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July 23, 2009
Common Sense Guide to Geothermal Heat
No matter what area of the country you live in you may have noticed that "Geothermal Heating and Cooling" systems have started to draw some attention in the building industry. Some say the reason for this is the current tax credits available for energy efficient heating and cooling systems.
While tax credits may play a part for the new interest in geothermal heat, in my opinion I also believe the slowdown in new home construction has nudged many forward thinking contractors to expand their operations into new fields of the industry. While that may not be a scientific fact, it makes perfect sense for a company to offer more services to their customers to stay busy. Like the old saying says; "Follow the money!"
Since geothermal heat is often called "green heat" this may be an attractive incentive for contractors like:
*Well Drilling companies
*HVAC contractors
*Pipefitters
*And even Standby Generator companies
To retool their business a bit, educate employees, and get involved in this growing field to fill in for lost profits left by the slow down.
While geothermal energy is a very attractive heat source, the major hurdle facing the industry right now is the price. Material costs alone can be 50% -- 100% higher than standard heating and cooling systems. Extra labor costs, can include deep well drilling and ground loop tubing installations. Plus most contractors install a standby power generator to keep the geothermal system up and running under any condition. However, if sized right, the standby generator can also power the entire home so that investment pays off outside of the system itself.
As more and more contractors get competitive in this field, the prices should come down making geothermal energy a more mainstream and popular industry for the future. Plus, the current tax credit is an attractive incentive for homeowners to take advantage of now. So, if your a contractor looking to stay ahead of the curve, now may be the time to "dig deep" in your pockets and invest in geothermal technology for your business.
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 10:31 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 20, 2009
Remodeling Is Where You'll Find the "Real" Green
Recently, HGTVPro.com contacted me to do a five part mini-segment series on home building information that they can share with their viewers. Working with me to produce these segments is my old friend and media personality in his own right, Brad Staggs. When Brad and I get together, you'll usually find some pretty good home improvement information in our finished scripts. Keeping that in mind, we thought it would be an original idea to actually bring our HGTVPro.com mini-segment series to my readers here in the Internet world. So, for your entertainment and information please enjoy part one of "Ed's Common Sense Guide" titled "Remodeling is where you'll find the real green":
In many areas of the country about "half" the homes sold recently have been bank foreclosed properties or short sales. It's no secret that many of these types of properties have been neglected or even vandalized by the former owners. I've seen homes where evicted owners have gone through the place with sledge hammers! If a person can't afford the basic responsibility of keeping their home, naturally they would not have been investing into the upkeep for the home. With that in mind, most of these home will have to undergo major renovations.
The good news is that the new stimulus tax package does take this matter into consideration. To help buyers of foreclosed homes, or even for existing homeowners, is an expanded remodeling tax credit for "energy efficient" home improvements through 2010. So, if we combine the amount of foreclosed properties sold that will need remodeling, with people that want to remodel their present home since they can't sell it, along with the available tax credits, well ... we could have a new gold rush! Ed's "common sense" says that the real "green" in building (I'm talking about the money.) will be in the remodeling business for the foreseeable future.
Some basics you need to know about the federal tax credits for energy efficient home improvements include: Partial "installation" costs are included for some projects like "high efficiency" fuel fired heating and cooling systems, solar water heating systems, geothermal heat pumps, and wind power systems.
Only "material" costs are eligible for projects like: efficient window units, doors, and roofs. In all cases receipts and factory specifications need to be saved to see if they qualify for the tax credits. Some improvements may not qualify for the credits such as: Kitchen appliances, window air conditioners, washers and dryers. But consumers are still urged to make sure all appliances are "Energy Star" rated. I hope my "common sense" guide helped motivate you to look into these tax credits so you'll end up with a lot of extra "cents" in your pockets!
Posted by Ed Del Grande at 2:12 PM | TrackBack
July 1, 2009
Why Is a Bathroom Fan So Important?
Q: Hello Ed, my husband and I are really big fans of your plumbing column and we are in the process of remodeling our present bathroom. We want to do things right, and we remember you writing an article about how important it is to install a bathroom fan. Could you please give us more information the subject?
-Linda and Bob, California
A: Thanks Linda, and for really big fans I'll do better than repeating some information from a past column. In my book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" I have a complete section on "Bathroom Exhaust Fans." I've included an excerpt from that chapter that's chock full of fan info:
Bathroom Exhaust Fans - The old expression "In with the good air, out with the bad air" applies when you're trying to save someone's life. Unfortunately, some people don't understand how important this concept is when it comes to the life of their bathroom. With all those plumbing fixtures packed into a small space, most bathroom will inevitably be very moist areas. To my dismay, many homeowners and their family members never use the exhaust fan for their bathroom unless it's wired directly in with the main bathroom light switch. I bet some of you believe that you are using your exhaust fans properly, and think the fan is just meant for eliminating bathroom odors when company is over. While your bathroom fan does help to control normal odors, the real reason for an exhaust fan in your bathroom is to control the moisture.
Odors, although embarrassing, will not normally damage your bathroom. Moisture, on the other hand, can cause a lot of problems for any bathroom! Fresh air intake for a bathroom is key to avoiding moisture-related problems like mold, mildew, and material damage. Ideally, you should use the fan every time you enter your bathroom and leave it on for at least twenty minutes after you use any fixture. (This is why many contractors wire the fan and lights separately.) Now -- and be honest -- how many of you are actually using your bathroom exhaust fans properly? Once you realize the importance of good bathroom ventilation, the first bathroom project you should take on is to inspect all the components of the existing or proposed exhaust fan, for proper operation and ventilation.
If you're inspecting your bathrooms present ventilating system or installing a new vent system from scratch, there are some guidelines you need to follow to ensure proper ventilation. Think of your bathroom venting system as a chain. If one of the links does not do it's job, the entire system will fail. The three main links in the venting chain are:
1. Adequate fresh air intake. - To move moist air out, you must have a large enough intake opening to get fresh air into the bathroom. The easiest way to do this is to make sure you have a gap of at least a half inch under your bathroom door.
2. Proper exhaust venting. - The exhaust duct should have smooth internal surfaces with few bends and a short run for the best airflow. The duct has to be vented to the outside of the home with a dryer-type hood and flap to prevent backdrafts.
3. Appropriate CFM motor size. - The bathroom size will determine the "cubic feet per minute" rating of the fan. For instance, an 8'x8' foot bathroom should use a fan rated around 102 CFM's to supply the recommended 12 air changes an hour.
I hope you all enjoyed this small excerpt from my book. Just as important to me as my bathroom fans at home are the wonderful fans out there of this blog. So, please keep those comments and questions flowing into my office!
