Easy diy heating

Archive for the ‘All about heating’ Category

The most important concept of passive solar design is matching the time during which the sun provides maximum lighting and heat to a building to that time when the building requires the lighting and heat.  As simple as this may sound, it is in fact, a very complicated process to design passive solar strategies that are the most effective.  For this reason many commercial buildings require computer analysis by an architect or engineer to successful devise a design that uses the maximum amount of passive solar energy.

To achieve maximum use of passive solar heating, this often requires direct sunlight striking dark-colored surfaces, which absorbs the heat and radiates it into the building.  However, to achieve maximum lighting, the sunlight has to be diffused over large areas of light-colored surfaces.  Therefore, to successfully integrate both processes requires the understanding and the coordination of day lighting, passive design, electric lighting, as well as mechanical heating systems.  As you can see, this is not a simple task.

The first step in this process requires the designing of a floor plan, which optimizes the benefits of passive solar heating.  For example placing solar collection surfaces, such as windows and doors that have the appropriate glazings facing at least 15 degrees of true south.  This is because the system’s ability to control shading as well as summer overheating are drastically reduced the farther away from due south the surfaces face.

Overheating and glare are problems that can occur whenever sunlight directly enters a building, which can be corrected through proper design.  This overheating and glare are known as “direct-gain.”  In these areas, the direct sunlight is many times brighter and warmer than normal indoor lighting.  For these areas, designers often use glazings, which reduce the amount of direct-gain and deliver the desired amount of heating, and lighting as well as offer cooling in the summer months.

Glare is often a problem in late morning and early afternoon, when the sun enters at low angles, penetrating far into the building.  To correct this problem, many times blinds or shades can be used to diffuse the daylight, without blocking out the heating benefits. 

When designing a building architects and engineers often attempt to locate the thermal mass of the building so that it will be warmed/lighted during the winter when the angles of the sun are low.  This helps to contribute to the heating requirements during the winter as well as the cooling requirements during the summer months.

The next time you enter a building that uses passive solar heating, consider all the work, which went in to the planning process in order for the building to achieve the maximum benefits of the sun.  As stated earlier, it takes skill and knowledge to design a building with passive solar strategies that are the most effective.

Even though there are various types of fuels are available to heat our homes, over half of all the homes in the United States use natural gas. 

No matter what type of heating system you use, you can save money by simply maintaining and upgrading your equipment.  However, installing an energy-efficient furnace will not have a tremendous impact on your energy bills if you do not take the necessary steps to properly insulate your home.  Saving energy requires a whole-house approach.  This means doing the proper maintenance, installing the necessary upgrades, as well as having the appropriate amount of insulation installed in your home.  In addition, you need to seal all cracks and set your thermostat settings back.  You can reduce your energy bills by as much as 20 to 50% by taking the necessary measures. 

Heating Energy Saving Tips:

• Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter.
• Clean or replace filters on your furnace once a month or as needed.
• Make sure that you clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed.
• Do not place furniture, carpeting, or drapes where they will block your registers, baseboard heater, or radiators.
• Bleed your hot-water radiators once or twice a season to release taped air.  (If you are not sure how to do this, contact a professional.)
• Install heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Turn off your exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you have finished cooking or bathing.  When it’s time to replace exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During the winter months, keep draperies and shades open on south facing windows.  This will allow more sunlight to enter as well as more heat.  Make sure to close drapes and shades at night to reduce drafts from cold windows.
• Install energy efficient windows, or storm windows.
• Choose energy-efficient products when replacing heating and cooling equipment.  For furnaces, you want to look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings.  The national minimum is 78% AFUE.  However, there are several Energy Star models currently on the market with rating of over 90% AFUE.

For more information on Energy Star products please visit: www.energystar.gov

The best way to discover where you are losing heat is to have an energy audit conducted.  This audit usually will detect waste and gauge the efficiency of your current heating system.  If your utility company does not provide this service, you can conduct your own energy audit.  Start by walking through your home and look for areas that may need maintenance or problems that require repairing. 

Check your attic, basement, and attached garage walls to ensure that you have sufficient insulation that is recommended by the Department of Energy for your area.  For cold climates, it is recommended to have R-38 in the roof, R-19 in the walls, and R-22 in the floor.  For moderate climates, the recommended R-values are R-26 in the roof, R-19 in the walls and R-11 in the floor.

Make sure that your hot water heater is wrapped in an insulating jacket.

Either perform the required yearly maintenance including cleaning or replacing filters on forced-air furnaces, heat pump, furnace, or boiler or schedule an appointment with your HVAC service person.  Check with your utility company, as many provide this service.

Either seal and insulate all leaky ducts, around windows, doors, and cracks in the exterior of your home and also all holes around plumbing and heating pipes or hire a professional to do this.  By sealing and insulating your home, you ensure the airflow distribution system that serves your heating system is at peak efficiency.  Keep fireplace flues closed when not in use.  Close your foundation vents in the winter if there’s a crawl space under your home.

Consider installing insulated or thick drapes over windows to reduce heat-loss at night.

Install a programmable thermostat, which will automatically lower temperatures at night and when you are no at home.  Close doors to rooms that you are not using.  

Every year there seems to be a host of energy-saving products and services out on the market.  However, many of these products are bogus devices and gadgets that only purpose is to separate homeowners from their money.  Therefore, before you invest in any energy-saving product, which promises to drastically reduce your heating and energy bills make sure that you carefully read all energy-saving claims and if possible obtain independent information on the product.  DO NOT fall victim to unsolicited door-to-door sales, or phone calls from contractors offering furnaces, windows, roofing, or other home improvement projects.  Many times these individual are scam artist who are only interested in taking your money. 

If you need any home improvement work done, then first you must ensure that the contractor you are considering is licensed and reputable: Check with your friends and neighbors for referrals; request customer references from the contractor; and check with the Better Business Bureau, as well as state and local consumer protection officials, and your state licensing agency.  The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule grants you three (3) business days to cancel a contract signed in your home or at a location other than the contractor’s permanent place of business.