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re: sky-high winter home heating costs !!!
5 dec 2002
johndoe wrote:
>>(i just bought 10,000 punk sticks for $47...
>...what do you plan to do with so many sticks?
dunno. couldn't resist, comparing this price to the vermont country store
($15.95 for 300) and others. but they had a $50 min order. want to buy
a few bundles of 100 for $1 each? they are 10.5" long, and burn for about
an hour.
this was part of a plan to help fellow uus save energy by auctioning off
an "energy conservation basket" at a fund raiser...
air infiltration reduction
you can save up to 30% on your heating energy bill, inexpensively.
if you only had $1 (or 1 hour) to spend making your house more energy-
efficient, what should you do first? insulate? probably not. the biggest
single heat loss in most homes comes from air leaking in and out (see
"infiltration," right), and it is one of the least costly things to fix.
according to building/health codes, houses should have 5-15 cubic feet
per minute of fresh air flow per occupant. many houses have 10-100 times
this amount. air leakage may account for over 1/3 of the fuel bill, as
well as make a house dry and drafty in wintertime. this kit contains
some tools and materials that can help eliminate most of the costly air
infiltration in a house.
how to find and fix air leaks:
1. place an exhaust fan in one window and the thermo anemometer with
its window adapter in another, between the bottom sash and the sill.
block off the rest of the two windows, and close the rest of the windows,
doors, and fireplace dampers in the house. turn off the furnace and
be sure any woodstove is out, so the house won't fill up with smoke :-)
2. turn on the fan and read the anemometer. high readings like 1000 fpm
mean the house is airtight. low readings like 100 fpm mean there is room
for improvement. you can open and close doors between the fan and various
rooms of the house to find out which rooms need more or less improvement.
3. feel for cool air rushing into the house via cracks in moldings, windows,
and so on. some cigarette smoke may help here. caulk (or mark for later
caulking) all the air leaks. fix larger leaks by tightly stuffing fiberglass
insulation into holes around pipes, and so on.
typical air leaks:
o basement and attic: check foundation cracks and windows. weatherstrip
basement and attic doors to living space.
o doors: check fit and weatherstrip.
o windows. add weatherstripping if there is none. consider caulking
around the top sash of double-hung windows. caulk on the inside of
the house where the window frame/trim meets the walls, if necessary.
o pipes, etc: plug irregular holes where they enter the house.
o electrical outlets: remove cover plates and gasket/caulk between
the box and the wall until you feel the air stop flowing out.
energy conservation kit contents:
1. dwyer 471 digital thermo anemometer and window adapter, on loan.
2. caulking gun and 3 tubes of siliconized latex caulk (dries clear.)
3. humidistat (for controlling an exhaust fan in an airtight house.)
4. book ("from the walls in"), on loan.
5. digital light meter (on loan) and suggested illumination levels.
6. four compact fluorescent lamps.
7. light control.
8. two low-flow shower heads.
9. retractable clothesline and hook.
10. warm hat.
nick
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