HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-10-09, Page 42e
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Energy Conservation Guide, Page 7
Sometimes the people
with the best intentions
make the worst mistakes.
Energy efficiency around
the home is one area where
good intentions can go a
long way to reducing
energy bills. Sometimes,
though, those good inten-
tions are based on myths
and misconceptions.
These straightforward
answers about home
energy efficiency shottYd
set the record straight.
• Turning a fluorecent
light on and off wastes
more energy than leav-
ing it on all day.
A widely held
belief about fluorescent
lights concerns the
energy used in turning
them on and off: that
fluorescent lights must
be turned off for at least
half an hour before the
energy saved equals the
energy used to energize
it in the first place. Peo-
ple argue that you
should not turn off the
lights when leaving a
room for short periods.
In fact it takes less
than a second for a
turned off fluorescent
light to save the amount
of energy required to
turn, it on again. As a
rule, if fluorescent lights
are not going to be
needed for five minutes
or more, switch them
off.
• Turning the hot water
heater off at night is a
valuable energy saving
habit..
It is more practical
t� maintain the hot
water tank at a set tem-
perature than to reheat
it every day. There are
better ways to save
energy and dollars. One
simple alternative is to
lower the temperature
setting on the heater.
This alone can result in
energy savings of 5 to
20 per cent, depending
on the temperature
drop. A fixed setting of
43°C should result in
notable savings. Some
people choose to keep
the setting as low as
38°C. Remember, •
though, that a dish-
washer requires a higher •
water temperature set-
ting to, be effective. t
b
Insulating the
heater and the piping is
another realistic way to
save energy and money,
especially if the water
tank is located in an
unheated space such as
a cold basement.
There are two types
of heater insulation.
One is a simple -to -install
tank blanket; the other
is strip insulation. Either
is appropriate for gas -
and oil -fired heaters,
but controls, junction
boxes, air inlets and the
top and bottom of the
tank should be left free
of insulation. Cover-
ing a gas- or oil -fired
heater's control box is a
dangerous fire hazard.
Insulating an elec-
tric heater without first
having it inspected by a
utility representative is
not recommended. If
you are renting an elec-
tric heater, the utility
may install a blanket for
you.
• Insulated shutters and
blinds are too expensive
to make the energy sav-
ings worthwhile.
Custom-made
insulating shutters and
blinds can be expensive,
but there are many
cheaper do-it-yourself
varieties. Some shutter
kits, for instance, cost
less than $20. An even
cheaper solution to the
expensive shutter is a
removeable foam board
pop -in, cut to the size
of the window and
weatherstripped along
the edge for a tight fit.
Insulated curtains
need be no more than
in-place heavy curtains
sealed tightly to the wall
and window sill with
special tape. Or sew in
energy savings the next
time you make curtains
by adding a layer of
insulating material
beween the fabric and
the backing. Insulation
values can range from a
high of RSI 1.25 (R7)
for a well made shutter
to RSI 0.19 (R1) for
insulating drapes.
To be cost effective and
keep out cold winter
drafts, insulating shut-
ers and blinds should
e closed day and night.
InteriorgP window
insulation helps stop
warm household air
from seeping into the
night air, but it should
always be opened or
removed during the day,
for two important rea-
sons. In the first place,
uncovered windows on
all but northern
t
exposures take advan-
tage of passive solar
gain during daylight
hours, allowing the
sun's heat to warm the
house. Second, when
the blinds or shutters are
left closed day and
night, there is a danger
of heat build-up be-
tween the glass and the
window covering. The
windows may overheat,
sometimes stressing the
glass to the breaking
point.
There are many mis-
understandings that cloud
the road to energy effi-
ciency. The next time you
hear of a foolproof way to
save energy, back it up
with an expert opinion '
from the Ontario Ministry
of Energy.
For further informa-
tion please write Energy
Ontario, IMS Box 37,
Toronto, Ont. M7A 2B7
or call toll-free by dialing
your operator and asking
for Zenith 80420. In
Toronto call 965-3246.
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