How To Make Your Home Green With Environmental Products
With the real threat of global climate change and increasing cost of fossil fuel, a savvy home owner would do well to think about ways to make his/her house more green. A great way to do this would be investing in some environmental products for the home.
A first step in ascertaining what products are needed in the house would be getting a home energy audit. This entails hiring a professional auditor to come to the house to conduct tests and pinpoint any wasteful or inefficient uses of electricity. This auditor will then prepare a report of recommendations for improvements to save energy and money. Often this will translate to a more comfortable home as well.
Heating and cooling the house tends to make up a high proportion of energy consumption. Installing a power efficient cooling and heating system in the house can help cut costs and environmental impact. Insulation is also important to help the climate control system working more efficiently, as it keeps the house cool in summer, and keeps the warmth in during winter. This can mean that a home owner can save around 20% on climate control costs.
Windows, when not sealed properly, will let drafts of air in and out of the home, dramatically affecting the cost of climate control. When that happens, the windows may need to be repaired or replaced. The home energy audit will let a home owner know which window needs to be attended to.
Keeping a swimming pool heated can be very costly. Installing a solar pool heating system can cut down expenses in most climates. Water from the pool is pumped through the pool filter, and a flow control valve will direct the water into a solar collector. The water is heated and returned to the pool, saving energy in the heating process.
The problem with traditional storage tank heaters is that they are very inefficient. First the water must be collected in a tank which requires plenty of power to heat. A lot of energy is needed to keep the water warm in the tank during standby due to heat loss. A tankless heater can save money for the home owner because it heats the water when it is needed, and requires much less power.
Ultimately, it is important to research all the environmental products to find the right solution for the home. There are many websites that lists different vendors for the products and services mentioned above. Some sites also have online communities where the consumer can get in contact with other green home owners, or take part in environmental challenges.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 28th, 2011 at 4:33 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.