Getting Ready For Heating Season

Get Ready for Heating Season

The following information is provided by Carl Pedersen, NDSU Energy Educator.

The recent cold weather that hit North Dakota reminds us that we live in a cold-climate state. People have a few simple things they can do to reduce their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable, according to Carl Pedersen, North Dakota State University Extension Service energy educator.

The warm summers and cold winters have a tendency to wreak havoc on buildings in North Dakota. Building materials can expand and contract with temperature swings. This movement easily can break seals that are meant to keep the conditioned air inside a home. By allowing air leaks to go unsealed, homeowners are letting money escape from their homes.

"Running a fresh bead of caulk around window and door frames can be an
inexpensive way to reduce air leaks," Pedersen says. "Caulk only costs a few
dollars and a tube will go a long way. "If your windows are old and replacing them is not in your budget, window films might be a good option. A wide variety of heat-shrink window films that will reduce heat leaks and convection air currents around windows are available.

Convection currents are caused as warm air from a home comes in contact with the cold air next to a window. The air drops and is replaced by more warm air from the home. This cycle continues to repeat and is what causes the cold, drafty feeling next to a window even though no air may be leaking through the window. Window films create an air pocket between the window and the film, helping keep the cold outside air away from the warm air in a home.

"Insulated window treatments are another great way to save a few dollars on
heating bills," Pedersen says. Installed properly, quilted or pleated window coverings will create air pockets that can reduce heat loss significantly. The advantage of the window treatments is that they can be opened on the sunny side of the house to allow the sun to add free heat to the home. In the evening when the sun goes down, simply shutting the blinds retains the heat.

The NDSU Extension Service has developed a program that allows homeowners to borrow an infrared thermometer to check a home for air leaks and cold spots. "Using the thermometer, a homeowner can quickly scan a room and determine if there are cold spots around windows and doors, as well getting an idea of the amount of insulation in walls," Pedersen says.

The infrared thermometers are available free of charge at the Oliver County Extension office at 701/794-8748.

Extension offices also can provide homeowners with a checklist and information on home energy use and savings. These resources also are available online at http://www.ndsu.edu/energy under the housing tab.

Moisture Meter Available

The following information is provided by Kenneth Hellevang, NDSU Extension Agriculture Engineer.

After a flood, the normal response is to clean-up and rebuild as soon as possible.  Clean-up including removing all porous materials, cleaning all non-porous materials, and a thorough drying should be done soon, but rebuilding needs to be delayed until moisture is no longer coming through concrete in the basement and the wood has dried to at least 15 percent moisture content.  The NDSU Extension Service web site, http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/disaster/flood.html, provides information on flood recovery including a video on restoring flooded buildings, fact-sheets on topics such as cleaning flooded or water damaged homes and drying  out before rebuilding.

The Oliver County Extension office has a moisture meter available to check out.  The meter only measures moisture and will not determine if mold is present.  There is a $50.00 deposit charge to check out the meter and the deposit will be returned when the meter is returned.  If you are interested in using the meter call the Oliver County Extension office at 794-8748.