Heating Air Conditioning Archives - Page 3 of 3

December 8, 2018

CellularShades = Energy Efficiency

Window coverings can reduce loss of energy through the windows, they can also lower heating and cooling bills for you and improve the comfort of your home. Approximately 30percent of a home’s heating energy is lost via windows. During the cooling seasons, about 70 percent of sunlight which falls on standard double-pane windows enters to be converted into heat. A lot of window treatments will result in energy savings. The exact savings, however, depends on the type of attachment, the season of the year, how the attachment is used and the climate.Cellularshades are a type of window treatment that is used to block or filter light just like Roma shades but they also insulate windows to save energy. The cell sizes usually vary in every type of shades and these are the cells used to hold trapped air and create a barrier between the surface of the window and the room.

Doors, besides windowscontribute to about one-third of the total thermal loss according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.When air in the rooms comes into contact with windows it is cooled or warmedand by convection this air circulates around the room. The cell shapes in theblinds as mentioned earlier then do the work of trapping the air. Cellularshades can be constructed as double cell, single cell or triple cell shades. The single cell fabric has an R-value between 0.28 and 0.44 while the double cell fabric has a metric R-value between 0.49 and 0.70. A 6 mm thick single pane window has a metric R-value of 0.16.

R-Value and Windows

R-value is the measure of a give material’s resistance to heat flow and how it can resist heat or lose heat gain. It indicates that when a cellular shade has a higher R-Value, it will provide better insulation for your home. Ordinary windows usually have an R-Value assigned to them with a typical window having an R-Value of anywhere from .9 to3.0. A modern home’s insulation has an R-Value in the low 40s. In cellular shades, he well-accepted range of R-Values for their cell shades is 2.0 to 5.0. On the low end of the range means that cellular shades more than double the insulation value in your windows. At the high end, they even more than quintuple this insulation value. This is what makes cellular shades the most energy efficient window coverings you will get in the market. They can be found in a variety of fabrics as mentioned and therefore the R-Value is entirely based on which type of fabric used.

In winter, warm air from inside the home tries to escape through the windows and in summer the sun heats up your home and the rays flow through windows. Eventually, you will end up paying for all the extra energy consumption. Go make sure this does not happen, use cellular window treatments. Here is our quick guide to the energy saving effectiveness of cellular shades.

There are many factors that influence the R-Value of your windows including the process of installation, the type of material used for glazing, the number of layers of glass there are and the amount of air space between the glass layers of your windows.

Energy Saving Effectiveness of Cellular Shades

There are two numerical values that help you to easily compare the relative energy saving strengths of any kind of window treatment which are the R-Value and the Shading Coefficient. An example of a cellular shade with a high R-Value is the honeycomb cellular shade such as the Symphony line which has upper insulating values that can result into substantial energy savings year after year.

Shading coefficient is significant especially in hot weather. It is used to show the ability of a fabric to reduce heat flow from the outside through a window shade to inside the house. A shading coefficient of 0.35 means that 65 percent of the heat stays outside. During hot days, heat that comes in the house through window scan raise the room temperature by 15-20 degrees and result into an overworked air conditioner. A lower one how ever translates into lees gain of heat, more reflected heat and lower cooling costs for you.

When selecting your blinds and shades there are two more comfort-factors to consider first, the light transmission, UV and the light transmission, Visible. Light transmission UV may be invisible to the human eye but ultraviolet light that comes from the sun can fade wood floors, furniture and carpets after prolonged exposure. UV blockage ratings measure the ability of a fabric to prevent the harmful rays from passing through the shade. Light transmission Visible is the measure of the amount of light that pass through a shade that can be visible to the eye. When the value is low, then the shade will be more room darkening making it less likely for light to pass through it.

Cellular shades operating on side tracks can be the most effective at increasing the R-Value of windows, while those that open from both the top and bottom will allow you to most effectively control the amount of sunlight that enters the home. Other cellular shades aloe the option of automation. They allow the blind to open and close on a set schedule. This schedule can be optimized seasonally to reduce the loads of heating and cooling while at the same time maximizing natural light and the comfort of your home.

Unlike window blinds that are made of hard materials, cellular shades are made of soft paper and clothlike material. Spun lace and bonded polyester are also used but other fabrics can also be used during the process of manufacture. Just like all blinds, cellular shades can reduce solar gain in the summer and provide enough darkness for you to sleep. They are also raised and lowered horizontally using a string. They are however also available in cordless form to avoid any incidents of child strangulation.

So if you are looking to bolster your home with beautiful custom window treatments, while also reducing their utility bill in the process, cellular shades are the best option above every other window treatment.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I might receive a small commission if you make a purchase using an affiliate link.

October 5, 2018

Home Improvements Before Winter

It is so easy for all of us to get lazy as soon as the winter arrives. The changing weather is overwhelming, and some homeowners meanwhile forget that they need to get themselves and their homes ready for the coming winter season. It is very important to take care of your home especially before the winter arrives, and you need to get all the necessary home improvements done in time to save your worthy accommodation in an up-to-date shape.

To keep yourself free from the stress of the maintenance and repair issues, there are some home improvements which are really helpful to keep your home comfortable, functional and beautiful throughout the winter season, no matter where you live.

Roofing

Keeping the interior cozy is probably the most difficult and important task during the winter season. As the roof is the most exposed area of your home to the harsh weather conditions, it is the most important part and is at the top of the list of the things you must get done before winters. Start with roof inspection, look for the bold spots and shingles that are damages, any gaps along flashes, gaps between siding and vent joints. Look for Mold, damp sports, broken mortar around the chimney area. If there is no problem in the roof, then the water will flow through the gutters and your foundation and other home parts will be safe from any damages. In case you find a problem, you can always contact roofing contractors Birmingham Michigan to get the roofing fixed.

Heating System

If you find it difficult to take care of your heating system, you can always call a furnace technician to do that job for you. Canton MA Furnace Repair company, Sinclair Home Services, reminds homeowners to schedule regular maintenance for their HVAC system. A well-maintained system gives way to freer airflow and changing or cleaning filters can help effectively eliminate allergens like dust, pollen, or even pet dander. Get the furnace inspected, cleaned and if there is any maintenance required, get it done as well as the manufacturer recommends. Get an automatic thermostat that you can program as per your requirements. It’ll save you big time.

Fireplace

Normally homeowners don’t remember about the chimney sweep chimney sweep and often forget the keep it among the home improvements. It is very important the get the buildup removed periodically so that the chimney fires can be avoided. Get a screen or cap fixed on the top of the chimney to keep out the birds and other animals who can climb up there.

Lawn

Get your lawns ready for the winter season so the damage may not harm you after wards. Get the decks cleaned and resealed. Get your porch water-proof so that constant snow or heavy showers cannot damage it. Get the fence fixed as well. Get the dead branches cut and clear the leaves to avoid any snow molds. It is suggested to get the lawn fertilized with nitrogen. Do not forget to get the cracks alongside driveway and pavements filled.

Remember, it may cost you a bit to get these improvements done before the winter season arrives, but it’ll always come in handy in the long run as it’ll save you from the big damages that can be done during the winter season and from the big bucks that you’ll be spending to get those damages fixed.

March 2, 2018

Five Ways To Reduce Your Household’s Energy Use

I think we all agree we want to save Household’s Energy Use

An average Australian house will use 6,570 kWh’s of energy every year. That’s a lot of energy and a significant cost to you.

Home-energy-use-pie-chart-with-percentages-web — Image: Home SA.GOV.AU

There are two reasons for reducing your energy usage:

Saving the environment – the less energy you use the lower the number of fossil fuels being pulled from the planet. Of course, many energy providers are moving towards more green energy sources.
Money – saving money benefits you directly and is a great motivator for anything!
There are ways to lower your energy costs and that is by learning more about thermostats: Saving Energy & Money at Home

There are several ways in which you can reduce your energy use and save money:

Check Your Electrics

Get your local electrician to take a look at your electrics. This is the best way to ensure you don’t have any dangerous wiring that could cause a fire or any unnecessary drain; that you might not even be aware of.

Electricians are trained to spot and fix any issue.

Lower Your Thermostat

Lowering your thermostat on your heating by just one degree can result in huge energy savings over the course of the year. In fact, it is estimated that every degree increase over 20°C can increase your bill by 10%!

To help compensate from the reduction in your thermostat you can keep the heat in your rooms by keeping doors, windows and curtains closed.

You can also put on an extra layer to stay warm.

Close Off Rooms

If you have a room that is never or rarely used there is little point in heating it all day and night. Instead, shut the heater off. Once a week allow the room to warm up properly, this will ensure you don’t get any problems associated with damp or cold.

Additionally, before you go to bed you should shut the heating off in all the rooms that you won’t be using first thing in the morning. Again, there is no point in heating unused space.

Insulation

This is the greatest way to save energy because you simply won’t need to have your heating on as much. You can get grants to have insulation added into your ceilings and pumped into your walls.

The insulation will help to keep the heat inside your home and keep you warm in the winter, as well as cool in the summer.

Of course, this is an investment; the cost will need to be offset against the reduction in outgoings thanks to your energy saving techniques. A good level of insulation should pay for itself in 2 – 5 years.

Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

An energy efficient light bulb will take longer to brighten than a standard one. But it will also use a third of the power. This makes them great at energy saving and reliving the strain on your wallet.

You can replace all the bulbs in your house with these. However, it is worth noting that you still need to turn off the lights if you are not using them; this is the best way of saving energy; simply don’t use it!