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Show Currently (ft Spealdngj)( By Moon Lake Klertrir Amnoc, Inc. WEATHERIZE WHILE THE WEATHER IS GOOD! The weather is nice and the days are long; it's not easy to think ahead to the storms and cold temperatures of the winter months ahead. Yet, now is the perfect time to take a few simple steps to protect your comfort and energy budget from the effects of coming bad weather. A house is like a ship floating in a sea of air. The air tries to force its way in, like water, through every crack. In winter, the cold air that leaks in has to be heated, and it forces other, already heated air to leak out. Here are two suggestions from the U.S. Department of Energy for keeping hot and cold air where they belong. PLUG THE HOLES When people think of caulking and weatherstripping, they generally think of windows and doors. But most energy studies find that only 20 percent of that costly infiltration comes through these places. The other 80 percent gets in underneath the baseboards, through wall outlets, through holes where plumbing pipes and telephone wires enter the house, through holes around exhaust fans, around dryer vents, and around skin and bathtub drain pipes as they exit from the house. These gaps and holes should all be caulked or stuffed stuff-ed with insulation. The electrical outlets can be sealed with inexpensive gaskets that can be purchased at hardware stores. Turn off the electrical current switch for the outlets in question, remove the plastic cover plates with a screwdriver, insert the gaskets, reattach the plates and turn the current back on. 1 DON'T DUCK THE DUCTWORK Where your heating and-or air-conditioning air-conditioning ducts pass through the living areas of the house, there is no need to insulate them. Where they pass through unfinished attics or basements, they are an important cause of money loss. Covering ducts can save up to $100 a year in heating costs and $35 in central air-conditioning costs. The most inexpensive approach is to use two-inch foil-backed insulation and to do the ducts yourself, remembering to keep the foil backing outward. It is most important to seal the cracks between each section of ducting with flexible caulk before you add the insulation. in-sulation. Hidden air leaks coming from these cracks can limit the effectiveness of the insulation. Encircle the ducts with insulation. Use duct, , tape. Jo,.sealrall,, the, cracks between each section of insulation, and also seal the seam where each piece of insulation joins itself. |