On the Wire - Five Under $50
Homeowners finally get a bit of good news about energy costs this winter, as analysts predict lower home heating bills this winter for most of us – for the first time in four years. For home improvers, it has never been a better time to go with the flow and save serious cash on heating your home. Here are five easy ways that each cost less than $50:
DON’T WAIT TO INSULATE – Most homes in America, even those that are just a couple of years old, simply don’t have enough insulation. The good news is that it is cheap and easy to do yourself. For around $30 a roll, you can add 6” to your attic insulation and see savings from the moment you complete the job. Since most heat loss is through the ceiling, this is a fast way to get a quick return on investment.
GAPS, CRACKS AND HOLES – In many ways, homes have been built pretty much the same inefficient way for the past 200 years. Hollow wood frames are constructed and plugged up by building materials designed to fill those spaces and make the structure energy efficient. In the process, lots of holes are left behind. According to insulation manufacturer Great Stuff, adding up all those tiny spaces results in a 16 square foot hole that needs to be filled in, one small gap at a time.
Foam sealants ($5), caulk ($2), weather-stripping ($1 and up) are great ways to get control of the drafts that let your heat leak out. For example, run your hand over any electrical outlet or light switch on an exterior wall and you’ll feel the breath of old man soaring right through. The solution is outlet gaskets, small precut pieces of foam insulation that cost pennies and can be placed behind the switch plate to form a draft-proof seal.
LOW COST LIGHTING – Compact florescent lamps (CFLs) use 25% of the energy of an incandescent light bulb and can cut lighting costs by a whopping 75%. New advances in CFLs, like the n:vision bulbs sold at The Home Depot, have made them more effective than ever. n:vision CFLs come in a variety of effects including soft white, bright white and day light. CFLs can last 10,000 hours and n:Vision CFLs come with a 9-year warranty. CFL’s are more expensive than incandescent bulbs. However, the energy savings and convenience of not having to replace them makes this a very good deal.
SMART THERMOSTATS – According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a standard thermostat with a clock setback model can cut heating costs by 10%. Clock setback thermostats ($50 /-) turn your heat down automatically when it is not needed. For example, in the average home, heat needs to be set at a comfortable level for only a small part of the work week. Clock setback thermostats can turn the heat down at night when you go to bed, up an hour before you awake, down again when you leave for work and up again when you come home. Smarter models even know when it’s a weekend and can be set to leave the heat up all day.
HOT WATER WASTE – Most water heaters are pretty “dumb” appliances. They heat water to the same temperature 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – whether you need it or not! While on-demand tankless water heaters are a better option, they also require a large investment. To cut water heating costs without breaking the bank, install a water heater blanket ($10) to lower heat loss and turn the heat down from 120 degrees to 110 degrees, plenty hot for creature comforts without any waste.
For electric water heaters, it is also smart to install a timer that turns the electricity off when hot water is not needed. Just like the clock setback thermostats above, water only needs to be fully heated for 8-10 hours of a typical day. Good insulation will keep the tank warm for any uses that occur in between peak hours. Also, draining a few gallons out of the water heater every 3 months will reduce sediment on the bottom of the tank and increase efficiency.
For more information, including dozens of ways to cut energy costs this winter, Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new ENERGY STAR @ home Interactive Tool for energy-efficient home improvement ideas and advice.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Pass the Pickles!
This week’s question comes to us from Scott in Valley Center, California: “How do I get rid of a stain from a broken jar of pickles on my travertine marble floor?”
Scott, hard surface floors are great but glass jars don’t bounce very well when they hit them. And Travertine is very porous. But there is a product designed especially for them. It’s called Marbalex and it is available from Stone Care International, a company that specializes in stone cleaning. Once you get it clean, we recommend that you reseal the floor because the process of cleaning will take away any sealer that was there.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - Clear the Air Sweepstakes
OCTOBER IS INDOOR AIR QUALITY MONTH, AND YOU COULD WIN AN APRILAIRE MODEL 5000 ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANER, WITH PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION!
If seasons are changing where you live, you're heading back indoors for the next several months. But WHO...and WHAT else is sneaking-in-the-door behind you? As we've tightened-up our homes to make them more energy-efficient, we've made it harder for them to 'breathe.' The unintended consequence is uninvited guests, who can't leave. Dust mites, bacteria, viruses, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores get trapped indoors with you for the winter. According to the EPA, indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air! If you've got a forced-air heating system, we can help. It's a $1000 value, and it could be yours! Deadline to enter is October 31, 2006. There’s no purchase necessary. Click here to read complete contest rules and enter.
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Dot Common Sense - Save Energy
As temperatures begin to fall across the country, thermostats are going up. Where in your home are the hidden cracks, gaps and leaks responsible for your home’s energy losses? There is way to find out for sure, with a home energy audit. Check out www.EnergySavers.gov for great tips and information, including how to save on energy used to heat water and light your home. There's also a section to help you conduct your own energy audit, and information on how low-income families can get assistance to pay for heating costs.
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Fun Fact - Pumpkin Pulp & Plumbing Don't Mix
Every Halloween season, American plumbers get the call to repair garbage disposers and kitchen sink drains clogged with sticky pumpkin pulp and seeds. The goopy by-product of jack-o-lantern enthusiasts is, unfortunately, ideal for clogging household drains. The pulp dries and hardens inside pipes and disposers causing all sorts of problems. For several years Roto-Rooter, America’s largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services, has been trying to get the word out that carving a pumpkin in the sink is a bad idea. But the folks at Roto Rooter say people continue to push pumpkin guts right down the drain and some people even flush the muck down toilets. Pumpkin pulp should never be put down drains or into garbage disposers.
To guard against Halloween drain disasters, Roto-Rooter says you should carve pumpkins on a bed of newspapers, then wrap up the mess and throw all pumpkin-related materials into the garbage can. Or you can separate seeds and roast them for a tasty treat. You can even air-dry them and plant them late next summer to grow next year’s Halloween pumpkins.
For those who find themselves with clogged drains after a family pumpkin carving adventure, participating Roto-Rooter locations will offer a 10% discount on kitchen sink and garbage disposer repair between October 15-31. Visit www.RotoRooter.com for details.
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Short Cuts - Woodstove & Fireplace Tips
Now is the time to get your fireplace or woodstove ready for winter use. Many homeowners assume that as long as the chimney is standing it must be working correctly. That is simply not true. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends an annual inspection of your fireplace and chimney. A qualified chimney sweep can determine whether the chimney needs cleaning or repair. A dirty chimney can be dangerous. Soot in the venting system could catch fire, and the chimney is not designed to withstand high temperatures. A chimney can also deteriorate and not perform properly if animals, leaves or branches have entered the flue. The biggest mistake homeowners make is burning trash (like pizza boxes, Christmas trees or wrapping paper) in their fireplace. Your fireplace is not an incinerator. Especially large fires should be avoided.
When using your woodstove, keep all flammable household items - drapes, furniture, newspapers, and books - far away. Start fires only with clean newspaper and dry kindling. Never start a fire with gasoline, kerosene, charcoal starter, or a propane torch. Do not burn wet or green (unseasoned) logs. Do not use logs made from wax and sawdust in your wood stove or fireplace insert - they are made for open-hearth fireplaces. If you use manufactured logs, choose those made from 100 percent compressed sawdust. Build small, hot fires. A smoldering fire is not a safe or efficient fire. Keep the doors of your wood stove closed unless loading or stoking the live fire. Regularly remove ashes from your wood stove into a metal container with a cover. Store the container of ashes outdoors on a cement or brick slab (not on a wood deck or near wood). Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Homeowners can find a qualified chimney sweep by visiting www.CSIA.org. A sweep should be able to provide a photo ID with a CSIA certified Chimney Sweep credential. Quality sweeps can provide you with photographs of defective parts of the chimney, even if it's the interior, so you know they are making a legitimate recommendation.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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