Stickies: 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips - Page 3

Daox · 10-07-11, 09:30 AM

Do you think you could post a DIY on cleaning the heat exchanger Piwoslaw? That would be really cool because I don't know how I'd go about doing that.

Daox · 10-07-11, 10:11 AM

Woo, added Piwoslaw's tips. That brings us up over 60 tips now!

10-07-11, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Here are a few I mentioned in another thread:

Put a radiant barrier behind radiator to reflect heat into the room and not the wall.

Aluminum Foil works too and most people already have it in their house. It's probably less effective though.

herlichka · 10-07-11, 06:12 PM

I like to keep a "house book". Just a cheap 3-ring binder, or duo-tang. In it I record as many of the details as I can about our house. I have started books for customers on occasion as well.
-Record details about the furnace, such as filter sizes, service dates, repairs. It makes it much easier and convenient to keep the furnace running at it's best.
-Keep a record of the catalogue numbers, make and model of all the faucets, toilets, filters, and any other plumbing system parts that you have, including any parts manuals and warranty information. It makes it so much easier to find a replacement cartridge for a faucet, saving wasted trips to the store.
-Keep the paint codes for the interior/exterior paints that you use. Most retailers will happily print you a second label for your records. Very useful if you have refinish a wall around a replacement window or fix minor damage.
-Keep records of such things as smoke detectors, Co2 detectors, thermostats. Smoke detectors, for instance, have a date stamp inside, and should be replaced at specific intervals. ( Check with your local, provincial or state regulations.)
-Locks and door hardware, again, manuals and warranty information.
-Any other feature or system in your home or on your property.
The point of doing this, to me, is to be able to fix things quicker and more accurately, saving repeated trips to the store ( replacement faucet cartridges have got to be one of the most frustating things, the differences between one and the next can be very subtle, and sometimes you find out after the fact that the one you've purchased was actually warranteed for life!) The savings are not only your fuel, but also saved water, hot water, paint, and so on. The easier it is to find parts, filters etc., the easier it is to keep everything at it's best.

Piwoslaw · 10-08-11, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox

Do you think you could post a DIY on cleaning the heat exchanger Piwoslaw? That would be really cool because I don't know how I'd go about doing that.

Done! DIY: Cleaning my boiler's heat exchanger

JAHG31 · 02-22-12, 03:02 PM

Lots of great water/electricity saving tips everyone. In my home I keep the blinds closed in the summer to keep my apartment cool. I also keep the blinds open in the winter and keep the lights off as much as possible. All of my light blubs are CFL's which at first was expensive to replace but they were replaced over a year ago and I haven't had to buy one new bulb since then!

Piwoslaw · 06-17-12, 10:35 AM

Small tip, more like micromanagement, for the cooling season: Take any heat sources/activities outside, if possible. Ironing, cooking, baking, making toast, watching TV, maybe even using a hair dryer. If you can't take your stove/oven outside, then change your menu to the weather: On the hotter days eat a salad or barbeque. How about a solar oven?

PaleMelanesian · 06-26-12, 10:06 AM

Good one!

Also, if you cook a pot of pasta or something, drain the water outside to remove the heat.

In winter, let it sit in the sink to reclaim the heat before draining it out.

Daox · 11-14-12, 05:18 PM

I took some time today to improve the list. There are now links to examples of the tips from the forum and blog. This should make it much more useful.

Most of these came from the blog series I wrote recently. As usual, we're always looking for more tips and now we're looking for examples for the tips as well. Take a look and see if anything comes to mind:

60+ Home Energy Saving Tips You can do Right Now - EcoRenovator

MetroMPG · 11-17-12, 04:16 PM

Not seen on the list:

Track ALL your energy/utility consumption using a spreadsheet with a graph. You can't manage what you don't measure.

10-07-11, 09:30 AM	#21
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Do you think you could post a DIY on cleaning the heat exchanger Piwoslaw? That would be really cool because I don't know how I'd go about doing that. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-07-11, 10:11 AM	#22
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Woo, added Piwoslaw's tips. That brings us up over 60 tips now! __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

06-17-12, 10:35 AM	#27
Piwoslaw Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Warsaw, Poland Posts: 964 Thanks: 189 Thanked 111 Times in 87 Posts	Small tip, more like micromanagement, for the cooling season: Take any heat sources/activities outside, if possible. Ironing, cooking, baking, making toast, watching TV, maybe even using a hair dryer. If you can't take your stove/oven outside, then change your menu to the weather: On the hotter days eat a salad or barbeque. How about a solar oven? __________________ Ecorenovation - the bottomless piggy bank that tries to tame the energy hog.

11-14-12, 05:18 PM	#29
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I took some time today to improve the list. There are now links to examples of the tips from the forum and blog. This should make it much more useful. Most of these came from the blog series I wrote recently. As usual, we're always looking for more tips and now we're looking for examples for the tips as well. Take a look and see if anything comes to mind: 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips You can do Right Now - EcoRenovator __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-17-12, 04:16 PM	#30
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Not seen on the list: Track ALL your energy/utility consumption using a spreadsheet with a graph. You can't manage what you don't measure. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-07-11, 06:12 PM	#24
herlichka Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada Posts: 102 Thanks: 11 Thanked 15 Times in 10 Posts	I like to keep a "house book". Just a cheap 3-ring binder, or duo-tang. In it I record as many of the details as I can about our house. I have started books for customers on occasion as well. -Record details about the furnace, such as filter sizes, service dates, repairs. It makes it much easier and convenient to keep the furnace running at it's best. -Keep a record of the catalogue numbers, make and model of all the faucets, toilets, filters, and any other plumbing system parts that you have, including any parts manuals and warranty information. It makes it so much easier to find a replacement cartridge for a faucet, saving wasted trips to the store. -Keep the paint codes for the interior/exterior paints that you use. Most retailers will happily print you a second label for your records. Very useful if you have refinish a wall around a replacement window or fix minor damage. -Keep records of such things as smoke detectors, Co2 detectors, thermostats. Smoke detectors, for instance, have a date stamp inside, and should be replaced at specific intervals. ( Check with your local, provincial or state regulations.) -Locks and door hardware, again, manuals and warranty information. -Any other feature or system in your home or on your property. The point of doing this, to me, is to be able to fix things quicker and more accurately, saving repeated trips to the store ( replacement faucet cartridges have got to be one of the most frustating things, the differences between one and the next can be very subtle, and sometimes you find out after the fact that the one you've purchased was actually warranteed for life!) The savings are not only your fuel, but also saved water, hot water, paint, and so on. The easier it is to find parts, filters etc., the easier it is to keep everything at it's best.

02-22-12, 03:02 PM	#26
JAHG31 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Lots of great water/electricity saving tips everyone. In my home I keep the blinds closed in the summer to keep my apartment cool. I also keep the blinds open in the winter and keep the lights off as much as possible. All of my light blubs are CFL's which at first was expensive to replace but they were replaced over a year ago and I haven't had to buy one new bulb since then!

06-26-12, 10:06 AM	#28
PaleMelanesian Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 118 Thanks: 4 Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts	Good one! Also, if you cook a pot of pasta or something, drain the water outside to remove the heat. In winter, let it sit in the sink to reclaim the heat before draining it out.