Things to do

 

Advertisement
Previous posts in The Fixie Chick blog
  • Green Your Weekend
  • Take The "Burn" out of Home Heating
  • Got Firewood?-Firewood May Be Scare This Year
  • Final Installment for September FC blog series: Ba...
  • Solar Site Analysis
  • Back To School? Links To Careers In Construction
  • Back To School? Links To Careers In Construction
  • Back To School? Constructor Certification
  • Back To School? Current Trends in Construction Emp...
  • Back-To-School? Consider Construction and Building...

    • The Fixie Chick blog Archives
  • 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
  • 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
  • 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007
  • 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007
  • 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007
  • 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007
  • 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007
  • 08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007
  • 09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007
  • 10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007
  • 11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007
  • 12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008
  • 01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008
  • 02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008
  • 03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008
  • 04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008
  • 05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008
  • 06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008
  • 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008
  • 08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008
  • 09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008
  • 10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008

    • The Fixie Chick blog


    Brenna Hartmann is the co-founder of Fixin'Chix Inc., a do-it-yourself enterprise that includes a comprehensive home improvement website; how-to workshops, seminars and publications; and a product line. Brenna is dedicated to empowering women "do-it herselfers" (DIHers) who have the passion and desire to improve their homes. Brenna writes the popular Fixie Chick home improvement column found in Home & Yard Handbook, and is the co-host of "Home & Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick" on 950 ESPN. Brenna lives in Webster with her husband and two children.

    Friday, October 17, 2008

    Green Your Weekend-Give Your Furnace Some TLC


    Here's an easy way to "Green Your Weekend" without spending too much green!

    Give your heating system a little TLC!

    A well maintained furnace equals a more efficient furnace! Efficiency is always key to saving-no matter the topic. So, this weekend, spend a little one-on-one time with your furnace.
    Here's how to spend that time:
    Vacuum around the unit, including the ducts. Then wipe him down with a damp cloth. Change his filter-(if you are feeling really green, you may want to upgrade to a non-disposable furnace filter, which requires occasional cleaning with soap and water) If you opt for a disposable filter, note on your calendar when the replacement time will be.

    Make sure the area around your furnace is free of clutter, clearing a space well around your unit is good fire safety practice and also makes it more accessible for your HVAC company.
    Purchase some self-adhesive foil-foam insulation tape and wrap all of your duct seams and all areas that are exposed to heat loss. If you are blowing air under pressure into a duct system that leaks like a sieve, you are going to loose conditioned air into non-living spaces, which will dramatically reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.

    And, DON'T use DUCT TAPE! The rubberized adhesive will dry out over time. If possible, make sure the areas in which your ducts are run are insulated.

    If you haven't already, upgrade to a programmable thermostat. This way your are only increasing(in winter)/decreasing (summer) the temperature during the times of day that it's necessary.

    One of the easiest ways to improve efficiency is to schedule a regular maintenance plan that takes care of professional cleaning and inspection of your HVAC unit.

    Tune into Home&Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick Saturday at 10:00 on 950am to hear more information on HVAC efficiency and learn what a 15-point furnace clean and inspect is all about.

    Check back to this blog on Monday for more ways to Green Your Weekend with the Fixie Chick.
    -The Fixie Chick

    posted by Fixie Chick at 11:01 AM

    0 Comments:

    Post a Comment

    << Home