Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Icicles

Are you wondering why you have so many icicles on the edge of your roof?  Looking at your neighbors house, wondering why they don't.  Or perhaps, they have a few, but not nearly as many as you.  And one more question, why is the snow melted on your roof, but not your neighbors?

One answer....Ice Dams.

Ice dams are formed after a snowfall and several days of freezing temperatures.  The heat from inside of your home rising into your attic, and causes the snow on the roof to melt.  The water from the melted snow runs down your roof and freezes when it gets to the overhang. This part of your roof that hangs out past your house is cold, because it doesn't have the heat from the attic rising into it.

The next question you may be asking, "How do I get rid of ice dams?"

Two answers....attic ventilation and insulation.

First of all, make sure your attic is properly insulated.  This will help keep the heat from your home, in your home. 

Second, proper attic ventilation will help keep the roof the same temperature as the outside air.  This will keep the snow on your roof from melting.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Save on Entertainment

With the new year upon us, it is a good idea to take a look at our budget and think of ways to save.

Take a look at your entertainment budget.  Are you splurging more than you should?

One thing we may not think about very often is our television entertainment.  With the new age of the internet and computers, how often do you actually watch that movie channel.  And, are there other ways to watch movies.

Most new television models have a plug for your computer, so they may be used as a monitor.  Others even have network accessibility, in which they can be used just like a computer.

If you have your internet thru the same provider as your television, you can probably watch all of those shows that you dvr, online. 

So, take a few minutes this month to review what you're watching, and see if there isn't some way to save on that much dreaded cable bill!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Programmable Thermostat

The cost of a low end thermostat is approximately $25.  Programmable thermostats are estimated to save up to 7% per month in utility costs.

Let's look at some numbers.  First of all, we'll be generous and for the sake of round numbers, let's say your gas bill averages $100 in the winter.  In just 3 months of winter, you will practically have the cost of the thermostat paid in full. 

If your gas bill is $300 a month, the programmable thermostat will pay for itself in just a little over one month.  The other 2 months of winter you will save the $21.  Not to mention the savings in the fall and spring, when the days are cold enough to run your furnace.

They are really easy to program.  Even most of the cheaper models have 4 different programming levels per day, and 2 cycles per week.  One cycle for weekdays and one programming cycle for weekends. 

As far as replacing the thermostat, there are directions in the box and they are easier to replace than setting up your average entertainment center or home computer system.