Archive for November, 2008
Weather Strip, Seal Windows, and Insulate!
If you read my article about Different Types of Heat Loss, you will learn that you can lose a lot of heat through convective heat losses. Convective heat losses occur when air movement transports heat out through window and door cracks.
Window plastic is a very inexpensive way to convert a drafty old window into a window that performs as well as a top-of-the-line energy miser. 
Another way to deal with these convective heat losses is to weather strip around doors. The weather stripping costs very little, but can make a big difference.
To read more in detail about how I weather stripped around doors, added plastic around a window, and added more attic insulation to reduce my heat costs, go to Four Easy Home Insulation Tips
Save 50 Percent on Oil Hot Water Heater Costs
Recently, I just completed a project where I can potentially cut my hot water heater bill in half! As a side note, my oil fired hot water bill was over a hundred dollars a month when oil prices were over $4 a gallon, so I have a lot to save. What I did was:
- Turned down my heat settings
- Had maintenance performed on the heater
- Used an insulating blanket
- Installed a temper tank – this allows the incoming water to warm up to something on the order of 70 deg F rather than 40 deg F. I also utilized waste heat from my hot water heater exhaust with a hot air blower system hooked up to a thermostat.
Go to Save Hot Water Heater Costs for more details on what I did. Watch the video below!