Upgrade Device: Energy Efficient

Showing posts with label Energy Efficient. Show all posts

Friday, December 4, 2015

American Standard Dual Injection Flush Valves Review

Tomorrow a new High Efficiency 1.28 gallon per flush toilet is going to be available for sale on HomeDepot.com from American Standard that features a Dual Injection Flush Valves which give it great flushing power. The Optum VorMax is the first toilet to feature this new flushing system. I installed one about 2 weeks ago and I wanted to let you guys know about it.

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The UBE Dimmer is the first Wi-Fi enabled light dimmer that really gets it!

I was looking around for home automation light controllers trying to find something that was wi-fi capable. Not a lot has changed since X10 first came about. There are new technologies but they're all based on the same principles. Fairly proprietary systems that need proprietary controllers or services.

Then I ran across this UBE Dimmer that is a true wi-fi appliance. It has a 32-bit ARM CPU and it runs Google's Android operating system with a full TCP-IP stack! If all those acronyms and terms are meaningless to you it means that the light switch is running a tiny computer in it that is as sophisticated as a smart phone.

There will be apps for iPhone and Android that allow you to control individual lights, rooms, even set scenes for different occassions. From the video I saw they claim they'll have a public API that will allow anyone that knows how to write computer software to write their own custom software. You can even control your lights when you're away from home. Not having a way to directly access my wi-fi thermostat is the biggest gripe I have with it so this is very exciting!

The dimmers also keep track of electricity usage. They can even tell you when a bulb needs to be replaced.

And it's not going to cost a fortune! You can pre-order the wi-fi dimmers from IndieGoGo where they're trying to raise more money for the project. They've already received some funding and won a million dollar prize but they need more support.

There's a value dimmer that costs $49 that has a standard rocker switch and a premium dimmer that has a touch pad interface that will cost $69 but the first 500 people will get it for $59. There's free shipping too. This is about the price of current remote control dimmers are going for now and they don't have nearly the same features and capabilities.

In addition to the UBE Smart Dimmer there will also be a Smart Outlet and Smart Plug.

Check them out at myube.co

Windows provide light and views to the outdoors but the heat loss through even a double pane window can still be up to 10 times the heat loss through an insulated wall. Window treatments can boost the R-value of windows as well as add to the decor of a room. I'm working on a plan to redecorate some rooms of my home and have come up with the following window treatments plan to help keep the cold out during the winter.

Window Treatment Requirements

There were a few key features I was interested when I was planning out my window treatments.

Energy Efficient - First and foremost I wanted my window treatments to help make the room more comfortable.

Provide Privacy and Light - I'm currently using opaque blinds which provide me with privacy or light but not both at the same time.

Light Control - If I'd like to darken the room I have that option.

Attractive - The window treatments should add to the aesthetics of the room, not detract from it.

Window Treatment Layers

Just like dressing in layers to keep warm, dressing the windows in layers also helps increase the energy efficiency, versatility and visual appeal of the windows. The layers will consist of bubble wrap stuck on the glass (for some windows), a double cell honeycomb shade and a set of thermal lined drapery panels capped with a closed top window cornice.

This will create additional 4-5 additional air pockets, in addition to the air pocket within the double pane glass, which increases the insulative capacity. The first air pocket is within the bubble wrap, second is between the window and cellular shade, 2 air pockets within the cellular shade and finally the air pocket between the shade and drapes when the drapes are closed.

Bubble Wrap

The bubble wrap increases the insulation of the window. It will obstruct the view but will still allow light to pass through. It will be applied to the windows once the weather drops and removed when it starts to warm up and only used on windows that I don't care too much about the view.

The bubble wrap needs to be cut to fit the glass of the window. Mix up a solution of water with a drop of liquid soap and spray it generously over the glass and press the bubble wrap on the window just like when applying window film. It will keep the bubble wrap in place and make it easy to remove in the Spring. If stored carefully the bubble wrap should last a number of years.

Double Cell Honeycomb Shades

The next layer will be double cellular shades which help insulate the window by providing 2 air pockets within the shade. The shades are light filtering so they allow some light to enter the room even when the shades are covering the windows. Many come with a top-down/bottom-up feature which allows the shade to be lowered from the top to allow for more light and a bit of view while still providing privacy. The one drawback compared to blinds is that you can't have good air flow and some light and privacy.

The most energy efficient cellular shades I've seen are these Comfortex Energy Efficient 3/8" Double Cell Shades. In addition to providing the increased r-value that double cell shades do, their ComforTrack side track increases the r-value by about 17% (r-value 3.3 vs 2.8) by further restricting airflow at each side of the shade where it meets the window jamb. The shades are also available as blackout shades if you're interested in installing them in a home theater or bedroom. Personally I like the idea of light filtering shades with room darkening or blackout curtains instead of blackout shades.

The Comfortex Energy Efficient Cellular Shades aren't cheap. They're about twice the price of the Blinds.com 3/8" Double Cell Shades which don't come with a track but do provide better insulation compared to my current blinds.

Thermal Lined Curtains

To further increase the energy efficiency as well as provide additional light control a pair of thermal lined curtains will go over the window and shades. A couple of years ago I installed 2 different types of thermal/blackout curtains. Some were Eclipse Blackout Curtains and the others were from Best Home Fashion. While they're both labeled as blackout curtains they didn't block all light from coming in, at least not in the light colors I purchased them. They did dramatically darken the room though and helped the room feel more comfortable during the winter.

Window Cornice

When the heating system is on, air circulates around the room through convective currents. Warm air rises, cold air falls. To minimize the amount of air that passes behind the curtains, and thus reducing heat loss, a closed top window cornice will be installed. You can view my instructions on how to build a window cornice.

The recent cold snaps here in the Northeast got me thinking of adding insulation to my walls and attic. Most of it would need to be blown in and there are two options available through the big box stores. GreenFiber Cellulose Insulation and Owens Corning AttiCat Fiberglass insulation. At first glance GreenFiber may seem much cheaper since a package sells for about 1/3rd the price of AttiCat but when you add everything up, AttiCat is actually the cheaper choice. Let's look at why.

First let me say there's a lot of competing information on which is better, fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Both can be blown into existing walls and attics without significant demolition. The people who mainly sell and install cellulose insulation think it's worlds better than fiberglass and those that manufacture and install fiberglass insulation think that's the best choice. I'm still trying to make up my mind what to believe but both options can be DIY projects and both choices offer a free blower rental with a minimum purchase from Home Depot.

Insulation recommendations changed a few years ago. If your home was built before 1990 there's a good chance you don't have enough attic insulation. If the level of insulation in your attic is at or below the floor joists, you don't have enough. If you can't see your floor joists in the attic because they're covered with insulation you're probably good.

If your home was built before 1980 you may not have any insulation in your walls. If your home was built before 1960 you more than likely don't have insulation in your walls. There's really no way to tell without making a small inspection hole in an exterior wall and visually checking.

To add insulation to existing walls without having to tear down all the drywall the only two affordable choices are blown-in fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Foam is way too expensive for me right now.

Here's what cellulose and fiberglass insulation is currently selling for at Home Depot in my area:

$11.48 for GreenFiber Blown-In Cellulose Insulation
$29.68 for Owens Corning AttiCat Fiberglass Expanding Blown-In Insulation System

When I first saw those numbers I got excited and thought I could blow in cellulose for a lot cheaper than I previously priced fiberglass. Unfortunately you need a lot more cellulose packages than you do fiberglass because the fiberglass is compressed. When it comes to walls it gets even worse which I'll explain after we look at the numbers for attics. Let's say we have a 1,000 sq ft attic we want to insulate by adding an additional R-30 worth of insulation. Here's what the numbers look like.

Attic Insulation Cost Comparison

Insulation	Pkgs Needed	Price/Pkg	Total	Savings
GreenFiber R-30	44	$11.48	$505.12
AttiCat R-30	16	$29.68	$474.88	$30.24 (5.99%)
OC Fiberglass R-30 Batts	29	$15.98	$463.42	$41.70 (8.26%)
GreenFiber R-38	59	$11.48	$677.32
AttiCat R-38	20	$29.68	$593.60	$83.72 (12.36%)
GreenFiber R-49	81	$11.48	$929.88
AttiCat R-49	26	$29.68	$771.68	$158.20 (17.01%)

The costs above only reflect the cost of the insulation. You get a free 24 hour blower rental if you buy 20 bags of GreenFiber or 10 bags of AttiCat and we're above both of those and I assumed you'd need to rent a truck for either if you don't already have one. Although you're getting a lot more packages of GreenFiber so for some people, that may mean having to rent the HD truck instead of using their own truck.

R-30

If you're only adding an additional R-30's worth of insulation the cheapest option is to use Unfaced R-30 Batts that you just roll over your existing installation (perpendicular to your joists.) if you don't mind crawling around cutting insulation.

If you'd rather blow insulation, AttiCat is slightly less than GreenFiber and not much more than R-30 rolls. Not a big enough difference to choose one over the other if you have a certain preference for either fiberglass or cellulose in my opinion.

R-38 and R-49

If you want to add an additional R-38 worth of insulation or more you really start to see significant savings with AttiCat. For some reason, GreenFiber's recommendations aren't linear. You need proportionally more insulation as you increase R-Value.

At R-30 you need about 2.75 times as many GreenFiber bags as you need AttiCat. At R-38 it's 2.95 times more and at R-49 it's over 3.1 times as many packages.

I think the labor will become an issue as well with cellulose. You have to load, unload, carry and feed about 3 times as many bags of GreenFiber as you do AttiCat.

Wall Insulation Cost Comparison

The following table compares the price for 2,000 square feet of 2x4 framed exterior walls.

Insulation	Pkgs Needed	Price/Pkg	Total	Savings
GreenFiber R-13	98	$11.48	$1,125.04
AttiCat R-13	27	$29.68	$801.68	$323.68 (28.77%)
AttiCat R-15	31	$29.68	$920.08	$204.96 (25.58%)

Things get a lot worse for cellulose insulation when it comes to blowing into existing walls. When installing blown-in insulation in walls you have to blow it in at a higher density than you do for attic installations.

This is true for both cellulose and fiberglass but fiberglass only needs double the amount while cellulose needs triple the amount. With AttiCat you also have the option to add a little more to get a higher R-15 insulation rating. With cellulose you'd probably start busting through your drywall?

Cellulose insulation settles a little bit compared to fiberglass so you really have to pack it in. When you do that, the settling is minimal. I'm guessing that's why it takes much more cellulose insulation compared to fiberglass.

You're saving a lot more money on material cost with fiberglass than with cellulose insulation even if you choose to go with the R-15 installation option of AttiCat. You're also dealing with about 1/3rd as many packages of insulation.

Conclusion

There are pros and cons to each but it's a bit difficult to discern what's truth and what's marketing. For example fiberglass is more affordable and provides good insulation but is itchy. Cellulose is treated with borates which makes it fire retardant and may repel pests and mold. It can be as much as three times heavier than fiberglass which could be an issue in some structures and if not installed to the correct density it can slump over the years leaving an uninsulated void at the top of the wall cavity.

Either GreenFiber or AttiCat is going to be better than not having enough attic insulation or any insulation in your walls if you live in a colder climate. Both can be installed by DIY'ers who spend time reading the instructions and preparing beforehand.

For adding insulation to your attic at R-30 they're similar in cost but as you go deeper you realize more savings with AtticCat.

For adding insulation to existing walls you can save close to 30% with AtticCat versus GreenFiber and you'll need to deal with about 1/3rd as many packages of insulation. They're similar in size but the AtticCat is heavier because it's compressed. Still I think having to open and load that many more packages into the blower is going to get tiring and possibly slow things down.

You can get a free blower rental with either so other costs should be similar.

The numbers I calculated are from current prices in my area. Check to see what GreenFiber

and AttiCat is selling for in your area before you make any decisions.

As I mentioned in a previous post I've been working on switching a lot of my lights to LEDs. For standard screw in bulbs it's been very simple. If you have any fluorescent tubes, switching to LEDs was a bit difficult until now. I found these Ballast Compatible LED tubes from Hyperikon that make replacing your fluorescent tubes with LEDs easy.
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