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Articles tagged with: thermodynamics

Heating »

[27 Jan 2009 | 14 Comments | 3,328 views]

Q: I was walking around my neighborhood today and saw that my roof barely had any snow on it, but my neighbor’s houses did. I think we have the same roofs. Is this a problem?
Probably. If you don’t have snow on your roof, this points to an energy leak through your attic to the roof. What’s probably happening is the warmed or heated air in your home rises, and the last place it gathers is the attic. Typically, there are attic vents or ventilation fans to disperse the additional heat. …

Cooling »

[8 Jan 2009 | No Comment | 1,070 views]

Turning up the thermostat in summer to 76 or 78 degrees F can reduce the stress on your A/C unit by as much as 10-15%.
In the same way that turning down a thermostat in the winter months can save on your heating costs, turning up the thermostat in the warmer months will save you money on your cooling bills. The technical reason remains the same. Keep in mind that air always moves from warm to cool temperatures. The greater difference there is between warm and cool air, the faster it …

Heating »

[8 Jan 2009 | 3 Comments | 4,828 views]

Turning down your thermostat by just a few degrees to 68 F in the winter can save 5-10% on your overall heating bill.
If you think about it, this makes sense. By turning down the thermostat to a more reasonable temperature in the colder months, there is less of a difference between the air outside and the air inside. Keep in mind that insulation only slows the transfer of air, which moves from warm temperatures to colder ones. The closer the temperatures, the less air will move.
Additionally, there is less of …