"green" Your Home In Small Ways To Make Big Differences

By:


Many people are increasing their efforts to "green" their homes if not for environmental reasons then for the significant savings seen on energy bills. It simply pays to "go green"! There are so many ways to increase the energy efficiency of a home that do not require any great investment or any reduction in comfort. In fact, most such efforts are repaid many times over while increasing the interior comfort and health of the home's residents.

The largest percentage of energy use in a home is the heating and air conditioning. The Department of Energy estimates that 40 percent or more of a home's energy use is devoted to interior temperature control with as much as 50 percent of that lost to the outdoors via insufficient insulation, seepage from inadequately sealed doors and windows, heat gained and lost through single-paned windows, and more. Though some of these can be costly to remedy, such as replacing windows, there are many other things that can be done very inexpensively to improve efficiency.

A good place to begin is to inspect and replace old weather stripping around doors and windows. Inspect chimneys and caulk to seal any gaps. Adding more insulation to the attic, such as a layer of radiant barrier foil, can offer noticeable savings and added interior comfort. On older windows, reflective film can prevent the entry of summer heat as well as protect furnishings from damaging UV light. Simply keeping drapery closed during the hottest summer days can help a lot.

One of the best things you can do to improve or maintain energy efficiency is to have your heating and air conditioning units, or HVAC, serviced yearly as recommended by manufacturers. A qualified HVAC technician will thoroughly inspect and clean the units and repair them as necessary to ensure that they are working at their peak efficiency. They will also spot small problems while they are easy and inexpensive to fix before they become big, costly problems. Routine, yearly maintenance will extend the life of the units as they maximize their efficiency and interior comfort.

Do your part during the year to pay attention to the air filters, replacing them often to keep the air flowing freely. Dirty filters also increase the dirt that gets through to the vents and coils, deteriorating the interior air quality and decreasing unit efficiency. With minimal investment and a bit of effort and attention, your greener home will save you money and increase the health and comfort of your environment.

About the Author:
Coastal Aire & Sheet Metal (http://www.coastalaire.com/) is your number one source for Reno air conditioning and all other Reno HVAC services.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent UnCategorized Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.