View Single Post
Old 01-22-2011, 08:54 PM   #2 (permalink)
Ford Man
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Russellville, KY
Posts: 540
Thanks: 8
Thanked 33 Times in 27 Posts
For heating small amounts of water for things such as washing dishes warm it by running a pot of water though the coffee maker instead of using it from the water heater and having to replace it with cold water that will lower the temperature of all the water in the water heater making it run more frequently. If you are on a public water system this also saves gallons on your water bill not having to let the water run until the hot water travels from the water heater to the fauset.

I'm not sure how much this is going to help, but I'm getting ready to have a metal roof put on my house and am going to install aluminum radiant barrier between the existing roof and the new metal roof. I requested samples of radiant barrier from some suppliers before making this decision and one of them sent a sample about 8"X12" so I conducted my own experiment using it and a portable kerosene heater. I placed the barrier directly on the metal protective grill of the heater for a few minutes then put my hand near the barrier and could feel very little if any heat on that side of the barrier. Then I felt to see if the barrier was hot on the side away from the heater and I could place my hand directly on the barrier and left it there for a few minutes and felt very little if any heat coming through. After this I removed the barrier and even the side that was within 3" of the heater itself and had been exposed to the metal protective grill was even cool.

When spring gets here I also plan to build an incasement around my central a/c unit and cover it with radiant barrier to help keep the condensor cooler which should also help lower a/c costs.
__________________



  Reply With Quote