Checklist. Take control and manage energy use in and around your home. Wise Energy Guide

Transcription

1 Checklist Take cotrol ad maage eergy use i ad aroud your home Wise Eergy Guide

2 Wise Eergy Guide checklist checklist This checklist is part of Uio Gas Wise Eergy Guide. It is desiged to help you carry out may of the eergy savig tips cotaied i the guide. You ll fid the iformatio valuable i makig your home more eergy efficiet ad i savig you moey o your eergy bills. It is importat to first read the Wise Eergy Guide. If you do t have a copy of this guide call Uio Gas at or visit uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy. We ll be happy to sed you a copy with our complimets. 1

3 HOW TO GET STARTED. IT S EASY! First, esure that you have read the Wise Eergy Guide. Secod, simply take the checklist, sharpe your pecil, ad give yourself about a hour. As you walk through your home, room by room, check off the jobs ad eergy-savig measures that are already i place. Put a stroke through the suggestios that do t apply to your home. The remaiig tasks are the eergy-savig jobs that still eed to be doe to make your home more efficiet ad comfortable. Sice everyoe s home is differet, there may be additioal eergysavig jobs required that are ot listed here. Jot them dow at the ed of each sectio i the space provided. Whe you ve completed the sectios of the checklist, group similar jobs oto the charts, which are provided at the back of the checklist. To make it easier to group the similar tasks, at the ed of each task we have icluded suggested groupig categories, i.e. Moisture Cotrol, Heatig ad Coolig Systems. Prioritize the tasks to be doe first. Determie which jobs you ca do yourself, icludig products ad tools eeded, ad which oes you eed a cotractor for. If your project requires the expertise of a professioal cotractor, make sure you obtai writte competitive price quotes to help you make the best decisio. To keep motivated, you may eve wat to put a proposed completio date beside each job! Although you ca complete the checklist aytime, it s ideal to do it o a very cold or widy day so you ca feel the drafts better, ad also, durig daylight hours to see if attic vetilatio is blocked. uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 2

4 ATTIC Check off those items already i place or completed ad stroke out those items that are ot applicable to your home. Let s start i the attic. Though it s ot always the easiest or most pleasat place to work, it is the first priority whe air sealig ad addig isulatio. No t e: You ll eed a ladder, ruler, flashlight, ad perhaps protective clothig ad eyewear especially if you ited to crawl ito the attic. The checklist ca usually be completed from the attic hatch. If the attic hatch is i a closet, be sure to clear everythig out before opeig the hatch. If your home is a side or backsplit, there may be more tha oe attic space. attic Roof joists look dry ad soud with o sigs of moisture damage (light frostig o the roof ails is commo if it is a very cold day). (Moisture Cotrol) All peetratios ito the attic, such as light fixtures, ceilig fas, plumbig stack(s), etc. are air sealed either from the attic side or from the ceilig side. Stadard pot lights eed to be air sealed, as they are a fire hazard. (Air Leakage Cotrol) The attic cotais at least 25 cm of isulatio that is evely distributed throughout the attic floor. (Isulatio) Exhaust fas vet directly out of the attic through special roof or soffit vets. Ductwork is isulated. (Moisture Cotrol)

5 Soffit vets are ope allowig air to easily eter the attic (should be able to see light comig up through the soffit vets if lookig durig daylight hours). (Moisture Cotrol) Roof or gable ed vets are ope ad light is comig through. (Moisture Cotrol) Attic hatch is weatherstripped, trim work is caulked, ad at least 10 cm of isulatio is permaetly attached to the backside of the hatch cover. (Air Leakage Cotrol ad Isulatio) Notes about the attic: uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 4

6 mai secod & MAIN & SECOND STOREY All exterior wall outlets ad switch plates are air sealed with foam gaskets behid the cover ad child safety caps are i place. The foam gaskets are caulked to the wall before reistallig the cover. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Baseboards are caulked either from behid the trim work or i frot where the trim meets the wall ad floor. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Trim work aroud widows ad doors is caulked ad weatherstripped iside the home. Caulkig ad weatherstrippig should be doe either behid the trim work or i frot where the trim meets the wall ad widow/door frame. (Air Leakage Cotrol) All mai floor ad secod storey widows are air sealed with weatherstrippig ad caulkig ad have a exterior storm widow or a iterior storm widow, such as heat-shrik plastic or magetic-acrylic iterior storms, applied i the witer. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Exterior doors are weatherstripped o the sides, top ad bottom. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Mail slot is sealed ad replaced with a outside mailbox. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Milk chute is weatherstripped ad/or filled with isulatio ad caulked shut. (Air Leakage Cotrol ad Isulatio) 5

7 Ay other peetratios through the exterior walls are air sealed iside. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Wood-burig fireplace has tight-fittig damper ad glass doors, ad o soot stais (which could idicate potetial backdraftig) above the opeig o the brick/stoe frot. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Wood-burig fireplace draws the smoke up the chimey every time it is used ad/or has its ow supply of outside air for combustio either from a earby widow or a direct vet from outside. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Exterior walls have sufficiet isulatio (isulatio ca ofte be see whe the electrical outlet cover is removed). Most houses built after 1950 have at least R-7 (about five to six ad oe half cm of isulatio i the walls). (Isulatio) I the witer, the thermostat is cosistetly lowered (o more tha 6 C) durig the day whe o oe is home ad durig the ight, while sleepig. This ca be doe maually or with the aid of a programmable setback thermostat. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 6

8 mai secod & MAIN & SECOND STOREY cotiued I the summer, if there is cetral air-coditioig, the thermostat is set betwee 24 C ad 26 C, but ever more tha 8 C below the outside temperature. (Settig should be set higher whe o oe is home.) (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Room air-coditioers, if used, are sized properly ad o timers. They oly require about 0 miutes to cool ad dehumidify a room, so there is o eed to have them o if o oe is home. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Widow air-coditioers are removed i the witer (so the widow shuts tightly) or sealed i place ad covered with a home-made or commercially made isulatig blaket for the witer moths. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Floor heat registers, baseboards, radiators ad retur air grills are kept clear of obstructios like rugs, drapes ad furiture. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Kitche appliaces are i good workig order, clea, ad have tight-fittig seals. (Appliaces) Kitche ad bathroom exhaust fas are used regularly to vet excess moisture ad odours directly outside. (Moisture Cotrol) 7

9 Eergy-efficiet showerheads are i place. (Water Coservatio) Eergy-efficiet faucet aerators are i place i the kitche ad bathroom siks. (Water Coservatio) Where feasible, lights that are used for at least three hours per day have bee replaced with a more eergy-efficiet bulb, such as a compact fluorescet or light emittig diode. (LED) (Lightig) As they eed replacig, all other secod storey rooms: stadard icadescet light bulbs are switched to reduced-wattage icadescet bulbs. (Lightig) Notes about the mai floor ad secod storey: uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 8

10 basemet BASEMENT & CRAWLSPACE Now let s head dow to the basemet, if you have oe. If your home oly has a crawlspace, try to take a look ito it to complete this sectio. If you have a ufiished basemet or crawlspace, check for air leaks by lookig for spider webs. Geerally, wherever there is a web, there is a draft. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Headers (the beams ito which the floor joists sit) ad the sillplate (the board which rests o the foudatio) are air sealed with caulkig or expadig foam. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Header area is filled with isulatio ad covered with a air/vapour barrier. The six millimetre poly vapour barrier is sealed at all edges ad seams with acoustical caulkig to form a air barrier. (Isulatio) All peetratios through basemet walls made by plumbig, electrical, heatig services, dryer vet, etc. are air sealed with caulkig or expadig foam. (Air Leakage Cotrol) All basemet widows are air sealed with weatherstrippig ad caulkig ad have a exterior storm widow or a iterior storm widow, such as heat-shrik plastic or magetic-acrylic iterior storms, applied i the witer. (Air Leakage Cotrol) 9

11 If there is a dirt floor, it is covered with six millimetres of poly, over-lapped, sealed at the seams ad to the basemet walls with acoustical caulkig to stop excess moisture from eterig your home. (Moisture Cotrol) All exterior basemet walls have more tha five cm of isulatio (miimum R-value of R-6 to R-10), ruig the full height, ad there is a sealed air/vapour barrier i place o the warm side of the isulatio (facig the room). If you are t able to see isulatio or air sealig behid fiished walls, you may wat to make a small hole to ivestigate. Oce you have ivestigated, remember to reseal the hole afterwards. (Isulatio) Six millimetre polyethylee vapour barriers are sealed at edges with acoustical caulkig to form a air barrier. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Furace ad air cleaer filters are cleaed/replaced every oe to two moths durig the heatig ad air-coditioig seasos. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Furace has a regular maiteace check doe by a heatig cotractor. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) The joits of furace ductwork are sealed with alumium foil tape. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Ductwork which rus through cool or uheated areas is taped, isulated, ad covered with a air/vapour barrier. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 10

12 basemet BASEMENT & CRAWLSPACE cotiued Hot water pipes are isulated for at least two metres ad cold water pipes are isulated at least oe metre from the water heater. For safety reasos, avoid placig ay pipe wrap isulatio withi the first 15 cm of the exhaust vet at the top of the water heater. (Isulatio) The water heater temperature should be set o lower tha 54 C ad ot higher tha 60 C. Refer to curret Otario Buildig Code for water temperature at that tap/water fixture. For geeral household use, the water heater temperature should be set o lower tha 54 C. Check the temperature of the water by holdig a cookig thermometer uder a ruig tap. (Appliaces) Dehumidifier operates i the sprig, summer ad fall to reduce humidity levels i the basemet. (Moisture Cotrol) Wood-burig fireplace has tight-fittig damper ad glass doors, ad o soot stais (which could idicate potetial backdraftig) above the opeig o the brick/stoe frot. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) Notes about the basemet & crawlspace: 11

13 OUTSIDE THE HOME Wood-burig fireplace draws the smoke up the chimey every time it is used ad/or has its ow supply of outside air for combustio either from a earby widow or a direct vet from outside. (Heatig ad Coolig Systems) outside Clothes dryer vets directly outside. (Moisture Cotrol) The dryer s exhaust hood closes tightly after each use (if it is ot closed, ad it is cold outside you may feel a draft iside the dryer chamber). Check the exhaust hood from outside to make sure the flap closes tightly. (Air Leakage Cotrol) Where feasible, lights that are used for at least three hours per day have bee replaced with a more eergy-efficiet bulb, such as a compact fluorescet. (Lightig) As they eed replacig, all other stadard icadescet bulbs are switched to reduced -wattage icadescet bulbs. (Lightig) Brickwork ad wood sidig is i soud coditio with o crumblig brick or peelig pait. If you do ecouter crumblig brick or peelig pait, it idicates that excessive moisture is escapig through the walls, istead of exitig through the exhaust fas. (Moisture Cotrol) uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy 12

14 OUTSIDE THE HOME There is a bead of caulkig aroud outside door ad widow frames (where the frame meets the brick or sidig) ad is i good coditio ad complete. (Moisture Cotrol) outside Exhaust hoods (dryer, kitche ad bathroom) are i good coditio ad clear of lit or dirt. (Air Leakage Cotrol) If it is a dull witer day ad there is sow, it is ot meltig o the roof or aroud the foudatio. (Isulatio) Dowspouts are coected ad drai well away from the foudatio wall. (Moisture Cotrol) Ladscapig aroud the foudatio is graded to ecourage water draiage away from the wall. (Moisture Cotrol) Notes about outside the home: 1

15 COMPARING FUEL COSTS fuel costs You may also be iterested i fuel cost differeces. Comparig the cost of fuels ca be a difficult thig to do as fuels are measured i differet uits. Oe simple way to make this cost compariso is to covert the differet fuels ito Btu per dollar (Btu/$1.00). The British thermal uit (Btu) is the basic eergy uit i the Imperial system. Heatig appliaces are geerally rated i Btu/hour which is the maximum amout of eergy that the uit will cosume or produce i oe hour. The samples provided are oly relevat for the efficiecy of the appliace ad fuel cost as oted. If you wat to compare equipmet at differet efficiecies or with your local fuel cost simply isert the ew umbers ito the formula ad recalculate the Btu/$1.00. Visit uiogas.com/residetial/rates for curret ad up to date rates ad cost comparisos iformatio. 14

16 Cogratulatios! Now that you ve completed the checklist, it s time to prioritize the eergysavig jobs left to do i your home. Fill i the chart below, otig the jobs you ca do ad the jobs eedig a cotractor. Oce a job is completed, check it off iside the pages of the Home Eergy Checklist. Whe you start your home o its Eergy Reducig Pla, we are cofidet you will be pleased with the results lower eergy bills ad greater comfort. Remember, if you have a atural gas or oil furace, atural gas water heater, ad/or atural gas appliaces, you must be sure to cotiue providig them with sufficiet combustio air. If you have ay questios or cocers regardig your atural gas equipmet or their operatio, please cotact your local heatig cotractor. Eergy-Savig Tasks Air Leakage Cotrol I Ca Do Need a Cotractor Completio Date Isulatio Moisture Cotrol Heatig ad Coolig Systems Lightig Appliaces Water Coservatio I Ca Do I Ca Do I Ca Do I Ca Do I Ca Do I Ca Do Need a Cotractor Need a Cotractor Need a Cotractor Need a Cotractor Need a Cotractor Need a Cotractor Completio Date Completio Date Completio Date Completio Date Completio Date Completio Date Prited o recycled paper usig evirometally-friedly iks. Uio Gas Limited /2010 UG CONSERVE SAVE COMFORT TM uiogas.com/eergyefficiecy