Making your house energy efficient

[ImUrOBGYN]

We're in a rental so that limits us somewhat. Of course, we replaced all the bulbs. Bought a thick insulation blanket/jacket for $20 for the water heater. Holds heat in beautifully! I feel like it helps especially wiht it being in the cooler basement. We shut off both our extra rooms, including the vents within and using door blockers for the bottom of the doors.

 

Something I've recently started doing was keeping the fan running. What this has done is even out the temperature and humidity throughout the house. Usually, there's a very noticeable temp/humidity diff between the 3 floors w/the basement being cold and humid and the top floor being the opposite, especially by the end of the day. This is hardly noticeable now. I haven't been doing it long enough to see if the energy usage is better or worse, yet. By drawing up cooler air from the basement and circulating it, I feel the a/c kicks on less to make up for the fan (which doesn't consume near the energy of the a/c compressor). For us, it also provides a "white noise" benefit which we both enjoy especially since she's developed tinnitus recently. Also, it keeps the air well circulated through the filter helping with her occasional allergies. Speaking of which, CLEAN YOUR FILTERS.

 

Something else I've considered but haven't tried was putting a door blocker on my basement door, too. I feel much of the cold air in the upper levels just travels down inevitably to the basement. Putting the blocker would slow the process, though now that I have the fan going all the time, it's not really an issue.

 

In the winter, I went around to all our windows with a punk (you can use an incense or whatever works for you) and found all or at least most of our air leaks. I used a combination of weather stripping, expanding foam, etc for each particular issue.

 

For windows/glass doors that receive a lot of sun, by proper curtains for them. The can help absorb much of that heat energy.

 

When my gf is asleep or not home, I don't always flush. If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down.

 

Don't masturbate in the shower or if you have to, at least put it on cold to fool everyone else in the house and do the actual business outside the shower.

 

Fans and ceiling fans can really make a difference all while using very little energy compared to your a/c. They can make it cooler and circulate air allowing you to up the temp on the thermostat a degree or two while still remaining comfortable. Ceiling fans can really help both in winter and summer. (They have the reverse rotation switch for a reason. Learn to use it properly.)

 

That's some offhand shit. If I think of any others later I'll add them. Many of these are common sense, but it helps to have it all laid out in case you forget something. Good thread.

[Mensan]

Ceiling fans can really help both in winter and summer. (They have the reverse rotation switch for a reason. Learn to use it properly.)

 

I visited a friend in CA. He had just remodeled his kitchen, and was complaining about how hot the kitchen always was. I looked up and saw his ceiling fan was on 'heat', so I reached up and flipped the switch, then turned it back on; the room was immediately cooler. His wife glared at him.

[jeffro]

IM about to hang a box fan from the ceiling above the bed. :gabe:

[ImUrOBGYN]

IM about to hang a box fan from the ceiling above the bed. :gabe:

 

Done it.

[jeffro]

Done it.

 

results?

[ImUrOBGYN]

results?

 

Works but it's for more directional that wide sweeping compared to a ceiling fan. But when it's just for you when it's warm on a bed, it'll do. I sleep on one side or another and when I sleep with a regular fan, sometimes I wake up coughing from my throat being so dried out. Not to mention my lips and mouth.

 

Can't guarantee the life of the fan as some may be more prone to failure from facing up or down. Some new fans, and it may only be the heating ones, won't work on their sides.

[dakotart]

My house is now a balmy 95 degrees and rising, thanks for the help :lolguy:

 

My house is a cool 78*...with the A/C off.

 

This is mostly due to new windows, added attic insulation, and furnace fan on low 24/7. Oh and being surround by many many large shade trees.

[Mojoe]

In an effort to use what heat and energy is already in the house, I installed one of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Extra-Heat-Dryer-Heat-Diverter-EX12/100167911

I understand along with this will come extra moisture in the house. Fortunately, our dryer is in the same room as our Geospring hot water heater. This WH uses the air temp to heat the water, see my write up on here about it. The by product is it is a dehumidifier also. So, they will balance each other out and maybe add some heat to the house when drying cloths.

 

Also, we had AEP select us to review our heater install from the $500 rebate with submitted. They wanted to ensure we had the work done and that it was correct. This is our second $500 rebate with them this year. I can understand. The guy was very cool and did a home assessment while he was here. I didn't know that attic insulation should be R30. Ours is R13. He said in this area, R49 would save us huge money, and there are rebates out there for doing it. I had no idea. So now we are working on that. With that, wherever there is a hole for wires, piping, or whatever, we are sealing around it with spray foam. Then we will lay down R30 and then spray R19 spray insulation over it. For the basement, we are doing similar sealing with spray foam. I found a huge area that was not insulated at all.

 

I thought we were good on this stuff and didn't know what to look for, or what should be what. Now to do the work and look for the savings.

[dakotart]

In an effort to use what heat and energy is already in the house, I installed one of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Extra-Heat-Dryer-Heat-Diverter-EX12/100167911

I understand along with this will come extra moisture in the house.

 

I put a pan of water on top of my wood stove. It puts 1-2 gallons of water into the air each evening. The added humidity makes it feel warmer than it really is.

[Mojoe]

We did that when I was growing up and had a wood stove.

 

I meant to mention, if we bake anything in the oven, we leave the oven open for the heat to come out when we are done cooking.

[Trouble Maker]

Joe, that heat will come out eventually, regardless if the door is open or not.

[Mojoe]

But, leaving the door open, you can feel it better. Dissipated, not so nice and warm.

[LJ]

In an effort to use what heat and energy is already in the house, I installed one of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Extra-Heat-Dryer-Heat-Diverter-EX12/100167911

.

 

My neighbors have one. Their whole house along with everything in it smells like dryer sheets year round.

[Mojoe]

We have only tried it once so far. We did notice the same thing. I closed it off after a little while. It does have a bypass, so you don't have to leave it open.

[cstmg8]

Have you noticed any extra dust from the lint? Dryers do expel a large amount of heat.

[SRTurbo04]

We have only tried it once so far. We did notice the same thing. I closed it off after a little while. It does have a bypass, so you don't have to leave it open.

 

Have you noticed any extra dust from the lint? Dryers do expel a large amount of heat.

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Could you use some sort of air filter to filter some of the link and smell out? Or would that just block the available heat from coming through?

[jeffro]

My neighbors have one. Their whole house along with everything in it smells like dryer sheets year round.

 

Good or bad?

[cstmg8]

?)

Could you use some sort of air filter to filter some of the link and smell out? Or would that just block the available heat from coming through?

 

I see it has a screen, so maybe by the time it passes through your dryer screen, then this, it is not bad. Probably could be improved with some cheese cloth etc... But you'd have to monitor it.

[Mojoe]

We haven't had a bad smell. There is the screen which can catch lint over time. We didn't notice any in the one use. Over all, I can't say anything bad yet. For $7, I'm not going to be upset if it isn't 100% awesome. I see potential though.

[LJ]

Good or bad?

 

Neither. Just different.

They have a son a year older than ours, so we get hand me down toys all the time and its just funny that they all smell like dryer sheets

[LJ]

We have only tried it once so far. We did notice the same thing. I closed it off after a little while. It does have a bypass, so you don't have to leave it open.

 

They shut theirs in the summer. Everything is already permeated

[Mensan]

I made the mistake of storing my items together in the Navy, which included dryer sheets and some food. The food was ruined. Even now, the smell of some dryer sheets causes me to feel sick. There is NO WAY I would be able to use dryer sheets if I had one of those, but I love the idea of leaving the heat from the dryer in the house.

[mrs.cos]

My neighbors have one. Their whole house along with everything in it smells like dryer sheets year round.

 

 

Hitch is awesome.

[ImUrOBGYN]

In an effort to use what heat and energy is already in the house, I installed one of these.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Deflect-o-Extra-Heat-Dryer-Heat-Diverter-EX12/100167911

I understand along with this will come extra moisture in the house. Fortunately, our dryer is in the same room as our Geospring hot water heater. This WH uses the air temp to heat the water, see my write up on here about it. The by product is it is a dehumidifier also. So, they will balance each other out and maybe add some heat to the house when drying cloths.

This seems interesting minus the fact that your dryer spits out dust and lint far smaller than what that screen looks like it can catch. That being said, finding suitable filtration to fit that gizmo would be take me about 10 seconds in my basement. Plus, the moisture will be needed by the time we have to heat the house since the winters here, especially once the heater's been running, get dry as hell and our humidifier can't do this big house anyway; it can use the help.

 

So, does this thing just run inline with your dryer ducting that leads outside? Also, is there anyway to run more ducting from the "in-home exit" of the device?

[Mojoe]

Our new HVAC system we put in filters our air really well. We hardly have to dust at all now. But, I would bet something like nylons over the screen would do well. It does just run in line with the dryer ducting. I'm looking at ways to insulate from outside temps coming through it vs just closing the bypass.