John Mansville AP Foil Faced Rigid Foam is a popular insulation applied to the exterior of an otherwise fiberglass insulated stud wall. At 2 inches thick, it has an insulation value of R-13. Added to an R-10, fiber batt insulated, 5.5 inch stud wall, you can achieve an R-33 wall. But you will need extension […]
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StyroFoam Rigid Insulation by Dow
Dow has a line of rigid foam board insulation in a number of thicknesses from .5 inch to 3 inches, with various ways of being joined at the edges. There is a board with grooves to be used for wrapping neatly around curved surfaces. With 3.5 inches of Ownes Corning’s CoreBond spray in foam between […]
LP Gas Boiler for Hot Water
They are called “On Demand Boilers” and they begin heating the water at the moment you turn on the faucet. The rest of the day, no energy is being consumed keeping a tank of water up to temperature. It makes sense. Winterizing a house is easier too. You don’t have to empty the water tank. […]
Exterior Wall Insulation
The minimum R-value for a LEED certified, energy efficient home is about to reach R-30. In a conventional stick framed home with 5.5 inch studs, fiberglass doesn’t offer this level of insulation. Many add 2 inches of rigid foam insulation to the outside of the studs. This works. You can achieve an R-35, but you […]
Energy Efficient Refrigerator
As it happens, your refrigerator is one of the three largest consumers of electricity in a small home. A new refrigerator that is Energy Star rating compliant will require roughly 400 kwh/year. At regional rates, that might range between $50 and $100 per year on your electric bill. A 20 year old refrigerator could consume […]
Energy Efficient Washer Dryer Combo
This is electric, but runs at 55 watts. It is a washer and dryer combination that holds up to 11 pounds of laundry. I tried weighing 11 pounds of laundry. Its surprisingly large. This unit will save space, which saves a lot of money in itself. I believe it will keep up with the laundry […]
Backup Generator on Propane Gas
A Honda generator can run on 3 different fuels; gasoline, natural gas, and LP (propane) gas. If you have a propane o natural gas heating system, it would be very convenient to tie your backup generator to your standard gas fuel which is delivered to your house dependably by you gas supplier. You don’t have […]