Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tips to Save on Electricity


Essentially, there are only two approaches to reducing that monthly utility company payment - reduce energy consumption or produce your own energy. We'll keep getting shocked by large monthly energy bills if we keep purchasing electricity from the power company and throwing it away through sloppy energy habits.


*** Every degree you lower your heater or raise your air conditioner will save on electricity.*** You can hang your clothes on a line and avoid the cost of running your dryer all together.*** When adjusting the temperature in your house, refrain from setting your thermostat extra high or extremely low. An extreme setting won't change your house temperature any faster, and if you forget to reset the thermostat, you could end up wasting energy.If you have water leaking at the base of the heater, then the temperature and pressure relief valve is faulty or has unusual pressure on it. The valve could also be overheating or stuck. The water could also be coming from a nearby pipe that has busted.*** If you have a window installed air conditioner, either cover it or remove it from the window in the off season.You can see your energy bills drop once you implement these easy ideas. These ideas don't take much time and for the most part don't cost anything, and you can begin to save on electricity right away.Alternatively, with just a little work we will begin to see a real drop in our home energy bill. If you really mean to save on electricity, you can take action right way on these ideas to help you stop throwing it away. All of these ideas are free -- there's no need to invest in materials or tools to begin saving.Sometimes the toilet is running constantly and your water bill may double or even triple in one month. The tank contains a valve which lets in fresh water when the tank empties into the bowl. This valve is controlled most often by a small floating ball. When the ball sinks because the water is draining, the valve opens and refills the tank.If the trip lever breaks or comes loose from the handle, the toilet can't flush. The chain runs from the trip lever to the rubber stopper, and can be unhooked from either part during regular use. The rubber stopper rests in the bottom of the tank, and releases the water to flush and refill the bowl at the right time. Luckily all of these parts can be purchased at any hardware store and easily replaced.TIP. . . You can plug several electronic items or appliances into a power strip and turn them off using the switch on the strip. This will cut the power completely without going through the trouble of unplugging everything.HEATING and COOLING.HOME ELECTRONICS.IN THE KITCHEN.*** Even after they are shut off, many household appliance continue to consume power. Computers, VCRs, televisions and kitchen appliances should all be unplugged when not in use to ensure that they stop consuming electricity.*** Always load the dishwasher to full capacity before running it -- this appliance uses the same amount of electricity and water regardless of how many dishes you are washing.� A faulty pilot control valve*** Set your refrigerator to 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.One very common issue with regular flow toilets occurs when the toilet no longer flushes properly. You may stand there, pushing the flush handle over and over again, but nothing happens. This can be caused by a broken trip lever, a broken or disconnected chain, or a malfunctioning rubber stopper. The trip lever is a small plastic or metal arm that attaches to the flush handle.*** Use fans or high efficiency room air conditioners if you have a big house.John Moore Services has plumbers in Houston who can provide excellent water heater repair in Houston. If you would like to learn more about John Moore Services, call them or log on to www.johnmooreservices.com.*** Before every new load, be sure to clean the lint out of your dryer's lint trap.This can often be adjusted if there is not enough flush pressure by using a dial or crank in the tank. Unlike the relatively simple parts of a regular flow toilet, these mechanisms can be difficult to replace or fix yourself. Like trying to fix your own water heater, you can do more damage by taking it apart and attempting to repair it. This is especially true if you're attempting a fix without the right tools.*** Most lightly soiled clothing cleans up just fine in cold water, so wash in cold water whenever possible to reduce the demand on your water heater.If that ball breaks or disconnects from the valve, it may stay open or be unable to refill the tank. Reconnecting or replacing the ball is usually a simple task. However, if the floater breaks or detaches again right away, it is time to call a plumber. If your toilet is releasing bad odors or bubbling in the bowl, has a serious clog or is overflowing, or if the parts in the tank are breaking too quickly, it is time to call a plumbing company. They will be able to properly repair any issues that you can't handle yourself.*** Open the drapes to let heat into the house in the winter - it�s a great solar powered home energy saver!*** Turn off the lights when not in use.*** The coils on the back of your refrigerator will function better if they are clean, so be sure to vacuum them periodically.*** When it's not in use, close the damper on your fireplace. When your chimney is not in use, be sure to close its damper to ensure that heat does not escape your house.� A problem with the upper electric heating element*** Save on electricity by turning off your central air conditioner and cooling on the rooms that you are using.Also, they should have all the tools they need in their vans. This way they do not waste time by having to go back and forth to their shop to retrieve tools they should have at their disposal. You do not want to wait long to have a new hot water heater.*** Sleep mode on your personal computer saves energy, but your screen saver does not. Adjust your settings to begin saving electricity immediately.*** If possible, be sure to place your refrigerator away from the oven and dishwasher because the heat from these two appliances would only make your refrigerator work that much harder to stay cool.If the water is a rust color, there could be corrosion in the glass lined tank or a sacrificial anode rod that has failed. Some water heaters have that "rotten egg" smell which usually means bacteria has settled in the tank's sediment and it is being fed by hydrogen gas from decay in the sacrificial anode.*** Other items that draw energy even when they are not in use are game consoles, such as Wii or Xbox 360.APPLIANCES.

You can see your energy bills drop once you implement these easy ideas. These ideas don't take much time and for the most part don't cost anything, and you can begin to save on electricity right away.




Author: John P. Joseph


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