Invest in Energy Saving Product For Your Home and Save!
Now is the time to complete your energy efficiency projects around the house. ACO has put together a list of DIY energy saving projects and tips to help you beat high energy costs, live more comfortably and enjoy your home to the fullest. Heating and cooling, insulation and caulking, lighting and water all have a direct impact on your monthly expenses. As temperatures drop, the financial impact of improperly insulated attics, air gaps around windows and doors and dripping water faucets grows. Here are some suggestions that will help you save money.
Heating and Cooling
Install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature according to your schedule. It'll pay for itself in less than a year and could save you as much as 15 percent on heating and cooling energy costs.
Changing the furnace filter every other month is a good energy saving tip. Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Replacing a dirty air filter can save 5 percent of the energy used.
Closing the doors and shutting the vents in the rooms you don't use is an easy energy saving tip. You’ll route the air from the furnace to your most used rooms which will help heat the house more efficiently.
Protect expensive central air conditioners against damage caused by rain, snow, and harsh winter weather. Made of winterized poly/fabric, the a/c covers are available for both round and square units.
A small UAL approved electric space heater is an efficient way to supplement heating in a room.
Insulation and Caulking
Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducts or electrical wires penetrate the exterior walls, floors and ceilings. In an average house, up to 20 percent of heat is lost through drafts. To test an area, simply hold the palm of your hand up against a these areas. If you feel cold air coming through, warm air is escaping. This is simple to fix and can save you hundreds on your yearly heating bill. It pays to use caulking and weather stripping on your doors and windows to repair this problem and save you money.
During the winter, remove window air conditioners and seal the windows with caulk and weather stripping. Install the ready-made foam insulating pads inside your receptacle and switch plate covers to keep out the winter cold and summer heat.
10 to 25 percent of your central heat can be lost through the windows. For just a few dollars pick up a window film insulation kit. When properly installed the clear window film is essentially invisible. This adds a buffer against drafts and extra still air space and can give a nice boost to your home's ability to hold heat to save you money on your energy bill.
If you do not use your fireplace keep your damper closed in the winter and plug the chimney with fiberglass insulation and seal the doors with silicone caulk to prevent cold air drafts from entering your home..
Lighting
Lighting accounts for about 15 percent of a typical residential utility bill. So, turn off the lights when not in use. You can also reduce lighting energy use by installing lighting controls like dimmer switches. Install dimmer switches to save energy and extend the life of light bulbs
A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), which cost just a few dollars, “will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. They save money by using only 1/4 the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent amount of bright, attractive light. If every American household replaced one of its standard light bulbs with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb, we would save the same amount of energy as a large nuclear power plant produces in one year.
Recessed can lights typically use 75- or 100-watt incandescent floodlight bulbs. Replace them with 50-watt halogen floodlight bulbs to enjoy a 30 to 50 percent energy savings - and improve the quality of the light.
Under-the-counter fluorescent lights in the kitchen give great energy savings. Most of the time, you can get by using them alone.
Water Savings
Water heating accounts for as much as 20 percent of your utility bill. Insulate the hot water tank to reduce heat loss and save energy. In addition install pre-formed foam pipe insulation on your hot water pipes to save even more.
Fix leaky faucets. One drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month - that's more than one person uses in two weeks. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week loses enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off and save on your water bill.
Did you know that thousands of gallons of water can be wasted each year by an undetected toilet tank leak? It makes economic and environmental sense to check the toilets around your home. Even for older ball-cock & flush ball toilet tank valves, a full line of Waxman replacement parts are available at ACO. You can install modern plastic devices instead of repairing the original parts that will function more efficiently and save water and money.
