Author Archives: Walter Brant

Here are two definitions used in this article. The “R-value” of a wall or a sheet of insulation is its ability to resist heat flowing through it, due to the reflection of heat radiation and also the conduction through it. It does not indicate how much energy is lost due to air leaking through theContinue reading “How Handy Homeowners Can Insulate Their Walls”

1. Hang outdoor thermometers outside one or two windows on each floor. Then, you can tell at a glance when the outside air is cooler than the air in your home, and open windows, turn off the air conditioning, and put fans in or next to the windows. You could, instead, mount a thermometer insideContinue reading “Energy Tips for Using Fans”

Insulating window film is thin, plastic film which you stick onto the glass. Some types are glued on, but most stick on by “static cling”. It is often confused with “window kit shrink film”, which is clear plastic film insulation that is mounted to the window frame and heated with a hair dryer to makeContinue reading “Lower Your Utility Bills with Insulating Window Film”

If you heat and cool your house with a central heat pump, these energy tips will help you to greatly reduce your electric costs. To learn ways to save energy when purchasing a heat pump, see Heat Pump Efficiency. Hire an HVAC contractor to do a tune-up and inspection every one or two years. TheContinue reading “How to Save Electricity When Using a Heat Pump”

If the floor beneath your basement door is concrete, there may be no threshold below the door. Often there was one originally, but the screws that mounted it have rusted away. It may not have been replaced because the people living there were unable to mount one to concrete. Do not mount a door sweepContinue reading “How to Seal the Gap Under a Basement Door”