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Clinton News-Record, 1987-11-18, Page 27Find dozens of ways) to stay warm and cozy for winter and save on energy costs from attic to basement. Turn the page & see how to do-it-yourself! 10 easy steps for conserving home energy 1. Turn down the thermostat. This simple, no -cost measure can dramatically lower your heating bills. For each degree you set the thermostate below 20"C on a 24-hour basis, fuel consumption will drop about 5 per cent. If you have a hec- tic schedule, you might want to purchase an automatic setback thermostat to ensure that temperature settings are made routinely. 2. Determine where your house is losing heat. Check for air leaks in exterior walls and around doors and windows. Draw a feather, tissue or smoke pencil around the area you're checking; if the material flutters, you've found an air leak. Also, check the level and condition of insulation in frame and basement walls, crawl spaces and at- tics. Determine whether an air -vapour bar- rier is installed on the warm side of the insulation. 3. Seal all air leaks.. Once you've located air leaks, take whatever steps are necessary to seal them. Use caulking for nonmoving joints and weatherstripping for moving joints. 4. Install or upgrade insulation. All areas of your house should be insulated to recommended minimum values. The cost savings that result from adding insulation will depend largely on how much insulation is already in place. The priority should be on upgrading areas that have the least insula- tion. However, some areas are easier and less costly to upgrade. 5. Install storm doors and windows. Storm doors and windows help reduce heat loss by resisting wind infiltration and pro- viding extra thermal resistance. As an alternative to conventional exterior storm windows, you can purchase special kits for installing a temporary plastic sheet over the interior of windows and patio doors. 6. Test the efficiency of your heating system. A furnace efficiency test can usually be in- cluded in your service technician's annual maintenance call. Regular servicing is essential to the ongoing safe and efficient operation of a fuel -burning heating system. 7. Have your heating system tuned up, upgraded or replaced. Your furnace technician can advise you on what steps are necessary to improve the ef- ficiency of your heating system. In extreme cases, you may have to purchase a new un- it. If so, make sure you consider efficiency when comparing different models. 8. Control moisture production in the winter. Avoid condensation problems by controlling and limiting moisture -producing activities in your house. For example, use your dishwasher only for full loads and don't hang wet clothes to dry indoors. 9. Increase ventilation where and when necessary. Extreme condensation or air quality pro- blems may call for increased ventilation - but only after all other remedies have fail- ed. Increase ventilation only enough to rec- tify the problem. 10. Use energy wisely. This is the last point on the list but it is also one of the most important. Prudent use of heating and cooling systems, hot water, ap- pliances and lights can pay off in major energy savings. Home energy checklist Energy conservation requirements differ from home to home but a few basic guidelines apply to most dwellings. You can help reduce energy consumption and save money in your home by following this sim- ple conservation checklist. Weatherproofing • Locate and seal air leads on inside floors, walls and ceilings that separate the living space from unheated areas or,the out- doors. Pay particular attention to the attic and the area around the sill plate in the basement. • Weatherstrip movable joints on doors and windows. • Caulk fixed joints on the inside of win- dow and door frames. • Install storm or double -glazed windows and storm or insulated doors: • Insulate the attic, frame and basement walls to recommended levels. If necessary, install an air -vapour barrier. Space Heating • Reduce your thermostat setting to 17"C before you go to bed. • Set your thermostat at 20°C during the day. If no one is home during the day, use the lower nighttime setting. • Close off unused rooms and reduce the temperature in them to a minimum of 10°C. Check periodically to make sure that water pipes are not frozen and to avoid damage that might result from excessive condensation. • Close drapes and insulated shutters at night to reduce heat loss and open them dur- ing the day to take advantage of passive solar heat gain. • Keep air registers and radiators clean. • Clean your furnace filter regularly and have your furnace serviced at least once a year. • Seal your furnace duct work with duct tape and insulate hot air ducts that pass through unheated spaces. • Close fireplaces and woodstove dampers tightly when these appliances are not in use. • Make sure exhaust fans are operating properly and minimize their use in winter. • If the insulation in your home has been upgraded, determine whether your furnace should be downsized. Hot Water Heating • Turn the thermostat on your water heater down to 49"C ( unless your dishwasher requires water at 60°C and does not have a booster. • Upgrade the hot water tank insulation to RSI 3.5 (R 20) by wrapping it with glass fibre insulation. Check with the manufac- turer or local utility to make sure that you do the job properly and safely. • Insulate long runs of hot water pipe, especially in cool basements or crawl spaces. • Drain water until it runs clear from the hot water tank every two months to remove sediment and reduce scaling. • Turn off your water heater during vaca- tions or weekend trips. • Install flow-restrictors and aerators on faucets and showerheads. • Repair leaky faucets. • Use taps only at the minimum flow re- quired for the job. Space Cooling • In summer, use awnings, blinds or drapes to reduce heat gain through windows. • Ventilate your attic with outside air • Keep air conditioners in good condition and set them at 25"C or higher. • Plant deciduous trees on the east, west and south side of your house. Plant con- iferous trees on the north side to shelter the building for northerly winds. • Increase ventilation at night, when the air is cool, and reduce it during the day Lighting • Turn off all unnecessary lights and reduce wattages to a minimum. • Convert to fluorescent lights where prac- tical (e.g., kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms) . • Keep bulbs and fixtures clean. • Install dimmer switches where possible • Use only enough lighting to do the job e.g., smaller lights close to the point of use rather than a large overhead light l . • Make the best use of natural lighting and minimize decorative lighting. • Use switches rather than timers on ex- terior lighting. Appliances •Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the use and servicing of appliances • Keep energy efficiency in mind when selecting new appliances. Refrigerator /Freezer • Set the thermostat to 4T in the refrigerator and -18"C in the freezer. • Defrost the unit regularly and allow no more than 6 mrn of frost to build up. • Clean the refrigerator coils regularly to ensure efficient heat dissipation. • Leave space around the unit to allow air circulation over the coils to carry the heat away. • Locate the unit away from heat sources. • Ensure that the door seal is airtight and don't keep the door open longer than necessary. • Avoid overloading the unit. • Look for the ENERGUIDE label when shopping for a new unit. This label compares the monthly energy consumption of various models under test conditions. Stove • Use pots and pans with tightfitting lids and match pots to burner size. • When possible, use energy-efficient dou- ble boilers, pressure cookers, slow cookers and steamers. • Use an electric kettle rather than stove- top models.