Global Energy City

Autumn is in full swing here and already it’s getting pretty cold at night.  While I’ve avoided turning on my oil heat and convinced my family to wear a blanket or a Snuggie.  I really have to start to close up the house against the cold.   Read the rest of this entry »

With all the fans and air conditioners around it’s a good idea to quickly go over some cord safety.  Often we just plug our cords in and don’t give them a second thought but they can be dangerous and a fire is a LOT bigger worry than saving a few bucks on a proper extension cord.

• For any cord (either the one from the appliance or an extension cord) look for cracks or holes in the insulator from one end of the cord to another.  Since some of these cords haven’t been used since last summer a quick inspection can find problems before they turn tragic.
• Make sure that the prongs are straight and in good condition.  Bent, broken or loose prongs can start a fire or cause your breaker to blow.  Also make sure that the third prong isn’t bent or cut off.
• Make sure you have the right sized cords. We all have those two wire cords lying around the house that we usually end up plugging our lamps into.  Which is what they were designed for and not much more.  A small table fan or phone recharger is all that you should really be plugging into these cords.  Overloading them by stringing them together or putting something to heavy on them is a recipe for disaster.
• While they may be MORE expensive the heavy duty appliance cords are worth their price for the safety they bring.  It’s a good rule of thumb for AC units to not use an extension cord greater than 6 feet.  Better yet plug the appliance directly into the wall.   You can usually find these heavy duty appliance cords at your local hardware store.  They will have 3 prongs and have a rating on them in watts.  If you have a doubt ask for some help.
• Finally don’t plug your AC into a power strip.  Not only can you overload the power strip you could destroy the other components on the strip.

While these tips may not save electricity that much they DO make your house a LOT safer in the long run.  So take a few minutes to make sure that your cords are all in good condition.

Ok today is hot here. Not as in HOLY MOLY WE ARE FRYING EGGS HOT… but rather if it’s this hot now LOOK OUT. The subject of air conditioners has come about. I don’t have central air so I’m reduced at the moment to use window mounted air conditioners.

Last year it was NOT FUN! We had to shell out a LOT of dollars to keep our house a little cooler. This year I want to cool more and spend less. So I’ve done my homework and found a few ways to reduce my electric bill and still keep my cool.

• Right size my AC – this is IMPORTANT. Too small and it will run itself ragged and chew up your bill and you’ll STILL be hot. There is a pretty detailed calculator over at Consumer Reports on how to select the right size air conditioner. My guess is that mine are a bit small. Also note that oversizing doesn’t work better either. If you want a quick estimate take a look at the Energy Star Properly Sized Room Air Conditioner Chart which will help you decide on the correct size. It’s not as detailed as the calculator but it gets you in the ballpark.
• Install correctly – Not only keeing the unit from falling out also put it in the shade and if possible north facing. This will let it cool the easiest. Keep branches and leaves away from it as they can reduce the efficiency.
• Clean the Filter – check the manual for your unit and while it’s unplugged clean the air filter and other pieces. This will help airflow AND reduce allergens and other contaminents in your air. I’d recommend cleaning the air filter a couple of times each season and if you really want replace it yearly. This will keep you cool and healthy.
• Clean the condenser coils – these are the metal fins on the outside of the unit. These help expend the heat outside in order to cool your house. You can vacum these out and even hose them out Make sure water does not hit the inside portion of the unit and any electronics or motors.
• Straighten cooling fins – these are the metal pieces that often get bent really easily. They can also cut your fingers really quick also. SO BE CAREFUL. They do have a coil fin comb at many hardware stores that you use to do this job properly. Check to see how many ‘fins per inch’ your unit has as the combs do come in various sizes.
• Power your unit properly – try NOT to use extension cords or overload your circuit. If you HAVE to use an extension cord, look for a grounded(three prong) appliance cord that is rated to handle a bit more than the load your AC will use. Pulling to much power through and extension cord is recipe for disaster.

Well I’m off to clean my AC units before it get too hot. In a bit I’ll tell you how to keep that electric bill a bit smaller with a few cooling techniques.

Well the fridge went on the blink.  The freezer can barely keep at let alone under 32°F NOT good… Ice cream won’t stay frozen.  So I’ve moved a LOT of stuff out and into another freezer.  The fridge is about 10 years old so while a replacement may cost a bit there may be some energy savings by upgrading.  

A few things of note as a I went through the Internet trying to troubleshoot my problem that can save money and energy.  First off CLEAN YOUR FRIDGE!  Not only that science experiment in the back but also behind and under the fridge.  This allows for air flow around the condenser coils.  (These may be a set of wires and tubes on the back or underneath the fridge.  Along those lines make SURE there is a adequate airflow around and inside the fridge.  Look for vents that may be blocked by food items or ice.  If possible check to see if ice (or even dirt) is building up on the evaporator coils (usually in the back of the freezer behind a panel.

Another tip is to really let your fridge rest and defrost every so often.  This means empty all the food out of the fridge and freezer.  Open the doors and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours.  (Yep that long)  This should allow for any ice build up in the doors, on the evaporator coils and anywhere else to melt off. 

Well I’m off to go and get a new fridge as the old one while it can be repaired would cost more than it’s worth.