Home Energy Evaluation
Submitted by DannyPritchard on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 18:35.
Most of us today are trying to be more frugal with our money. One way we can do this is to make our homes more energy efficient. Using a little common sense and spending some time inspecting your home you can increase the energy efficiency of your home. Here are some things you as a homeowner can do for very little cost.
1. Inspect the exterior for any cracks around windows doors and at corners and seal with caulk.
2. Check doors and windows to make sure the weatherstripping seals.
3. If your dryer is in the house check the vent to make sure the backdraft damper operates.
4. Install a insulation blanket on your water heater.
5. Check your ducts in the attic or crawlspace for any leaks or tears in the insulation.
6. Check your attic insulation. You can figure insulation has an approximate R value of 3 per inch of insulation. Attics should have a minimum of R-30 insulation. Depending on the age of your home you may want to add more insulation.
7. Check the registers in the house to see if they are sealed.
8. Install gaskets at all switches and outlets to seal out the air.
9. Install solar screens or window tint on windows that receive the most sun.
10. Install compact fluorescent bulbs in your lamps and light fixtures.
11. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer.
If you do not mind spending money then you may want to do some of the following to save energy.
1. If your appliances are more than 10 years old then swapping them out for energy star rated appliances could save you money.
2. Hire a contractor to spray foam your attic .This seals all the soffit openings and roof vents
3. Install Low E windows
4. Replace your electric or gas water heater with a solar unit.
5. If the ductwork for your HVAC is an older metal system you may want to add more insulation around the ducts.
For more information on how to make your home more energy efficient visit JEA.com.
Gosh, I wish I would have
Gosh, I wish I would have had that information eraeilr!
Thanks for the post, I like
Thanks for the post, I like #9 the best about Window Tint :)
blessings,
Jeremy
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