Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Over time the seals around the doors of your refrigerator and freezer will deteriorate. If they no longer work effectively, the cold air is seeping right out of your appliance. Depending on the price to replace the seals, you might have to weigh buying new appliances and purchasing new seals. You can check the seals by seeing if they firmly hold a dollar bill. Or you can turn a flashlight on and place it inside the appliance; if you can see the light coming through when the door is shut, then you know the seal is broke.

Check the temperature of your appliances with thermometer. The average temperature for a refrigerator is between 36 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and for a freezer, it’s between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. If you set the thermostat for 10 degrees Fahrenheit lower, you can save about 25 percent of your energy usage.

Front loading washers and dryers usually use less energy than top-loading ones. Although this is not always the case, you need to determine how much water will need to go into a top-loading washer in comparison to a front-loading washer for your clothes to be submerged. Front-loading washers often don’t require as much water, because the clothes can be circulated through a minimal amount of water.

The spin speed of the washer is also an important feature to assess. Energy-efficient washers will spin clothes at a faster rate, which reduces the amount of time that the clothes will need to be in the dryer.

The water level controls and wash and rinse cycles can also help in energy savings. It costs 5 to 10 times more to wash your clothes in hot water in comparison to cold water. So make sure that the washer you’re looking at has several wash and rinse cycle options.

Are you thinking about replacing your current dryer? There are ways to increase the efficiency of your current dryer, but if it’s on its last leg, then it’s probably time to consider a new one. Below are some features you should look for in an energy efficient dryer.

Depending on what electric and gas costs in your area, one might be less costly than the other. However, at least with gas, the dryer will not be using up electricity just from being plugged into the wall. Remember, appliances draw energy from the outlet even when you they’re not in use. One drawback of gas is that if you don’t have the proper ventilation, it can be dangerous.

One convenient feature on new dryers is an automatic shut-off. Some have sensors that can determine whether or not the clothes are dry. Instead of waiting that full 60 minutes for your clothes, they might be done ten minutes sooner.

Below are some energy saving tips:

Appliances & Electronics
Even though your toaster and television might not be in use, it still draws a small amount of energy when it’s left plugged into the wall. Use power strips to stop your appliances and electronics from wasting energy. Also, always clean out your dryer’s lint trap and air-dry your dishes and clothes when you can. If you are able to update your appliances, make sure to choose ones labeled with the Energy Star®.

Heating & Cooling
Heating and cooling your home can be one of your top five housing expenses. Make sure your windows and doors have a tight seal so the hot or cold air from your house can’t escape. Also, clean and replace your furnace filters and dust your registers so they don’t become blocked. During the summer, try using a fan instead of your air conditioning, and during the winter, try to dress warmer while you’re in the house.

Lighting
Avoid using lights during the day by hanging up shear curtains and opening the blinds. Take advantage of three-way lamps, so you can adjust the amount of light you need. Installing timers for your outdoor lights can prevent you from having them on during the day when they’re not needed. If you are moving into a new home or thinking about re-painting yours again, consider lighter colors for the walls since they will reflect light better than the darker paints.

What if you could reduce your home’s energy loss by 50 percent? It’s actually easy to do if you have the right blinds. The Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade Collection is designed to conserve energy.

These blinds have a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb designs, so during the summer time, they help keep your home cooler, which prevents you from using the air conditioning so much. If you have children, these blinds have a cordless operating system to make them safer.

There are 88 fabric and color combinations to choose from, and you can also decide how sheer or opaque you would like them. If you have special window designs in your home, you will most likely be able to find a fit too. The honeycomb shades can fit arches, angles, trapezoids, bay and corner windows, cut-outs, French doors and more. They are also soil and dust resistant, and you can choose between two different UV protection options.

It’s a well known fact that heat rises, so where does it go in your home? Most likely your attic. It’s costly to run your air conditioning all day long to keep the cool air circulating, but you don’t have to do this anymore.

Solatube International Inc. created the solar-powered attic fan, which is a ventilation solution for those hot summers. The best aspect of this product is that after you pay to have it installed, you don’t have to worry about your electricity bill going up. By keeping your attic cool with the help of the sun’s energy, you’re home will stay cooler too.

This fan operates quietly, and it can be installed in less than 30 minutes. After all, there are no electrical hook ups, because it’s completed powered by the sun. There is a built-in photovoltaic power source, which captures the sun’s energy. Now your attic will be a more pleasant place to hang out.

Your computer holds quite a bit of important information, so why would you risk losing all of your photos, financial data, personal files, music, etc.? One power surge can cause your computer to malfunction, but you can protect your computer without spending a fortune on your energy bill.

The Back-UPS Es 750 from APC is designed to protect your computer from power surges, and it uses five times less power to do it. This energy efficient device has several three-prong outlets as well as surge protection. If you work from home and have a computer designated for your client’s files, you definitely want to protect them. Plus, this device stores energy, so you can work without electricity through those short power outages.

It also has a loud alarm, LED status indicator, a replaceable batter, a push-button circuit breaker and tranformer-block spaced outlets. Why not protect your assets and save on energy?

An awning with a sunbrella might be the final touch you need for your patio. This Electric Patio Awning has a simple shape and neutral color, so you can enjoy some shade in your backyard and also reduce your need to use the air conditioning.

The sunbrella is made from fading, moisture, mildew and mold resistant fabric, and it also protects your home from UV rays. Since these rays are blocked, they won’t heat up your home. The best feature is that the awning has an remote electric control, which allows you to easily adjust the level of shade you desire.

This particular model is available in the following four sizes: 12′ x 10′, 14′x 10′, 16′ x 10′ and 18 x 10′. It also comes with the mounting brackets needed to install it onto your home. In addition, the SOMFY electric remote controlled motor has a 5-year prorated warranty. Now you can enjoy the shade and save money while you’re sitting out on the patio.

Flat screen TVs have been all the rage since their debut, and according to the Los Angeles Times, the sales of them are growing by 4 million a year. While they make watching TV a more enjoyable experience, they fail when it comes to energy efficiency. Compared to the larger, bulkier units, flat screens use 43 percent more energy. Since more people are trading in their old TVs for flat screens, there is a concern about what this transition is doing to the power grids.

In order to prevent flat screen TVs from using up a large chunk of the energy in California, the state has proposed a plan that would make these TVs more efficient. The plan would go into effect in 2011, and it would require retailers to sell only the most energy-efficient flat screens. Not only would this reduce the amount of energy being used by TVs, but it would also benefit consumers since their electric bills would be less. So if you’re wanting to transition to a flat screen, do your research and choose the most energy efficient one.

Solar panels can save you money, and for some new homes, installing them is standard. However, even if you’re not in the process of building, you can still benefit from this eco-friendly device.

Roof Installation

When adding solar panels to your roof, it’s best to install the mounts while a home is being roofed. This process can prevent roof leaks, because the solar mounts are “flashed-in.” Also, you will need to decide if you want the panels to be flush with the roof or tilted up. Below are steps on how to install solar panels on a roof.

• Attach the solar panel mounts to the roof. GO Solar Company uses “FastJack” mounts when a roof is being built or “TileTrac” mounts when attaching them to an existing roof.
• Drill the mounts into the rafters. You will need a stud finder and a pilot bit. Also, it’s helpful to have a laser sight to ensure that the mounts are lined up straight.
• Use stainless steel lag bolts to secure the mounts to the roof. Metal flashings will also need to be placed over the mounts.
• Secure metal rails to the posts with 3/8 inch stainless steel bolts. This provides the foundation for hard wired solar panels.
• Apply a reflective roof coating to the roof and connect the panels to the inverter.