Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Insulating is the next best way to conserve energy and save on energy costs.
Insulation comes in various types and some are dangerous to work with. Safety is
the most important aspect of working with insulation. Older homes just do not have
the insulation recommended by today's standards. Insulation may also be deterio-
rated or ineffective for any number of reasons. It's important to inspect your home's
insulation starting in the attic. The top of the house is where all the heat goes in the
winter and where all the heat comes from in the summer. So, take steps to insulate
your home in such a way to prevent heated air from entering the attic. Also insulate
to prevent air in the attic, heated by the suns rays, from entering the living area of
the home. We should look for opportunities to insulate forced air ducts and hot wa-
ter pipes to make them more efficient. At the bottom of the house in your basement
or crawlspace cold damp air can creep up through the floor and make your living
space uncomfortable when it is heated. Since cool air tends to fall downward cool
comfortable air can escape through the floor. Air movement through the home due
to hot air rising and cold air falling can be used to our advantage in ventilating our
homes.
Ventilation is an important aspect of the overall health of our home. It prevents
dangerous airborne particles from building up inside the living area as well as pro-
vides heating and cooling advantages during moderate seasons. The
chimney effect
exists when warm air rises out of the home through the attic vents and pulls cool air
up into the home from windows, floor vents or basement doors [5]. Whole house
fans accelerate this effect to force air out of the attic vents faster. It stands to reason
that the same effect could work in reverse during colder months to draw air warmed
by the sun shining on the roof out of the attic down into the living area. Some of
these ventilation techniques may require thermostats and switches in order to be
effective.
Electronic devices play an important role in conserving energy. We find them
throughout the home as programmable thermostats, motion sensors, photocells,
timers and others. These devices turn appliances on or off automatically at the ap-
propriate times to save energy. Appliances are not the leading consumers of electric-
ity but they account for a considerable amount. It's a good idea to inventory all your
appliances and evaluate which ones need special attention, regular maintenance or
replacing. You can even estimate the electricity used by these appliances if they
have a label showing the wattage of the appliance. It is especially important to
maintain the refrigerator by keeping the coils clean. A refrigerator runs more ef-
ficiently if the freezer is full. Clothes dryers are huge consumers of electricity and
work much more efficiently when the dryer vent is clean. Replace old incandescent
light bulbs with more efficient ones that last longer. Outside the home, cleaning the
air conditioning coils helps it run more efficiently.
Making changes outside the home can help conserve energy. You can plant trees
and shrubs in critical places to block wind or shade the house. Awnings over win-
dows that face the sun help to reduce the solar rays entering the home in the sum-
mer. Special windows and screens are available to help prevent unnecessary solar
heating. On the other hand, solar heating can be an effective way to supplement heat
in the winter months. Keep south facing windows clear of trees and shrubs to allow
