Posts Tagged ‘solar power’

Hot Tub Energy Conservation

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Spending time relaxing in a hot tub can help ease the tension in your stressed body but it has adverse affect on your electric bill. If you do not know how to conserve energy properly, these devices can strain your pocketbook when they are using electricity to heat the water. To enjoy your hot tub without overspending on energy, here are some simple suggestions:

First of all, make sure you are equipped with a good spa cover. This will prevent water from quickly evaporating and helps conserve energy The cover will prevent heat from rising and prevents up to 85 percent of the total heat loss in your hot tub if it is properly fitted to your device. Make sure you use a hot tub cover when it is not in use.

Replace any old spa covers by throwing it away and getting a newer model to reduce heat leaks that often occur at the spa shell rim or at the hinge-fold. A higher quality cover will offer you several advantages. It lasts longer, saves energy, is more resistant to water absorption and helps the aesthetics of your spa.

Keep the area surrounding your hot tub private and also cut down wind exposure with a block of some sort. This will not only help you maintain privacy but also helps reduce heat loss. Effective windbreaks include the following: shrubs, spa enclosures and fencing. Use a coverall if that is your preference.

Most hot tubs have a high temperature limit of 104 F. To cut heating expenses, why not set it at 102F or lower? This will reduce your overall energy consumption since more energy is needed to heat the hot tub with each additional degree. Lowering pool temperature also reduces the number of chemicals needed to clean the hot tub.

To save additional dollars, turn down the thermostat if you plan to be away on vacation. If you intend to be gone for more than a week, set the thermostat to the lowest level or turn it off completely. However, be cautious because you should always use some heat during the winter months in order to prevent freezing damage to your pipes and plumbing.

For top quality spa covers at competitive prices, visit DiscountSpaCovers.com.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in pool | Comments Off

Save On Your Energy Costs By Draught Proofing Your Sash Windows

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

If you are going to save on your energy bills by draught proofing your sash windows, you might want to spend some extra time taking care of all of the draughts in your home and increase your overall energy costs. A home loses at least 25% percent of its total heat when it is draughty.

There are many areas in a home that may be draughty and identifying the areas where you are losing heat will be important. Because of their size and location, most heat is lost from sash windows and you will save a significant amount of money when you properly treat your sash windows for energy efficiency.

An easy way to check for heat loss in your home is to light a candle slowly move it around the frame of windows and doors. When the candle flickers, there is a draught that needs attention. There are a few steps you can take to help eliminate draughts from your sash windows that are affordable and relatively easy to carry out.

Using heavy drapes or curtains across the windows will stop immediate draughts in the room. The curtains that are used should have an energy efficient backing to repel heat and cold. If you have sash windows that have not been regularly maintained, there may be costs involved in making them energy efficient. Checking for available grants from the Energy Trust may offset the cost of replacing or repairing the windows in your home.

Using clear silicone bathtub caulking works very well if you have lose panes in your windows. Older sash windows often have panes that come loose. The silicone will seal the pane into the frame of the window and keep air from passing through any gaps.

When the windows are very old and have not been maintained regularly, you may need to have a secondary glazing completed by a professional to give them a bit more life. However, it will be important to make plans to have a professional group remove the windows and re-fit them with parting bead, foam, and seals to achieve the greatest benefit and save on your energy bills by draught proofing your sash windows.

If you are going to save on your energy bills by Sash window draught proofing, you might want to spend little extra time taking care of all of the draughts in your home in the form of sash window repairs London and decrease your general energy cost.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Green DIY Energy Makes DIY Solar Panels Possible

Monday, February 15th, 2010

If you are interested in helping to save the environment and do your bit to do that, then you might want to consider installing solar panels in your home. If you may have been turned off by the price in the past as readymade kits can be very expensive. However, there is another very viable option. These are DIY solar panels.

DIY solar panels tend to come in the form of some kind of kit. This kit will include all the basic components you need in order to construct your own solar panels. They will come with the panels in the solar cells although sometimes you may need to buy certain things separately.

Building your own solar panels also gives you a degree of versatility, such as where you can mount them, how many you want to have an various other important aspects. You can buy a DIY kit easily enough which will help you get started.

The kit will contain detailed instructions on how to set everything up. Is nothing like as difficult as you might expect and if you buy a kit, you shouldn’t need to buy anything else. You will have the solar cells on the panels themselves and everything else you need to get started.

However, many people want what they consider to be a more down to earth and practical the advantages of installing solar panels. Well there is one. Most obviously, you will be able to save money on your electricity bills. It depends where you live and how much sun you get, but even in the wetter areas of the country, you should be able to save a considerable amount of money by installing solar panels.

The other advantage against is if the electricity goes off in the town, you should not be affected generally. In most cases, in the thunderstorm where the electricity goes off in the localized area, you will probably not have a problem with this.

It is unlikely that you will be able to power an entire home just using solar panels but he will be more than enough electricity to do basic tasks such as light the house and run a few appliances. You will still be using some electricity from the main grid in most cases, but your electricity bills will be very significantly reduced.

Ready to start your solar panel project with Green DIY Energy and start saving money? Then you need to get the full scoop at the Green DIY Energy review and learn why I loved it. Start your solar panel project today!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in outdoors | Comments Off