Home » Archive

Articles tagged with: easy projects

Do It Yourself Projects, Home Energy Tips »

[7 Feb 2010 | One Comment | 18 views]

By: Robin Green
If your windows are ancient and aren’t doing a passable job of keeping heat inside your home in winter (or keeping it out in warm weather), maybe it is time to consider having new, energy saving windows put in. But new windows, especially good quality energy efficient ones, can be prohibitively expensive. This means that it can take a long time for them to pay for themselves in energy savings. For the amount of cash you would pay to replace the windows in a single big room, you …

Headline, Home Energy Tips »

[5 Feb 2010 | 4 Comments | 22 views]

Many sellers leave a big opportunity to cash in on the sale of their home on the table. By not highlighting the energy efficiencies and energy improvements done to the home, however small, as a seller you might be selling your home short!

Headline »

[5 Jan 2010 | One Comment | 75 views]

The easiest way to save money on your energy bills is to do a simple energy audit. And the best way to do a complete, professional energy audit is with one of the energy audit kits available from http://www.energyaudits.net. There are two kits available, the professional kit and the starter kit – both of which are priced within any homeowners budget

Cooling, Do It Yourself Projects »

[2 Jul 2009 | No Comment | 48 views]

As the weather continues to heat up, most folks are turning on their air conditioners. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing per se, athough it will surely force electric bills to creep higher (and possibly spiral out of control). I think most of us would rather get a similar cooling effect without taking the huge hit on our energy bills. Considering that wall or window units can consume 500 watts of power easily (for a small unit), its only wise to consider at least some alternatives to air conditioning.
Note: Please …

Cooling »

[30 Jun 2009 | No Comment | 23 views]

Some think it is far easier to save on energy if you own a house. After all, you have *almost* complete control over appliances and how they run in a house. And there is a certain degree of truth to that. You have greater responsibility over the appliances and their upkeep, but if something goes wrong, you can turn off the unit altogether and come up with an alternative solution – or replace it.
Apartments or specifically the renters that reside in them don’t have those burdens – though they are …

Cooling, Do It Yourself Projects »

[23 Jun 2009 | No Comment | 190 views]

Fixing your window air conditioner instead of replacing it saves you money, hundreds possibly. Chances are, a rattling or noisy air conditioner unit is due to faulty installation, a loose part, loose or worn window frame, loose window panes, loose filter (or wrong filter size), fan obstruction, loose front or side panels, or the condenser coil hitting any moving part (such as the fan).
The good news is you can repair all these.
Faulty Installation
We’re all human, and in the course of “being” human, we’re going to mess up installing something. I’ve …

Home Energy Tips »

[24 Mar 2009 | 6 Comments | 20 views]

60%  savings on the electric bill, and 35% off gas/heating bill…read how it was done.
After a previous brutally cold winter, our first focus was the windows. They were in sorry shape, with the window pane itself damaged and the frame warping away. Many were so bad that the windows themselves couldn’t be opened. They simply would not slide up and down.
The screens were in bad shape too, as well the storm windows. We had previously covered up the problem by placing plastic over the window, but …

Home Energy Tips »

[27 Jan 2009 | No Comment | 96 views]

With harsh economic times upon us, smart homeowners and even renters are turning to their energy bills as a source of potential savings. Let’s look at 3 dirt simple tips (or steps) that are proven to save money on energy.

Turn down the thermostat in the winter. Chances are you’ve heard this tip before. Turning down your thermostat to 68 degrees F (or about 20 degrees C) in the cold winter months (or anytime that the furnace is on) will save you money on your energy bills. How much will it …

Do It Yourself Projects, Home Energy Tips »

[20 Jan 2009 | No Comment | 26 views]

There’s an argument to be made for cleaning your heat registers…actually, there’s several.
First, there’s the energy argument. In theory, especially in forced air systems, air flow is reduced as heat or air registers become clogged and otherwise dirty. Anything that reduces airflow has the potential for jacking up your energy bills because the furnace (or a/c for that matter) has to work harder to attain the desired room temperature.
And for non forced air heating systems (radiant heating for example), if the heating apparatus is dirty, the furnace (or heat source) …

Do It Yourself Projects, Home Energy Tips »

[16 Jan 2009 | No Comment | 96 views]

I was a little surprised by this one, and you might be too.
Try this: Go to a light switch on a wall opposite the outdoors. A hallway would be a good example. Take your hand, and feel if there is cold air blowing through.
Feel anything?
Now try removing the faceplate.
I couldn’t believe the amount of cold air blowing through even on a calm (but cold) day! On a windy days its very noticeable.
Fortunately the fix is simple and relatively inexpensive. Once again, at your local …