Energy Saving Tips?

[Tenbatsuzen]

My house is a little over 1800 sq feet, powered by a gas furnace and gas water heater. The most recent energy bill was out of control and I'm looking for ways to save on energy.

My wife works out of the house and her primary work area is the great room we have downstairs. The problem is, this room is also the coldest room in the house, due mainly to the two heat vents being blocked by the couch and a large bay window which is very drafty.

I currently maintain the heat in the house around 66 degrees, and I've closed off the vents in the rooms we don't use. I'm also trying to seal up draft areas, mainly the garage-to-mud-room door. But I feel the main area that leeches energy is the great room, but I don't know how to keep it warm and still not get killed on the gas bill.

[OGC]

move the couch, put some plastic over the bay window

[Furtherman]

Every winter I put up these up, they're great at stopping drafts.

http://wetheadmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/pictures/2009/08/Window-Sealant-Kit.jpg

[CountryBob]

Option for a fire?

[Thebazile78]

Option for a fire?

No.

Aside from the fact that a fireplace (or our fireplace) is a terribly inefficient way to heat the space, we have a crawling baby who's fascinated by the fireplace doors. I'm sorry, but I'm not putting my child's safety at risk!

If we could get a pellet stove or similar system installed, I'd be more willing to consider it, but I think that would require a major renovation.

[Judge Smails]

http://<IFRAME class=youtube-player title="YouTube video player" height=390 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5S2p7AiNX9g" frameBorder=0 width=480 allowFullScreen type="text/html"></IFRAME> (http://<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5S2p7AiNX9g" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>)

[StanUpshaw]

^^^ GET OUT OF MY BRAIN ^^^


Drop the thermostat to 60 and buy a fucking Snuggie.

[Thebazile78]

...


Drop the thermostat to 60 and buy a fucking Snuggie.

Dude, don't you know the Slanket is far superior?

[OGC]

No.

Aside from the fact that a fireplace (or our fireplace) is a terribly inefficient way to heat the space, we have a crawling baby who's fascinated by the fireplace doors. I'm sorry, but I'm not putting my child's safety at risk!

If we could get a pellet stove or similar system installed, I'd be more willing to consider it, but I think that would require a major renovation.

I don't know how your fireplace is made, but pellet stoves are available that just insert into the fireplace opening. You only need to run a pipe from the back of the stove up the chimney. They are a great way to heat a room, especially if it is the main room of the house.

[KC2OSO]

We have the same problem. Drafty house and a mongo heating bill.

The one thing that really helped was changing the filters in the heating/ac unit. I usually look at these at least twice a year but forgot to this year. Mine were dirty and were preventing good circulation. Simple fix but made a huge difference. Since changing them, the furnace cycles on less and the house is much warmer.

[spoon]

They have devices to direct the air current from under your couch to open areas out there. I've never used them, but others have and said they work for blocked vents.

Also, your great room has to be FREEZING for a kid. I'd definitely work on furtherman's ideas and make sure your outlets aren't letting in a ton of cold air as well. If you're in a townhouse, as it sounds like, the contractors never really insulate the outside walls as they should. I've even found in homes I've been looking at cold air just RUSHES in from those areas, which is why I like to see homes in the winter. It's much easier to check than with heat in the summer.

[Tenbatsuzen]

We have the same problem. Drafty house and a mongo heating bill.

The one thing that really helped was changing the filters in the heating/ac unit. I usually look at these at least twice a year but forgot to this year. Mine were dirty and were preventing good circulation. Simple fix but made a huge difference. Since changing them, the furnace cycles on less and the house is much warmer.

Completely forgot to do that. Will do that tonight. Didn't help the previous owner left filters that don't fit properly so I have no idea what the proper size is.

[Snacks]

66 degrees sounds way to cold to keep the heat? Sounds like you need to move her work area to an area that gets better heat flow. If thats not an option I would do the pellet stove through your current fireplace.

How many zones of heat do you have? I have 3 zones heat, 1 for each floor. We keep the heat in the bedroom floor pretty much off until 30 minutes or so before bed. It only takes a few minutes to heat up. Then whole sleeping the rest of the house is lowered and on a timer to go back on around 6am.

[Tenbatsuzen]

move the couch, put some plastic over the bay window

Difficult for two reasons:

Anywhere else you move the couch is cold. The love seat is right against the bay window and it's frigid when you sit there.

Plastic is a bad idea with the baby.

[spoon]

Completely forgot to do that. Will do that tonight. Didn't help the previous owner left filters that don't fit properly so I have no idea what the proper size is.

Buy a bunch that look right from HD or Lowes and take back the wrong ones.

[Tenbatsuzen]

They have devices to direct the air current from under your couch to open areas out there. I've never used them, but others have and said they work for blocked vents.

Also, your great room has to be FREEZING for a kid. I'd definitely work on furtherman's ideas and make sure your outlets aren't letting in a ton of cold air as well. If you're in a townhouse, as it sounds like, the contractors never really insulate the outside walls as they should. I've even found in homes I've been looking at cold air just RUSHES in from those areas, which is why I like to see homes in the winter. It's much easier to check than with heat in the summer.

Ironically, the grandmother you just cracked a joke about has those in her house, and I'm going to get some for the living room.

The outlet insulation is another thing. Those outlets are adjacent to the garage wall, which is very drafty.

[spoon]

Difficult for two reasons:

Anywhere else you move the couch is cold. The love seat is right against the bay window and it's frigid when you sit there.

Plastic is a bad idea with the baby.

I think the plastic goes on the outside, not to mention it's a pretty tight bond.

[Snacks]

Difficult for two reasons:

Anywhere else you move the couch is cold. The love seat is right against the bay window and it's frigid when you sit there.

Plastic is a bad idea with the baby.

sounds like you need new windows? how old are they and do they have that new technology with the gas in the middle? even if its too expensive to redo the entire houses windows you could just do that one for now until its more affordable to do the entire house!

[Death Metal Moe]

My wife works out of the house and her primary work area is the great room we have downstairs.

What makes YOUR room so great? Huh pal? My room is pretty fucking great too!

[Tenbatsuzen]

Buy a bunch that look right from HD or Lowes and take back the wrong ones.

The right size is 15x25. Unfortunately, HD only carries 14x25 or 16x25. I went with 16 and "scrunched" it.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I think the plastic goes on the outside, not to mention it's a pretty tight bond.

No, it goes on the inside. But the problem is it's a GIANT bay window. Six by Six, at least.

[Tenbatsuzen]

sounds like you need new windows? how old are they and do they have that new technology with the gas in the middle? even if its too expensive to redo the entire houses windows you could just do that one for now until its more affordable to do the entire house!

House was built in the mid-90s and as I'm starting a new business, I have nowhere near the capital to replace the windows. It would be cheaper just to pay the energy bills until Spring.

[Snacks]

House was built in the mid-90s and as I'm starting a new business, I have nowhere near the capital to replace the windows. It would be cheaper just to pay the energy bills until Spring.

What about just replacing the window in the great room?

Good luck with the new business!

[cougarjake13]

My house is a little over 1800 sq feet, powered by a gas furnace and gas water heater. The most recent energy bill was out of control and I'm looking for ways to save on energy.

My wife works out of the house and her primary work area is the great room we have downstairs. The problem is, this room is also the coldest room in the house, due mainly to the two heat vents being blocked by the couch and a large bay window which is very drafty.

I currently maintain the heat in the house around 66 degrees, and I've closed off the vents in the rooms we don't use. I'm also trying to seal up draft areas, mainly the garage-to-mud-room door. But I feel the main area that leeches energy is the great room, but I don't know how to keep it warm and still not get killed on the gas bill.



well the issue is gonna be as long as she works from home thats 8 hours of use that normally wouldnt be there if she worked somewhere else


move the couch obviously and check the window for leaks, also not sure if you wanna do this but if you open the sheetrock in the area where bay window theres most likely no insulation there

if you open it up and add insulation there it will cut down on the draft and in long run be less costly than the monthly bill

[angrymissy]

I have a drafty great room and I spent like $20 on wood trying to have a roaring warm fire last night. WTF? Do I need to buy a metric ton of wood for it to be cheap? The $7 bundle they sell at the grocery store is burned out in like 2 hours.

My fucking gas bill was over $600 last month. SOMEONE needs to learn not to keep the heat at 72 while he's sitting around in boxers.

and my pipes have frozen. TWICE. Once resulting in a giant flood.

[Kris10]

Nothing really to suggest that hasn't already been suggested.

Well maybe... lower your t-stat at night when you go to sleep and when you leave the house. Don't turn it off completely it uses more gas to start up again and will run for a longer period of time. Also, use a programmable t-stat if you have one.

Have an energy audit done. It could save you a shit load.

And I'd suggest the equal payment plan (that's what they call it for the company I work for) it's a budget plan. Takes the past 12 mths of your usage / 12 mths to determine your avg bill and you pay that for the next 12 mths till you balance out. My company requires your bal to be $0.00 when you go on it, so keep that in mind.

[OGC]

I have a drafty great room and I spent like $20 on wood trying to have a roaring warm fire last night. WTF? Do I need to buy a metric ton of wood for it to be cheap? The $7 bundle they sell at the grocery store is burned out in like 2 hours.

My fucking gas bill was over $600 last month. SOMEONE needs to learn not to keep the heat at 72 while he's sitting around in boxers.

and my pipes have frozen. TWICE. Once resulting in a giant flood.

Fireplaces are a fairly shitty way to warm a house. Especially an older drafty house. The fire creates heat (duh) that pretty much goes up the chimney. The air that is going up the chimney needs to be replaced by "new" air which means outside air that comes into the house via cracks..

[angrymissy]

Fireplaces are a fairly shitty way to warm a house. Especially an older drafty house. The fire creates heat (duh) that pretty much goes up the chimney. The air that is going up the chimney needs to be replaced by "new" air which means outside air that comes into the house via cracks..

My fireplace has vent grate things on the bottom and front. I just want some toastiness.

[Chigworthy]

My house is a little over 1800 sq feet, powered by a gas furnace and gas water heater. The most recent energy bill was out of control and I'm looking for ways to save on energy.

My wife works out of the house and her primary work area is the great room we have downstairs. The problem is, this room is also the coldest room in the house, due mainly to the two heat vents being blocked by the couch and a large bay window which is very drafty.

I currently maintain the heat in the house around 66 degrees, and I've closed off the vents in the rooms we don't use. I'm also trying to seal up draft areas, mainly the garage-to-mud-room door. But I feel the main area that leeches energy is the great room, but I don't know how to keep it warm and still not get killed on the gas bill.

One thing that really fucks off heat retention is lack of insulation. Older houses may not have insulated floors and/or ceilings. Floor/Ceiling insulation is really easy to install; if you need some tips let me know. Even if your house has an insulated floor, if they dicked off on the installation, it may have fallen down, so it might be worth a crawl under the house.

I have a drafty great room and I spent like $20 on wood trying to have a roaring warm fire last night. WTF? Do I need to buy a metric ton of wood for it to be cheap? The $7 bundle they sell at the grocery store is burned out in like 2 hours.

My fucking gas bill was over $600 last month. SOMEONE needs to learn not to keep the heat at 72 while he's sitting around in boxers.

and my pipes have frozen. TWICE. Once resulting in a giant flood.

Those supermarket bundles of wood are a gigantic rip-off. They are basically for someone who wants to have a fire for ambience for an hour or two. For actual heating, wood should always be purchased in large quantities. I usually cut my own wood, so I don't have to pay for it, but $300-$600 dollars should be enough to heat a normal size house for a year with firewood. Even cutting your furnace use in half by augmenting with firewood would have to save you money. Get to know which types of wood are available in your area, as each wood has vastly different qualities as far as energy content and burn length. The better suited for heating a wood is, the more expensive it will be.

Out here we have:

Fir or Douglas Fir: Not very dense and somewhat sappy which means it burns pretty hot but very quickly. This type of wood is great to have in small quantities as it is easy to split for kindling and starts a fire nicely.

Redwood: Similar to fir, but a nice pink color. Great for kindling and making Californians feel superior to other states.

Pine: Similar to fir, but harder to split due to the knots. Also tends to drip sap everywhere (think A Christmas Vacation)

Eucalyptus: High-resin and dense. This is kind of an incidental firewood crop because some filthy Aussie came through CA in the 1800's selling everyone this "miracle" tree to plant for a lumber crop. Unfortunately, the winds in CA turn it's normal straight grain into a gnarly mess, which means it was never successful for milling. So now we have stands of this prolific and highly-flammable tree dotting the highly-flammable countryside. These trees always blow over in the winter and squish people. The bright side is that a lot of it ends up on the ground and it is good firewood. Some people won't burn it because it burns so hot due to the high resin content. A friend of mine melted the blinds in his entire house after burning eucalyptus with the stove wide open. I've never had trouble with it, but it definitely takes some management in the stove.

Oak: Oak is the champagne of firewood out here. It is dense which means it burns long, but it is not very oily, so it doesn't overheat or clog chimneys. It tends to rot quick on the ground, so it doesn't last too long on the stack. Spiders and scorpions love living in an oak wood stack.

I doubt you have the same woods available over there, but there are probably similar counterparts.

Be wary of scumbags selling wood as they will usually short you on the quantity. A good rule for buying wood is to find someone who sells it from their house, as they are less likely to be a scumbag when you know where they live. These people will usually deliver it too. Have 'em drop it in the driveway; Jeff can stack it for you.

[angrymissy]

The firewood I got at the supermarket was white pine.

There are several farms here in N NJ that are selling cords of firewood. I'm guessing it would be substantially cheaper? I'm not really in the mood to be stacking, covering, storing firewood outside. Jeff and I both have nasty back problems so it doesn't seem like a great idea... but I could always get my brother to come over and do it. I have a shed but it's not easy to get to.

I don't want to heat my whole house w/ the fireplace, but it's in the drafty ass great room (very, very high vaulted ceiling, think ski lodge), it could supplement our gas heat, and I also like having a toasty fire to sit next to. Thanks for the tips, will keep it in mind as I check out the farm selling wood.

With the temps tonight (14 degrees), It's freezing in there even with the heat at 70. The wall facing the outside is 100% windows\, I think that has something to do with it.

[Chigworthy]

The firewood I got at the supermarket was white pine.

There are several farms here in N NJ that are selling cords of firewood. I'm guessing it would be substantially cheaper? I'm not really in the mood to be stacking, covering, storing firewood outside. Jeff and I both have nasty back problems so it doesn't seem like a great idea... but I could always get my brother to come over and do it. I have a shed but it's not easy to get to.

I don't want to heat my whole house w/ the fireplace, but it's in the drafty ass great room (very, very high vaulted ceiling, think ski lodge), it could supplement our gas heat, and I also like having a toasty fire to sit next to. Thanks for the tips, will keep it in mind as I check out the farm selling wood.

With the temps tonight (14 degrees), It's freezing in there even with the heat at 70. The wall facing the outside is 100% windows\, I think that has something to do with it.

White pine would definitely be quick burning wood; not good for long term heating. I wasn't thinking in terms of fireplaces (I was thinking wood stoves). Fire places can be pretty shitty for heating, but you won't know until you get a good long fire going with good wood. If you own the house, and the fireplace is no good at heating, you might want to look into getting an insert replacement that would heat better. Stacking wood is a bit of a bitch. I have the same back issues, and as long as you take your time stacking the wood and lift properly, it's actually a good core-strength exercise. But you can usually throw a couple of bills at the delivery guys to stack it. Ask them if they have any palettes they can give you to stack it on, then cover the wood with a canvas tarp, weighted down. Don't let the wood get wet; that can ruin your entire winter.

[smiler grogan]

Missy, if your great room has a ceiling fan there should be a switch to reverse the rotation of the blades. This will help in recirculating the heat as it rises so it doesn't just go away.

[TooCute]

I say fix up the drafty great room as well as you can, and keep it at 66 or lower (honestly 66 seems pretty balmy to me. I keep my house at about 55 and wear a sweater), and then work from a different room. If you're trying to heat the biggest, draftiest room in the house, of course it's going to cost $$. If you can't afford it, you may have to suck it up and put a desk in a bedroom or something. There's only so much you can do.

[Justice4all]

Fireplaces are a fairly shitty way to warm a house. Especially an older drafty house. The fire creates heat (duh) that pretty much goes up the chimney. The air that is going up the chimney needs to be replaced by "new" air which means outside air that comes into the house via cracks..

They build fireplaces with vents that help blow out the hot air into the room and the rest of the house.

My neighbor has a wood-burning stove in his living room and it does an amazing job of heating a good portion of the house. He has those vents also.
I also know several people who have those kind of pellet fireplaces. it cut down on their oil bill by almost half!

Ten...I know you and the Mrs. are leery of having a stove with the kid but there are ways you can keep it from getting too close to the stove.

Spoon had a great idea (who knew!) about checking the outlets and house hunting in the winter to see where the energy is least efficient.

The window sealer does work wonders. I have used it in the past.

And everyone is right when they say move the couch from the vents. That is part of your reason the house is so cold.

Also check your door and window frames. They could also be a source of escaping heat.

Worse comes to worse buy a space heater so when she's working down there it can keep her work area warm at least. They have several now that shut off when the room hits a certain temp.

[furie]

i had LIPA (long island power authority) come to my house to assess my situation. they pointed out what can be done, such as more insulation, new weather strippig, etc, and lipa will pay for part of the upgrades. it's a good deal. i'm sure your power company has something similar.

try this http://www.state.nj.us/dca/hmfa/gho/

[Thebazile78]

I don't know how your fireplace is made, but pellet stoves are available that just insert into the fireplace opening. You only need to run a pipe from the back of the stove up the chimney. They are a great way to heat a room, especially if it is the main room of the house.

I know. I have a friend who's got a pellet stove in her cabin upstate and she loves it.

Unfortunately, this fireplace is kind of a "for show" fireplace ... it's one of those cheesy, pre-fab install units. Yes, you could actually burn wood in there, but the home inspector mentioned that the tiles inside didn't strike him as heat proof.

I think I am on track with my assessment of it requiring a bit of renovation.

...

Ten...I know you and the Mrs. are leery of having a stove with the kid but there are ways you can keep it from getting too close to the stove.

....

Worse comes to worse buy a space heater so when she's working down there it can keep her work area warm at least. They have several now that shut off when the room hits a certain temp.

We haven't gotten baby gates for a lot of the areas because our walls are at weird angles.

And a space heater is not an option for the same reasons as a stove would be difficult - the baby crawls on the floor while I work because our ground floor is currently our most baby-proofed area.

[disneyspy]

this is going to sound crazy but around here people use cherry pits in their stoves and i guess they work really good

[Jujubees2]

this is going to sound crazy but around here people use cherry pits in their stoves and i guess they work really good

You're right. That's crazy.