Home Maintenance is something you can do yourself to save money and energy. An average home loses up to 30% of its heating and cooling energy through air leaks. The most significant air leaks tend to occur around windows and doors. To stop air leaks and prevent your home heating and cooling dollars from vanishing in the wind, it’s important to seal any air leaks around windows and doors.
Check for Air Leaks
With windows and doors closed, hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, and weather-stripping.
Seal Air Leaks Around Windows
If you have old windows, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up.
- Bronze weatherstripping (Around $10 to $12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install.
. - Self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don’t last very long.
. - Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber (About $8 for 10 feet) is a good compromise, rated to last at least 10 years.
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Nifty gadgets called pulley seals (About $9-$10 a pair) block air from streaming though the holes where cords disappear into the frames.
Home Maintenance: Seal Air Leaks Around Doors
Check for air leaks, and replace old door weatherstripping with new.
- Foam-type tape has an adhesive backing; it’s inexpensive and easy to install. If it comes loose, reinforce it with staples.
. - Felt is either adhesive-backed or comes with flexible metal reinforcement. It must be tacked or glued into place. It’s cheap and easy to install, but it has low durability.
. - Tubular rubber, vinyl, and silicone weatherstripping is relatively expensive and tricky to install, but it provides an excellent seal. Some types come with a flange designed to fit into pre-cut grooves in the jambs of newer doors; check your existing weather stripping and replace with a similar style.
Check exterior trim for any gaps between the trim and your door frames, and the trim and your siding. Caulk gaps with an exterior latex caulk (About $5 for a 10-ounce tube).
Seal Door Bottoms
If a draft comes in at the bottom, check the condition of the threshold gasket. One of the easiest home maintenance things you can do to save money is replace worn gaskets. If you can see daylight under the door, you may need to install a new threshold with a taller gasket (Around $25 for a 36-inch door). Or, install a weather-resistant door sweep designed for exterior doors (About $9). Door sweeps attach directly to the door and are easy to install.
For more tips on home maintenance you can do yourself, check our other articles under “Home Improvements“, or give us a call at (843) 497-9867 for a complete, in-home analysis of your home’s energy efficiency. Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook and grab our 20% off coupon for your next service call with Brown and Reaves Services, Inc.
Filed under Myrtle Beach Home Improvements by on May 14th, 2012. Comment. 
How to Clean Your Air Conditioning System Drain Line
If your home has a central air conditioning system or heat pump, you may have noticed a drain line on the outside of your home. The drain line carries condensation from the inside air handler unit to the outside of your home. If this line gets clogged, it can cause water damage on the inside of your house.
Here’s a short video showing you how to clean the drain line, if it becomes clogged…
Like us on Facebook and grab our 20% off coupon for your next service call with Brown and Reaves Services, Inc. Call us today at (843) 497-9867.
Filed under Myrtle Beach Air Conditioning by on May 6th, 2012.
Your air conditioning filter is a critical component to your cooling system. Cleaning your air conditioning filter correctly will allow the unit to properly move the air from the room, through the evaporator and out the vent, making the room cool and comfortable. A clogged or blocked air conditioning filter prevents the intake of air and will make your air conditioner work harder, leading to higher electric bills and poor performance by the unit.
Air Conditioning Filter – What It Does
The air conditioning filter is important in preventing build up of dust, grease and other small particles within the air conditioning unit itself. Without the filter, all the dust and debris trapped by the filter would be deposited directly on the fins, resulting in that space becoming clogged and blocked. Once the air flow is restricted around the cooling area, the system is just not able to produce cold air. In addition without the air conditioning filter the debris and dust would stick to the fins as they are moist due to the moisture produced in the cooling process, especially in humid climates. This can and will lead to bacteria growth in the system that in turn blows this bacteria back into the air that you are breathing in.
Window Air Conditioning Filter – How and When to Clean
Cleaning a window air conditioning filter on a regular basis not only helps with cooling but also with the efficiency of the system. A good idea is to clean the filter once before turning on the air conditioner in the spring and then again every three to four weeks while the system is being used. If you live in an area where there is a lot of fine dust, smokers in the house, or pets, you may find that cleaning the air conditioning filter every two weeks is more beneficial.
A window air conditioning filter is the easiest to clean and is typically made of either a sturdy foam type material or a fine mesh. The most common and recommended type of filter is made of polypropylene, which is actually electrostatic and will trap small particles. To clean these types of mesh screens simply wash in warm soapy water and rinse well. Always allow the filter to completely dry before putting it back in the unit. Foam filters should be replaced with a new filter that can be made at home from foam sheets purchased at a home supply store.
Outdoor Air Conditioning Filter – How to Clean
A large outdoor conventional air conditioning filter can be cleaned with commercial solutions, however they often are not as effective after they have been cleaned. A better option is to simply remove and replace the large filters every two months of use. Brush the fins of the outside unit that are located behind the filters and remove all debris and dust either by blowing with compressed air or using a shop vacuum. Always keep the area around the outside unit free from long grass, bushes or vines that may obstruct air flow or add debris into the unit or filter.
How Often to Change An Air Conditioning Filter
Homes that use conventional heat pumps (for heating and cooling) should have their inside filter changed every month or three months, depending on the type of filter you’re using. Standard replacement filters are made from spun fiberglass and have a cardboard frame and should be changed monthly. A better filter known as a HEPA filter, or High Efficiency Particulate Arresting filter, should be changed every three months.
Next week, we’ll look at more things you should do to keep your air conditioning or heat pump system running more efficiently. In the meantime, you can find more air conditioning tips here.
Like us on Facebook and grab our 20% off coupon for your next service call with Brown and Reaves Services, Inc. Call us today at (843) 497-9867.
Filed under Myrtle Beach Air Conditioning by on Apr 27th, 2012.
When you drain your water heater periodically, you will prolong the life of your water heater by flushing the sludge from the bottom of the tank. There are some important steps you need to follow when you drain your water heater, and we’ve put together a short video to walk you through the steps you need to follow, should you decide to drain your water heater yourself.
If you’re afraid of do-it-yourself projects like this, call us today (843-497-9867). We’ll be happy to schedule a time to come to your home and partially drain your tank for you.
Here is another article on How to Drain Your Water Heater.
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Filed under Myrtle Beach Home Maintenance by on Apr 20th, 2012.
Tankless water heaters cut energy bills but aren’t the right choice for everyone. Here’s how to figure out if tankless water heaters make sense for you.
If you’re a hot water multitasker who washes clothes, dishes, and yourself at the same time, a low-capacity tankless water heater could serve you a “cold water sandwich” or leave you high and dry. But tankless water heaters, which heat water only on demand, are more energy-efficient than traditional water heaters, which warm water whether you need it or not. What’s the best way for you to get into hot water? Read on.
Traditional vs. Tankless Water Heaters
Traditional hot water heaters typically live in your basement or garage and provide gallons of hot water at one time: an 80-gallon tank heats enough water to shower, run a dishwasher, and do a load of laundry simultaneously. But standby energy loss is significant with hot water heaters, and once you’ve exhausted the hot water supply, you’ll wait 20 to 60 minutes for the heater to cook up more hot water.
Tankless water heaters produce hot water only when you need it. When you turn on the faucet, water is heated on the spot as it flows through capillary-like pipes heated by either a powerful gas burner or electric coils. (There are no oil-fired on-demand water heaters on the market.)
Gush to a Trickle
Although tankless water heaters can pump hot water all day, they can’t produce a large amount all at once. And it can snap you out of a hot shower bliss with the “cold water sandwich effect,” a sudden splash of cold water that results from turning the hot water faucet on and off repeatedly.
A traditional tank heater puts out 7.5 to 9.5 gallons of water per minute (GPM), enough to shower, run the dishwasher, and do a load of laundry all at the same time. Typical tankless water heaters, however, put out only 2.5 to 5 GPM, enough to handle only two uses at a time.
Be Warned: Not all flow rates are calculated the same. Energy Star measures GPM based on a 77-degree increase in water temperature for the incoming supply, while some companies list their GPM flows at 35- and 45-degree rises. The more heat the water requires to reach the desired temperature, the slower the flow rate.
High Upfront Costs
Gas-fired tankless water heaters cost around $1,500 to buy and install, nearly double the price of a conventional gas water heater, and $575 more than a high-efficiency tank model. In addition, while a conventional water heater typically uses a half-inch gas line, tankless water heaters require three-quarter-inch pipe. That plumbing change costs from $25 to $40 a foot, potentially adding many hundreds to initial costs.
Electric tankless water heaters cost as little as $400 installed. They are better suited for point-of-use applications, such as instant kitchen hot water, rather than a whole-house system.
Installing Multiple Units
One solution to the limited output problem is to install multiple on-demand units. Because it’s small — about the size of a carry-on suitcase — you can place tankless water heaters along any stretch of pipe—in the attic, basement, closet, or crawlspace. You can install two or three units to serve different parts of the house, or even dedicate a unit for a particular use, say a washing machine.
Multiple on-demand units increase overall energy efficiency,. By bringing hot water close to where it’s needed, you reduce energy loss and increase efficiency by 50% over a conventional hot water tank system, about $165 in annual savings for an average household.
Energy and Money Savings
According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, tankless water heaters are more efficient and uses less energy than a conventional water heater, providing a $25 to $107 in annual savings.
If your hot water use is low (less than 41 gallons per day), a tankless water heater will be 24% to 34% more efficient.
If your hot water usage is high (about 86 gallons per day), tankless water heaters are 8% to 14% more energy efficient.
Installing an on-demand unit at each hot water faucet gives an energy savings of 27% to 50%.
If you’re still not sure whether tankless water heaters are right for you, give us a call, (843) 497-9867. We’ll be happy to go over your home’s energy usage and determine if tankless water heaters are right for your home. Or visit our website, and be sure to grab our 20% off coupon on your next service call. http://myrtlebeachacandheating.com/ and pick up our free e-book while you’re there, ““How To Make Your Home Energy and Cost Efficient”
Next week, we’ll go over the process you need to follow to prevent sediment from building up and shortening the life of your hot water heater.
Filed under Myrtle Beach Energy Savings by on Apr 12th, 2012.
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