DIY: Home efficiency and maintenance tips.

DIY: Home efficiency and maintenance tips. Over the past few years I have been working toward living a "greener" lifestyle and at the same time saving some "$green$". I have come across a few tips that are simple and effective at shrinking your carbon footprint and growing your savings account. Here we go...

1. If you have a forced hot air furnace, change your filter. The filter simply slides out and can be replaced with slide-in, ready-to-fit filter, from most hardware stores. Change the filter in the fall and each month of the heating season. The efficiency of your furnace is affected by clogged filters. You can also usually find bundled packages of the filters and save by buying in bulk.
2. Have your furnace serviced and cleaned each year. Not only does this decrease the chances for failure and safety issues, it improves the overall efficiency and life expectancy of your heating system.
3. Wrapping the heating duct work in your basement or attic with duct work insulation can keep your heat working in the living area of your home, instead of heating up your basement or attic. If you already have insulated duct work, a quick once over to make sure there are no leaks or tears is a great way to ensure your prior work is still doing its job.                                              
4. Unplug your electronics chargers when they are not in use. The yield may seem small, but if you are like me, there are devices everywhere that require power. By unplugging the various chargers, you are doing yourself and the earth a favor.                                                
5. Run the vent fan in your bathroom for twenty minutes after taking a shower or bath. I know this may seem contrary to the energy efficiency idea, but the fan has a relatively small energy pull and the effects on your home can be considerable. By using the vent, you can reduce the amount of moisture in your bathroom. By decreasing the chance for mold and mildew growth, you increase the life of your paint job. One other thing to verify is that your vents' ductwork pumps the air outside. This can easily be dislodged and let the moist air pump into your attic.                                                                                                                                      

I hope these tips are helpful to you and that you save some energy and money.