Energy Saving Tips from SERG, "Where Efficiency Makes $ense"

Cold weather is here again and it is time to tighten up your home. About three quarters of energy used in New England homes is for heating and the greatest heat loss, by far, is from infiltration or air leakage. Here are a number of free or low-cost tips for buttoning up your home and saving energy and money this winter. NOTE: Homes do require a certain amount of fresh air to keep occupants healthy. Mold build up and back drafting of flu gases can occur in extremely tight houses without adequate ventilation, which can cause illness or death. Fresh air is best supplied in a controlled manner through powered and programmed fresh air vents. A blower door test can measure if you have adequate ventilation. For more information contact SERG.

• Most infiltration takes place as warm air rises and flows out openings high in the house, pulling cold air in through leaks low in the house. These leaks are easiest to find on cold days and are usually very cost effective to repair. Feel for cool drafts coming in low areas - where the sill meets the foundation, around low doors, windows and protrusions for pipes and wires. Hold something that smokes, like incense, and look for smoke being sucked out along potential openings - attic hatches, upper floor windows and electric outlets, etc. Seal all high and low openings with weather stripping, spray foam or caulk.

• Close interior doors and turn off the heat to any rooms that are unused during the winter.

• Set your thermostat back at night and while you are gone during the day. This will save you about 1% on you heating use for each degree set back. Using a programmable thermostat to do this will allow you to bring the heat back up to a comfortable temperature before you get up in the morning or return home.

• Weather-strip all exterior doors, including attic hatch, bulkhead door and doors to cold cellars and crawl spaces. Check and replace weather stripping when worn.

• If your exterior doors jiggle when closed, move the striker/latch plate closer to the door-stop so the door closes snuggly against the stop or add new weather stripping that snugs up against the door.

• Install storm windows and doors - close and latch them tightly.

• Caulk closed all leaky windows and exterior doors that you never open.

• Close chimney and fireplace dampers when not in use. If chimney is unused, install an inflatable chimney pillow or caulked-in foam plug to better seal.

• Cover leaky windows that you do want to open in the spring with an interior plastic "storm" product, like Tyz-All, available at Energy Federation Inc. (800-876-0660, http://www.efi.org). Tyz-All can be removed in the spring and reused next winter. It will usually pay for itself in one year.

• Stone wall foundations in old homes are incredibly leaky. Hiring a contractor to apply 2" of sprayed foam insulation from the subfloor down to 4' underground will stop air infiltration, insulate against freezing tempertures and reduce moisture infiltration.

• Make sure all fan-driven exterior vents (dryer, stove, bathroom, etc.) have an exterior flap that closes tightly when the fan is off. Clear vent flaps of lint and other debris so they close tightly.

• If you can feel and heat coming off your hot water tank or hot water pipes, cover them with an insulated tank wrap jacket or foam pipe insulation available at your local hardware store or Energy Federation Inc. (800-876-0660, http://www.efi.org).

• Turn your hot water on and let it run for a couple of minutes. If it is then too hot to hold your hand under the water, turn the thermostat on your hot water tank down to 125°.

To learn more about Sustainable Energy Resource Group and how you can save energy and money, go to www.SERG-info.org or contact us at SERG@valley.net or 802-785-4126.