Is Solar Energy Right For My Home?

With the help of increasing tax credits, higher energy prices, and falling costs for solar panels, solar energy is getting exciting. Below is a checklist that you can use to see if solar energy is right for your home. And if not, this article discusses other options for going solar.

Under the right conditions, putting solar collectors on your roof can be an attractive investment which can save you on the cost of supplying electricity or hot water to your home. But the catch is “under the right conditions.” So what are these “right conditions”? Well, the more questions below that you can answer “yes” to, the better the fit you are for adding solar panels to your home:

LOCATION: Do you live in a location that gets a lot of sunshine? The more sunlight per day you get, the better for the economics of installing a system. So southern states in areas that are not prone to being cloudy are the best.

ROOF ORIENTATION: Does your roof face south? Southern facing roofs are the best, as they get sunlight all day long as the sun travels across the sky.

ROOF SIZE: Do you have a roof that is not only large, but is free of obstructions such as vent pipes?

ROOF SHADING: Is your home away from trees that could cast shadows on all or part of your roof during large parts of the day?

ROOF AGE: Is your roof fairly new? You don’t want to put solar panels (which typically come with a 25-year warranty) over a roof that is going to need to be replaced anytime soon. Or else you may need to replace your roof as part of your solar project.

STATE TAX CREDITS & INCENTIVES: Federal tax credits apply to all states, but state tax credits and incentives can also be significant, and they vary from state to state. Do you live in a state with large credits and incentives? Here is a useful link where you can find the incentives that are offered for your particular state: state incentives

UTILITY POWER COSTS: Is your home connected to a utility with high electricity costs? The higher the cost, the more attractive it is to generate your own electricity (or hot water).  Helpful accessories: solar-powered home appliances.

PERSONAL TAX ELIGIBILITY: Are you in a personal tax situation such that you can take full advantage of the available federal tax credits and incentives? You may need to check with a tax accountant to be sure.  This is because of accounting rules such as solar tax credits not being allowed to be used to reduce your tax liability below your Alternative Minimum Tax.

INSURANCE COVERAGE: Does your homeowner insurance cover solar collectors?

CALCULATORS

If you want to look closer at whether putting solar panels on your home makes sense for your particular situation, then here is a link to an online calculator that you can use: Solar Estimate. With this, you enter your actual zip code, local utility, average electric bill, etc. and it calculates the expected solar radiation, tax credits, and expected economics for your specific home.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO “GO SOLAR”

If you like the idea of solar energy, but for one reason or another you want an alternative to actually putting solar collectors on your roof, here are a few other options that you can consider that will still allow you to participate in solar energy:

1) Buying “Green” Power: Some utilities give you the choice to buy green power by adding an additional charge to your monthly bill.

2) Community Solar Projects: if you don’t have space to put up solar panels, or if you live in an apartment or a townhouse, you can subscribe to a community solar garden.

3) Investing in a Solar Company: another way to be involved in solar is by being an investor in a company that is in the solar energy business.

SUMMARY

We hope this article has helped you to understand whether adding solar energy is right for your home, and what are the other ways that you can participate in the growing trend towards solar energy.

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Tankless Water Heaters

There is perhaps no more appropriately named plumbing fixture in the whole world than the tankless water heater. No deception, no confusion: It’s a water heater that has no hot-water storage tank. So, where does the hot water come from? Good question!

Tankless water heaters, while relatively new, are growing in popularity with both plumbing contractors and homeowners. These compact units are designed to provide hot water for the entire house—not just a single faucet—and are often called instantaneous, continuous-flow, or on-demand water heaters. Before getting into the specifics of tankless water heaters, let’s first take a look at standard water heaters.

Storage-Tank Water Heaters

Most homes have a standard water heater, which consists of a large cylindrical storage tank. Cold water is piped into the tank and electrical elements, or a gas-fired burner located inside the tank heats the water. An electronic thermostat allows you to control the water temperature. The heated water is stored in the tank until someone turns on a hot-water faucet or shower, or runs the dishwasher. Then, hot water is pumped out of the tank and through the home’s hot-water supply pipes.

Tank-style water heaters are popular because they’re affordable, readily available from several manufacturers, quick and easy to install, and available in a wide range of sizes. However, they do have a few drawbacks.

First, as mentioned earlier, hot water is stored in the tank. When the water temperature cools slightly, the heater kicks on to warm the water back to the pre-set temperature. That means the heater is working—and burning energy—regardless of whether you’re using hot water.

Also, because there’s a storage tank, that means there’s a limited supply of hot water available at any one time.  So, while modern tank-style heaters do an adequate job of keeping up with demand most of the time, if there are multiple hot-water users at the same time (such as someone taking a shower while the dishwasher or washing machine is running), then the heater will struggle to supply enough hot water.

Another drawback is that the large storage tank takes up quite a bit of space. That might not be a problem in a spacious basement, but it’s often difficult to squeeze one into a utility closet, laundry room, or crowded garage.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters have a few distinct advantages over standard water heaters, but before discussing those benefits, let’s take a look at how a tankless water heater works.

First, a tankless water heater sits idle until a hot-water tap is opened in the house. Then, cold water is drawn into the unit and a flow sensor activates an electric heating element or gas-fired burner, which warms an internal heat exchanger. As the cold water passes over the heat exchanger, it’s warmed to the pre-set temperature. The hot water then exits the heater and travels directly to the faucet or appliance—not to a storage tank. Combustion gases, which are produced by gas-fired units, are exhausted through a dedicated, sealed vent pipe.

Tankless water heater

This compact, gas-fired tankless unit measures just 14 inches wide x 26 inches tall,
yet it produces 199,999 BTU of heat and 9.5 gallons of hot water per minute.

When the hot-water tap is turned off, the water heater shuts down. Therein lies the beauty of the tankless water heater: Since there’s no storage tank to keep filled with hot water, tankless models only heat water when it’s called for. As a result, tankless water heaters are much more energy-efficient than standard water heaters. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average household, which uses approximately 40 gallons of hot water per day, may consume up to 34% less energy than a home that relies on a standard water heater.

For even greater energy efficiency, consider the condensing tankless water heater. These premium units extract heat from the combustion gases and then use it to help heat the water. As a result, condensing heaters operate with an efficiency rating between 90 and 98%, as opposed to non-condensing tankless units, which operate at a still-impressive 80% or so.

Finally, because there’s no storage tank, tankless water heaters provide an unlimited supply of hot water, which is a real bonus for families with teenagers who routinely take 30-minute showers!

Here are a few other advantages of tankless water heaters:

  • They’re designed to be space-saving and compact. They can even be hung on a wall.
  • Multiple tankless units can be installed in larger homes.
  • They have low operating costs.
  • There is no storage tank to maintain.
  • There are no standby heat losses, as is common with tank-style heaters.
  • They allow for precise and consistent water-temperature control.
  • Tankless heaters have a service life of up to 20 years, which is nearly twice as long as standard water heaters.
  • Some tankless models can be installed outdoors, simplifying the venting of combustion gases.

It should be noted that tankless water heaters require greater upfront costs.  They’re more expensive, on average, than standard water heaters, and it also costs more to have one installed. They’re also typically costlier to repair. But despite these issues, a tankless water heater is simply the smartest, most energy-efficient way to produce domestic hot water for most households.

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Hot Water Recirculation Systems

A hot water recirculation system is a plumbing system that moves hot water to fixtures quickly without waiting for the water to get hot. Rather than relying on low water pressure, common in most water lines, recirculating systems rapidly move water from a water heater to the fixtures.
System Types 
  • dedicated loop:  The circulation pump for this system is mounted on a pipe connected to the water heater tank down low. This is the cooler side of the loop, or the return.
    The hot water pipe is installed in a loop throughout the home, passing near each plumbing fixture. At each fixture, a short pipe connects the loop to the hot water valve. Because hot water is constantly circulating through the hot water loop, any time a valve is opened, it takes only a fraction of a second for hot water to reach the valve.
This helps extend the lifespan of the pump. If the home is not occupied, this pump will be probably be unplugged because the seller doesn’t want to pay for its operation in an empty house.
  • integrated loop:  This system is typically used on retrofits but may also be installed on new construction. It consists of a pump installed under the plumbing fixture farthest from the water heater. The pump contains a sensor which switches the pump on when water temperature drops below 85° F, and switches it off when water temperature reaches 95° F. Newer pumps are adjustable from 77° to 104° F.In this system, hot water is re-circulated intermittently. Hot water is returned to the water heater via the cold water pipes. This raises the temperature of the cold water slightly, but it returns to the usual cold temperature in a short time.

Activation

Hot water recirculation systems are most commonly activated by either a thermostat or a timer. Systems that use a thermostat or timer automatically turn the pump on whenever the water temperature drops below a set point, or when the timer reaches a certain setting. These systems ensure that hot water is always available at the faucet.

Do they really save energy and water?

Regardless of whether they are controlled manually or automatically, recirculation systems reduce the amount of water that goes down the drain while the homeowner waits for the desired temperature. This fact allows for the following three advantages over conventional water distribution systems:hot water recirculation systems

  • They save time. Recirculating systems deliver hot water to faucets quickly, adding convenience for the homeowner.
  • They conserve water. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Census Bureau, between 400 billion and 1.3 trillion gallons of water (or close to 2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools) are wasted nationally by households per year while waiting for water to heat up.
  • They limit municipal energy waste. The DOE estimates that 800 to 1,600 kilowatt-hours per year are used to treat and pump the water to households that will eventually be wasted while the occupant waits for tap water to warm to the desired temperature.

If recirculation systems pump continuously, however, they have the potential to use significantly more energy. For a modest-sized pump, this might be 400 to 800 KWH a year if the pump runs all the time. Also, heat loss from the pipes can be significant if the hot water pipes are poorly insulated. This will result in the hot water heater running more. This added heat may be a benefit in the winter, but heat loss may add heat to the house in the summer and may result in higher bills for use of air conditioning.

Rebates

Some jurisdictions, particularly in areas where water is scarce, offer rebates on the purchase and installation of hot water recirculation systems. The cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, for instance, offer a $100 rebate for homeowners who purchase a hot water recirculation system. The city of Scottsdale, Arizona, offers up to $200 for residential property owners who install theses systems, although they must comply with UL-product and installation standards. Some systems may not comply with efficiency standards set by these municipalities.

Availability and Cost

Hot water recirculation systems are available nationwide from manufacturers, distributors, plumbing wholesale supply warehouses, and at selected retail home stores. The initial cost of dedicated systems may prevent some homeowners from installing these systems, as they require the purchase and installation of a pump and a large amount of piping. Integrated systems, by contrast, require only a pump and fittings. Energy savings will vary, depending on the design of the plumbing system, method of control and operation, and homeowner use. The system is easily installed and costs less than $400.

Inspection Considerations

These systems all require an in-line air valve and shut-off valve. Other requirements will vary with the installation’s configuration, but may include a check valve and an additional shut-off valve.  The pump may be connected to a sensor with high and low temperature limits so that the pump circulates water through the loop only when the sensor calls for it.

Inspections should be limited to the system’s proper operation.

In summary, hot water redistribution systems are innovative plumbing systems that can save water and energy in certain circumstances.
Note:  The terms “dedicated” and “integrated” are descriptive terms invented for the purposes of this article. No universal, suitable terms were found to describe these system types during research.


From Hot Water Recirculation Systems – InterNACHI http://www.nachi.org/hot-water-recirculation-systems.htm#ixzz34y8GNbkD

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Advantages of Solar Energy

Solar energy offers considerable advantages over conventional energy systems by nullifying flaws in those systems long considered to be unchangeable. Solar power for home energy production has its flaws, too, which are outlined in another article, but they’re dwarfed by the advantages listed below.

The following are advantages of solar energy:

  • Raw materials are renewable and unlimited. The amount of available solar energy is staggering — roughly 10,000 times that currently required by humans — and it’s constantly replaced. A mere 0.02% of incoming sunlight, if captured correctly, would be sufficient to replace every other fuel source currently used.advantages of solar energy Granted, the Earth does need much of this solar energy to drive its weather, so let’s look only at the unused portion of sunlight that is reflected back into space, known as the albedo. Earth’s average albedo is around 30%, meaning that roughly 52 petawatts of energy is reflected by the Earth and lost into space every year. Compare this number with global energy-consumption statistics.  Annually, the energy lost to space is the combined equivalent of 400 hurricanes, 1 million Hoover Dams, Great Britain’s energy requirement for 250,000 years, worldwide oil, gas and coal production for 387 years, 75 million cars, and 50 million 747s running perpetually for one year (not to mention 1 million fictional DeLorean time machines!).
  • Solar power is low-emission. Solar panels produce no pollution, although they impose environmental costs through manufacture and construction. These environmental tolls are negligible, however, when compared with the damage inflicted by conventional energy sources:  the burning of fossil fuels releases roughly 21.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
  • Solar power is suitable for remote areas that are not connected to energy grids. It may come as a surprise to city-dwellers but, according to Home Power Magazine, as of 2006, 180,000 houses in the United States were off-grid, and that figure is likely considerably higher today. California, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have long been refuges for such energy rebels, though people live off the grid in every state. While many of these people shun the grid on principle, owing to politics and environmental concerns, few of the world’s 1.8 billion off-the-gridders have any choice in the matter. Solar energy can drastically improve the quality of life for millions of people who live in the dark, especially in places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where as many as 90% of the rural population lacks access to electricity. People in these areas must rely on fuel-based lighting, which inflicts significant social and environmental costs, from jeopardized health through contamination of indoor air, to limited overall productivity.

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  • Solar power provides green jobs. Production of solar panels for domestic use is becoming a growing source of employment in research, manufacture, sales and installation.
  • Solar panels contain no moving parts and thus produce no noise. Wind turbines, by contrast, require noisy gearboxes and blades.
  • In the long run, solar power is economical. Solar panels and installation involve high initial expenses, but this cost is soon offset by savings on energy bills.  Eventually, they may even produce a profit on their use.
  • Solar power takes advantage of net metering, which is the practice of crediting homeowners for electricity they produce and return to the power grid. As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, public electric utilities are required to make available, upon request, net metering to their customers. This practice offers an advantage for homeowners who use solar panels (or wind turbines or fuel cells) that may, at times, produce more energy than their homes require. If net metering is not an option, excess energy may be stored in batteries.
  • Solar power can mean government tax credits. U.S. federal subsidies credit up to 30% of system costs, and each state offers its own incentives. California, blessed with abundant sunshine and plagued by high electric rates and an over-taxed grid, was the first state to offer generous renewable-energy incentives for homes and businesses.
  • Solar power is reliable. Many homeowners favor solar energy because it is virtually immune to potential failings of utility companies, mainly in the form of political or economic turmoil, terrorism, natural disasters, or brownouts due to overuse. The Northeast Blackout of 2003 unplugged 55 million people across two countries, while rolling blackouts are a part of regular life in some South Asian countries, and occasionally in California and Texas.
  • Solar power conserves foreign energy expenditures. In many countries, a large percentage of earnings is used to pay for imported oil for power generation. The United States alone spends $13 million per hour on oil, much of which comes from Persian Gulf nations. As oil supplies dwindle and prices rise in this politically unstable region, these problems continue to catalyze the expansion of solar power and other alternative-energy systems.
In summary, solar energy offers advantages to conventional fossil fuels and other renewable energy systems.

From Advantages of Solar Energy – InterNACHI http://www.nachi.org/advantages-solar-energy.htm#ixzz34RmAv9Yd

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10 Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home

10 Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home. Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at Signature Home Services, we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves.

Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:energy-improvements

  • Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous for homeowners in most parts of the U.S.
  • It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
  • It increases the comfort level indoors.
  • It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
  • It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

1. Find better ways to heat and cool your house. 

As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

  • Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require a large amount of energy.
  • Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
  • Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70° F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
  • Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
  • Install a wood stove or a pellet stove. These are more efficient sources of heat than furnaces.
  • At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

2. Install a tankless water heater.

Demand-type water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with traditional storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. A gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

3. Replace incandescent lights.

The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Traditional incandescent lights convert approximately only 10% of the energy they consume into light, while the rest becomes heat. The use of new lighting technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), can reduce the energy use required by lighting by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time that lights are on but not being used. Here are some facts about CFLs and LEDs:

  • CFLs use 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
  • LEDs last even longer than CFLs and consume less energy.
  • LEDs have no moving parts and, unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury.

4. Seal and insulate your home.

Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy-efficient, and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills.

The following are some common places where leakage may occur:

  • electrical receptacles/outlets;
  • mail slots;
  • around pipes and wires;
  • wall- or window-mounted air conditioners;
  • attic hatches;
  • fireplace dampers;
  • inadequate weatherstripping around doors;
  • baseboards;
  • window frames; and
  • switch plates.

Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating, such as:

  • Plug the large holes. Locations in the attic where leakage is most likely to be the greatest are where walls meet the attic floor, behind and under attic knee walls, and in dropped-ceiling areas.
  • Seal the small holes. You can easily do this by looking for areas where the insulation is darkened. Darkened insulation is a result of dusty interior air being filtered by insulation before leaking through small holes in the building envelope. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. In warmer weather, you’ll find water staining in these same areas. Use expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Cover the areas with insulation after the caulk is dry.
  • Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foamboard insulation in the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel. If you have pull-down attic stairs or an attic door, these should be sealed in a similar manner.

5. Install efficient shower heads and toilets.

The following systems can be installed to conserve water usage in homes:

  • low-flow shower heads. They are available in different flow rates, and some have a pause button which shuts off the water while the bather lathers up;
  • low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of 2 gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have “1.6 GPF” marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank;
  • vacuum-assist toilets. This type of toilet has a vacuum chamber that uses a siphon action to suck air from the trap beneath the bowl, allowing it to quickly fill with water to clear waste. Vacuum-assist toilets are relatively quiet; and
  • dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.

6. Use appliances and electronics responsibly.

Appliances and electronics account for about 20% of household energy bills in a typical U.S. home. The following are tips that will reduce the required energy of electronics and appliances:

  • Refrigerators and freezers should not be located near the stove, dishwasher or heat vents, or exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to warm areas will force them to use more energy to remain cool.
  • Computers should be shut off when not in use. If unattended computers must be left on, their monitors should be shut off. According to some studies, computers account for approximately 3% of all energy consumption in the United States.
  • Use efficient ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, include TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers, and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.
  • Chargers, such as those used for laptops and cell phones, consume energy when they are plugged in. When they are not connected to electronics, chargers should be unplugged.
  • Laptop computers consume considerably less electricity than desktop computers.

7. Install day lighting as an alternative to electrical lighting.

Day lighting is the practice of using natural light to illuminate the home’s interior. It can be achieved using the following approaches:

  • skylights. It’s important that they be double-pane or they may not be cost-effective. Flashing skylights correctly is key to avoiding leaks;
  • light shelves. Light shelves are passive devices designed to bounce light deep into a building. They may be interior or exterior. Light shelves can introduce light into a space up to 2½ times the distance from the floor to the top of the window, and advanced light shelves may introduce four times that amount;
  • clerestory windows.  Clerestory windows are short, wide windows set high on the wall. Protected from the summer sun by the roof overhang, they allow winter sun to shine through for natural lighting and warmth; and
  • light tubes.  Light tubes use a special lens designed to amplify low-level light and reduce light intensity from the midday sun. Sunlight is channeled through a tube coated with a highly reflective material, and then enters the living space through a diffuser designed to distribute light evenly.

8. Insulate windows and doors.

About one-third of the home’s total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors. The following are ways to reduce energy lost through windows and doors:

  • Seal all window edges and cracks with rope caulk. This is the cheapest and simplest option.
  • Windows can be weatherstripped with a special lining that is inserted between the window and the frame. For doors, apply weatherstripping around the whole perimeter to ensure a tight seal when they’re closed. Install quality door sweeps on the bottom of the doors, if they aren’t already in place.
  • Install storm windows at windows with only single panes. A removable glass frame can be installed over an existing window.
  • If existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, missing putty, poorly fitting sashes, or locks that don’t work, they should be repaired or replaced.

9. Cook smart.

An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. The following recommendations and statistics illustrate less wasteful ways of cooking:

  • Convection ovens are more efficient that conventional ovens. They use fans to force hot air to circulate more evenly, thereby allowing food to be cooked at a lower temperature. Convection ovens use approximately 20% less electricity than conventional ovens.
  • Microwave ovens consume approximately 80% less energy than conventional ovens.
  • Pans should be placed on the matching size heating element or flame.
  • Using lids on pots and pans will heat food more quickly than cooking in uncovered pots and pans.
  • Pressure cookers reduce cooking time dramatically.
  • When using conventional ovens, food should be placed on the top rack. The top rack is hotter and will cook food faster.

10. Change the way you do laundry.

  • Do not use the medium setting on your washer. Wait until you have a full load of clothes, as the medium setting saves less than half of the water and energy used for a full load.
  • Avoid using high-temperature settings when clothes are not very soiled. Water that is 140° F uses far more energy than 103° F for the warm-water setting, but 140° F isn’t that much more effective for getting clothes clean.
  • Clean the lint trap every time before you use the dryer. Not only is excess lint a fire hazard, but it will prolong the amount of time required for your clothes to dry.
  • If possible, air-dry your clothes on lines and racks.
  • Spin-dry or wring clothes out before putting them into a dryer.
Homeowners who take the initiative to make these changes usually discover that the energy savings are more than worth the effort. Signature Home Inspectors can make this process much easier because they can perform a more comprehensive assessment of energy-savings potential than the average homeowner can.
Information provided by NACHI.org

Signature Home Inspection is a Certified Home Inspection service located in California serving Orange County, San Diego County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Contra Costa County, and San Bernardino County California.

www.signaturemore.com                                               888-860-2688

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