http://www.neutralexistence.com/index.php/begreen/ en bjmcconnell@alltel.net Copyright 2008 2008-05-01T15:21:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/some-easy-and-cheap-ways-to-green-your-home-this-spring-and-summer/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/some-easy-and-cheap-ways-to-green-your-home-this-spring-and-summer/#When:03:33:00Z Greener living. In times like these, no matter how much we think we care about the Earth, our eco-consciousness can be trumped by our wallet-consciousness.  But greening your life and home doesn’t require you to shun electricity or buy expensive green products to make a difference.  In fact, with some common sense, you can live greener this summer, easily recoup your eco-investments, and save money. Try these easy and cheap tips: Replace high-wattage light bulbs – Compact fluorescent light bulbs will soon be more than a fad – come 2012, they’ll be the law.  For those who aren’t ready to switch over completely to these more efficient bulbs just yet, have no fear.  You can still be more environmentally friendly and save money on your energy bill with incandescent. Just lower the wattage.  Take a stroll around your house look at the bulbs you have and consider what you use them for.  Replace any 100 watt bulbs with a lower wattage – and lower wattages for lamps and task lighting.  Consider doing away with the frivolous “uplight,” sweetheart of interior designers everywhere, and other needless mood lighting, like those positioned above art to showoff your good taste. And of course, remember to shut lights off when you leave a room – even a compact fluorescent left on wastes energy. Change furnace/air conditioning screens – According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for 56 percent of energy use in a typical home.  Make sure your system is working at top performance by replacing filters either monthly or as needed.  Factor in your home environment – filters may need more frequent changes in industrial areas, construction zones, etc. Clean screens also cut down on household allergens. Think about a reusable “electronic” filter (between $50-$1,000), which uses static electricity to gather more contaminants, instead of a disposable fiberglass one.  Clean it as often as you would replace a traditional filter. Get some house plants – In many cases, the air we breathe in our homes is often more toxic than the air we breathe outdoors.  Clean up your indoor air by bringing the outside in.  Some research shows houseplants like peace lilies, spider and rubber plants, can filter indoor air and remove toxins, including formaldehyde (found in carpeting), benzene, acetone, and ammonia.  Different plants offer different levels of cleaning for different contaminants. Check out How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Clean Your Home or Office by B.C. Wolverton for details. They’ll look nicer in your home than one of those strange looking air cleaners, and may save you on healthcare costs related to asthma, allergies and other respiratory ailments. Warm your house with daylight, cool it with moonlight – Saving energy can be all about window treatments. Savvy design can keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer if you know the right time to open and close your drapes and blinds.  For natural heat, open your drapes and blinds wide during the day, and as the sun goes down, close them back up to hold in the heat.  Cool things down in the summer by lowering drapes, blinds and the like during the day.  Consider outfitting all windows with blinds, shades or lined draperies or curtains if you haven’t already.  Or think about a new product. Window energy films, which hold out heat while allowing natural light in, claim to offer a 12-18 percent energy savings. Plant trees in your yard – When the right type of trees are planted in the right places, great things happen.  Planting deciduous trees on the west, southwest, east or southeast of your home provides cooling in the summer (reducing your need to turn the air conditioning down), and in the winter, after the leaves have fallen, allow sunlight to warm your dwelling (reducing your need to turn the heat up). And of course, trees absorb carbon dioxide, dull noise, provide privacy and decrease water runoff. Use appliances the way they were meant to be used – Most of our household appliances were invented to make our lives more convenient.  Today’s models do that and then some when used properly.  Dishwashers now clean dishes with less water than we use in the sink and do a better job than we can by hand.  Don’t rinse dishes before loading – scrape them if you must, but don’t use water.  Always run your machine with a full load of dirty dishes, and if you can, use the air dry setting. Always wash full loads in your clothes washing machine as well.  Washing machines use great amounts of energy to heat water – try switching to a cold water wash if the quality of your water allows.  If you need a new machine, buy a front loading model.  They use less energy than top loaders.  Always use the moisture sensors on newer dryers to avoid over drying fabrics, and always empty the lint trap before running another load. Get a clothesline – Go old school with your laundry this spring and summer to save energy and money.  In some homes, dryers are actually the biggest single energy eater, beating out refrigerators and televisions. In fact, it can take twice as much energy to dry a t-shirt in an electric dryer than to wash it in a washing machine. Buy a clothesline, a few poles, and hang laundry out to dry, weather permitting of course.  Added bonus – a sweet, fresh smell to all of your clothes, without a chemically treated dryer sheet.  Compost – One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.  Or in this case, another plant’s treasure.  Reduce the amount of waste you send to landfills by composting food scraps and organic waste, and then using it to invigorate your landscape or garden. Add grass clippings, wood ash and other yard waste as well. Small countertop compost keepers with carbon filters to reduce odor are available for about $25 dollars.  Larger bins and containers are available for containing compost outdoors until it’s ready to use.  Save money on gardening products and hauling expenses. Check out http://www.compostguide.com for how to info. Kick back and relax – Hot, sunny summer days can bring dangerous levels of ground-level ozone, which exacerbates respiratory ailments and lung conditions, and is unhealthy for everyone from small children and seniors to healthy adults working or exercising outdoors.  It may be the best possible excuse ever to sit back and relax with a lemonade, delay lawn and garden chores, and postpone errands on a lazy summer day.  Collect rainwater – Even though the majority of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, little of it is fresh, making it a finite and precious resource.  Climate change may potentially bring many changes to the planet – including more frequent drought conditions and increased demand for fresh water. For the cost of a collection container –around $70 – and a diversion of your downspout, you can collect rainwater for non-potable needs like gardening and landscaping.  If you live in an urban area, you’ll save on your water bill.  If you are in a rural area, you’ll save on electricity costs related to your well pump.  And of course you’ll conserve water.  Warmer seasons are also a great time to start easing yourself into shorter and cooler showers. When it comes to greener living, using your noggin can result in significant gains not only for the environment, but for your pocketbook.  Look for new ways to cut back – from unplugging non-essential electrics to getting your kids outdoors and away from that Wii™ – and share them with the community at my.neutralexistence.com. Looking for more ideas?  Check out these links: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.es_at_home_tips Energy Star @ Home Tips http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/ Tips from the Department of Energy http://www.epa.gov/compost/ Compost Information from the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.smartenergyliving.org/cm/Home.html Smart Energy Living, from the Colorado Energy Science Center http://www.buyenergyefficient.org/ from the Consumer Federation of America http://www.ase.org/ the Alliance to Save Energy Green Your Home 2008-04-07T03:33:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/reduce-phantom-electrical-loads/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/reduce-phantom-electrical-loads/#When:14:10:00Z Phantom electrical loads are those hidden, unseen or forgotten electrical loads that drive up energy cost and increase emissions. These phantom loads account for almost 11% of all residential electricity consumption. In order to create a more energy efficient home, phantom electrical loads must be reduced or eliminated. Phantom loads come in a variety of forms, from electronics which are left on, to that old refrigerator that uses twice as much electricity as newer models, there are tons of phantom electrical loads taking loads of money from your pockets and releasing loads of carbon emissions into our atmosphere. Eliminate Phantom Electrical Loads: Set Computer to Hibernate Hibernation is a function that Microsoft Windows offers, in which windows will take a picture of your current desktop and all of your currently running programs and save it to your hard drive, at which point, windows will then shut down. Now, by saving the image on your computers hard drive, the computer is able to access the image when it is turned back on. What's great about hibernation is that you can pre-set it to hibernate when it senses non-activity for a set period of time. Also, when you come back to the computer and power it up again, the startup sequence is twice as fast as it normally is and all of your information is back up exactly like you left it. This means no more having to save and close all of your open windows before shutting down your computer. Hibernation can be invoked either manually or automatically after a certain period of time. Hibernation Setup: The setup is really simple, simply go to START--->SETTINGS--->CONTROL PANEL and in the "control panel" window find the "POWER OPTIONS" and double click it. Once you are inside the "Power Options Properties" you are going to make a few setting changes. First click on the "HIBERNATE" tab and click on the empty box next to "Enable Hibernation" so that a check mark appears in the box and then click the apply at the bottom right. Now click on the "POWER SCHEMES" tab and select the "Power Scheme" which best describes your computer and situation by using the drop-down menu. Now adjust the settings directly below to turn your monitor off after x many minutes (I recommend 10-15 or less). Now set the "turn off hard disks" to never and set the "System Hibernates" to a time limit that suits your needs (I recommend 1 hour). Now Click apply and you are done. This simple setting change can eliminate up to 300 lbs. of CO2 per year, reducing your household rate by up to 2% saving about $15. Unplug Electronics Many electronics continue to use electricity even when the power is off. VCR's, DVD players and radios are notorious for this, as they tend to have LED lights and clocks that stay on even when the device is turned off. To stop these types of phantom electrical loads, you can plug all these devices and appliances into multi-plug electrical surge protectors. This way you can cut off the power to these devises with a simple flick of a switch. By cutting off the power source to these electronics, you assure that these devices are not drawing any load whatsoever. Replace Old Appliances Old outdated appliances can eat up electricity like nothing else. This is because back when they were build, energy efficiency was not a high priority, in fact it probably wasn't even a priority at all. For instance, an old refrigerator consumes over 4 times more electricity than today's energy efficient models. This translates into massive savings considering that refrigerators consume more electricity than any other appliance in a typical home. It is for this very reason that you should consider replacing your old, outdated appliances with new efficient "Energy Star" products. Energy Star is a rating system where the government gives a special label to efficient energy saving appliances. To use this rating system When shopping for a new appliance, just look for the Energy Star label, which identifies the most efficient appliances. You can also use the Energy Guide labels to compare the efficiency of specific models. Replace Old Incandescent Light Bulbs According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every American household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact florescent bulb, we would reduce our CO2 emissions by 90 billion pounds. This is the equivalent of taking over 6 million SUV's off of the road for good. Compact florescent light bulbs have come a long way and are now available in many different shapes, sizes, intensities and colors(warm and cool). With all of these new options available, there is no excuse for not choosing CFL's as a viable replacement for typical incandescent lights. Not only can CFL's be interchanged with incandescent's with no noticeable change in lighting condition, but they are a huge cost savings. Even though they are more expensive up-front, over the life span of the bulb they are 70% more efficient and cost effective than incandescent lights. Comparison chart between CFL's and incandescent over the CFL's life span of 10,000 hours: Description CFL Incandescent Life in Hours (hrs) 10,000 hrs. 1,500 hrs. Number of Bulbs 1 6.7 Cost in US dollars ($) $4.00 6.7 x 32¢ = $2.14 Input in Watts (W) 13 W 60 W Electricity Used in Kilowatt hours (kwh) 130 kwh 600 kwh Electricity Cost at 8¢ per kwh $10.40 $48.00 Total Cost $14.40 $50.14 Total Savings: $50.14 - $14.40 = $35.74 That is a $35.74 savings by replacing just one incandescent light bulb with one compact florescent light bulb. Now multiply that number by the number by the number of incandescent light bulbs you counted earlier. Pretty significant wouldn't you say? Turn Down the Thermostat The average person will not notice a 2 degree difference in temperature, and its these 2 degrees that can save about 15% on monthly heating and cooling cost. Adjusting the thermostat two degrees cooler in the winter can save about 5% in energy cost. Also, setting the thermostat two degrees warmer in the summer can save about 10% or more in energy cost. By simply making this small adjustment, it will reduce carbon emissions by about 3,000 pounds each year. Use Programmable Thermostats The above option may cause the temperature to be a little too high or a little too low and therefore cause you to sacrifice comfort. If this is the case, an alternative option is to install and use a programmable thermostat. What's great about programmable thermostats is that you can program them to change the temperature while you are at work, sleeping or running regular errands. By setting your thermostat to raise the temperature four degrees in the winter and lower the temperature four degrees in the summer while you are working or sleeping, you can achieve an annual savings of over 11% on your energy cost. This reduces your carbon emissions by about 2,000 pounds per year without sacrificing comfort or breaking your pocket book. These programmable thermostats are less than 50 bucks right now at Black Energy, pick one up today! ::---------------------------------------------------------------------:: Neutral existence highly recommends Black Energy as an excellent source to buy all of your compact florescent bulbs, expandable foam tape, insulation, thermostats, and anything else you need to increase your homes efficiency. We also recommend that you make a list and buy everything at once to save on shipping cost. http://www.NeutralExistence.com/recommends/blackenergy Green Your Home 2007-12-21T14:10:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/efficient-water-heating-techniques/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/efficient-water-heating-techniques/#When:02:37:00Z : : Hot Water Heating Intro : : The typical home spends 20% to 40% of their annual energy cost to keep water hot. The average home uses electrical and/or gas water heating tanks ranging in size from 20 to 80 gallons. Energy is used to keep the water in the tank at a constant temperature (which the home owner sets) even when the water is not in use. The entire concept and most systems are very inefficient, however there are a few things you can do to increase efficiency of your water heating system. Adjusting Temperature for Savings: Most home owners have their hot water heaters turned up way too high (between 120° and 140° F). Granted, by setting the temperature this high, you are not going to run out of hot water during your shower, but you are also wasting so much energy just to keep the water that hot throughout the day. If you were to turn the thermostat down about 10° Fahrenheit, you could reduce your energy consumption by 3% to 5%. That would eliminate about 500 lbs. of CO2 per year and save about $25. The only problem with doing this, is that you run the risk of running out of hot water while you are in the shower. People will say that even at 120°, your shower will not run out, but I am here to say that if two people take showers back to back, the second person depending on how long, does run the risk of getting a cold shower. The only way to solve this problem is to make your water tank even more efficient or using a tankless water heater. Insulating for Energy Efficiency: For water tanks which have an R-value of less than 24, insulation is a very affordable and energy efficient modification which can be done very easily. The best way to tell if your water tank needs insulation is by simply touching the outside of your tank, and if it feels warm then it needs additional insulation. Hot water heater insulating blankets can be purchases for about $10-$20 from most hardware stores. These blankets will have an insulating value of about an R-8. The way these blankets work, is they wrap around your hot water tank and keep the heat from escaping via “Radiant Heat Loss” thereby increasing the water heaters efficiency and saving you money. The reduced radiant heat loss will be in the 25% to 45% range, which can save you about 4% to 9% of your water heating cost. Depending on the type of water heater you have (electric or gas) that will dictate how the insulation blanket should be installed. Electric Water Heaters: Installing insulation blankets on electric water heaters is very easy and most people can do it themselves. Simply wrap the blanket around your electric water tank, being very careful to leave the access panels uncovered. Use scissors to cut the blanket if needed to clear the electrical access panels, as this will eliminate any fire hazards. You will also need to keep the temperature setting below 130°F (preferably 120°F to 110°F) to keep the electrical wires from overheating and causing a fire or damage to the unit. Gas Water Heaters: Installing insulation blankets on gas water heaters is a bit more difficult. I recommend that you have a qualified plumbing and heating contractor install this insulation. This ensures you in case of a fire. If you insist on doing it yourself please follow the directions bellow very carefully: Keep the insulation blanket away from the drain at the bottom and the flue at the top. Be sure to cut around the bottom to allow airflow to the burner. Cut holes in the insulation to leave the thermostat uncovered, and do NOT insulate the top of a gas water heater tank. Insulation blankets are combustible and can interfere with the draft diverter. Additional Insulation and traps: You should also consider putting a piece of rigid insulation under the water heater tank and additional insulation around the copper piping, for an additional 4%-9% of water heating energy savings. This additional insulation will help eliminate heat loss through the floor and through the pipes. The rigid insulation under the water heater is much easier to do when you are replacing or installing a new water heater, however it can be done on an existing installation, but it should be done by a professional. The installation of a water trap on your water heater can save you another $15 to $30 on your water heating bill. A water trap prevents convective heat loss through the inlet and outlet pipes on your water heater. These specially designed trap valves come in pairs and cost about $30. The installation of these traps is quite difficult for the average person and it is recommended that you have a professional heating and cooling contractor install them. However, if you are capable of cutting copper tubing and properly soldering pipe joints, this installation is not that difficult. Tankless Water heaters for supper efficiency: Although all of the above techniques will reduce your emissions and your energy cost, none can compare to a tankless water heating system. Tankless water heaters are supper efficient compared to a typical electric and/or gas water heater. The concept of a typical tank water heater is this; water is stored in the tank, heated to a specific temperature and kept at that temperature until the water is used. This means that energy is being used to keep the water hot even when you are not using it and that’s about 22 hours a day. This wasted energy cost you money and emits an extra 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. A tankless water heater allows you to totally eliminate all wasted energy, because it only heats the water you are using, when you are using it. They use what is called a incoloy heating element, which heats the water instantly and to the precise temperature you set. This way you only use electricity while the hot water is being produced and this translates into big savings. Best of all, they are not expensive; in fact the best tankless water heater found here, is only $299 and that replaces an entire 40-80 gallon water heater. So for about the same price as a new electrical tank water heater, you can get a great tankless water heater that can cut your monthly energy cost by 20% to 40%. Passive/Active Systems for Ultimate Savings & Efficiency: While tankless water heaters are great, adding a passive component to your tankless system will more than double your energy savings and emission reduction. A hybrid passive/active system gives you the best of both worlds; Huge energy savings, space savings, cost savings and more comfort than a typical hot water heating system. These passive/active hybrid systems are comprised of a high efficient tankless water heater combined with a passive solar heating component. Each piece of the system does its specific job to make this type of system the most efficient water heating solution. The passive solar component works by keeping the water pre-heated at a high temperature. Unfortunately these passive water heaters are not great by themselves, simply because their efficiency varies with the temperature outside, so you run the risk of taking a cold or warm shower. However, when combined with a tankless water heater, you have instant hot water anytime, no matter what the weather conditions are outside. Passive systems can be built rather easily and inexpensively. In fact, you can use your old water heater tank and convert it to an exterior solar water heater by building a small wood and glass box and painting the tank black. You could also create a solar water heater by using copper tubing and winding it up inside of an enclosed box with a sheet of glass on top. There are so many ways you can make a passive solar water heating component. In fact, I wrote an e-book showing how to make three different versions and Ill give it to you for free if you will just tell three of your friends about this site. You will also find a place where you can buy the best tankless water heaters ever made, cheaper than anywhere else. Green Your Home 2007-11-27T02:37:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/air-exchange-leaks-and-energy-loss/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/air-exchange-leaks-and-energy-loss/#When:00:07:00Z When a home is not properly sealed it will experience air leaks (air exchange) which generally causes heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Air exchange is responsible for anywhere from 20% to 50% of your homes’ heating and cooling cost. This air leakage happens because of a pressure difference between he inside and outside of a home. Air naturally flows from positive to negative pressure conditions. In the winter the temperature is colder outside and when the pressure outside is higher than the inside of the house, cold air will leak into the lower levels of the house. The opposite happens in the summer as the warmer outside air is forced into the house because of the higher outside pressure. This pressure difference is caused by a variety of different things like wind, temperature and internal appliances. Even though there is very little you can do to balance internal and external pressure levels, you can seal your homes’ leaks and stop the majority of this air exchange. Save Money & The environment --> Seal Those Leaks By sealing all air leaks in your home you can cut your heating and cooling bills by up to 20%. The cost and time associated with an air leak sealing project is very small and most people will make that money back in savings in as little at 2 to 3 months. After completing a home pressurization test as outlined on the previous page and identifying all of the air leaks in your home, it is time to figure out how to seal each particular leak situation. Each leak situation may require a different solution for optimal results. : : Door Leaks : : Door leaks are one of the largest contributors to air exchange is they are not properly sealed. An exterior door with a 1/8” gap between the door and the threshold is equivalent to a two square inch hole in your wall. By simply eliminating these gaps with door sweeps and weather stripping, you can potentially cut your your heating and cooling cost by 15%. Door Sealing Instructions: Materials: Door Sweep Self Adhesive Foam Weather stripping or V-channel To seal the sides and the top of a door you can either use V-strip or a self adhesive foam weather striping. If you are using V-channel, you will apply it to the door jamb and door head with the “V” opening pointing in the same direction as the door closes. This way the “V” will compress when the door closes without getting stuck. If you choose to use the self adhesive foam, you will need to apply it to the stop molding of the door jamb and the door head where it touches the outside edges of the door. A door sweep installation will require a little bit of cutting, but nothing to be afraid of. Cut the metal door sweep to the exact width of your door by using a hack saw or tin snips. With the door closed, attach the door sweep to the door with the screws provided making sure that the the flexible rubber sweep is touching the floor or threshold. : : Window Leaks : : There are many different types of windows however, the majority fall into two categories, casement or hung windows and each type will need to be sealed differently. Hung Window Sealing Instructions: Materials: Self Adhesive Foam Weather stripping V-channel Apply a strip of self adhesive foam weather stripping to the bottom of the bottom sash being careful to cut it the same width of the window. If you have double hung windows apply an additional strip of adhesive foam to the top of the upper sash. Next cut two pieces of V-channel for each sash that measure one inch longer than the sash. Now remove the backing and wedge the V-channel into the gap between the sash and the jamb, with the adhesive side facing the jamb. Use the sash to press the V-channel firmly against the Jamb to ensure proper adhesion. You can now drive a finish nails into the adhesive side of V-channel at the top (when closed) and at the bottom (when open). Repeat this step for the top sash and be sure to nail the top and bottom of the V-channel is this is a double hung window. To seal the center gap between the two sashes when the window is closed, you will use another piece of V-channel adhering it to the back side of the bottom sash even with the top. It is important that the open end of the “V” is facing up, as this will ensure proper compression of the V-channel and proper operation of the window. Casement Windows Sealing Instructions: Materials: Self Adhesive Foam Weather stripping Sealing casement windows is very easy and very cheap. Simply apply adhesive foam on the inside face of the stop molding on the jamb and the head of each window. This way, When the window is closed it will press the foam and create a tight seal and stop air flow. : : Electrical Outlet Leaks : : Materials: Foam Gaskets for Light Switches Foam Gaskets for Electrical Outlets Electrical outlets and light switches are also responsible for quite a bit of air leakage. The easiest and most effective way to stop these leaks is to purchase some specially made foam gasket inserts tailored for electrical outlets and light switches. You can find these at Black Energy along with hundreds of other energy saving supplies. To install these gaskets, you simply unscrew the face plates of the electrical outlets and switches, insert the gasket and replace the face plate. : : Ceiling Penetration Leaks : : Most homes have unconditioned attic spaces which will typically be closer to the temperature outside than the temperature inside. Therefore any gaps between the conditioned living spaces and unconditioned attic spaces will result in air exchange and cause your home to be less efficient. Most ceiling gaps and leaks are easier to take care of from the attic as you do not have to be a clean with your sealing methods. However the first and most significant ceiling penetrations you will need to handle are any attic access doors. Attic Access Door Leaks: Attic access doors in general, are responsible for more energy loss than any other ceiling penetrations. In order to properly seal an attic access door, you must seal the door where it closes as well as seal around the perimeter of the frame. Materials: Self Adhesive Foam Weather stripping Caulk Gun Acrylic Latex Caulk Sealing the gaps where the attic door and ceiling frame meet, is not a hard job, however each case is different due to the many different types of ceiling access situations. If you own a home with a drop down, spring loaded ladder, then you will simply apply the adhesive foam weather stripping to the perimeter of the door, so that the foam is compressed when the door is closed. If you have fire access type panels which are basically wood panels that you drop down on top of the frame, then simply run a strip of adhesive foam around the stop molding of the frame. You can also install a hook-and-eye latch to pull the wood panel snug against the adhesive foam weather stripping Seal the frame exterior by using Acrylic Caulk and the gun to push caulk into the corners where the frame meets the ceiling. When running a bead of caulk, do not pull the bead, instead hold the gun at a 45 degree angle and push towards the bead as this will force caulk into the cracks. Other Ceiling Penetrations: Materials: Pressurized Expanding Foam Caulk Gun Acrylic Latex Caulk Plumbing risers and pipes: Every home will have at least a couple of plumbing risers piercing the ceiling. Generally these risers will be fed through a square hole cut by the carpenters. If these holes are not filled then you have great place where air can freely escape thereby increasing energy loss. To fill these gaps you can use some pressurized expanding foam, a popular brand is “Great Stuff”. Just spray a little in the gap and let it rise and stick, just keep in mind that it will almost triple in size, so do not overdo it. Lights and Electrical Boxes: Light boxes and electrical boxes require a little more care than just spraying a bunch of expanding foam all over it. Unfortunately expanding foam is flammable during dispensing, so we do not recommend that you use it on any electrical or lighting boxes. You can use the foam to fill holes where electrical wires are fed down into the wall cavities, just not on or around electrical and light boxes. Instead, simply use your Acrylic caulk and seal up any lighting and electrical boxes from inside your attic. Apply the caulk to the base where the electrical box and lights penetrate the ceiling as well as over any holes and slots on the actual boxes themselves. Fireplace Flues & Chimneys: Just like plumbing risers, fireplace flues and chimneys will generally be fed through a square hole. Unlike plumbing risers, flues and chimneys are much larger therefore making the gaps that surround them much larger and able to exchange much more air. Therefore, if it essential that these gaps be closed, and closed properly to prevent fires. Materials: Caulk Gun Acrylic Latex Caulk Aluminum Sheet High Temperature Silicone Caulk To begin, remove all insulation near the flue to create a clean working area. Now cut a half circle carefully matching the radius of the existing chimney/flue, on two separate sheets of aluminum sheeting. These sheets will be used to cover the gaps and the two semi-circles will but up against the existing flue/chimney. Use latex acrylic caulk applied to the bottom surface to glue the two aluminum sheets in place. Finish up by using a high temperature silicone caulk (red color) to seal the aluminum flashing and the chimney/flue where they meet. Next we need to fabricate an insulation damn so the insulation will not be able to touch the hot flue and catch on fire. This can be done by folding another piece of aluminum sheeting (about 12” to 18” tall) in a square, around the flue/chimney leaving at least a one inch gap between the two. You can use aluminum tape, silicone or staples to join the two ends of the aluminum sheet after wrapping the flue. In order to attach the insulation damn to the ceiling flare out the bottom by cutting one inch slits in each corner allowing the metal to be folded out. At this point, the flare can be tapped, stapled or glued to the ceiling. Finish up by replacing the previously moved insulation and you are done. : : Baseboard And Wall Penetration Leaks : : Materials: Caulk Gun Acrylic Latex Caulk Pressurized Expanding Foam Except of plumbing penetrations, baseboards and wall penetrations are all handled the same way with acrylic caulk. Because plumbing penetrations are generally located in unseen areas, they can be filled with pressurized expanding foam relatively easy. Caulk will be used to fill all other wall penetration edges and baseboards, and since these areas will be seen frequently, they will require a little more patience and finesse. Interior Caulking: Contrary to popular belief, a proper caulking bead is not run by pulling the caulk gun away from the bead. Instead, the caulk gun should be held at a 45 degree angle off of the surface and pushed towards the bead. This way the caulk gets pushed into the cracks and the bottom edge of the caulk nipple actually created a smooth finished edge if the proper amount of caulk is released. An interior caulking job will require that you caulk all edges of all wall penetrations. This includes doors, windows, baseboards, wall and window mounted AC units, vents and any other penetrations not listed. Once this is completed you will have achieved a sealed home which also brings up a small issue. Carbon Monoxide warning: During and/or after completion of a home sealing job, you are at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and/or combustion. This is because the gases have no where to escape as they did before. Therefore, it is imperative that you buy and mount Carbon Monoxide detectors throughout the house to ensure the safety of you and your family. : : Exterior Caulking : : Materials: Caulk Gun Acrylic Latex Caulk Even though your home is sealed from the inside, it is a good idea to seal the exterior of you home as well. This will help reduce air, dirt and moisture entry into your home, resulting in lower energy cost. Caulk should be applied to the following areas: joints where two materials meet around door and window frames joints between eaves and gable molding joints between window sill and siding All inside corners Should you come across a join larger than 1/8” you will need to use a backer rod to ensure proper adhesion and ply ability. Contrary to popular belief, more caulk is not always better, in fact in most cases its actually worse. If huge amounts of caulk are applied to gaps larger than 1/8” the majority of the caulk will adhere to the back material and when the caulk shrinks or walls settle the caulk will crack and break its seal. If a backer rod is placed in the gap before applying the caulk, the caulk will take on an hour glass shape in section and will not adhere to the backer rod. This shape allows the caulk to stretch and move with the walls as they settle and move. Now that you have finished sealing up all of your air leaks, pat yourself on the back because you just increased your efficiency by 20% to 50%. That not only translate into money savings, but your carbon footprint has also been reduced by 6,500 lbs. to 16,000 lbs. per year. ::----------------------------------------------------------------------:: In the next section we will show you how to reduce those cost and emissions even more by tightening up one of your biggest energy wasters, your hot water heater. Green Your Home 2007-11-27T00:07:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audit/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audit/#When:23:04:00Z A home energy audit is a way of testing your home to assess how much energy your home uses, and how efficient it is in its energy usage. An energy audit will generally alert you to problems in your homes efficiency, and when those problems are fixed correctly, you can save huge amounts of money on your energy bills. During an energy audit, you will be able to pinpoint each problem area where you home is loosing energy, which is generally in the form of air and heat loss from the house. Home energy audits can be done by professionals or you can do them yourself. There are benefits to each, a do-it-yourself energy audit is basically free, however a professional will generally do a more thorough job. You should also consider hiring a professional if you live in a state that gives rebates to energy efficient home owners, or if you plan on applying for a federal tax credit or an energy-efficient mortgage. Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit Pressurization test To start your home energy audit, you will want to do a pressurization test, where you create a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the house causing air to flow into the house. Before you start the pressurization test, you will need to get a few things: paper, pen, incense, and a box fan (optional). To create this pressure difference, close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues, Next you will need to cut off all combustion appliances such as gas burning water heaters and furnaces, also cut off your air conditioner/s. Now you will need to turn on all of your exhaust vents, which are generally located in your bathrooms and over the kitchen stove. In addition you may want to use a box fan and place it in an open window pointing the air flow to the outside of the house. The box fan is optional, however it will give you much better results and they can be purchased for a very small amount of money. If you want to get technical, you can use visqueen (plastic sheeting) and tape to make an air tight seal from the edge of the box fan to the window frame, or simply stuff some pillows or towels in the gaps between the box fan and the window frame. This seal will allow for a much better pressure difference making the leaks easier to locate. Once all of your vents and fans are running, you can now use the smoke from the stick of incense to identify any air leaks. Just hold the burning incense next to any and all wall and ceiling penetrations and look for the air flow to blow the smoke away from the gaps. Be sure to check all of the following places by running the incense along each: Wall penetrations (pipes & Wires) Ceiling penetrations Attic hatches Window frames Weather stripping around doors Window mounted air conditioners Baseboards Electrical outlets Light switch plates Be sure to make a note of each and every leak you find, so you can correct the problem later. Now that the pressurization leak test is complete, you can turn off all of the vents and fans and resume normal operation of your other equipment. Now that you have a list of problem areas where air is leaking in, you are now ready to move on to the “Air and Heat Loss” section to see how to fix each particular situation. Heating/Cooling Inspection Air Conditioning and Heating Equipment In general, your heating and cooling equipment should be inspected and cleaned by a professional every year to assure proper working conditions. However, you can definitely keep and eye on the system and change filters on a regular basis to keep the system running at optimum efficiency. Also, if your heating and/or cooling system is older than 15 years, then you should seriously consider replacing it with a new energy efficient system. Even though a new system can be expensive, there are plenty of tax credits, rebates and other benefits to make it more affordable and in the end it will save you a ton on energy cost. You should inspect the duct work and look for lines of dirt or dust, especially near seams as these are indications of air leaks. These leaks can easily be sealed with duct tape. You should also insulate all ductwork that travels through unconditioned spaces with a minimum of a 6 R-value insulation. Water Heating Equipment Hot water heaters should be inspected by a professional every year, however it will not hurt to give your water heater a good once over. Give it a good visual inspection, checking for any signs of rust or leaks. Water heaters have a life expectancy of about 8 to 12 years and should be replaced every 10 years to avoid additional cost of a ruptured water tank. Touch the side of the water tank with your hand and if it feels warm, then you are loosing allot of energy from heat dissipation and this will need to be addressed. This heat dissipation is usually addressed by insulating, modifying or even replacing your hot water heater.To learn more about insulating, replacing and modifying your hot water heater please go to the page “Efficient Hot Water Heating”. Lighting Inspection To inspect your lighting and calculate its efficiency, simply walk around the house and count how many light bulbs you have, noting what type of bulb you are using. Now to increase your homes efficiency by almost 10%, simply replace all incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. Compact florescent light bulbs (CFL) are 70% more efficient than incandescent bulbs which translates into significant savings over time. Also CFL’s now offer the same lighting type that incandescent lights offer while putting out much less heat. ::---------------------------------------------------------------------:: Neutral existence highly recommends Black Energy as an excellent source to buy all of your compact florescent bulbs, expandable foam tape, insulation, thermostats, and anything else you need to increase your homes efficiency. We also recommend that you make a list and buy everything at once to save on shipping cost. http://www.NeutralExistence.com/recommends/blackenergy Green Your Home 2007-11-26T23:04:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/home-efficiency-tax-credits-rebates-incentives/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/home-efficiency-tax-credits-rebates-incentives/#When:20:20:00Z Never before has it been such an opportune time to renovate or modify your home to be more energy efficient. There is a plethora of grants, Federal tax credits, State rebates and buy off programs, energy-efficient mortgages and even Utility sponsored rebate programs. If you plan everything right and use all of the available resources, you can get a home energy renovation for a fraction of the cost. Below you will find a listing and short description of all of the different rebates and benefits offered in the United States: Federal Tax CreditsEdited December 13th, 2007 As of December of 2008 there will no longer be any federal tax breaks or incentives thanks to the fact that our senators have no backbones and bow to oil and coal lobbyist. As of January of 2006, home owners can now receive federal tax credits for making their homes more energy efficient. You can receive 10% of total expenditures in tax credits, with a maximum payout of $500. There are a variety of different eligible items like exterior doors and metal roofs, However the IRS has put specific amounts particular products such as energy efficient windows, hot water heaters and central air conditioners. One stipulation however is that all of these products must meet the criteria established by the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code. Here are a few specific tax benefits for the home: $50 for purchasing an advanced main air circulating fan; $150 for installing a highly efficient furnace or boiler; $200 for installing energy efficient windows; $300 for purchasing a highly efficient central air conditioner, heat pump or water heater; One of the best and most substantial addition to this tax law is the inclusion of solar panel systems, solar water heating equipment, and fuel cell power plants. The law gives home owners a 30 percent, or up to $2000 tax credit, for the purchase of any of these systems. For more in depth and technical information about the specifics of this tax credit, please download the following PDF file from the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-06-26.pdf State & Utility Rebate Programs State and Utility rebate programs are very similar to the federal tax credit program, however the rebates are not credits, they are in fact cash sums that you receive from the state or Utility after you have met all of the requirements. Unfortunately we can not list any specifics, as each state and utility has different rebate programs and incentives. In general, state rebate programs work by offering the home owner a percentage of the calculated energy savings over a 20 year period, with a maximum amount of x dollars. Here in Louisiana, we receive a 20% rebate of the calculated energy savings over a 20 year period with a maximum payout of $2,000. Most state and Utility rebate programs do require that you have a certified professional energy auditor come out and perform two audits, one before and one after to calculate the projected savings of the changes. Find out what the local, state and utility incentives are in your area! Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) Energy-efficient mortgages are a great way to fund a complete energy renovation without any out of pocket expenses. EEM’s are available for new home purchases or to refinance an existing home. EEM’s can add an additional 15% of a home’s appraised value to the principal of a new loan or a refinance, often at no additional cost and sometimes at a better rate. EEM’s allow home owners to refinance their homes and incorporate the cost of energy-efficient improvements into the new mortgage. This requires no down payment and the home owner does not have to qualify for the additional amount. This is primarily due to the fact that EEM’s recognize that a reduction in energy expenses will allow the homeowner to pay a higher mortgage. Energy efficient mortgages also benefit new home buyers by increasing their buying power by up to 15% of the value of the home. These EEM’s require that the new homeowner actually prove that the energy-efficient renovations did take place. This is usually done by having a professional energy rater come out to your home before and after the renovations to ensure that substantial energy consumption decrease has occurred. A rating typically involves an inspection by a professional energy rater who is certified under a nationally or state accredited home energy rating system. The Residential Energy Services Network provides a database of their Certified Home Energy Raters by state. Green Your Home 2007-11-26T20:20:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-your-home/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-your-home/#When:20:14:00Z Over 21% of all the carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. come from the energy used in homes. Most of the carbon dioxide emissions are created by the local “dirty” coal burning electricity plants. In fact, your home is generally responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions than your car. So, in this section we will show you what you can do to reduce your portion of those CO2 emissions and save some money in the process. There are many different ways we can accomplish huge carbon dioxide emission reductions in our homes, from simply reducing heat loss and increasing efficiency to adapting alternative energies. Not only can you virtually eliminate your net CO2 emissions, but you can drastically decrease your monthly energy cost as well. The benefits don’t stop there, a carbon free “green” environment has obvious health benefits which promotes a more active and productive lifestyle for you and your family. Also, taking yourself “off the grid” and living a carbon neutral existence also gives you a sense of empowerment and liberation, as you are no longer dependent on any corporate business or municipality to supply your energy needs. The government and even the utility companies want you to increase your homes efficiency, due to the fact that they cannot keep up with the ever increasing energy consumption. The exponential population growth combined with shrinking oil and coal supply puts a huge burden on utility companies who will soon be overwhelmed by the energy demand. It is because of this that the federal government, state government and even local utility companies are offering rebates, benefits and tax breaks to home owners who increase their home’s energy efficiency. Even mortgage companies are jumping on board offering low interest Energy Efficient Mortgages to promote energy efficiency in the home. Carbon Neutrality should be the ultimate end goal and no matter which way you choose to get there, weather it be solar power, wind power or carbon offsets, it all starts by increasing your home’s energy efficiency. Green Your Home 2007-11-26T20:14:00-06:00