September 1, 1996
What is indoor air pollution?
"The quality of the indoor air in our homes and businesses is an issue of increasing concern," said Richard B. Hayter, director of Engineering Extension at Kansas State University. "Because we spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors, indoor air pollutant concentrations are frequently higher than corresponding outdoor pollutant levels."
"Manufacturers of products that contribute to indoor air pollution are making significant efforts to control the source of the pollutants because many of the pollutants are from malfunctioning equipment in homes," Hayter said. "I encourage homeowners to regularly inspect equipment in their homes that may produce such pollutants."
Lastly, proper ventilation of a home can assist in reducing the level of pollutants.
This should not, however, prevent homeowners from reducing the infiltration of air into their home by caulking and weather-stripping.
"These measures can be very effective in reducing energy costs, yet considerable infiltration can still exist even after these improvements have been made," Hayter said.
This infiltration typically will provide sufficient ventilation to prevent the adverse effects of most pollutants.
September 8, 1996
When I start my air conditioner in the evening, the air doesn't get really cold for about an hour. Is something wrong?
"No. The situation you described is not unusual," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University.
An air conditioner performs two functions — it cools the air and it dehumidifies. The total capacity of the unit is fixed and is used to perform both of these functions.
"If the unit has been off for several hours and the humidity in the home has increased substantially, your air conditioner uses a larger portion of its cooling capacity to remove moisture from the air," Meyer said. "This leaves less capacity to actually reduce the air temperature."
In addition, your home will be warmer when you start the unit. The delivery temperature will be higher as a result of higher return air temperature.
"Once the moisture and the inside temperature are reduced, the delivery temperature drops," Meyer said.
Which is the better method for insulating basement walls: exterior or interior insulation?
"Both methods can be used effectively to reduce heat loss, and each has advantages and disadvantages," said Bruce Snead, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.
The preferred method from a thermal standpoint is exterior rigid foam board insulation.
"It allows the concrete to interact thermally with the interior and helps reduce temperature fluctuations," Snead said.
Other advantages of exterior types of insulation are that they absorb lateral soil pressure, provide freeze-thaw protection, and reduce the possibility of mold and mildew.
"Exterior insulation for a basement wall is more expensive, however, and requires detailing work at the foundation-framing joint," Snead said.
Another disadvantage is that it must be protected from the weather where it is exposed.
"If termites are a potential problem, the soil must be treated properly, regardless of the insulating method you choose," Snead said.
Interior basement wall insulation is less costly and is easier to install. It also provides a finished living space with room in the walls for utilities.
"New construction should take advantage of access to the foundation and use the exterior approach," Snead said. "Remodeling or renovation of an existing home will likely involve the interior approach."
September 15, 1996
What routine maintenance is needed on my water heater?
"Water heaters typically require minimal maintenance, but they should not be completely ignored," said Richard B. Hayter, director of Engineering Extension at Kansas State University.
Over time, scale or sludge will collect in the bottom of the tank of the water heater.
"This sludge can be removed by opening the drain valve on the bottom of the water heater, and allowing the sludge to be discharged down a floor drain," Hayter said.
The valve should remain open only until the water flowing from it becomes clear. The frequency for removing sludge depends on the quality of water supplied to the home. Typically this maintenance should be performed every six months.
"If you have an older water heater with a valve that has never been opened, it may be too corroded to open by hand," Hayter said. "You may wish to omit this step as opposed to attempting to open the valve with a wrench."
If the water heater is warm to the touch, consider installing an insulation blanket around the tank. When insulating a gas water heater, avoid obstructing the air inlet at the bottom and do not cover the top of the water heater. If you have an electric water heater, you can insulate the sides and top.
"Be careful not to obstruct the pressure relief valve, which should exist on all water heaters," Hayter said.
Another important maintenance tip is to test the pressure relief valve periodically. It should be replaced if it drips or fails to shut completely after manual opening. Remember that the discharge from the valve will be hot.
Gas-, propane- and oil-fired water heaters should be checked for sooting inside the burner area. By removing the inspection cover, you can look inside the water heater for soot around the burner.
"Have a service technician remove this soot and make adjustments to reduce further soot build up," Hayter said.
Some water heaters use a sacrificial anode, which extends the life of the water heater. The owner's manual should indicate if the water heater is equipped with anodes. If so, they also should be periodically replaced by a service technician.
Water heaters will have at least one thermostat for controlling the temperature of the water in it. A gas-, propane- or oil-fired water heater will typically have a single thermostat that is located at the bottom of the tank, outside the exterior shell. Often it will not be calibrated in degrees but in adjectives such as warm, medium, hot.
"You should set the temperature so that you are satisfied with the cleanliness of clothes and dishes, but no hotter," Hayter said.
Typically home owners are satisfied with temperatures no higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit and many times will find that lower temperatures still will provide satisfactory results.
Electric water heaters may have two thermostats. They are commonly found behind access plates on the shell of the water heater. When setting those thermostats, disconnect the circuit breaker to the water heater. Remove the access plates and set the thermostats at 140 degrees or lower.
"If you have excess water heater capacity, you may wish to set the lower thermostat at a lower temperature or off, and the upper thermostat at the temperature which you desire for household use," Hayter said.
September 22, 1996
What are the suggested R-values for insulating the various components of a new home?
"Because some current Kansas prices for home heating fuels are low when compared with national averages, extra high insulation levels may be economically unreasonable in new homes," said Bruce Snead, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.
It is important to remember, however, that a new home should last 50 to 100 years and will probably exist through times when heating fuels are costly and even scarce.
What is important to remember is that appropriate levels of insulation are more easily and economically installed now, rather than being added later on," Snead said.
With this in mind, an appropriate range in R-values for each component of a house is as follows: ceilings, R-35 to R-45; walls, R-19 to R-27; floors, R-11 to R-19; basement walls, R-10 to R-20; slab edge insulation, R-10 to R-20.
Building materials, thicknesses, details, and budget all affect the final choice.
"Select an appropriate building system that will provide R-values within these ranges and see that materials are carefully installed with attention to creating a tight, well sealed building," Snead said.
How much does it cost me to heat my waterbed?
"The amount of electrical energy used to heat your waterbed will vary depending on the amount and type of covers used and the temperature of the house," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University.
If you were to monitor the energy used by your waterbed, results would indicate it would use about 50 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electrical energy per month. At $.08 per kwh, this totals about $3.80 per month.
Efforts can be made to minimize the heat loss from the bed. If an individual insulates the bottom of the waterbed with a 5/8-inch sheet of foam insulation, and uses a several blankets or a warm comforter, energy use will be lower.
"If keeping the bed warm allows you to maintain a much cooler house temperature during the winter, the cost can be offset by lower heat bills," Meyer said.
September 29, 1996
Do ceiling fans help save energy in a church?
Not significantly.
"A study done by The Interfaith Coalition on Energy (ICE) indicated that overall, ceiling fans were not effective in saving energy in religious buildings," said Gene Meyer, extension specialist in small business energy at Kansas State University.
Fans can be used, however, to increase the air velocity in a room. Room temperature air moving across the skin is perceived as cool.
"As a result, the same sensation of comfort can be achieved at higher thermostat settings if ceiling fans are used," Meyer said.
The energy savings that might result are from raising the thermostat set point a few degrees.
"Unfortunately, in moving the air, any warm air that may have collected near the ceiling in a church will be mixed with the conditioned air near the occupied level," Meyer said. "This will increase the load on the air conditioner."
Other problems may occur if the fans are used in the winter. Some people think there is warm air near the ceiling and that energy can be saved by mixing this warm air with the cooler air at pew level.
"The same wind chill effect that helped in the summer works against you in the winter," Meyer said.
Any energy saved in mixing the air is often offset by the need to raise the thermostat setting to compensate for increased air motion.
"In reality, few buildings have much temperature stratification; so you gain little by using a ceiling fan," Meyer said.
How much does it cost to operate a typical color television for a month?
"An average, solid-state, color television may be rated at 300 watts per hour of operation," said Bruce Snead, extension specialist in residential energy at Kansas State University.
If the average family watches four hours of television a day, this amounts to 1.2 kilowatt hours per day. A 30-day total would be 36 kilowatt hours.
"At eight cents per kilowatt hour, the cost would be about $2.88 a month," Snead said.