly cleaning it and removing toxins.

Invest in your health: Forget spending extra money on a snazzy TV and incorporate an HRV system with a high-quality filter so you can save on your heating bill while having clean, fresh air.

THE EXPERT SAYS

CLEARING THE AIR

- The air plates in electronic air cleaners Should be gently cleaned every two months with an approved cleaner.

- Permanent or disposable air filters should be cleaned/changed every two months.

- For new homes, you should wash permanent air filters once a month for the first year.

- Have your furnace inspected annually.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/

Furnasman
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Winterize It!

Posted on January 22, 2012 by admin

Taking a few green, energy-saving steps in the colder months can lead to big savings all around.

Although we’ve been spared the monumental snowfalls of the previous couple of years so far, the 2011-12 winter in New Jersey is far from over. There is still plenty of time to perform these super easy green winterizing tips for your home.

The first thing I recommend is checking your house for drafts. Get down and check under doors especially. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of your energy use can be wasted as a result of drafts. You can purchase an inexpensive draft guard or under-door weather strip from many retail home improvement or hardware stores. Or you can make one yourself with some material and sand, rice, or even kitty litter for filling. You can also use a rolled up towel for free if you don’t mind the aesthetics. For windows you can purchase inexpensive draft kits or weather stripping.

Drafts coming in under your doors aren’t the only thing that can zap your energy and increase your bill. What’s coming through them can hurt too. Simply installing a storm door can increase energy efficiency by as much as 45 percent by reducing air flow. The same can be said for storm windows. Purchasing energy efficient doors, windows and skylights may qualify for federal tax credits to offset the costs.

Keeping the cold air out is a great start, but controlling the environment inside your home can help, too. Be sure to replace or clean the filters frequently on your heater or furnace. Once a month is a good recommendation during heating season. You can also consider switching to a permanent filter, which not only adds up to less waste, but traps at least twice as much of many pollutants and debris. Electrostatic filters and HEPA filters are also typically better at controlling mold and bacteria.

The easiest way to control your energy put-out indoors? Turn down your heat when leaving your home. For every degree you lower your thermostat during heating season, you can save up to 3 percent of your heating bill. And who wants to pay for energy that no one is using? I always recommend a programmable thermostat, if you don’t already have one, as the easiest way to control home heating costs.

Don’t forget to make the most of the heat of the sun. Keep windows and blinds up and open during the day to warm your home naturally. Be sure to close them in the evening or in rooms that don’t get much sunlight to better insulate the room from cold air and drafts.

Did you know you can run ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise) to produce a warming effect by sending warm air near the ceiling back down into the room?

And what about winterizing your vehicle? Be sure to check your air filter, tires, fluid levels, and windshield wipers throughout the cold weather season. Operating your car efficiently saves you money and, in many cases, reduces emissions.

When we finally do get that long-awaited snowstorm, be ready. Use a de-icer on your sidewalk or driveway made from magnesium chloride instead of sodium chloride or calcium chloride. It’s safer, does less damage to surfaces like concrete and melts ice at a lower temperature. If you can, use electric snow removal products rather than gasoline-powered ones. While electric products do consume energy, they do not emit greenhouse gases. Or better yet, as I’ve said before, use a good old fashioned shovel—if you’re in physical condition for it or can utilize older children or neighbors for labor.

It’s very easy to make sure that this winter you stay green, and keep your hard-earned money from flying right out of those cold, drafty windows.

http://gloucestertownship.patch.com/

Furnasman
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Take the Heat Off Your Cooling Bill

Posted on June 26, 2011 by admin

It’s expected to be a scorcher of a summer in some parts of the country. But that doesn’t mean homeowners need to deal with exorbitant power bills.

All it takes is a little thought and effort to keep home cooling costs down during the hottest months of the year.

“In the summer months, the air conditioning is the largest electricity user in the home,” says Keith Voight, spokesman for the Edison Electric Institute, a national association of electric companies. Homeowners should “focus on reducing the cooling load, the time and the duration that the air conditioning is running.”

That’s especially important for homeowners in the Southwest and all the way to Florida, where above-average temperatures are expected between July and September, according to Jon Gottschalck, head of forecast operations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. Dry areas of the Southwest and Texas are expected to have a particularly hot summer. In times of drought, there’s not much groundwater for the sun’s rays to evaporate, so the solar energy goes toward heating the ground. The heat then radiates to warm the air, Mr. Gottschalck says.

People spend an average of $2,200 on utility bills each year, and 20% of that is spent on home cooling, says Denise Durrett, spokeswoman for Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy that promotes energy efficiency.

A big part of keeping down your home’s cooling costs involves keeping warm air out and not letting cool air escape, Mr. Voight says.

Weather-stripping and caulking doors and windows can result in a huge energy savings. According to the Edison Electric Institute, a one-eighth of an inch crack around a doorway creates as much air loss as a six-inch square hole in the door.

Also, make sure the home is properly insulated. And consider new, more efficient windows if yours need replacing. Qualified insulation materials and windows are eligible for federal tax credits through the end of the year. For details, go to EnergyStar.gov and click on “Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency.” Some local governments and utilities also offer incentives for energy-efficiency upgrades, Mr. Voight says.

Before spending a dime, however, take some no-cost measures, including shutting the drapes during the day. The EPA also advises moving container plants and trees in front of windows that face the sun.

Keeping cool air in is just as important as keeping hot air out. Start with small things, including shutting vents in rooms that aren’t being used and using ceiling fans to create a breeze. Ceiling-fan use can allow you to raise your thermostat by two degrees and cut your cooling costs by up to 14%, according to the EPA. But remember to turn off a fan when you leave a room. A fan cools people, not the room, so leaving it running wastes energy.

Other easy moves include cutting back on using the oven and making sure to use the bathroom fan when you shower.

Another easy way to create less work for the AC: Change the light bulbs. Changing out old incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient ones will produce 75% less heat — creating less hot air for the air conditioner to cool — according to the EPA.

“In my bathroom, I have a vanity with eight bulbs in it. When I first moved here, they were incandescent… it got so hot in that bathroom,” says Energy Star’s Ms. Durrett. After changing the bulbs to compact fluorescent lights, “the lighting was very bright, good for putting on makeup, but it didn’t get as hot.”

Efficient light bulbs bring other cost savings, too. By changing the bulbs in your five most frequently used fixtures, you can save up to $70 a year, according to some estimates, Ms. Durrett says.

It’s also important to get your air-conditioning unit tuned up annually, both to save on cooling costs and to prevent a breakdown on the days you need it most, according to the Edison Electric Institute.

During the off-season — meaning the spring or fall — a homeowner should expect to pay between $75 and $100 per air-conditioning unit for a tune-up, depending on the extent of the service visit, Mr. Voight says. “The cost would likely be higher during the peak summer season, as the contractors are busier,” he adds.

Also, inspect the air filter once a month, Ms. Durrett says. Change or clean filters every three months — sooner if they’re dirty.

Finally, program your thermostat so the temperature is about 78 degrees when no one is home, Ms. Durrett says. You can set it so that it’s cooler by the time you get home.

And if your cooling system is 15 years or older, consider replacing it altogether, she adds. There are more-efficient systems on the market now that could help cut your cooling costs. There’s also a federal tax credit available for heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems until the end of the year. Visit EnergyStar.gov for details.

http://online.wsj.com/

Furnasman

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Tips to avoid energy-efficiency scams

Posted on April 13, 2011 by admin

Find out how many inches of atttic insulation you need to achieve the lowest Energy Star recommended R-value for your area and what it costs per inch before signing a contract. / Enquirer file

When it comes to purchasing air-conditioners, insulation, roofing and even air-conditioning services, we homeowners have to do our homework before we start writing checks.

Don’t let a salesperson mislead you into spending too much – or buying an ineffective product – because you don’t have the facts.

Here are 10 ways that sales representatives can dupe homeowners when it comes to energy efficiency:

1. They sell you more than you need. Some companies want to over-insulate your attic to a level of R-60, which won’t save you any more money on heating or air-conditioning bills than what’s recommended in your area of the country.

If you have a newer home, you may not need new insulation at all. Most homes have plenty of insulation, but it’s poorly installed or has been knocked out of place.

Reattaching it to the floors, ceilings and walls it’s meant to protect could save you a bundle of money – both on replacement product and on energy bills.

2. They say you need more than you do. Some ads offer unnecessarily thick insulation, plus ventilation, plus a spray-on radiant barrier for the attic.

They promise to drop the attic temperature during summer, reduce the heat gain from the roof by up to 50 percent and slash your air-conditioning bill accordingly.

Yet no more than 15 percent of your AC bill has anything to do with the heat coming from your attic. This is overkill. All you need is properly engineered ventilation and an adequate level of insulation. Period.

3. They are vague about R-value. Generally, the higher the R-value, the greater the product’s insulating power – up to an appropriate level. Some product sales reps will claim their insulation has a high R-value, but they don’t tell you how thick you have to layer it to achieve that measure. Ask this question: How many inches of insulation will I need to achieve the lowest Energy Star recommended R-value for my area? And how much does this product cost per inch?

4. They mislead you about R-value. The Federal Trade Commission has ruled against manufacturers who claim their radiant barriers or insulation will insulate your attic to a high R-value, when in fact, a product can’t achieve that on its own.

Before you buy, be sure the R-value claim pertains to the product on its own and that you don’t have to buy additional products.

5. They convince you that high-tech is better than common sense. Instead of getting hooked into buying an expensive package of multiple new systems, start your energy campaign by sealing your air-conditioner’s ducts, caulking windows and doors and checking weather stripping. Have an energy auditor determine if your attic is properly and passively ventilated and that your insulation is well installed. That will help you more than investing thousands of dollars in optional equipment.

6. They can’t prove their claims. It’s illegal to say a product will slash energy bills, insulate your attic or reduce heat gain without tests to back up the claim. Ask for the research.

7. They insist bigger is better. This is a common claim when it comes to buying an air-conditioner or furnace. It used to be that bigger homes needed larger units. However, newer homes are so tight that they need far less powerful systems than older homes with lots of air leaks.

Find a rep who will get a lot of information about your house, the weather and your family’s lifestyle – and use a computer to calculate the size of your new equipment. If that’s not happening, find a different contractor.

8. They misrepresent the energy savings. Before you buy, it’s important to know how long it would take to pay a product off with the money you save on energy bills.

If you pay $15,000 to seal your attic and it saves you $400 a year on AC bills, you won’t see an actual return on your investment for 37 years. Go with a plan that will pay for itself within three to five years. After that, the lower energy bill will put money in your pocket.

9. Steer clear of products touting an “equivalent R-value” and those that refer to the potential savings in terms like “nominal” or “approximately” instead of hard numbers.

10. They sell you something new instead of repairing what you already have. Example: You don’t have to replace your air-conditioner just because its ducts are leaking. Instead, have the ducts sealed.

Don’t fall for this “marketing approach” to energy savings. Trust the building scientists – and know what they say. You shouldn’t pay more for energy-saving equipment than it will ever save you in energy bills.

http://news.cincinnati.com/

Furnasman

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Green tax breaks that can improve your home and wallet

Posted on April 13, 2011 by admin

From windows to wind turbines, tax credits give homeowners an extra incentive to make energy-efficient home improvements.

The sweet deals of 2010 — where homeowners could receive a maximum tax credit of $1,500 — are gone. The tax laws for 2011 reverted to the incentives of 2006 and 2007, which cover up to 10 percent of the cost of improvements with a $500 cap. For certain kinds of improvements, such as windows, heaters and air conditioners, the maximums are lower, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

While it’s not the $1,500 of 2010, local energy auditor Sarajane Koch of Scott Temperature said it does help. For instance, the $500 limit can be met through a $300 tax credit for an air conditioner, a $150 tax credit for a furnace and a $50 tax credit for circulating fan.

In the past 15 months, Koch said she saw more homeowners go with higher efficiency models because the $1,500 tax credit helped cover the difference.

The $500 lifetime limit doesn’t apply to all energy-efficiency projects. The more costly improvements of installing geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells and wind generators are eligible for a 30 percent tax credit and have no upper limit. These credits are good until 2016.

That’s good news, Koch said because projects such as installing geothermal heat pumps can cost between $15,000 to $40,000.

All of the housing credits are for equipment that is installed and used in 2011. And the upgrades have to be made for the homeowner’s principal residence and can’t be applied to rental properties. There is also a $500 lifetime limit on the tax credit. So, if you took full advantage of last year’s $1,500 tax credit, you won’t be eligible.

The tax credits also don’t include installation and labor costs.

With the help of information from the DOE, we made a cheat sheet on what tax credits are available for 2011.

Windows, doors, skylights

Homeowners can get up to 10 percent off the cost of the windows, skylights and doors that carry the ENERGY STAR label. The credit is good for up to $200 of the cost of windows and skylights and $500 for doors. To qualify, not all the windows, doors or skylights in your home have to be replaced and they don’t even have to be replacements for old ones, so products that are used on additions would qualify.

Insulation, weather stripping

Tax credits are available for 10 percent of the cost of insulation or weather-stripping products with a $500 cap. The tax credits cover typical insulation products such as batts, rolls, blow-in fibers and expanding sprays. It also covers weather-stripping materials, cans of spray foam, caulking and house wrap. Homeowners can get the credit if they install the insulation or do the air sealing themselves.

Water heaters

A $300 tax credit is available for water heaters that have an energy factor of .82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent. The DOE has a list of tankless water heaters that qualify. There aren’t any residential storage tank water heaters or gas condensing water heaters on the market right now that qualify for the tax credit.

There is also a $300 tax credit for electric heat pump water heaters that have an energy factor of 2.0. Electric storage tanks and electric tankless water heaters do not qualify.

Furnaces and boilers

A $150 tax credit is available for furnaces and boilers that have an annual fuel utilization efficiency rating (AFUE) of 95 or greater. The DOE doesn’t have a list of all the heating products that qualify for the tax credit, but the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute keeps track of products that do. You can search its website.

There is also a $300 tax credit for air source heat pumps and a $50 tax credit for an advanced main air circulating fan.

Central air conditioners

A $300 tax credit is available for central air conditioners, but you will most likely have to replace your furnace as well to qualify. The DOE doesn’t have a user-friendly list of what central air conditioners qualify, so the best way to find out what earns a tax credit is to check with your contractor.

Biomass stoves

Stoves that use biomass, such as trees, wood, grass or agricultural crops, can earn a $300 tax credit. The stove must have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75 percent.

Roofs

Homeowners can receive 10 percent of the cost of a new roof. The tax credit is capped at $500. The tax credit is aimed at reflective roofs, which are best used for homes that are in hot sunny climates and use air conditioning frequently.

What’s not covered

Here’s a list of what isn’t covered under the government’s tax credits: ceiling fans, washers, dryers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, electric furnaces and boilers, swamp coolers, lighting fixtures, ovens, programmable thermostats, refrigerators, room air conditioners, TVs and toilets.

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Furnasman

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Time to weatherize home for winter

Posted on October 22, 2010 by admin

With colder weather on the way, there is no better time than now to learn how to seal up your home and save money on your utility bills.

Larry Oswald of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. in Bismarck, N.D., said the biggest heat loss is through the building envelope, the separation between the interior and the exterior environments of a building.

“Infiltration: cold air coming in through your walls and around your windows and doors. Typically that’s where you are losing most of your energy,” he said.

Oswald handed out MDU conservation kits Oct. 2 as part of Energy Efficiency Awareness Month at Rushmore Mall.

The kits included tips on do-it-yourself projects, a caulking gun, a tube of silicone sealant, switch and outlet sealers, a filter change alert whistle for the heating/air-conditioning filter and two rolls of self-stick V-seal weather stripping to seal windows and doors.

Oswald said MDU offers rebates to residential natural gas customers on Energy Star-rated appliances, such as natural gas furnaces, water heaters and programmable thermostats. The company has a bundle for customers who are building their own homes, and there are also rebates for blown insulation.

“There are different methods for blown insulation people are doing now. They are insulating walls now that are less intrusive on our homes,” he said.

Don Martinez, energy services engineer with Black Hills Power, said one of the first things homeowners can do to save energy is to replace existing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps.

BHP team members handed out 13-watt CFLs at the mall, which Martinez said is equivalent to 60-watt incandescent light bulbs.

“They put out the same amount of light for about a fourth of the energy,” Martinez said.

He said the bulbs now come in sizes that will fit just about every type of fixture. Some are three-way light bulb equivalents and are even dimmable. Homeowners may be turned off by the initial cost of switching out their light bulbs, but Martinez said doing so would be worth it in the long run.

“They are more expensive, but there are so many deals out there now. I have seen good sales on them,” he said.

In addition to the dollar amount in the savings, there are maintenance savings to consider.

“These bulbs last anywhere between 10,000 and 14,000 hours, and the regular screw-in incandescent light bulb will last 500 to maybe 2,000 hours,” he said.

BHP employees also handed out conservation information and discussed some of the newer products, such as solar water heating systems and tips on home insulation, including window insulation kits and caulking.

“Just seal up your home as best as you can,” Martinez said.

The ultimate weatherizing for old windows and doors is to replace them with new, energy-efficient versions.

Jodi Bistodeau, who works in the residential department at Hagen Glass, Window & Siding in Rapid City, said new windows not only upgrade the glass, but also provide an air-tight window system that probably did not exist before in an older home. A new door, she said, would have an insulating core and a much tighter sealing system.

“Those would be total upgrades in energy-efficiency,” she said, which are positive investments for the consumer.

If homeowners install high-energy windows, prime entry doors, storm doors or patio doors between now and Dec. 31, they can qualify for a tax credit from the federal government for up to $1,500 per household.

“It is for qualifying products only that have to meet certain standards,” Bistodeau said. Certain types of insulation also qualify for the tax credit, she said.

Jim Galbraith and Rick Birnbaum, water production operators for the Rapid City Water Division, shared water conservation and money-saving ideas such as installing faucet aerators for the kitchen and bathroom sinks ($151 annual savings), using low-flow shower heads ($97 annual savings) and installing low-flow toilets.

A regular toilet uses 5 to 7 gallons of water, Galbraith said, and a Niagara brand low-flush toilet uses just 1.6 gallons, which equates to an average of $55 savings a year on the water bill.

The men also handed out leak detectors for residents to place in their toilet tanks at night below the water line; if the water in the bowl is blue in the morning, that means they have a leak, which wastes a lot of water, Birnbaum said.

Home appliances and rebate programs can help with savings, too.

“Front-load washers use less than half the water regular top-load washers use,” Birnbaum said.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/

Furnasman

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