Happy Holidays! Christmas has passed for another year. This is one of my favorite Holidays. And this one was especially significant. We have a young man staying with us, who’s had it rough. This year he was able to experience his first true Christmas in a long time, if ever. You see ln our house, we celebrate the Solstice, Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day. The real joy came by watching his eyes light up, while he opened his presents. Just being able to experience that was priceless!
Last time, we left off at Weather-Proofing. Many would think why bother now there is snow on the ground or not. I read an article this week saying that parts of Texas had a White Christmas, while many in the Upper Mid-West had a Green Christmas. Either way Weather-Proofing is important. As I mentioned before, you are checking for Holes in your house’s protective blanket.
Sealing Air Leaks
Warm air leaks into your home during the summer and out of your home during the winter, this can waste a lot of your Energy Dollars, not to mention the Environment. So one of the quickest Dollar-Saving and Energy-Saving tasks you can perform is to caulk, seal, and Weather-Strip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. You can save 10% or more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home.
Sources of Air Leaks in Your Home
You’re thinking to yourself, where do I start? So I’ve provided a list of the typical problem areas around the home. So let’s start here:
• Dropped ceiling (Combined 31% Heat Loss with Floors & Walls)
• Water heater and furnace flues (4% Heat Loss)
• Window frames (10% Heat Loss)
• Recessed light (Combined 31% Heat Loss with Floors & Walls)
• All ducts (15% Heat Loss)
• Electrical outlets and switches (2% Heat Loss)
• Attic entrance(Combined 31% Heat Loss with Floors & Walls)
• Door frames (11% Heat Loss)
• Plumbing and utility access (13% Heat Loss)
• Sill plates (Combined 31% Heat Loss with Ceilings & Walls)
• Chimney flashing (14% Heat Loss)
Air infiltrates into and out of your home through every hole, nook, and cranny. About one-third of this air is coming through openings in your ceilings, walls, and floors.
Tips for Finding and Sealing Air Leaks
First, we need to test your home for air tightness. So on a windy day, hold a lit Incense Stick (a lit Candle works, too) next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. So you’re checking along Exterior Walls and Ceilings. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather-stripping. Another good indication there is a Draft is you a Cold Spot or Cold Draft in one location in a room. As you are going along, take notes of areas that need attention.
Insulating and Sealing Air Leaks
Now that you’ve found the problem areas, let’s look at ways to eliminate or at the very least reduce the Drafts.
• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.
There are many types of Weather-Stripping available. Choose the best alternative for your situation. In most cases, you can purchase a couple of rolls of foam Weather-Stripping in ¼” & ½” thicknesses. This Weather-Stripping is still the most versatile, because it forms around the door or window to give a tight seal when closed.
• Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or where electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits.
Depending on the size of the gap, caulk works well for smaller gaps, while spray foam insulation (found in spray cans) works for larger gaps. Just fill the gap and let dry.
• Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
• In the attic look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes, where air leaks into and out of your house.
You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic. Just remember don’t cover-up vent openings, because these are necessary for air circulation.
• Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with double-pane windows.
Okay, you’re thinking my single-pane windows don’t have storm windows. Mine certainly didn’t. And the plastic film sold for covering windows is pain to use, between the sticky tape that never really comes off and who can get the plastic attached right the first time. Not to mention the Expense!
If you have single glazed windows, and you simply can't afford to upgrade to double glazed windows, then here's a simple and inexpensive tip that can help: Cover your windows with Bubble Wrap.
OK, it sounds silly, but it really does work. It lets light in, though you cannot see through the windows properly (same for the plastic film), but it will reduce heat loss through the window by about 45%. That's a very significant amount!
The idea is simple: Cut a sheet of Bubble Wrap to fit the window exactly, spray it gently with plain water, and stick it on to the window. It should stay there. And when you remove it there isn't any difficult mess to clean up and the Bubble Wrap can be used again!
You save money by retaining heat and the environment saves by having less demand on its resources!
• When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed.
A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes—24 hours a day!
That’s it. This whole process will take about an afternoon to perform. The neat thing is that most of these steps only have to be done once.
Well that’s covers my ‘Winter Check List’. Again Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Snow!!!
Snow! Snow! and More Snow!
Last week, we got buried here, 26 - 30 inches depending on where you lived around Flagstaff. I spend last week moving snow. First, our driveway, then the roof (more on that later), then onto the Doctor's properties. 5 out of 6 days, the sixth day I spent driving in it.
So this week, I'm going to deviate somewhat from what we've been discussing. I want to talk about Snow Removal. The reason for bringing this up is that we currently have a young man staying with us and he's been helping out with all the SNOW! And he's been a Great! help. But after watching him for a few minutes, I realized that he was going to end up with a Hernia or injure his back.
Snow Removal is extremely labor intensive! You can severely injure yourself while shoveling Snow. So I would like to offer a few suggestions.
- Use a Shovel that's Appropriate for the Job
What I'm talking about here is don't use a shovel that too big for you to handle. If you're just clearing a few inches from a sidewalk or driveway, the size of the shovel doesn't really matter a whole lot. But if you're trying to remove a lot of Wet Heavy, then the size of the shovel does matter. Choose a smaller, sturdy Shovel, this will enable you to move smaller amounts that will weigh less.
- Take Breaks Often!
Most people want to just get done as fast as possible. The danger here is that the longer you're at it the more chance there is for injury. So drink plenty of water and when you start to get tired (hot & sweaty is a good indicator), that a break! Even just a few minutes will be enough to rejuvenate you.
- Hire the Kid Down the Street
If the task seems too large, then have the kid, who is wondering around, usually carrying a shovel, help out. Usually for a few dollars and maybe some Hot Chocolate, they are more than willing to help out. Remember, kids automatically take breaks has they get tired.
- Keep an Eye on Your Roof
As I mentioned earlier, we spent time clearing our Roof. It was just the north side, because I noticed, when I was finishing caulking the house to prime it, that we have a bad section of Roof. But you are going to want to watch for potential Ice Dams. Ice Dams develop when the heat escaping from the attic melts the bottom layer of snow and then it re-freezes. This prevents the rest of the melting snow from falling off the Roof. The problem that arises is that this water can end up inside the house. So the easiest way to prevent this is to remove the few feet of snow from the edge of the Roof. This is done with a Roof Rake.
- If You're not Comfortable Doing the Work Hire Someone
If at any point, you not comfortable doing a particular Snow Removal task, then it must easier to just hire someone else to do the job.
I hope that you find these Tips helpful. Let's all have a save Winter season. Next week, I'll return to the topic of Weatherization.
Last week, we got buried here, 26 - 30 inches depending on where you lived around Flagstaff. I spend last week moving snow. First, our driveway, then the roof (more on that later), then onto the Doctor's properties. 5 out of 6 days, the sixth day I spent driving in it.
So this week, I'm going to deviate somewhat from what we've been discussing. I want to talk about Snow Removal. The reason for bringing this up is that we currently have a young man staying with us and he's been helping out with all the SNOW! And he's been a Great! help. But after watching him for a few minutes, I realized that he was going to end up with a Hernia or injure his back.
Snow Removal is extremely labor intensive! You can severely injure yourself while shoveling Snow. So I would like to offer a few suggestions.
- Use a Shovel that's Appropriate for the Job
What I'm talking about here is don't use a shovel that too big for you to handle. If you're just clearing a few inches from a sidewalk or driveway, the size of the shovel doesn't really matter a whole lot. But if you're trying to remove a lot of Wet Heavy, then the size of the shovel does matter. Choose a smaller, sturdy Shovel, this will enable you to move smaller amounts that will weigh less.
- Take Breaks Often!
Most people want to just get done as fast as possible. The danger here is that the longer you're at it the more chance there is for injury. So drink plenty of water and when you start to get tired (hot & sweaty is a good indicator), that a break! Even just a few minutes will be enough to rejuvenate you.
- Hire the Kid Down the Street
If the task seems too large, then have the kid, who is wondering around, usually carrying a shovel, help out. Usually for a few dollars and maybe some Hot Chocolate, they are more than willing to help out. Remember, kids automatically take breaks has they get tired.
- Keep an Eye on Your Roof
As I mentioned earlier, we spent time clearing our Roof. It was just the north side, because I noticed, when I was finishing caulking the house to prime it, that we have a bad section of Roof. But you are going to want to watch for potential Ice Dams. Ice Dams develop when the heat escaping from the attic melts the bottom layer of snow and then it re-freezes. This prevents the rest of the melting snow from falling off the Roof. The problem that arises is that this water can end up inside the house. So the easiest way to prevent this is to remove the few feet of snow from the edge of the Roof. This is done with a Roof Rake.
- If You're not Comfortable Doing the Work Hire Someone
If at any point, you not comfortable doing a particular Snow Removal task, then it must easier to just hire someone else to do the job.
I hope that you find these Tips helpful. Let's all have a save Winter season. Next week, I'll return to the topic of Weatherization.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Flushing Your Hot Water Heater
Happy Belated Thanksgiving!
We spent a wonderful day with family. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and football. I love being reminded to grateful for everything I have in my life.
Last time, I posted my 'Winter Check List'. This week, let’s look closer at Flushing Your Hot Water Heater. As I mentioned last time, this appliance is often ignored until something goes wrong. The way a HW Heater works is simple. Cold water enters the tank and is heated and then exits the tank. The incoming water contains sediment, which is simply any solid material that isn’t dissolved in the water. Sediment can be sand or other grit. This sediment (depending on the size) will settle to the bottom of the tank or come out the faucet.
Anyway, small accumulations of sediment are not a serious problem. However, through neglect the depth of the sediment can start: 1) to interfere with the function of the drain valve, 2) increase the amount of dissolved minerals in the hot water, and 3) even affect the efficiency of the heating element(s) if it's allowed to accumulate.
So here are the steps to Flushing Your HW Heater
1) Shut off the Hot Water Heater
Electric: You need to turn the electricity off to the HW Heater. This is very important! Because if the electric heating element turns on and it isn’t immersed in water, it will burn out, this will lead to having to have it replaced or to the replacement of the entire HW Heater.
Gas: You need turn the temperature control to OFF or Pilot. Then close the shutoff valve on the gas line.
CAUTION: Do not proceed any further if you do not know how to relight the gas pilot! We strongly suggest you have a gas professional visit your home ONCE to instruct you on the proper procedure for relighting your pilot. Not only is this valuable information for you to have for tank flushing, but at any time that the pilot may mysteriously extinguish.
2) Turn off the Cold water supply to the tank. If you’re not sure which valve is the Cold, then feel the water pipes past the shutoff valves. The one that is warm or insulated is the Hot water pipe.
3) Attach a garden hose to the drain spigot / faucet. Then run the hose to
convenient drain location. A floor drain or sump pump hole is ideal for this, or you have the hose outside to a spot away from the house. (Note: The hose needs to be of good quality. A rubber hose is preferable over a vinyl hose, since vinyl can become very soft when hot water runs through it, which increases the risk of getting burned.)
4) Open up the Hot water side of any faucet (This relieves the pressure inside the HW tank.). Then open the valve on the tank’s drain faucet and allow the tank to empty.
5) When the tank is empty, turn off the drain valve and turn on the cold water. The force of the cold water entering the tank will loosen more sediment from the bottom of the tank. After the tank partially fills (5 – 10 minutes), drain the tank again.
6) If at any point turning Step 4 or 5, the drain valve becomes clogged, turn on the cold water supply to the tank and allow the water pressure to ‘blast’ the clog clear.
7) If you are still getting large amounts of sediment, then repeat Step 5 until the water coming from the tank is running clear.
8) If the drain water is running clear, you’re done Flushing the HW tank. Then shutoff the drain valve and turn on the cold water supply. Allow the tank to fill before you turn on the electric or gas. Once you hear the HW heater start up, then you’re DONE!
How frequently should you drain your tank?
This depends on the source and purity of your water supply. Some pros recommend doing this annually, some every few years and still others think this isn’t necessary. I recommend that you flush your tank annually, even if it’s a partial drain to clear the sediment from the bottom of your tank. Just remember that with an electric Hot Water Heater, you need to shut the power off. Because even a partial drain can expose the top heating element, which can damage it!
Next time we'll look at Weather Striping, which helps reduce Drafts. Until then have a wonderful week.
We spent a wonderful day with family. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and football. I love being reminded to grateful for everything I have in my life.
Last time, I posted my 'Winter Check List'. This week, let’s look closer at Flushing Your Hot Water Heater. As I mentioned last time, this appliance is often ignored until something goes wrong. The way a HW Heater works is simple. Cold water enters the tank and is heated and then exits the tank. The incoming water contains sediment, which is simply any solid material that isn’t dissolved in the water. Sediment can be sand or other grit. This sediment (depending on the size) will settle to the bottom of the tank or come out the faucet.
Anyway, small accumulations of sediment are not a serious problem. However, through neglect the depth of the sediment can start: 1) to interfere with the function of the drain valve, 2) increase the amount of dissolved minerals in the hot water, and 3) even affect the efficiency of the heating element(s) if it's allowed to accumulate.
So here are the steps to Flushing Your HW Heater
1) Shut off the Hot Water Heater
Electric: You need to turn the electricity off to the HW Heater. This is very important! Because if the electric heating element turns on and it isn’t immersed in water, it will burn out, this will lead to having to have it replaced or to the replacement of the entire HW Heater.
Gas: You need turn the temperature control to OFF or Pilot. Then close the shutoff valve on the gas line.
CAUTION: Do not proceed any further if you do not know how to relight the gas pilot! We strongly suggest you have a gas professional visit your home ONCE to instruct you on the proper procedure for relighting your pilot. Not only is this valuable information for you to have for tank flushing, but at any time that the pilot may mysteriously extinguish.
2) Turn off the Cold water supply to the tank. If you’re not sure which valve is the Cold, then feel the water pipes past the shutoff valves. The one that is warm or insulated is the Hot water pipe.
3) Attach a garden hose to the drain spigot / faucet. Then run the hose to
convenient drain location. A floor drain or sump pump hole is ideal for this, or you have the hose outside to a spot away from the house. (Note: The hose needs to be of good quality. A rubber hose is preferable over a vinyl hose, since vinyl can become very soft when hot water runs through it, which increases the risk of getting burned.)
4) Open up the Hot water side of any faucet (This relieves the pressure inside the HW tank.). Then open the valve on the tank’s drain faucet and allow the tank to empty.
5) When the tank is empty, turn off the drain valve and turn on the cold water. The force of the cold water entering the tank will loosen more sediment from the bottom of the tank. After the tank partially fills (5 – 10 minutes), drain the tank again.
6) If at any point turning Step 4 or 5, the drain valve becomes clogged, turn on the cold water supply to the tank and allow the water pressure to ‘blast’ the clog clear.
7) If you are still getting large amounts of sediment, then repeat Step 5 until the water coming from the tank is running clear.
8) If the drain water is running clear, you’re done Flushing the HW tank. Then shutoff the drain valve and turn on the cold water supply. Allow the tank to fill before you turn on the electric or gas. Once you hear the HW heater start up, then you’re DONE!
How frequently should you drain your tank?
This depends on the source and purity of your water supply. Some pros recommend doing this annually, some every few years and still others think this isn’t necessary. I recommend that you flush your tank annually, even if it’s a partial drain to clear the sediment from the bottom of your tank. Just remember that with an electric Hot Water Heater, you need to shut the power off. Because even a partial drain can expose the top heating element, which can damage it!
Next time we'll look at Weather Striping, which helps reduce Drafts. Until then have a wonderful week.
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