You begin saving as soon as you shut off your air conditioner. If your house is tight and well insulated, it may stay cool all day. This will only work if you keep your house closed up all day. Opening the windows not only heats up the house, but allows back in the humidity that your air conditioner worked hard to remove. |
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This is true to some extent, but you won't realize all the possible savings if the equipment is not sized or installed properly. Studies have shown that typical air conditioner and duct systems are improperly installed, wasting one-third or more of the energy used by the air conditioner. |
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Since an air conditioner's main function is to remove heat, it would be more beneficial to blow the other room's warm air into the room with the air conditioner so its heat can be removed. The cold air will migrate elsewhere on its own. |
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Setting back the temperature with a conventional or programmable thermostat can cause a heat pump to operate inefficiently when the temperature is turned back up. This can cancel out any savings achieved by lowering the temperature in the first place. Specially designed setback thermostats for heat pumps, however, can allow for temperature setback without causing this inefficient operation.
In the cooling mode, turning up the thermostat for heat pumps in the summer months will always save you money. |
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The house warms up at the same rate no matter what temperature you set the thermostat at. Setting it higher can cause the furnace to overshoot the desired temperature, wasting energy. |
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A surprisingly large number of electrical products⎯from VCR's to big screen televisions⎯cannot be switched completely off without unplugging the device. These products draw power 24 hours a day, often without the knowledge of the consumer. This power is called standby power. One easy remedy for this is to unplug appliances when you are out of the house or away. Plugging devices into a single power strip makes it easier to turn them all off with one switch. |
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If you have a forced-air furnace and a well-insulated house with eight-foot ceilings, there will be little difference in air temperature from the floor to the ceiling. Running a ceiling fan creates a draft that could cause you to turn up your thermostat to feel more comfortable.
For high vaulted ceilings, the temperature difference can be more significant, and running a ceiling fan in reverse (forward moving blades tilting down) may help to evenly distribute the air temperature and reduce heat loss through the ceiling. |
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When installing new or replacing dryer vent pipes it's best to use round aluminum or steel piping and fasten them together with screws. Mastic should be used on the joints to prevent lint from escaping. A flexible plastic exhaust duct for clothes dryers is easily pinched and can puncture easily and is not fireproof. |
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Rinsing clothes in warm water⎯or even hot water⎯won't get your clothes any cleaner. Cleaning takes place before the rinse cycle. |
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Rinsing in warm water⎯or even hot water⎯won't get your dishes any cleaner. |
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When two different metals, such as silver and stainless steel, touch each other in the hot and wet dishwasher environment, electrolysis can occur and cause pitting. To prevent the problem, load silver and stainless steel in the silver basket so they do not touch each other. |
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The most common causes of poor cleaning in a dishwasher are: 1) use of old detergent that doesn't completely dissolve; 2) water temperature too low for detergents to properly dissolve or remove soils; 3) debris caught in the spray arm holes, impairing proper spray action of the spray arm; 4) insufficient water fill in the basin⎯from a variety of causes; and 5) improperly loading the dishes into your dishwasher.
While a defective pump would certainly prevent proper cleaning, it is far less common than the items listed above. |
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When needed, a water fill valve simply opens to allow the household water pressure to fill the machine. The pump is only involved in washing dishes and draining the appliance. |
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Dishwashers wash dishes and utensils at 140 degrees, which kills many bacteria. Try doing that by hand. |
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Most propane grills come with a 20-pound storage tank that holds about four gallons. Propane refills must be pre-paid and typically cost over $3.00 per gallon. Electric grills typically cost only 7 to 9 cents per use, and you won't be charged for the electricity until the following month. In addition, most rental apartment rules prohibit propane grills from being used on balconies because of safety concerns. |
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Fluorescent lights use very little energy when first turned on. If the light is not needed, even if for only a few minutes, you would use less energy by turning them off during that time. This practice will also extend the operation life of the bulbs. Turning lights on and off will slightly reduce operation life but not as much as leaving the lights on. |
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Fluorescent lighting has changed dramatically in the last few years. Today’s fluorescent lights have improved color quality, and the annoying flicker and hum have been eliminated. |
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Energy efficiency means getting the same job done while using less energy. Energy conservation means reducing the level of services, such as reduced lighting, or sacrificing comfort by lowering the thermostat setting in the winter and raising it in the summer. You can lower your energy usage without giving up convenience by buying more efficient appliances. It is always a good idea to turn off unused lights, but lowering your quality of life is not a prerequisite for saving energy. |
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Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all the major health organizations (like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.
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It is not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it.
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While this seems intuitively logical and very, very small savings may indeed arise, efforts to actually measure this effect have typically come up empty-handed. Cleaning coils may cut down the amount of dust in the kitchen, but don't expect lower utility bills from it. |
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