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Home Energy Savings

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
If you look at several of my posts here, you will see I am conscious of my energy costs. We updated to LED lights in our shop. Better light. Brighter. Less frequent replacement on bulbs. Given it being summer, my electric bills are always higher. I really won't know until next winter if it saved me much. I also updated our Dusk til Dawn light to LED. Definitely brighter. Energy savings? To be determined.

I have always felt insulation is the best way to save money. It is not a fun purchase like a TV or quad or gun. It will pay you back quickly though. There is not a lot of insulation I can add at this point without getting expensive. I have my attic stuffed. I can not easily access walls where it might help. Insulating my attached garage would likely help but I haven't done this yet.

Our house has been added onto. Our furnace doesn't run due to the outdoor wood boiler. We don't even turn on the gas. Haven't had a gas bill for roughly 5 years. When we added on, we no longer had a way to vent the water heater. Our only option is a power vent model gas water heater. They are expensive. I haven't done this yet, but haven't ruled it out. In the summer, our electric bill is nearly twice what it is in the winter. One reason is the AC. I believe we are undersized on the condenser and it is working hard. It is also around 20yrs old. I am guessing it would help. The other reason is the electric hot water heater has to work in the summer. In the winter months our OWB pre-heats the water going into it so the elements never kick on. In the summer we don't burn wood so it is all electric powered hot water. Three teenage kids (12-15.5yr old) suck the hot water like no other.

I am slowly upgrading bulbs to LED or the curly Energy Star bulbs.

Outside of ensuring the house is tight, free of air leaks, any other suggestions? I figured this could help a lot of people on here. Our money doesn't go as far as it used to. Any savings to our bills go farther than additional income. Adding income isn't always an option.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
Ever explore point of use/on demand hot water?

I have a whole house tankless system hooked up to my a 80 gallon hot water tank that acts like a warm water cistern (its not even wired up). It simply holds warm water produced from my geothermal system as a by product. I take the warm water on demand from the tank and heat it up to my desired household water temperature which is currently 120 degrees through the tankless. I'm only paying for electric when the hot water is running.

I have a separate point of use system in my accessory building as well.

Look up: Tank the Tank.
http://tankthetank.com/

My electric bills average about $ 170/ mo. whole house (2100 sq ft), family of 4. 70 degrees set year round.
 

Dustinb80

#FACKCANCER
Supporting Member
18,172
187
S.W. Ohio
We have been tossing around the idea of new windows. Its a big purchase, and a little steep for us right now. Hopefully w/I the next 3-4 years. I know I need to get into my attic to check my insulation level.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
We have been tossing around the idea of new windows. Its a big purchase, and a little steep for us right now. Hopefully w/I the next 3-4 years. I know I need to get into my attic to check my insulation level.

I did mine in stages... Got the bigger ones done first and then moved on the the more standard ones a few years later... Did them myself with he help of my neighbor as my big ones were over 70" wide....
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
We have been tossing around the idea of new windows. Its a big purchase, and a little steep for us right now. Hopefully w/I the next 3-4 years. I know I need to get into my attic to check my insulation level.

Windows and insulation are NOT fun to purchase. Spend money up front. Get repaid in monthly savings after. If you can get over the initial expense, it really helps the monthly bills for years to come. Like J, I have done it in phases as well.

Ben- I don't have geothermal. Our water comes from a well at roughly 55 degrees. I'm not sure if it would work as well without geothermal. I didn't have time to do much more than scan the website you linked.
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
For Windows: I went with Window Nation vinyl double hung a couple years prior to selling my last house. They are made by Softlite here in Streetsboro, Ohio. Have a lifetime warranty. I bought 28 of them. I noticed a significant drop on my gas usage prior to selling that home.

Yes Phil. A tankless will work in your application. You'd be drawing through your water softener into a would be tankless system. You'll have about a G note in your new setup.
 

Quantum673

Black Hat Cajun
Supporting Member
Windows and insulation are NOT fun to purchase. Spend money up front. Get repaid in monthly savings after. If you can get over the initial expense, it really helps the monthly bills for years to come. Like J, I have done it in phases as well.

Ben- I don't have geothermal. Our water comes from a well at roughly 55 degrees. I'm not sure if it would work as well without geothermal. I didn't have time to do much more than scan the website you linked.

If water temp is 55 coming in you will just want to make sure the POU water heater has enough power to heat to your desired level. If looking at electric it will take a little higher KW unit to achieve the desired results. If a 9kw heater would normally do the job you would want a 11kw or 13kw to heat the extra needed. I would still think the energy saved by not constantly heating stored water would benefit in the long run. The biggest thing for us though wad the space savings and never running out of hot water.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
If water temp is 55 coming in you will just want to make sure the POU water heater has enough power to heat to your desired level. If looking at electric it will take a little higher KW unit to achieve the desired results. If a 9kw heater would normally do the job you would want a 11kw or 13kw to heat the extra needed. I would still think the energy saved by not constantly heating stored water would benefit in the long run. The biggest thing for us though wad the space savings and never running out of hot water.

WIth a teenage daughter. . . .If this thing breaks even on price vs savings. . . .It would be worth it. She is the biggest hot water hog! lmao
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
My house has lights for days...we’ve slowly converted to LED bulbs over time. Just put some 100W ones in the garage and man did the amount of light make a huge difference! My can lights seem to be lasting a lot longer as well. Savings, not real sure as my house is 100% electric and comparing months is hard to do with Ohio weather. I can tell you that the can lights have saved me money because they last longer.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
My house has lights for days...we’ve slowly converted to LED bulbs over time. Just put some 100W ones in the garage and man did the amount of light make a huge difference! My can lights seem to be lasting a lot longer as well. Savings, not real sure as my house is 100% electric and comparing months is hard to do with Ohio weather. I can tell you that the can lights have saved me money because they last longer.
I have a couple LED bulbs in places like the garage and front and back porches but that's it. They put out a ton of light but i dont care for the light color. The bathrooms have CFL. But the bulk of my interior lighting is par 20 halogen can lights, i believe i have around 17 of them.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I have a couple LED bulbs in places like the garage and front and back porches but that's it. They put out a ton of light but i dont care for the light color. The bathrooms have CFL. But the bulk of my interior lighting is par 20 halogen can lights, i believe i have around 17 of them.

Spend the coin and get the LED bulbs for those junk ass can lights. Took me about 6-8 months to complete just the can light in my house. I’ve never counted them, but I’d guess we have close to 50 at my place. Guy that built the house must’ve bought a container full of them or something.
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I replaced all of our halogen light fixtures in the kitchen two years ago with LED's. at the same time I installed dimmer switches on every one of them because of how bright they are. these particular fixtures don't have "bulbs", but rather strips of diodes or whatever. not replaceable, but supposed to last 40 years or something. our electric bill went down about $10 a month from replacing those energy hogging, expensive halogen light fixtures. I'm going to replace all the fluorescent shop lights in my shop with LED this year. Joe, you can get softer, warmer LED light bulbs. I prefer the cool, bright blue light for shop and kitchen, anyplace where I working and need to see really good. I do like warmer light in other living spaces, though.

We replaced our old furnace and heat pump (they were here and only a couple years old when we bought the house) with much more efficient furnace and A/C unit. Our electric bill went down about 30%, including running the air in summer time, and our house has never been more comfortable. I would have replaced that low end furnace years ago, if I had only known what a difference it has made.

next project for me is to replace our exterior doors. we have two sets of French doors in our lower level, and they are total junk. drafty, poorly insulated and the sills are disintegrating. I may hire a pro to do it for me, though. happily taking recommendations on quality doors. the only good door on this house is the Anderson slider that I installed when we built a deck off the upper level from the kitchen.
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I replaced all of our halogen light fixtures in the kitchen two years ago with LED's. at the same time I installed dimmer switches on every one of them because of how bright they are. these particular fixtures don't have "bulbs", but rather strips of diodes or whatever. not replaceable, but supposed to last 40 years or something. our electric bill went down about $10 a month from replacing those energy hogging, expensive halogen light fixtures. I'm going to replace all the fluorescent shop lights in my shop with LED this year. Joe, you can get softer, warmer LED light bulbs. I prefer the cool, bright blue light for shop and kitchen, anyplace where I working and need to see really good. I do like warmer light in other living spaces, though.

We replaced our old furnace and heat pump (they were here and only a couple years old when we bought the house) with much more efficient furnace and A/C unit. Our electric bill went down about 30%, including running the air in summer time, and our house has never been more comfortable. I would have replaced that low end furnace years ago, if I had only known what a difference it has made.

next project for me is to replace our exterior doors. we have two sets of French doors in our lower level, and they are total junk. drafty, poorly insulated and the sills are disintegrating. I may hire a pro to do it for me, though. happily taking recommendations on quality doors. the only good door on this house is the Anderson slider that I installed when we built a deck off the upper level from the kitchen.
I just put a LED light over the kitchen sink. Holy shit it's bright!



On a funny note, when I pulled the old light down, three mice and mouse poop fell all over me and the counter. They somehow got into the soffit.
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
one word, Mike. Dimmers.

nothing funny about Hantavirus. mice don't get to be in my kitchen very long. is the only trapping I ever do anymore. :)
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
Asking more about the mice issues. These guys were up in the kitchen soffit. Never saw or heard them. They were quite mummified.
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
lol, I had a 50/50 shot. google will provide better intel than I can give you about Hantavirus
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,291
212
North Central Ohio
I just stopped at Lowe's and they had some boxes of 4pcs. 48" T8 LED in 6500K on sale. I have 8 of the 48" double bulb fluorescent sets running 5000K in the garage and just had one bulb go out the other night. These are 32/ea, the LED's are 14w/ea.

Just installed two on the lamp that had the bad bulb.......oh yeah! I decided to install the other 2 in the end lamp on that row and save the old bulbs for the other lamps. I will definitely be switching over as they go out. I hope the LED's last longer than the normal bulbs and the cold weather start-up/shutdown appears like it won't be an issue anymore.

When we moved in I had standard 100w bulbs in each of the 4 ceiling sockets and the lighting sucked = 400w total
Then installed 8 of the 48" fluorescent lights and lighting was good = 32w/2per = 64w/fixture = 512w total
Once switched over to LED, going to be a surgical room = 14w/2per = 28w/fixture = 224 total
 
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