Northern Virginia Real Estate Blog

At 32 million acres, homeowner lawns are the most irrigated crop in the United States.

That’s more acreage than the state of Pennsylvania.

Water is not free, however, and the 7 billion gallons deposited on lawns each day comes at a high cost to homeowners and to the environment.

Installing a basic rain monitoring device is one inexpensive way to save money and reduce water use. The Vigoro Rain Monitor, for example, costs $15 at Home Depot and attaches to an electronic sprinkler system.

The Vigoro Rain Monitor collects rainfall in its reservoir and when a half-inch of rain has collected, the monitor seals the path between the water source and the sprinkler heads, thereby preventing unnecessary watering and wasted money.

Many lawn care experts recommend 1 inch of water per week.

Source
Create a Greener Landscape
Pat Mertz Esswein
Kiplinger’s Finance, April 2008

Sometimes, turning electronics off doesn’t really turn them “off”.

Because of clocks, battery chargers, and other LED displays, devices in Standby Mode slowly suck energy from the national power grid and have earned the nickname “Energy Vampires”.

Some examples of standby energy include:

• Clock displays on home applicances
• Computers in Hibernation Mode
• Battery rechargers
• Communication between base units and portable units on phones

There is even a growing business around identifying energy loss in a home. P3 International, for example, touts it’s Kill-A-Watt product as a way to “find out what applicances are actually worth keeping plugged in”.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that Energy Vampires sucked $4 billion of energy from U.S. homes last year.

For it’s simplicity, comfort, and “green” status, radiant heating is a growing trend in home building.

Radiant heating is the process by which a room’s temperature is controlled using warm (or cold) water flowing through plastic tubing. The tubes are typically installed under the room’s flooring, but are also applied in walls and ceilings on occasion.

Radiant heating works by heating the floors of a room which then heats the mass of the room. Unlike air duct systems, the heat stays lower in the room and temperature remains constant throughout.

There are other reasons why homeowners and builders are moving towards radiant heat, too:

1. Dust- and mold-circulating air ducts can be eliminated making the home more allergen-free
2. Without ductwork, heating and cooling is much more quiet
3. Heating bills are lower by up to 20 percent because the water in the pipes doesn’t need to be as hot as the water in a traditional radiator

That said, installing radiant heating can be expensive.

Radiant heating is recommended for construction projects in which rooms are completely gutted, or for a new room additions to a home, or for new homes built from scratch.

Homeowners wanting to retrofit a room (or rooms) for radiant heating should talk to an experienced contractor for opinions and cost comparisons.

Source
Perks of Radiant Heating
Leslie Banker
REALTOR.org
https://www.realtor.org/RMOArch.nsf/pages/ArchCoach200802?OpenDocument

(Image courtesy: Moser, Inc)

According to ENERGY STAR, properly sealing and insulation a home can save up to 10% on heating and cooling costs.

The government-group Web site focuses on major sources of home air leaks such as basements, attics and near chimneys. These three categories represent close to 80% of a home’s energy loss.

It pays little attention to more obvious air leaks near doors and windows because — while easy to identify — these energy loss sources are not nearly as costly to homeowners.

Using the Do-It-Yourself Repair Book, a handy homeowner can self-install ENERGY STAR’s efficiency recommendations, step-by-step. Or, he can opt to call a contractor instead.

The average American family spends $1,900 annually on energy bills.

(Image courtesy: ENERGY STAR)