Sam's Blog
Remember the days when you didn't have a recycling bin, how long has it been? Conservation has come a long way.
And we've spent a lot of time in recent weeks talking about energy savings. Earth Day and spring-cleaning in general is a good time to find ways to save a little more money and energy, not to mention help the environment bit by bit. Each family making a few small changes, like
recycling old thermostats and replacing regular light bulbs with
CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lighting) really adds up to one big change over time. Some ideas aren't all that new, and some are true technological breakthroughs. This is one of the latter.
The technology exists today for the average homeowner to enjoy hospital-quality air filtration standards for general surgery. Now that's clean air. And better yet, it's actually affordable.
The first comprehensive line of
Ozone-free air filters is now available. They help keep your body, your wallet and the environment from suffering. The technology safely destroys and removes chemical vapors, household odors, particles and microorganisms. Better still, they filter the air throughout your entire home, not just in one room like most plug-in air cleaners in the same price range, which may also emit
Ozone.
It’s those pesky
air pollutants, like dirt, pollen, dust and debris that get in your airways and help aggravate allergies. Filtering out the particulates from the air you breathe could mean less sneezing, sinus problems, headaches, and best of all... potentially less allergy drugs at home.
So why spend hundreds for a one-room plug-in air cleaner when you could clean the air in every room, continuously, without using additional electricity or emitting ozone... for about the same price? Some things are just a no-brainer.
Here’s the bottom line*:
$398: Ozone-free HC16 whole-home air filter installed
-$200: 12 months home allergy expenses
=$198: Year-round Ozone and headache savings
*price, benefits and savings may vary
Posted on: 4/29/2008 2:39:08 PM by Sam
If you haven’t taken advantage of the Service Experts
Earth Day giveaway, there’s no better time than now.
Service Experts' Earth Day program will create the same environmental effect as planting 330 trees for every single homeowner who makes one small household change. We’ll install a free programmable thermostat to every U.S. and Canadian household that schedules a heating or cooling tune-up during the month of April.
Take a look:
Service Experts locations across North America are offering tune-ups in the range of $79 to $149, depending on the type of equipment and market. The programmable thermostat, installation and mercury-based thermostat disposal are free of charge during this Earth Day promotion.
There are more and more home comfort products coming on the market to help you reduce energy consumption, but few are as affordable and efficient as an air conditioning tune-up and new programmable thermostat. And it’s not often that a home comfort company steps up to the environmental plate, so now is definitely the time to update your old thermostat and start saving.
More ways to take action
The
EPA and
DOE offer these suggestions to homeowners to increase energy savings and become more environmentally responsible:
- Change your heating and cooling system’s air filter at least every three months and monthly during summer and winter, seasons of heaviest use.
- Schedule tune-ups for heating and cooling systems.
- Properly seal heating and cooling ducts, which can improve efficiency up to 20 percent.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol from service companies and their products, as these qualified products and services meet energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and DOE.
Posted on: 4/16/2008 11:59:07 AM by Sam
Here are just a few things you can do to help lower your energy bills or help make your home more energy efficient:
- Replace traditional light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs. Energy Star bulbs use one-third less energy. By simply replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your house you could save up to $60 a year. These bulbs can last up to seven years. In addition, they distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures and come in hundreds of decorative styles.
- Add insulation to keep the cool air inside in summer. Insulation tends to become compacted over the years and loses some of its original efficiency. Another layer over the present one will better insulate the home, bringing back to its original level. There are some "environmentally friendly" products made of newspapers, soybeans and even recycled blue jeans, which you should consider in order to eliminate the possibility of breathing in stray fibers.
- Protect your pipes by covering them with a special insulating wrap. It comes in pre-cut foam that simply slips over the hot water pipes in crawl spaces, garages, basements or attic to keep the water temperature consistent.
- By installing a ceiling fan, you can redirect the cool air in a room and keep it circulating.
- Close draperies on the side of the house where the sun comes in. Otherwise the sun's heat will warm the room and make your air conditioning system work harder, using more energy to keep it cool.
And, here's a sixth tip to help out even more. There's a way to actually paint insulation right on your walls while adding new color to a room. Now, you can mix a nontoxic ceramic powder into the paint that will reduce the amount of conditioned air passing through your walls to the outside. The ceramic particles in the powder make a barrier that reflects the cool air back into the room. What will they think of next?
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:23:43 PM by Sam
In order to achieve high Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) it's important to understand common sources of air problems. Your home may not have all nine of these factors that contribute to poor air quality, but just about every home has a few. One is not necessarily more important than the other, but just it's important that each of these areas are inspected and corrected if necessary.
- Excessive dryness. If you've noticed that your floor boards creak, your house is too dry. Excessive dryness could even cause floorboards to warp and furniture to crack. If you don't have a built-in humidification system, you can add moisture with a room humidifier. Once you get your moisture level stabilized, your home will feel more comfortable and your energy bills may even go down as a result.
- Excessive moisture is just as big a problem as excessive dryness. It promotes the growth of microbes and mildew. The first symptom is usually moisture collecting on your windows and dampness on the walls. A properly sized air conditioning system not only cools indoor air, but also helps reduce humidity. A dehumidifier will do the job best.
- Uneven air circulation is often caused by a poorly sized duct system. Check your ducts to make sure they're tightly sealed and free of debris so they can achieve maximum efficiency and air quality. Have them inspected by a professional once every 3 years to ensure they are clean and operating efficiently.
- Sealing air leaks will virtually eliminate drafts and prevent pollutants from entering your home through the leaks. It will also help minimize energy consumption. Windows and doors can be a source of drafts.
- Irregular maintenance of your heating and cooling system leads to poor air circulation, reduced efficiency and wasted energy. A regular HVAC tune-up of your furnace and air conditioner helps keep tabs on the air quality inside the home.
- Carbon Monoxide is one of the hardest things to detect. A plug-in home CO detector can alert you to carbon monoxide leakage and avert serious health hazards.
- A fireplace adds great atmosphere to a home, but it is a potential source of indoor pollutants, particularly if it is the damper is not properly closed.
- Improper venting can result in condensation It can also be the cause of 'stuffy' air and even contribute to structural damage to your house. Mechanical ventilation systems remove poor indoor air and replace it with fresh, conditioned outdoor air.
- Airborne particles come from almost anywhere and often result in allergic reactions. A good filtering system, such as the highly rated HC16 filter can help provide respiratory relief by removing dirt, pollen and unwanted particles from indoor air.
A Home Health™ Report Card will help you determine your home's IAQ.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:23:27 PM by Sam
If you've got sparks shooting off your fingertips when you touch a doorknob or light switch, have a dry through, or cracked wood floors, you've probably got low humidity. If you're lips and fingers are cracked and you're skin is dry and itchy, you need more humidity in your home. On the other hand, if bathrooms or ptjer rooms in your home seem damp all the time, you probably have too much humidity.
The most important objective when attempting to regulate the amount of humidity is getting the right amount. It's just as bad to have more humidity than not enough. Too much can cause condensation on windows, water on walls and the ugly prospect of mildew and bacteria, which may cause allergy and respiratory problems.
So, what's the answer to getting the relative humidity in your home to a comfortable level of 35 to 50 percent?
There are some things that put moisture into the air naturally, but probably don't typically provide enough for an entire house. Plants retain water and release moisture to the air. Boiling water for cooking, baths and showers also add humidity. A number of things can be done to eliminate all these problems in one stroke. Some are easy and relatively inexpensive, while some might require installation of additional equipment to your comfort system.
Placing a portable humidifier or dehumidifier in a central location in your house will go a long way toward solving the humidity dilemma. A house of 2,300 to 5,000 square feet, however, would need several.
The best long-term remedy for humidity is adding a humidifier or dehumidifier to your home comfort system. The water supply is constant and it can be controlled by a humidistat mounted on your wall, properly regulating the humidity in the home. With the right amount of humidity, you'll find that you can be comfortable at a lower thermostat setting. And that will save you money on your energy bills.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:22:43 PM by Sam