Energy saving tips&hints..

Share with us your alternative energy ideas and projects. Tell us about your experiments, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

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oldfart
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:31 am

Well folks I'm a bit late here but I'm gonn'a jump right in with some thoughts. Alternative energy sources are a great idea but sometimes the cost of such gets swamped by the cost of 'em. Here's some low-tech/low-cost ideas. Got a dryer? Stop using it. Whether gas or electric they use a lot of energy and money to run. A simple clothes-line works right-smart well at least 9 months out of the year and costs less than yer spending on dryer-sheets. I put my elec. dryer out on the porch 18mo. ago and haven't used it since. In that time I had to go to the local laundry-mat just 6 times in 18mo. on account of bad weather. I do laundry when the weather allows it to dry..large families this might not work well for. Now, if ya insist on using a dryer why not use the air yer already heating so supplement the heat in yer home? You're already paying to heat the air to dry the clothes..direct it into your home to do the same at no cost. Run the exhaust vent from the dryer into a 5gal bucket. (free at most local bakeries) Put a coupl'a cups of water into the bucket to catch the lint and dump it out every other load of laundry. Yes, it will increase the amount of humidity in the air in your home. Right now I've got 70deg. inside and 20% humidity. I could use a bit of humidity. CFL lightbulbs. (sp.?) Yup, they save electricity..if you have the right ones and if yer gonn'a turn them on at least 4hrs. at a time. Otherwise they don't save squat. Check with Consumer Report for the best buys. Windows. If yer replacing any windows go with the Low-E glass (Pella Therma-Pane) and don't buy heavy insulating curtains&drapes. These windows are so energy efficient they don't need special drapes or curtains. Floor coverings?(carpeting etc.) The thicker the better..for heating or cooling. Pay a bit more now and save a lot in the long run. Ceiling fans. The cheapest investment you'll ever make to cool your home and even to help spread the heat in the winter-time. Every room should have a ceiling fan. Buying a new gas range? Get a self-cleaning one! Even if ya never use the self-cleaning feature the savings is still tremendous! They line the range with brick (on account of the high temps of the self-cleaning stage) so the oven heats up faster and holds the heat longer. My new gas range hits 350deg. in 8 minutes compared to the 30min. it used to take with my old gas range. And get the electronic ignition and save about 10% compared to pilot lights. Yes, you can still light them with a match if the elec. goes out. Next up..buy a good kerosene heater. If the temp. is above 35deg. I can fire up the kerosene heater, turn on the ceiling fans and heat my home with no worries of the pipes freezing. The kerosene heater will run 14hrs. on 2qts. of K-1 and heat my whole home. (12X70sw.) The Miller furnace will gulp down 1/2gal. per hr. if it runs non-stop. Now, git a new thermostat. I don't cotton much to the programable ones. Seems like a good idea but I've found it don't work as advertised. I installed a new Honeywell Standard Thermostat and yes, it kicks the furnace on more often..but doesn't run as long. Keeps the temp. the same and saves me money in the long run. Allowing a home to cool down and then try and heat it up at some specific time just doesn't work for me. I work odd hours. Well, more to come folks...time is running short. YMHS..Audie..the Oldfart.
SpongeBob

I think I just failed the OF's energy audit plan. At least his posts are short and to the point. LOL gotta love 'em.

-Bob
mp183
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:49 pm
Location: Adirondacks - NY State

In my conventional house.
The CFC lightbulbs don't last anywhere as long as they say.
I had a few of the old ones and they lasted 6-8 years.
I put in a bunch of new ones and within a year they started to fail.
Two in my basement which is not used that much.

He has a point about the furnace.
Half that heat is used to keep the mice warm under the trailer.
In my renovation I'm moving all my plumbing indoors.
This way I'll use electric heat in the bedrooms only at night and
a vented kerosene heater for the balance of the house.
That sucker can heat the whole house if I leave the doors open
to the bedrooms.
On the other hand I still have yet to experience the -35 degree weather.
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