Water heater
It’s estimated that the water heater is responsible for 15 to 25 percent of a home’s yearly energy use. A high-efficiency water heater can save a considerable amount of money. Some brands are simply better-insulated and designed more effectively, keeping water hot for a longer period of time than traditional water heaters.
Also available are models with heat exchangers that draw heat from the environment with a fan and use the extracted heat instead of electricity to heat up the water. Most come with an electric heating element so the homeowner can switch back and forth between modes in different seasons or when the more rapid effect of the electric system is desired for heavy usage.
Another option is the tankless water heater, in which water circulated through a large coil is heated on demand, using either gas or electricity. This saves energy because there’s no need to keep a standby supply hot. It also saves space. In situations where hot water is needed for simultaneous uses, this version may not always keep up with the demand.
Heating ducts
It’s estimated that homes with forced-air heating lose 20 percent of the air through leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Plugging leaks also improves air quality, keeping dust, mold and humidity from entering the living spaces of your house. If you have rooms that don’t warm sufficiently in winter, or ducts that run through the garage, attic or crawlspace, you are probably losing heat through the joints where the ducts meet.
To confirm heat loss, you can hire a professional to test your system by forcing air through it. However, simply examining exposed ducts may reveal signs of leakage such as cracks in old tape, open spaces, dust or lint collected around areas that are leaky. Mastic, a thick paste that comes in a tube, can be used to seal up around joints, collars and corners of the system. If your ducts are behind the walls, it’s best to hire a professional to deal with the sealing process.
