Home Energy Audits and Energy Saving Services in CT

Home Energy Audits are the Ultimate Home Energy Problem Solver

Thu, February 14 2013, 00:00:00 -500

With winter in full swing, and monster storms like the Blizzard of 2013 that recently dumped as much as 3 feet of snow in parts of New England, it’s important to make sure that all of your home’s systems are working properly in order to cut down on utility bills and prevent things like ice damming from causing damage to your home.

Dr. Energy Saver, the largest home energy conservation network across the country, can help solve all of your energy woes. With their home energy evaluation, dealers can discover where your home is using, losing, and wasting energy and suggest improvements that will allow you to enjoy more comfort while spending far less on your energy bill.

Nearly every state offers incentives for homeowners who choose to make energy efficient upgrades to their home. For example, in Connecticut, home to Dr. Energy Saver headquarters, homeowners can take advantage of the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), which is funded through a charge on your electric bill. However, these programs have some disqualifiers associated with them.

Energy loss from things like air leaks in your attic can lead to ice damming and other common problems that could cost you more money to fix.

Dr. Energy Saver has become a leading choice among homeowners who are looking to make several repairs to their home at the same time. As the energy saving division of Basement Systems, Dr. Energy Saver is dedicated to helping homeowners improve energy efficiency, health and comfort, but while they’re at it, they can also have their wet basement fixed.

Recently featured in The Darien Times, Dr. Energy Saver helped Darien homeowner, Lynn Hippeau, by installing upstairs and downstairs thermostats so that each room has a steady, comfortable temperature. The Darien resident had initially called Connecticut Basement Systems about water in her basement, and after fixing that issue, the company told her about Dr. Energy Saver. In addition to installing new thermostats, the homeowner took all of the expert’s suggestions, including converting from oil to propane gas, and since making all of the repairs, has seen a substantial difference in energy savings. “I used to sit and cry when I got my utility bills, but I have seen my electric bill cut down drastically,” Hippeau told The Darien Times.

Dr. Energy Saver performs energy saving services like adding home insulation, installing and upgrading furnaces and water heaters, replacing windows and doors, and more, and the company’s home energy experts can suggest the repairs that will save the most money and energy. What homeowners need to understand is that the home is made up of many systems that they rely on, like lighting, hot and cold water, comfortable indoor temperatures, good air quality, and enough power to run appliances and other electrical devices, and when one of these systems isn’t working properly, this affects the other systems. For example, leaky duct work can make your heating and cooling system work harder, which could end up costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your utility bill.

A home energy evaluation from Dr. Energy Saver is the answer to your energy problems. Knowledge is power, and the comprehensive energy audit will show you everything you need to know about how your home is wasting energy, and how you could be spending half of what you are spending now on your energy bill each month.

Local Energy Expert Supports Bridgeport Rescue Mission

Tue, December 4 2012, 10:41:02 -500

Seymour, CT - Members of Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut and sister company Connecticut Basement Systems have committed themselves to helping the Bridgeport Rescue Mission this Holiday Season. On November 20th, several employees led the way at a Care and Share outreach to support the Rescue Mission's efforts to benefit Bridgeport residents in need.

During the outreach, marketing employees Amy Fitzgerald, Dan Fitzgerald and Nicole Woodin worked with video team Chris Kiley, Shannon Kiley, and Brian Moresca to provide winter coats and Thanksgiving meals to those who otherwise wouldn't have either this winter season.

The team plans to continue helping the Rescue Mission with the continuation of its coat drive through December 13, 2012. Anyone interested in donating gently used winter coats and sleeping bags can contact Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut before distribution on December 15, 2012.

According to various reports, Bridgeport is recognized as the 4th poorest city in the country, an unsightly statistic as it rests within one of the richest counties in America, Fairfield County.

About Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut

The Flagship dealer of the nation's leading network of home energy experts, Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut offers a variety of energy saving services that help reduce energy bills and improve home comfort. Contact Dr. Energy Saver today to schedule a free estimate or home energy audit!

Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut Call Center Employees Receive BBB Award

Tue, December 4 2012, 10:08:21 -500

Seymour, CT - Three employees of the Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut call center team are this year's recipients of the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Superior Service Award.

In order to be considered for this prestigious honor, the nominee must provide service that meets a high ethical standard, and also demonstrates patience, professionalism, and honesty when helping customers as well as co-workers.

Denise Coogan, Sherry Masek, and Lisa Pantaleo received their awards at the BBB's Annual Meeting at The Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT on November 1, 2012. These three ladies have also worked in the call center for sister company Connecticut Basement Systems for more than 32 years combined, which is not only a testament to their loyalty but also to their experience and success.

Connecticut Basement Systems' Sales Manager, Jeffrey Nelson, nominated Coogan, Masek, and Pantaleo because of their longstanding commitment to treating each call as a new opportunity to help a customer. Each young lady, he said, demonstrates patience, courtesy and compassion, which is proven in their success over the years.

Connecticut Basement Systems, Inc. is a leader in basement waterproofing and finishing and crawl space and foundation repair throughout Connecticut and Westchester County, NY. The Flagship dealer of the internationally renowned network, Basement Systems, Inc., Connecticut Basement Systems has served local residents tirelessly for the past 20 years.

About Dr. Energy Saver

Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut is the locally trusted home energy expert offering homeowners the resources necessary to save energy and to live in a more comfortable home. The Dr. Energy Saver network is the Nation's largest network of energy specialists. Contact Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut today to schedule a free home energy audit or estimate for their home services including air sealing and insulation, heating and cooling services, window upgrades, and more!

Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut Receives Award at 2012 Basement Systems Dealer Convention

Mon, October 8 2012, 11:18:36 -500

Dr. Energy Saver® Connecticut was recently honored as one of the top dealers in the Dr. Energy Saver network at the Team Basement Systems International Convention, where nearly 1,000 guests from all over the United States, Canada and the UK were in attendance.

The annual convention is held each year between the Basement Systems Headquarters in Seymour, CT, and The Convention Center in Hartford, CT. It brings together dealerships of the international network for training, seminars, networking, celebration, vendor shows and team building events.

Larry Janesky, owner and founder of Basement Systems, also founded the Dr. Energy Saver network, which is now a part of the Basement Systems team. The network is the nation’s top network of energy specialists. General Manager, David Gullotti, accepted the award at this year’s convention.

"All of us at Dr. Energy Saver CT have worked very hard over the past year to plan, establish, and build a great company. We continue to work each day to get better at what we do, to constantly improve, and to provide the best possible solutions and service to our valued customers. We are honored to be the #1 Dealer in the DES network, but we will not rest on our past accomplishments, instead, we focus on our continued growth and development as an organization. Hats off to each and every employee of our Company, because they are the reason for our success," said Gullotti.

The high-powered event featured international motivational speaker and author of The Travelers Gift, Andy Andrews, who dazzled the crowd with his presentation of how personal choices and attitudes can make the difference between failure and success.

Google even had a presence at this year’s convention. Two Google representatives delivered a behind the scenes peek at how to best utilize search engines tools for successful business results. This year, the annual flagship event was the BEST yet!

Basement Systems is an international network of basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and basement finishing contractors, led by Company Founder and President, Larry Janesky. In recent years Janesky has founded the Dr. Energy Saver® network, which has grown to become the largest of its kind in the United States.

The Basement Systems international headquarters, based in Seymour, CT has been helping homeowners increase their usable living space for over 20 years across the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The company has 27-patented basement and crawl space products, designed to help homeowners get more out of their basements and increase their home's value.

Insulating Cathedral Ceilings

Wed, October 3 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Cathedral ceilings open vistas that flat ceilings just can’t match. They became popular in the 1970s and 1980s and remain a desirable feature today. The dramatic views, however, have come at a cost. Because rafter widths limit the amount of insulation builders can install, these ceilings often waste energy and money.

Upgrading the insulation in a cathedral ceiling, however, is a challenge. If you look behind the drywall (or tongue and groove boards) on your cathedral ceiling, you’re likely to find a thin layer of fiberglass bat insulation, perhaps a flimsy vent baffle, and an air channel designed to vent hot air from eave vents to ridge and gable vents. The fiberglass has probably degraded, due to moisture that has condensed on it over the years. In addition, the roof framing may show signs of rot and mold, which results from moist air leaking through openings in the ceiling, such as recessed lights or the joints in tongue and groove ceilings. This air has been condensing on the rafters, ridge board and decking, winter after winter.

Cathedral ceilings, vaulted ceilings, loft ceilings, and other sloped ceilings all have something in common. They are tough to insulate effectively.

What can be done?

The least invasive approach to improving the performance of a cathedral ceiling is to seal it, along with the rest of the room, to stop heat loss by air leakage. This entails removing recessed lights (you can replace them with surface-mount fixtures, such as track lights), and sealing every crack and joint you can find. Air leaks also occur at receptacles and switches, junction boxes, pendant fixtures, baseboards, windows and doors, pipes, ducts, and wires, and skylights.

Once you have removed fixtures from the ceiling, you will have to do some patching. This may be an opportunity to install a layer of rigid board insulation under the old ceiling, followed by new drywall.

We at Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut can help! Contact us today to schedule an appointment for us to come and take a look at your cathedral ceilings. We are the experienced home insulation and energy experts!

Adding more insulation

If an inspection reveals that your ceiling is not well insulated, you can opt to blow in an insulating fiber or inject foam insulation into the rafter bays. The preferred fiber insulation today is cellulose. Made from newsprint and treated to resist fire, cellulose is economical and effective. A technique called dense-packing allows cellulose insulation to double as both a conductive and convective insulator (air seal). Unlike fiberglass, through which air flows with relative ease, dense-packed cellulose resists air flow – along with all the moisture and heat the air is often carrying.

When we dense-pack a cathedral ceiling, all penetrations and gaps are sealed off. The bottom of each rafter bay is blocked, typically with a piece of rigid board insulation snuggly fit to the opening defined by the rafters, wall plate and roof sheathing. This prevents the cellulose fibers from filling the soffits. We typically access the rafter bays at the top of the ceiling and run a blower hose into the bay. It often involves cutting holes in the drywall that can be easily patched later—we don’t want any leaks! The cellulose is blown in with enough pressure so it becomes packed in place and won’t sag or settle for the life of the house.

We can also use injection foam insulation to insulate cathedral ceilings and other sloped roof assemblies that are difficult to get inside. Contractors have had success accessing the rafter bays from the roof. Two courses of shingles were carefully removed, and holes were bored for injecting the foam. The shingles were then replaced after filling the bays with foam insulation. Injection foam offers a triple benefit. It is a conductive and convection insulator and a vapor retarder.

Insulating the Forgotten Spots: Cantilevers

Mon, October 1 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Sometimes you can live in a house for years and not put two and two together. For example, let’s say the second level of your house is cantilevered. In common parlance, it has an overhang. The rooms with the cantilevered floor are exceedingly cold in winter and hot in summer. Hmmm… In this case, 2 plus 2 equals a sloppy builder who didn’t adequately insulate the overhang. Or maybe he didn’t insulate it at all. By making this mistake, he also left the joist bays directly under your floor vulnerable to cold air in winter and hot air in summer.

In addition to floors, other cantilevered architectural features may require insulation. They include bay windows (shown) greenhouse windows, bow windows, bump outs, porches, and balconies.

While building a house, insulating an overhang is relatively easy. Spray foam insulation or rigid board insulation can be used to insulate and air seal the cantilevered area. Builders only need to remember not to nail off the subfloor over the cantilevered joists until after they have installed the insulation. Even fiberglass can be used as long as you’re conscientious about air sealing (otherwise it’s worthless). With an existing home, however, the job is more time consuming and labor intensive. You have to access each void inside the cantilevered floor assembly, either through holes bored in the soffit or by removing the soffit altogether. Then you have to install insulation and seal against air leaks from below, while standing on a ladder and juggling your tools, caulk and insulation. At Dr. Energy Saver, we have developed a number of ways to tackle this job quickly and efficiently. Our methods normally allow us to install the insulation without removing soffits (panels under the cantilever) or affecting the interior of your home. Our closed-cell spray foam insulation delivers a high R value and seals against both air infiltration and moisture. Our dense-packed cellulose insulation (blown in under high pressure so it stays put) resists air and moisture movement. Usually, only the cantilevered portion of the floor needs to be insulated. If the floor is over a garage and has not already been insulated, however, we recommend that each joist bay be filled with insulation.

Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut knows how to insulate the forgotten spots. Call us today for a free quote. One of our energy experts will explain your options at no obligation to you.

2012 Energy Conservation Code Raises Energy Standards

Wed, April 25 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Seymour, CT - Developed by the Washington, DC-based International Codes Council, the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will be used by federal agencies like the National Park Service, Department of State, U.S. Forest Service and the Veterans Administration. The IECC will eventually be used by many state and municipal building departments all across the country.

Even though the 2012 IECC focuses on new and commercial construction, green building experts, such as Dr. Energy Saver®- a nation-wide network of energy specialists, predict that this new building code will have a major impact on upgrading the energy performance of existing houses. Alex Wilson, founder of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, is certain that the new code will have a major impact on home energy performance.

“Simply having code language finalized doesn't mean that a code is in force,” Wilson explains. “But any time a new building code is adopted, designers, builders, and building owners change their practices. I’m hopeful that we will see a residential version of this code in the not-too-distant future.”

Highlights from the new Energy Conservation Code that will impact existing home performance

More airtight construction. Blower door tests are already performed on houses during a standard home energy audit, to measure and detect energy-wasting air leaks. The IECC calls for mandatory blower door testing on new buildings. In colder climate zones, airtight construction techniques should yield a blower door reading equivalent of just 3 air changes per hour (at 50 Pascals pressure). This tight construction standard reinforces the need to stop energy-wasting air leaks with expert air-sealing work.

Higher insulation levels. The new code stresses the importance of insulation in all areas of a building, from basement to attic. For existing houses, the best opportunities for insulation upgrades are in basement, crawl space and attic zones.
Well-sealed ductwork. Leaky ductwork wastes energy by increasing HVAC system run time. The IECC proposes a maximum leakage of just 4cfm (cubic ft./min.) for every 100sq.ft. of floor area. Even though it’s easy to seal ducts when a house is first built, this work is often neglected or entirely omitted. That’s why duct sealing improvements remain very important for existing houses.

More efficient lighting. Recognizing advancements in efficient lighting technology, the new code calls for at least 75% of a new building’s lighting to be “high efficacy.” Thanks to the widespread availability of low-watt compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and even more efficient LED lights, this standard is just as easy to achieve in existing houses as it is in new construction.

Contact Dr. Energy Saver today to schedule your home energy audit or estimate for any of their services, which includes home insulation, water heaters, air conditioning, ductwork, replacement windows in CT and more! They service all throughout the state of Connecticut.

Make Every Day Earth Day With Dr. Energy Saver

Mon, April 16 2012, 00:00:00 -500

For more than 40 years now, we have set aside April 22nd, Earth Day, as a time to increase awareness and appreciation of the earth’s natural environment. Around the globe, individuals, communities and businesses volunteer in large ways and small to protect our resources, to foster learning and educational activities, all in the effort to save our planet.

Whether focusing on recycling, saving energy, indoor air quality, water pollution, sustainability and a myriad of other topics, people are eager to take action to help out around this time of year. They join community clean-ups, turn out the lights, walk vs. drive, and engage kids in workshops and festivals to do their part. And it all helps.

But not for long. To be effective, actions and results, need to be sustained for the long haul. Saving energy is topping the list of environmental protection because its effects are felt in so many ways. Dr. Energy Saver® focuses on saving energy all the time. Not for a day, or a week. All the time. It’s your prescription for lower energy bills®. As home-energy experts, Dr. Energy Saver shows you what you can do in your home to save energy while simultaneously reducing your energy bills, and improving your comfort and health . . . every day of the year.

We aim to provide you with cost effective solutions. In order to do just that, we first like to conduct a home energy audit. Here, we utilize a blower door test and evaluate your whole home—quite different from the typical audit performed by other companies. We then are able to properly diagnose the cause and recommend the best solution. Sometimes our homeowners are surprised to see what’s really causing the problem!

Once complete, we prioritize a list of solutions customized for your home!

Contact Dr. Energy Saver today to schedule an estimate for any of our many services including a home energy audit in CT including: Greenwich, Stamford, West Hartford, Danbury, and all surrounding cities and towns!

Weatherization and Home Health: Crawl Spaces, Air Sealing, Ductwork in Connecticut

Fri, April 6 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Energy efficiency and a healthy home are so intertwined that a conversation of one demands inclusion of the other. After all, considering the time we spend inside our home, we are bound to be affected by its conditions. And affected we are. Total-home weatherization is the best defense against potential health hazards and problems. Here’s a look at how the connection between home health and energy efficiency works. We at Dr. Energy Saver offer the resources and tests to identify and solve your home’s specific problems.

Many homeowners may not realize the link between their home’s condition and unnecessary expenses such as: medical bills, high energy bills, illness, and more! As a company offering a whole-house approach to energy efficiency, comfort and health—Dr. Energy Saver performs a home energy audit to first identify the sources of your home’s problems and discomfort. Next, we suggest the repairs or upgrades to better seal and ventilate your home, decrease the moisture and relative problems, and make way for adequate duct function.

One of the greatest contributors to an unhealthy home and family is the existence of damp and musty environments such as those in basements and crawl spaces, poorly managed rainwater or groundwater, and plumbing leaks are sources of excess moisture in the home. Moisture leads to mold and mildew growth which can cause irritations of the skin, nose and throat, and respiratory problems such as asthma, allergies, and nasal and sinus congestion.

Weatherization defense to control moisture includes crawl space encapsulation; diverting water from the foundation via drainage techniques, sump pump installation and dehumidification.

It’s clear that a more energy-efficient home leads to a healthier one. Understand the connection, make the necessary adjustments, and reap the rewards.

Federal and state initiatives continue to implement an integrated, whole-house approach to addressing the connection between energy efficiency and health allowing more homeowners than ever to benefit. Indoor air quality is a great concern for leading organizations and we aim to improve the quality of the air in your home.

We proudly offer crawl space encapsulation, air sealing and ductwork in Greenwich, Stamford, West Hartford, Trumbull, Stratford, Danbury, Weston, and more!

Energy Savings and Deregulation in CT

Mon, March 12 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Energy deregulation allows for people to choose a company to supply their power. Before deregulation, the entire supply and distribution of electrical power was very monopolistic. People were given a rate that they had to pay for all of their energy usage, and had no other options.

Benefits of Deregulation

The shift towards deregulation has helped to create competition in the electricity industry. Electric companies now compete for business with other companies in their state, and homeowners have the option to choose the supplier with the best package and price.

The introduction of a competitive market is meant to help homeowners like you to pay a more affordable price for the valuable energy you need for your home. Energy deregulation is different in every state, so below is some information about energy deregulation in CT.

Deregulation in CT

In Connecticut, we are fortunate to have deregulation because there are plenty of options for savings. We need to save wherever possible, especially with the debt the utilities are trying to pay off—with our help. For example, our rates are increasing because of the need to pay off the millions that went into the repairs from last October’s sudden snow storm and electric problems that resulted from the damage.

What does this all mean? Our rates are rising, but deregulation allows for a cut in at least part of our bill. In addition, there are home energy experts who can perform whole-house checkups/audits to identify areas that your home is not efficiently maintaining energy and the conditioned air you pay to heat or cool.

Home Energy Audit

Although energy deregulation can save homeowners money on their monthly energy bills, it is certainly not the only way for them to save! Local energy experts provide home energy savings throughout CT. A great way to start saving is scheduling a home energy audit.

How an Audit Works

During a home energy audit, an expertly trained contractor will perform a series of tests to pinpoint areas in your home where energy loss occurs. After pinpointing the inefficient areas, the energy saving contractor will discuss with you their findings and help you figure out the most effective and efficient way to upgrade your home’s overall energy efficiency and comfort.

In addition to saving you money on your monthly energy bills, upgrading your home with energy efficient appliances can earn you tax rebates to further increase your savings! So don’t hesitate!

Contact Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut today to schedule your personalized home energy audit in CT including Greenwich, Stamford, West Hartford, Trumbull, Guilford, Danbury and their surrounding areas.

Skylights Done Right with Low-E Glass and Weather Stripping

Mon, March 12 2012, 00:00:00 -500

Do you feel drafts of cold air coming from your skylight? Have you thought about purchasing shades to "trap" the air from entering or escaping your skylight? We can explain why these things are happening and solve the problems!

Skylights are great accents to any home, but can cause conditioned air to escape and increase the energy used to regulate the airflow. Here's why: their glass is cold and can cause convective loops- the circulation of warm and cold air that requires more energy to replace the lost conditioned air. Unfortunately, a skylight also lets tons of heat in like a greenhouse if they don't have Low-E glass. And if they have a stud and drywall tunnel to bridge a roof and a flat ceiling, that tunnel is not insulated well and cold or hot from the attic around it causing comfort issues and energy inefficiencies.

Get the Most from Your Skylight

Dr. Energy Saver has the solution to inefficient skylight installation. We install high performance glass panels along with the proper trim and weather stripping to hold the glass in place.

We are sure to install these high performing panels at the flat ceiling level if there is a tunnel, otherwise, we install as close as possible to the bottom of the rafter level.

We carefully choose the right trim and weather stripping to hold the glass and avoid mitering or coping the joints. Simple square or rectangular trims do just fine.

In the pictures shown, we installed the top and bottom trim with the weather stripping first, before setting the glass panel in position. We finished the job with the trim.

Want us to improve the efficiency of your skylight or other windows? Contact us today! We are your trusted resource for energy efficient window replacement in CT. We proudly service Greenwich, Stamford, West Hartford, Trumbull, Guilford, Danbury, Milford, Hamden, Stratford, Waterbury, and more!

Replacement Windows in CT Save Homeowners Money

Thu, January 19 2012, 00:00:00 -500

First, we need to understand that "replacing a window" and "replacement windows" are two different things. Replacing a window is when you remove the sashes, jamb (frame) and interior and exterior trim, and replace it all with new material. But when "replacement windows" are installed, all the prior-mentions are not done. Only the sashes and some minor trim attached to the jambs (window frame) are removed, and a "replacement window unit" is installed within the existing frame. This leaves the empty leaky space between the exisitng frame and the rough framing of the wall left as an air leakage problem.

The Problem: Removing the Trim

What can be done about it? Most window contractors do nothing about it. They don't talk about it because you need to remove trim to get to this spaces to seal it with foam. Sealing the space is easy - getting it exposed is the problem. When you remove trim it will likely break, or at least need to have the nail holes reputtied and be repainted. When you install a replacement window, you don't have to deal with any of that - and it's easy for the contracotr and easy for the customer. But you still have a drafty window because air from the outside is coming in around the frame and around the interior trim.

The Solution: Foam Sealant

Dr. Energy Saver has devised a solution to seal the shim space around an existing window without removing the trim to access it. When we remove the window sashes, small holes only 1/8" in diameter are drilled into the frame. Then foam sealant is injected using special equipment that allows sufficient quantities of foam to flow through a small needle that fits in the hole. You can hear it and feel it going in behind the window frame, filling the voids for air to flow in from outside - or out from inside. The holes are hidden behind the new replacement window unit that will be installed.

In this way, we have solved a big problem that until now has been totally ignored. Not because it wasn't a problem, but because it was tough to fix without adding a lot of expense per window, per job.

Reasons to Replace a Window with Energy Efficient Windows

The glass. Clear glass in old windows allows heat from the sun to heat up your house in the summer, causing you to use electricity to run the AC to remove the heat. It also allows heat from inside in the winter to be lost to the outside. Low E glass in a modern energy efficient window stops the flow of perhaps 60% of this heat Good news. Low E glass is slightly tinted, like sunglasses, by a metallic coating in the inside of the glass. Double pane glass helps heat losss too, and the space between it can be filled with argon gas, which doesn't transfer heat through the space like air will.
Vinyl frames. Vinyl never needs paint and won't rot, chip or peel. The perfect material for a window frame. And the low maintenance of vinyl keeps it looking great forever and saves you the cost of repainting them.
Lower U value means higher R value. Great windows have a U value of .30. - The lower the better. If you divide the U value into 1, you get the R value. So a window with a U vlue of .3 will have an R value of 3.33. It doesn't sound like a lot when compared with an R13 wall. But glass will always be thermal the weak spot in a wall no matter what you do. Compare this R value of 3.33 with an old window that may have a U Vlue of .8 - which would be a U value of 1.25, and you start to fell pretty good.
Foam sealant around the window. The best replacement window in the world will leak air if it's installed and surrounded by fiberglass. Fiberglass in a shim space is nothing more than an air filter for the air on its way into your home (first floor) or out of your home (upper floors). Windows must be sealed around with foam in the shim space to perfrom really well.

Do You Need to Replace Your Windows?

Here's something you may not expect - You may not need to replace your windows afterall. Sure that would help a bit for most homes. But if you want to save energy, replacing a window is not the number one place to start in 99% of cases.

In fast, it's not the number two or three or fourth place either. Other areas like air leaks in your homes other than the wiindows, duct leaks, and insulation in the right places are likly to have a far greater benefit and rate of return than replacing all your windows. The savings claims that replacement window companies make a gross exaggerations to be kind.

How do you know what's right for your home? Dr. Energy Saver can perform an energy evaluation, or energy audit, of your home to see what the priorities are. There's liitle sense in doing the number 6 priority work when 5 more important things go untouched.

Dr. Energy Saver can help you with all your home energy needs with a free home energy evaluation and written estimate. Call us today! We proudly serve much of Connecticut including Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Hartford, and many more!

Energy Efficient Sliding Glass Door and Window Upgrades in CT

Thu, January 12 2012, 00:00:00 -500

An insulated wall may have a rated R Value of R-13, but a typical sliding glass door or window may only have an R value of R-2! Obviously, the door or window is a big energy loser.

Why The Drafts?

Many people complain of drafts in the winter time. Door and windows may leak and if they do, that can be part of the draft you feel. But because the glass is cold, it creates a "convective loop". This is how it works - warm air inside contacts the cold glass, which then cools that air. Cold air is heavier than warmer air, so the cold air sinks to the floor and runs across the floor. Along the warmer interior wall the air warms up and rises to the ceiling, across the ceiling, back to the glass, down to the floor - you get the idea. So you're sitting in the room with the big glass surface and you feel a draft.

Another reason sliding glass doors can feel so cold is radiant heat loss from your body. Heat moves from hot to cold. Heat radiates off warm surfaces to colder ones. Your body is 98.6 degrees and the cold glass is much less. So when you are near the glass, heat is drawn off your body by the cold glass - making you feel cold.

Understanding Air Leakage

As far as air leaks through a door or window, there could be air leaks from the door or window not closing tightly - which everyone can understand. But another problem is the shim space around the door. A 6 foot sliding glass door will have an opening framed in the wall by the carpenter who built the house that measures 6 foot two inches. This gives room for the jamb (frame) of the door, and room to shim it level and plumb upon installation.

The remaining space of about 1/2" to 3/4" all the way around the door is commonly loosely filled with fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass lets lots of air in. Any air that gets around exterior trim or through the siding can come in AROUND the door in the shim space. Now it just has to get around the interior trim between either the wall and trim or the trim and frame - and it's in the house. Older homes may have no insulation whatsoever in this shim space.

So there's four reasons you feel cold due to sliding glass doors - or any window and door.

Cold glass - heat from inside your home radiates to the outside and is lost.
Convective loops - The cold glass cools the air inside and makes it move
Air coming around the door/window frame through the shim space
Air leaking through a door/window that doesn't seal properly.

In addition, glass doors tend to let in a lot of heat during the summer. Like a greenhouse, glass lets in solar radiation that heats up the house. Air conditioning is run more often as a result and that just costs more in electricity.

Clearly, upgrading to a high performance sliding glass door - or any window and door, is a great idea to make your home more comfortable and save energy.

Qualities of a High Performance Glass Door

Low E glass: E stands for "Emissivity". This means the glass will let in visible light but block much of the heat - that part of the light spectrum that transmits radiant heat. A metallized coating is applied to the inside of the glass, (think of sunglasses) that accomplishes this. Low E glass is slightly tinted. Low E glass will also prevent much of the heat flow OUT in the winter, giving you a benefit in summer AND winter.
Multiple panes of glass: By having two panes of glass, the Low E coating can be applied to the indsides of each, and an air space can be formed between the panes. This air space helps to insulate the glass from heat passing through.
Argon filled glass: The space between the glass can be evacuated of air and argon gas can be used instead. The argon will not transfer heat through it as much as air will, giving you an added defense against heat transfer in winter and summer.
Vinyl frames: Vinyl lasts. It doesn't rot, warp or ever need paint. Perfect since the outside of the door gets wet all the time. You'll save a lot on maintenance and your doors and windows will look good all the time! A door or window with a metal frame is highly energy INefficient. Metal, usually aluminum, is hundreds of times more themally conductive than other materials used for maufacturing doors and windows - the worst! The frames will always be very cold inside in cold weather.
Air Sealing and Insulation: When a new door or window is installed, the shim space should be air sealed and insulated with foam insulation. Expansive foam insulation fills all the gaps and won't let air around the frame - in or out. Foam is also a great insulator for this space. When installing "replacement" windows", the new windows are installed inside the existing frames. Since the same interior and exterior trim are used and never removed, the shim space is never exposed. In order to foam the shim space around the frame the interior trim must be removed. Doing this means it may have to be replaced if it cracks - and at the very least nails holes will have to be puttied and the trim repainted. It's worth it. Those windows will be there a long time - do it right.
U Values: You can't just go by the door or window brand name. Just as Chevrolet makes some great cars, they make others that are less great. Many window and door manufacturers make "Good - Better - Best" products. You have to look at the U Value on the label. Each door or window has a U Value. The lower the U Value the better. A VERY energy efficient window will have a U Value of .3. A poor U value may be .5 or higher. The U value is the inverse of the R value. To find out the R value of a door with a U Value of .3, we divide 1 by the U Value. So 1 divided by .3 equals an R value of 3.33. A window with a U Value of .5, has an R value of R2. So a window with an R value of .3 is 65% more energy efficient than one with a U value of .5. Install the door or window with the lowest U value you can. Of course better, more energy efficient windows cost more, but it's well worth it.

Dr. Energy Saver can help you with all your window and door needs in Hartford County, New Haven County, or Fairfield County - and anywhere in the state of Connecticut. We'll make sure your new Sliding glass doors, windows, and doors are as energy efficient as they can be. We're you source for anything your home needs to be comfortable and efficient including air sealing, insulation, duct repairs, high efficiency heating and air conditioning and water heating, radiant barriers and lighting. Call us today for a free home evaluation and estimate. 1-800-328-1081

What Is An Ice Dam and How to Prevent Ice Damming in CT

Tue, November 29 2011, 00:00:00 -500

In winters that are particularly snowy, thousands of people experience ice damming, and the destructive flooding as water rains down the inside of the exterior walls of their homes. Homeowners and insurance companies hate it, and dry-wallers, remodelers and painters love it.

We are your resource for preventing ice damming!

What is Ice Damming? Ice Damming occurs when heat from the house melts a layer of snow against the roof. The water flows beneath the snow to the edge of the roof where an overhang along the eave of the roof is colder and the water refreezes since the water at the edge of the roof is no longer heated by the house. When frozen, it creates a ridge of ice that builds up thicker and thicker. This ridge can be 8 inches thick! As new water from further snowmelt, thawing from rising outdoor temperatures, or rain comes down the roof, it gets backed up behind this "ice dam" or ridge of ice, and pools up. The water then finds it's way back up under the shingles and leaks into the house-- and can cause some pretty serious water damage.

Some Solutions Add to the Problem

When we are re-roofing a home we can install a sticky membrane called Ice and Water Shield to the surface of the roof deck before we apply shingles. Then we'd essentially have two layers of roofing - one rubberized sheet, and one of shingles. If water pools beneath the shingles, we have the rubberized sheet as a back up. It mostly works, but it's not a sure bet.

For most of us who aren't re-roofing our homes at this time, our defense is to keep the roof cold, so we aren't melting layers of snow and causing water to run down the roof and form the ice dam in the first place.

The roof deck should not be warm. We insulate our attic floors to prevent this, but when air is still leaking from the warm house into the attic, we realize we didn't install enough insulation. Now the heated air leaks up into the attic (called convection as warm air rises) and since we don't have enough insulation, the heat travels through the drywall or plaster celings into the attic (called conduction).

Further, many homes have ducts in the attic. Now we are really asking for more trouble. Ducts that carry the air from our heating system to rooms in our house are leaky and under-insulated. So we are essentially heating our attic. That's bad news for keeping the roof cold and preventing ice damming, and bad news for trying to save energy. We're paying for all that heat that we put into the attic "by accident" as all the heat is lost through attic vents.

These vents were installed in attics to keep the roof deck cold in the winter, and vent out moisture. You see as heated air leaks into the attic it carries moisture (humidity) with it. Warm air holds a lot more moisture than cold air. In fact for every one degree we cool the air, we raise the relative humidity by 2.2% without adding any water. This is because cold air is "smaller air", and gets full with less quantity of water than warm air does. So the vents are added to vent out this moisture so it does not cause condensation on the bottom of the roof deck and the mold and rot that comes with it. Of course, your first option is to stop the heat from escaping into your attic in the first place, and stop the humidity flow. After that, vents that wash the bottom of the roof deck with cold outside air, ensure that snow stays snow, and we don't pay to melt it and cause ourselves a flood from ice damming in the process.

Preventing Ice Damming in CT

So how can you truly prevent ice damming? Dr. Energy Saver performs these steps all the time; seal air leaks into the attic, seal ducts in the attic, insulate ducts in the attic, and add insulation to the attic floor. There are hybrid approaches and specialty items, but that's the basic idea.

Air Seal and Insulate Ducts

Ducts take particular care and attention. Your furnace may heat the air up to 100 degrees or more and send it through leaky sheet metal ducts through a 30 degree attic. It's inevitable that heat gets into the attic it's running through. Which means you get less heat delivered to the room intended - so you have to run the furnace more to keep your home heated - and that cost you money. Ducts must be sealed to prevent leaks in an attic and insulated well to prevent heat loss (and heat gain in the summer).

Attic vents, while less necessary in an attic that is properly air sealed, insulated and has it's ducts taken care of properly, will keep the roof deck very close to the outdoor temperature, since they don't have all the heat (and mositure) to vent out as they did before the home was "fixed".

Air Sealing and Insulation

Air sealing should ALWAYS be done before adding home insulation in CT or anywhere for that matter. A contractor who wants to hastily blow insulation in an attic without air sealing first, is taking the easy way out - for himself. Proper air sealing is much more difficult and takes much more time on average than blowing insulation. But with air sealing you don't see so much of the work when you scan the attic, and with blown in insulation you see a lot; so it looks like something substantial was done. The insulator who blows insulation without air sealing first is committing malpractice and doing the customer a great disservice. Why? Now all those air leaks (can lights, drywall to stud seams, pipe and wire holes, openings around chimneys and duct chases, etc etc.) that need to be sealed are buried under a foot or more of insulation. They are very, very difficult to get to ever again.

But won't insulation stop air leaks? No way. Insulation lets air flow right through it. It's like having a winter coat on with just the stuffing, not the nylon shell.

Ice Damming Prevention-- A Comfortable Solution Pays for Itself

Even in a perfectly treated house, ice damming is possible. How? Solar radiation. Most people can understand that the sun's rays can go through the snow and heat up the roof and melt snow from underneath - even in an unheated building. But by having your attic properly air sealed and insulated as described and shown to the right, the incidences will be a lot less often (probably never), a lot less severe, and you'll have a more comfortable house and save money on your heating fuel forever and ever.

It's a repair that pays for itself. That is to say, if you don't do it, over a number of years you'll pay the money anyway in bits and pieces to your fuel company - and have your uncomfortable house to live in. It makes it a repair that feels good all around!

Is your home experience ice damming in Stamford, New Haven, or other nearby areas? We are your resource to reduce and remove ice damming from happening in the future! Our air sealing, attic insulation, duct sealing, and duct insulation in CT and NY are the worthwhile, self-sufficient resolution to ice damming.

Taking The Whole House Approach To Home Energy Efficiency

Fri, November 4 2011, 00:00:00 -500

In this industry, there are times when energy efficiency experts come across some fairly prodigious claims about the potential effectiveness of the products they provide to homeowners. While these assertions are great for selling products, they don't always create a realistic picture of the ultimate benefit to the homeowner.

Instead of claiming the added efficiency that a single product will offer, it's much more effective to create a profile of your entire house's energy system – one that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of your home's energy use. With this approach, we can take a more realistic look at which improvements will result in the most impactful improvement of your home.

Understanding "Whole House" Energy Efficiency

Be skeptical of any company that provides you a single product but quantifies its potential energy savings for your home. These “miracle cure” solutions are not always as effective as they seem!

For example, let's say that a company claims that replacing your windows and exterior doors with ENERGY STAR® approved windows and doors can save you up to 25% on your annual heating and cooling bills. Unfortunately, this is only likely in some cases.

Let's look at these two examples...

House A is an old, drafty colonial house that is poorly updated by its owners. However, the furnace is fairly modern, and operates at about 85% of the efficiency of a new, modern system. Unfortunately, the air ducts that channel the heat from the furnace have several air leaks, and the furnace is being stored in a cold, uninsulated basement. The attic also has a mere 4” layer of old fiberglass insulation installed. While the windows are not ENERGY STAR® approved, they do have double-paned glass.

House B is a 1970s home, whose owners take the time to update it when possible. In this case, the furnace is very outdated, and while it still works, it operates at about half the efficiency of a new, modern system. The owners service their system frequently, and have already sealed all holes in the air ducts. Their basement is finished and insulated, and the attic is properly sealed and insulated with new fiberglass insulation. They have single-paned windows installed that are not ENERGY STAR® approved.

Which House Would Benefit Most From Energy Efficient Windows?

In this case, we can see that the owners of House A are paying much more for their heat than the owners of house B. While replacing these old windows would increase the energy efficiency, there are many more cost-effective ways to reduce their utility bills.

For example, instead of spending $10,000 or more on a window upgrade, the owners of House A may want to consider using the same money on a combination of air sealing the home to eliminate the drafts, insulating the basement, repairing the air ducts, or sealing and insulating the attic.

In the case of House B, however, we can see that the basement and attic are insulated, and the home has already been air sealed. Because the furnace is outdated, heating comes at a premium. In this case, it can be very cost-effective to keep as much heat inside the house as possible. So replacement windows are a pretty good idea.

But even in this case, the savings will take many years to balance out the cost of the windows. In the end, much of the value of the upgrade will be appreciated through the increased comfort, beauty, and value of the home.

Professional Energy Efficiency Evaluation In Connecticut & New York

Before deciding on a major energy efficiency upgrade for your home, it's worth the effort to hire a professional to inspect your problem and make recommendations on the most effective upgrades for your home.

Each house will have its own unique energy-using system; professional and customized energy efficient upgrades are well worth the investment in energy savings and comfort for your home.

At Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut, we provide whole-house energy evaluations for homeowners in the CT & NY area. They offer many services including air sealing, ductwork, insulation, and heating and cooling systems in Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, and Westchester County.

Insulation Removal In All of CT

Thu, October 20 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Connecticut homeowners need insulation in their attics, walls, and floors. Insulation never wears out, but it can get polluted by pests - namely squirrels, mice, rats, bats, raccoons and their relatives. When varmints get into your attic, they build nests, urinate and defecate in the insulation. Of course this causes a terrible odor and unhealthy environment to say the least.

Many homeowners want and need this insulation removed from their attics.

Dr. Energy Saver removes insulation from homes all over New Haven, Hartford, Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. More often than not, we find attics that have their insulation spoiled by small animals.

Removing Blown in Insulation in CT

Removing blown in insulation is quite a job especially without the right equipment. You have to get all the insulation through your home and outside without polluting your living space. Dr. Energy Saver uses a special vacuum with giant vacuum bags outside to catch all the insulation. The large diameter hose is long enough to disallow the insulation or the vacuum to affect your home. If you have batt insulation, the batts are bagged in the attic and removed, and the vacuum completes the job.

The end result-- a very clean attic that's almost ready for clean fresh insulation.

Seal Air Leaks Before Installing New Insulation

First however, make sure to seal all holes, gaps, cracks, chases and fixtures where air can leak from your living space into the attic. Also be sure to close any holes where animals can enter your attic! Once finished, the new insulation can be installed.

Out with the Old in with the New

New insulation upgrades old insulation to perform better and maintain a greater R-value.

There are also several other important repairs that should go along with the insulation, such as installing an airtight attic door or hatch cover, installing airtight boxes over leaky can light fixtures, and sealing and insulating ducts that are located in the attic.

Call Dr. Energy Saver for insulation removal in Greenwich and Groton, and from Manchester to Lakeville - or anywhere in between! COntact us today for more insulation needs. We offer garage, crawl space, basement, and wall cavity insulation in Stamford, and all over Connecticut including Wallingford, New Milford, Rocky Hill, Bethlehem, Watertown, Southbury, Simsbury, Plainville, Darien, Ridgefield and Norwalk. Call us at: 1-800-328-1081.

Why Solar Panels Are Not Your First or Second Option

Wed, October 19 2011, 00:00:00 -500

My name is Larry Janesky. My commercial building in Seymour is one of the ten largest solar panel installations in Connecticut. It cost about $1.6 million to install 660 panels on the giant roof. I also own a 30 Kilowatt system on a large barn roof at my home, which cost $150,000. I believe in the idea of solar panels and was very enthusiastic about it at one time. And when it's your own money you are investing, you REALLY get it! So take it from me - if you want to do something good for the environment, and make a wise investment, you DO NOT want to invest in solar to generate electricity at your home. It's simply not the first thing you want to do. Or the second or third either. Here's why...

Why NOT Solar Panels: The Fine Print and IFS You Didn't Know

There are a number of reasons to invest in solar panels. If you want to make your house look high tech and green, and impress passersby with your very visible statement of how environmentally responsible you are - Go for it. But DON'T buy solar panels if you want to do something good for the environment, reduce dependence on foreign oil, slow global warming, be green, or make the best financial investment you can by doing something "green".

Solar panels simply aren't the best way to accomplish your above want list. To simplify, solar panels will give you a 5%-ish rate of return, and perhaps up to 6% or 7% with state and federal rebates and incentives. But this is IF you don't have any problems and IF they last their 20-year life span, which provides plenty opportunity for them to get damaged.

If the solar panels are supposed to last 20 years and you put them on a roof that will need to be replaced before then, you will have to have someone take the panels and their mounting system off, re-roof, and pay to reinstall them. For what that costs, your moderate rate of return just got really bad.

My 1-Year Experience with Solar Panels

Let me tell you about my nightmare. I had 150 solar PV (photovoltaic) panels installed on my barn roof. I'm a builder/carpenter. The contractor I hired was an electrician, as many installing solar are. An electrician mounting stuff to roofs and building structural stuff-- I should have saw it coming. With the 30 inches of snow we had in the winter of 2010-2011, my solar panel mounting system collapsed!

Five panels were broken by the weight of the snow and now shaped like potato chips. The roof sprung hundreds of leaks, as the mounting system lurched down slope with the weight of the snow and dozens of mounts ripped through the roof. I and several of my family and very best friends work for days on the roof (at considerable risk) in winter trying to shovel the roof and the panels. On Superbowl Sunday I finally got the contractor to go up there with me and remove 150 solar panels that I had paid $150,000 for, and stack them in my garage.

There they sat until summer when we finally got all the roof leaks fixed, worked through who was going to pay for the damage and remounting them, and got them back up and running on a new mounting system. I also had to prep the roof to last 20 years, as in my horror I realized I'd have to go through this all again if my roof every needed coating or fixing before then (it's a metal roof). And believe me, this was hell, and I never wanted to go through this again!

The Truth About MY ROI

My investment was looking pretty grim at that point. But hey, it looks cool now! Sure my electric bills are lower. But how long will it take me to recoup my $150,000? Well, the tax incentives paid for 1/3 of it, so my cost was about $100,000.

**Side Note: You can have 4 panels installed instead of 150, for a ton less money, but you won't get as much free power as I do. I was trying to power a big house and a big barn that has people and a business (not mine) in it all day. Nevertheless, the math is close to the same. You buy more - you get more power. Each panel puts out 200 watts no matter how many you get. Use my example not for the dollars you'd have to invest, but for the payback period you will experience.

I save about $500 a month in the SUMMER. I generate nothing if the panels are covered by snow, in the WINTER. At night-- zip. In cloudy days-- very little. So I save about $4500 a year, which means I will get my money back in 22 years. IF they last that long. I already had to buy 5 new panels in year ONE for $500 each, and spend thousands on roof repairs, lost time, inconvenience, etc. So I figure my 22 years went to about 28 years. And what if I have any more problems? That will just extend the payback period - and quite honestly, I don't think these things are going to last more than 20 years or so on such a hostile environment as a roof.

How My Opinion of Solar PV Has Changed

Do I feel good about my solar panels? I used to. Now it's okay, but I wouldn't do it again. However, when the technology changes and you can get more kilowatts for less money with a big breakthrough - then I'll have another look. As will many people.

So what would I do with $20,000, or even just $5,000 that would slow global warming, make me a green citizen, be a great investment and even do something that solar panels can't do (make my house more comfortable)? I'd call Dr. Energy Saver and schedule a home energy evaluation. It's free-- that's a nice start.

Dr. Energy Saver Can Help

Full disclosure - I own Dr. Energy Saver! I own it because after the first hand experience like what I've described above - I am very excited about what we did for my home in Middlebury; my family's homes in Shelton, Seymour, and Bethany; my friends homes in Orange, Monroe and Ridgefield; and what we do everyday for our customers homes in Danbury, Stamford, Fairfield, and all over Connecticut!

Based on your home energy evaluation, we identify and prioritize your needs and the repairs.

Then we do the work for you. Doing things like Air sealing in the right places, insulation in the right places, duct sealing and duct insulation, and radiant barriers are great investments - way better than solar panels.

First, we see rates of return from 15% to 30%, depending on how bad the house is and how much we do. And these things last forever - they never wear out like solar panels. Do it once, do it right, and you never have to do it again. And as the price of fossil fuels (heating fuel) goes up, your rate of return goes up. There isn't an investment guru on Wall Street that can get you a guaranteed 15% or higher rate of return - tax free, and without risk! It's a good deal and a very smart investment.

"Reduce Before You Produce"

High efficiency heating and air conditioning systems and water heating from Dr. Energy Saver are also areas that can have a great return. Your furnace or boiler only costs you money when it's running. If you can prevent the heat it creates from leaking out, it will run a lot less and cost you a lot less. And if you could get more heat out of a unit of gas, propane, or heating oil instead of sending good heat you paid for up the chimney and into the sky, you have a double benefit.

Is there a place for solar panels? Absolutely. But not UNTIL you have resolved priorities such as air leaks, improper insulation, and the inefficiencies of converting fuel and electricity to hot or cool air.

So there you have it-- the confessions of a guy who has been there and done that with his own money, has the T-Shirt and knows better.

Dr. Energy Saver can help you save energy, lower your fuel and electric bills, and make your home more comfortable. As we enter into the cooler months, we proudly offer free estimates for our many services including ductwork, insulation, air sealing, and HVAC installation in New Haven, Stamford, Bridgeport, Hartford, Norwalk, Waterbury, Danbury, CT-- and more! Call 1-800-328-1081 to set up a free visit, consultation and analysis.

Injecting Foam and Comfort Into Existing Connecticut Homes

Thu, October 13 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Fiberglass batt insulation has been a staple insulating material in American homes for decades. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide homeowners with optimal results. Fiberglass insulation does not stop air leaks, and commonly installed improperly - fully fluffed, no gaps, spaces or compressions, and in a closed cavity. If the R-Value on the batt says R13, you probably are getting an installed R-Value in the wall of half that.

Fiberglass batts often turn gray or black in a wall - a sign that air is flowing through them. "What you have is essentially a big pink air filter in each stud cavity" says Larry Janesky, president of Dr. Energy Saver in Seymour. "And when the air constantly leaks out, it takes the heat you paid for with it".

But how do you fix the problem in a home that is already built without tearing the walls out to do it right?

Wall Injection in CT

Dr. Energy Saver provides an almost magical service statewide, from Greenwich to Norwich, where foam insulation is injected into the cavities of existing home walls.

"It's absolutely amazing how much foam insulation we can pump into a wall that is already insulated! It's no wonder people have uncomfortable drafty homes with high heating bills" Janesky said.

Holes are drilled into the exterior walls, sometimes through the siding, sometimes after a course of siding is temporarily removed; and a flexible hose is inserted all the way down the wall cavity. A urethane foam with the consistency of shaving cream, is then injected into the wall. The foam fills all around and within existing fiberglass batt insulation, and fills all the holes and gaps within the wall where heat can get through.

"The home we did yesterday in Southbury, CT had wood shingles as siding once upon a time and they were stripped off to install vinyl siding. When we removed one course of vinyl to install the foam we found thousands of little nail holes in the wall sheathing where air could leak out of the house readily. The fiberglass was gray and even black in places where air was passing through it. The urethane filled all those little holes and gaps," said Janesky.

Injection VS Spray Foam Insulation

Injection foam is different than spray foam. Spray foam expands on the surface after it's been sprayed. You can't get it into existing walls - only in new construction or open surfaces. If installed in a closed cavity, the expansion of the foam would build up enough pressure to blow the drywall off the inside wall.

Injection foam expands before it goes into the wall, and doesn't build those high pressures to damage the inside wall. Sometimes the injection foam comes out of all kinds of places inside where there are gaps - which is a good thing, since you have located many places where air leaks in or out of your home. The foam cleans up with water so interior finishes are not ruined when this happens.

In addition, homeowners notice their homes are quieter when the walls are filled with "I-Foam".

Connecticut Experiences Wall Injection Insulation

Dr. Energy Saver recently completed a project in Newtown, CT where there was no insulation in the walls at all. The home was originally a Sears and Roebuck home. The homeowner noticed the difference right away. Combined with a new high efficiency heat pump with propane furnace back-up, and high efficiency air conditioning from Dr. Energy Saver, the home not only was brought up to date, but leapfrogged 99% of homes out there as far as energy efficiency.

If you are interested in any home insulation in Connecticut, whether it be your attic, walls, basement, floors, garage, or any home energy upgrades, call Dr. Energy Saver at 1-800-328-1081. Dr. Energy Saver offers a free home energy audit with a trained expert!

Dr. Energy Saver Installs Attic Insulation For Dream Room Makeover

Wed, October 12 2011, 00:00:00 -500

When the Fox 61 show "Dream Room Makeover" sent out a call for the worst living room in Connecticut, no one could have expected an almost completely bare space in South Windsor with just one broken chair and some old pink drapes. The show immediately enlisted the help of local contractors to change the appearance of the drab and empty room, but Larry Janesky's Seymour-based company Dr. Energy Saver stepped in to save the room in a way that wasn’t immediately visible: attic insulation. And, the work his crews performed benefitted the entire house!

"Dream Room Makeover," hosted by Mar Jennings, takes a dull and lifeless-looking room and redesigns it to make it look stylish and new. The contest winner's barren living room had nothing in it but a lamp, a chair, and old drapes and flooring from before he purchased the house. He was at a loss when it came to redecorating, so he contacted the show for help. A number of local companies pitched in to help by donating labor and materials.

Janesky and his team installed blown insulation into the contest winner's attic. Blow-in insulation is installed faster and more uniformly then other types of insulation. Blown insulation also has an R-value of about 3.4 per inch. It comes in dense blocks that are wrapped in plastic. To install the material, each block is cut in half and pushed into a combination shredder/blower machine that feeds a long, flexible installation hose.

Adding extra insulation to an attic is a surefire way to help keep a home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Many times, the minimum amount of insulation required in a house is not nearly enough to keep the house comfortable. Energy experts can add more insulation and also seal any air leaks to prevent outside air from getting inside.

"What we want to do is keep more of the air we pay to heat and cool in the house longer by air sealing the attic," Janesky said. "You can expect lower fuel and electric bills and a more comfortable home."

Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut is the local expert for home insulation in CT and other energy saving services. Contact them today for a home energy audit to begin your journey to a more comfortable and efficient home.

View Episode Here

Injectable Foam in CT Fully Insulates Home's Existing Walls

Mon, September 12 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Millions of homes have walls that are either uninsulated, under insulated, or improperly insulated. Dr. Energy Saver® can fix CT homes by injecting foam insulation whose pliability allows it to flow around pipes and wires, while filling in the cavity and existing batt insulation holes and gaps!

There are thousands of homes in Connecticut that can use additional insulation to prevent conductive heat loss and create a warmer more comfortable home.

Injectable Foam VS Spray Foam

The Injectable Foam insulation from Dr. Energy Saver disperses like shaving cream and does not expand in the wall like spray foam, which blows the drywall off of the wall. This means spray foam can only be used in open wall cavities as in a new construction situation, before the drywall is installed.

Our foam fills the entire cavity and encases all voids.

Why We Fill Every Gap

We want to help increase your home's comfort while improving its energy efficiency. Our Injectable Foam accomplishes both of these goals.

Batt insulation may only have 5% gaps, but they cause it to lose 40% of its R Value. Gaps, voids, compressions around pipes and wires, and improperly fitting batts, are what some contractors consider normal and result in a wall that does not have the R Value advertised. Dr. Energy Savers' injectable foam is the answer.

Our Injectable Foam insulation can also be used on other kinds of wall cavities like garage ceilings, cold floors, and cantilevered floors, or in attics that already have wood flooring or decking.

How Does it Work?

The magic is how the foam insulation is injected through a small hole, either in the top, middle or bottom of the wall cavity, and flows to otherwise inaccessable spaces from there. It's quite amazing. Dr Energy Savers' Injectable Foam is not a harsh chemical like spray foam, and cleans up with soap and water!

Dr. Energy Saver offers free home inspections and insulation estimates in Ct. If you need other energy saving work such as Water Heating, Replacement Windows and Doors, Attic insulation, Air Sealing, Duct Repairs, Duct Sealing and Insulation, and High Efficiency HVAC in Westchester County, NY and throughout all of CT, we can take care of all those things at once! Call 1-800-328-1081 today!

Dr. Energy Saver Franchise Founders To Present At HVAC Comfortech 2011

Wed, September 7 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Dr. Energy Saver® founders, Larry Janesky and Tom Casey, Jr. are preparing to make waves at this year’s HVAC Comfortech—as part of HVACR Week. We at Dr. Energy Saver Connecticut are so thankful to be a part of a franchise that truly aims to help others and improve our own abilities.

Larry and Tom will be hosting seminars, Larry’s class entitled “The Highest Calling” is named after his most recent published novel.

We want to invite you to attend this spectacular week! Where you can learn of influential products and services, hear from distinguished speakers, and network with fellow contractors.

HVAC Comfortech is being held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN from September, 21-23, 2011.

Read more about Dr. Energy Saver at HVAC Comfortech.

We are your local Dr. Energy Saver trained and prepared to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient! Contact us today for a free estimate for our many services including air sealing and attic insulation in Newtown, and nearby locations!

Lots of Action in the Attic!

Wed, August 24 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Air leaks out of your home, heat is lost by conduction, rooms are unbearable from the blazing hot roof and attic, and ducts lose cold and hot air on their way to intended destinations -they all happen in the attic! If this sounds familiar, we want to help make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.

Identify the Leaks-- Is the Attic to Blame?

First and foremost-- how much air does your home leak? At Dr. Energy Saver our equipment will tell us exactly how much air your home leaks and where. The average home leaks 50% to 100% more than it should! This means that when your heating or air conditioning system gets your home up to temperature and the thermostat turns it off, that the air that you just paid to heat and cool just leaks outside! A disproportionate amount of this leakage is to the attic! Even worse, new outside cold or hot air leaks in at the bottom of your house to replace the air that left. A recent job we did in Cheshire showed this very thing-- major air leakage problems causing the homeowners uncomfortable rooms.

Dr. Energy Saver, offers air sealing in Wallingford, Seymour, Hartford, and all nearby locations! This is part of an overall strategy to rid your home of the comfort problems you have, no matter where in Connecticut you are located.

Attic Insulation Done Right

Insulation in your attic is important because warm air rises. An attic is cold because it's vented. If the drywall ceilings are cold, they continually pull heat out of your conditioned space and that heat is lost. Proper insulation is the answer, but ONLY after proper air sealing has been completed.

Installing insulation in an attic without air sealing is considered malpractice. Insulation doesn't stop air flow. Once insulation is installed, it makes it very difficult to go back and seal the holes in the ceiling and walls assemblies, can lights and electrical and plumbing chases afterwards because you can't find them. Why would anyone insulate without air sealing? Because insulation is the easy part - and air sealing is more difficult. The average homeowner may think they are getting something good - a nice blanket of insulation. But the reality is that air sealing and insulation should always be done together (air sealing first) and of the two if you had to pick, air sealing is the most important.

Dr. Energy Saver recently fixed a home in Newtown CT where the homeowner had previously hired someone to install insulation without air sealing - with no beneficial effect.

What NOT to Have in the Attic

Ducts or air handlers (furnaces, air conditioning, hydro-air systems) located in attics are a very bad idea and big energy wasters. On a hot summer day, the outside of ducts can reach 140 degrees like one house we worked in recently in Woodbury CT. Attics are very hot in summer and very cold in winter.

Ducts are the opposite. When you run ducts in an attic, heat will move from more to less as the laws of thermodynamics demand. This means warm ducts will lose heat to a cold attic in winter, and heat will be added to air conditioning ducts struggling to distribute cold air to rooms in the summer. Dr Energy Saver employs strategies such as duct sealing, adding insulation, and even making attics into conditioned space so no such heat exchange to or from ducts occurs in the attic. We completed one of our "SuperAttic™" jobs in Plainfield CT and would love to show you what the customer said - a vast improvement!

How the Attic Affects Your Roof

Ice damming is caused when heat escapes from your home and melts snow on the roof. The water runs down the roof to the eaves where there is no more heat because the eaves hang over the warm attic, and then refreezes. The block of ice at the roof edge eventually blocks the flow of water off the roof, and water backs up under the shingles and leaks into the house. But you don't want heat to leak out of the house into the attic to warm the bottom of the roof in the first place! All the strategies mentioned will prevent ice damming as well as make your home more comfortable and lower your heating and cooling bills forever.

Dr. Energy Saver often reflects summer solar heat with radiant barriers for homes that won't cool on the upper floors in the summer, like a home in Seymour CT we recently completed on Mountain Road. How powerful is the sun? On an 85 degree day your roof can heat up to 150 degrees and your attic to 125 degrees! This heat raidates down through the ceiling and into the rooms on the uppermost floors of your home - and it doesn't cool off until hours after the sun goes down.

It's clear - your attic is where lots of energy action is taking place - and where lots of corrective action will need to be done to solve the comfort problems you face.

Temperature differences room to room? High fuel and electric bills? Dust, mold and allergies indoors? Cold floors? Dr Energy Saver offers free estimates for attic insulation in Danbury, Hartford, Ansonia, and all surrounding areas! All the work we do pays for itself - and we even have easy financing. I'm Larry Janesky, president of Dr. Energy Saver. We'd love to help you! 1-800-328-1081

Department of Energy Releases Campaign to Save Money by Saving Energy

Tue, July 26 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Seymour, CT - A new awareness campaign undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) echoes what Dr. Energy Saver® has been advocating since the company's inception in 2009. The DOE's "Save Money by Saving Energy" initiative emphasizes the benefits of investing in energy-saving improvements thus enabling homeowners to spend less on utilities allowing them to spend more on other things that family members enjoy.

In addition, the DOE is promoting home energy audits, using programmable thermostats to reduce heating & cooling costs by more than $100/yr., and plugging in power strips to cut energy losses from phantom loads. The DOE describes the home energy audit on their Energy Savers Website:

"A home energy assessment, also known as a home energy audit, is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An assessment will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time."

Dr. Energy Saver®, a nationwide network of contractors with expertise in assessing and improving home energy performance, is also dedicated to making home energy savings accessible to every homeowner interested in saving energy and money on utility expenses.

Larry Walters, the CEO of Dr. Energy Saver®, points out that homeowners who have invested in energy-saving improvements are able to enjoy benefits that go beyond saving money.

"There's no doubt that lower utility costs are a major incentive for making energy-saving improvements," explains Walters. "but we also like to point out that homeowners can expect other rewards, like improved year-round comfort and a healthier, safer home. Air sealing and insulation upgrades greatly reduce the likelihood of damage from mold and ice dams," Walters continues, "and surveys done by the National Association of Home Builders have shown that "greener" homes have greater resale value."

About Dr. Energy Saver Western CT

Like the DOE, Dr. Energy Saver® has a full-featured website where homeowners can learn more about the different features, components and conditions that govern home energy performance. From basic lighting upgrades and weatherstripping details to low-e glass energy efficient windows, boiler heating systems, fiberglass insulation, and tankless water heater installation -- the territory of home energy performance is fully covered.

In fact, the book authored by company founders Larry Janesky and Tom Casey does an excellent job of explaining the "whole-house" approach to energy savings that building scientists advocate as the optimum strategy for improving home energy performance.

Contact the experts at Dr. Energy Saver Western CT to learn more about how to save money and save energy to make for a more comfortable home environment! These experts are your resource for a home energy audit in Newtown, CT.

Let Us Help You Get the Most Out of Your Tankless Water Heater!

Wed, July 20 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Is your water heating costing you more than you expected? You may not realize it, but traditional water heaters use a lot of energy when heating water that you aren't even using!

Recently, a local homeowner in Danbury called us to receive a quote on a tankless water heater. We educated him not only on the advantages of a tankless water heater, but about our full home energy audit. He is now very interested in how we can help him save money throughout the whole house!

Our home energy audit is very unique and offers a thorough evaluation and identification of all the areas in a home that aren't operating as efficiently as possible, and are costing your home its comfort.

If you are looking for tankless water heater installation in Madison or the surrounding areas, contact Dr. Energy Saver® Western Connecticut today, they have the solutions for all your energy needs.

See Our Trucks? Call us up!

Wed, July 20 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Make sure you give us a call when you see one of our Dr. Energy Saver® trucks drive by. A local woman from Woodbury did just that without knowing anything about us besides our name. Once she found out about our home energy audit and the possible ways she could save energy and money in her home, she booked an appointment for the next week!

If you are in the same boat, and looking for ways to upgrade your home and save-- contact us today! Dr. Energy Saver's in-depth energy audit evaluates the efficiency of each energy aspect from your HVAC system to insulation, and your windows and doors to air sealing around the house.

Our trained energy experts are more than qualified to help any homeowner with the energy and comfort issue they are facing.

If you are looking for an energy expert that specializes in ways to improve a home's comfort and energy efficiency, contact us today.

We are your trusted home insulation company in Wallingford and the surrounding areas- Dr. Energy Saver Western Connecticut is the one to call!

Home Energy Audits Provide Benefits That Go Through The Roof!

Fri, July 8 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Scheduling a home energy audit is important for all homeowners and prospective homebuyers. Homeowners, like yourself may not even know you're paying way too much for your energy bills; while prospective homeowners need an audit to help gauge this "sometimes hidden" cost when purchasing their prospective home.

For example, a West Hartford resident in the process of buying a home was instructed to replace the current fiberglass insulation with energy efficient attic ventilation. She immediately called us for help!

Many people buy a home not knowing how energy inefficient it is, meaning they have to pay for both the costs of the house and the costs associated with energy efficient upgrades. Home energy audits pinpoint places in your home where energy loss occurs, identifying all necessary improvement for a more energy-efficient home, and lower energy bills.

Increase Your Home's Potential to Sell

You can increase your home's value and decrease your energy bills by scheduling a home energy audit. We want to direct you toward the most effective home energy upgrades and prevent you from paying for unnecessary work.

This investment will be worth while as energy efficient appliances, for example, are designed to consistently save you money on your energy bills. If you are ever considering selling your home, equipping your home with the latest energy efficient technologies will increase your home's sales appeal. Most buyers love hearing that the home they're interested in is energy efficient and has been reviewed by an expert.

Dr. Energy Saver® Western Connecticut offers free home energy audits in West Hartford and its surrounding areas. Contact Dr. Energy Saver Western Connecticut today for your prescription for lower energy bills®.

Energy Efficient Lighting

Thu, July 7 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Lighting is great for indoor and outdoor use; as it provides illumination for everyday activities or can be used accentuate certain things in your home. Out of the total energy used in a home, about 5 to 10 percent of that is spent on lights. Although you probably spend more on AC or heating, lighting can be a great way to make your house green and more energy efficient.

Take Advantage of the Sun

Natural lighting is the most energy efficient way to light your home because this light comes from the sun. In combination with energy efficient windows, daylight is effective and energy efficient. When the sun is lighting your home during the day there is a reduced need for artificial lighting which reduces your electricity bill.

To increase the amount of natural light your home receives, installing more windows or skylights is a great solution as well.

Task Lighting is a Better Option

Turning the lights on in a room where you may only want to read a book or work on something at your desk, may not be the most energy efficient way to use lights. Switching to task lighting is an effective way to still illuminate the space that you are using, but only lighting the direct area you want.

By doing this the cost of ceiling lights is reduced and you are making your home greener by the minute!

Quick Tips to Save Energy

Purchase LED light bulbs to save energy with lighting in your home

Turn off the lights in rooms you're not using to save money and energy

Install solar powered outdoor lights to reduce the amount of energy you use

High Intensity Discharge Lighting

High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting is the most effective type of lighting and lasts the longest in your home. This type of lighting saves you energy compared to incandescent lighting- even up to 90%! This type of lighting is great because instead of producing a lot of heat, they produce a greater amount of visible light than fluorescent and incandescent lights.

HID lights take a while to produce light when they first turn on, but are still very effective and energy efficient for environments where they are on for many hours.

Energy Star Rating

Purchasing ENERGY STAR® products is a great idea because they are extremely energy efficient. Another plus is that these products meet the guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency which is important because they don't only save energy, but are very effective in lowering your utility bills.

Recap

Lighting is something we can't live without, right? So making sure we are cautious about turning off lights, using natural sunlight as much as possible, and purchasing light bulbs that are energy efficient and cost effective is a great way to make your house greener while still keeping it bright.

For more information about lighting and how to save energy in your home, contact the experts at Dr. Energy Saver Western Connecticut today. Dr. Energy Saver® Western Connecticut offers free home energy audits in Waterbury and the surrounding areas.

How to Make Your AC More Energy Efficient

Mon, June 13 2011, 00:00:00 -500

An energy efficient air conditioner makes for a more energy efficient home - in general! Besides some worthwhile tricks such as keeping your air conditioner out of the sun, putting it on the north side of the house or surrounding it with shrubs; there are some easy maintenance tips and purchasing suggestions that make for the utmost energy savings.

What, Where and How?

It's important to have the appropriate sized AC unit. Bigger is not always better, and having an AC unit that is properly sized for your room is a great way to be more energy efficient. Putting the AC unit in a position where there is ample air flow also allows your AC to be more efficient and helps to cool your home more effectively. And don't forget to turn off the AC in unoccupied rooms; this is a simple fix that could save you a lot of money and energy.

Filters and Fans

Changing the filter of your AC also helps it to run more efficiently in your home. This is important because a clean filter can cut your energy use between 5 and 15 percent. Fans are another easy way to make your AC more energy efficient. Fans help quickly circulate cool air around the house and can increase the amount of evaporation from your skin, therefore cooling you off. If the temperature is not too extreme, fans are definitely a green and more energy efficient choice for cooling your home. Even having a fan running with an air conditioner so that the AC can be on a lower setting is a great way to make your AC more energy efficient.

Filling in the Gaps

Sealing and insulating doors, windows, and ducts in your home help your AC to be more energy efficient as well. It keeps the cool air in and the hot air out so that your AC does not have to work as hard, which saves you energy and money. Closing drapes, curtains, and window treatments is another effective way to make your AC more energy efficient because although natural light is good for lighting costs, keeping the sun's rays from coming directly into a room reduces the amount of effort your AC uses to cool the house.

Scheduling Your Day with Your AC in Mind

Saving certain household activities for night time is another way to make your AC more energy efficient. This is because tasks like cooking and cleaning actually heat up the house and make the AC work harder than necessary. These activities also make you feel hotter and may be preferable to do in the early morning or at night when the temperature has hopefully gone down.

Level that Temp.

Many would also say that keeping your thermostat at a constant temperature can increase the energy efficiency of your AC. No matter what the setting is, your AC still cools at the same rate so setting the AC at 70 would not make the AC cool your home faster than if it were set at a constant 78. You may end up spending more money and using more energy if your AC is not at a constant temperature, even increasing your cooling costs 12 to 47 percent.

Be sure to contact Dr. Energy Saver® Western Connecticut for more resources about saving energy and choosing the right AC units for your home. They offer air conditioning repair in CT and other air conditioning services in Connecticut.

1. Top 7 Make Your Air Conditioner Work More Efficiently

http://saveenergy.about.com/od/homecooling/tp/ac_usage.htm Top 7 Make Your Air Conditioner Work More Efficiently ... home's air conditioner to help it run more efficiently and at a great savings on your energy bill...

2. Air Conditioning

http://www.aceee.org/consumer/cooling Have your contractor check all ducts before installing a new system. ... The higher the SEER, the more efficient the air conditioner. ... But because ducts are often responsible for a lot of wasted energy, make sure you hire a...

3. How to Make Your Room AC More Efficient

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/air-conditioner-efficient.html There are ways to make your room AC more efficient. ... You'll save 10% more energy. Make sure that your unit's air flow isn't blocked by...

4. Heat and Cool Efficiently

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. ... For more information, see our Guide to Energy Efficient Heating & Cooling PDF ... A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep ... central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters...

5. How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

http://www.homeenergyteam.com/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient.html The best way to find out how to make your home more energy efficient is to schedule a home ... putting less demand on your air conditioner and furnace...

6. Top 6 Home Cooling Steps

http://saveenergy.about.com/od/homecooling/tp/CoolingCosts.htm Running your air conditioner during the summer months can raise your energy bill quite significantly. Learn how to save money while air conditioning your home to a nice cool temperature...

How to Choose the Best Energy Efficient Windows

Mon, June 13 2011, 00:00:00 -500

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right energy efficient replacement windows. The first thing that many people think about when picking windows is, "how will these windows look in my house?" This is a great question as curb appeal is extremely important to maintaining a home's value. It's always best to make changes and additions that will increase or maintain your home's appeal and value. Though there are some changes that each homeowner will make according to personal style, if the possibility of a sale is imminent, it'd be best to consider the overall value of each choice.

Energy efficiency is another very important aspect of window shopping. What exactly affects a window's energy efficiency? Well, there's the "U factor", different coatings of glass, proper insulation, and proper installation techniques to consider. Let's dive into these factors.

The U Factor

The "U factor" or "U figure" is the rate at which a window loses heat. A window can lose heat in four different ways; conduction, radiation, convection, and air leakage.

Conduction is the direct transfer of heat through the window to the outdoors.
Radiation is the movement of heat as infrared energy through the glass. C
Convection occurs when air gives up its heat to the cooler glass and sinks toward the floor - this movement sucks new, warmer air toward the glass that is in turn cooled, creating a draft.
Air leakage, more self-explanatory than the rest of the terms, is simply the passage of heated air through cracks and around weather-stripping.

Reducing one or all four ways that windows can lose heat can help lessen the U value of your windows. The U value is scored on a scale from .25-1.25. A low U value, like .25, indicates good insulation.

Decrease the U Factor Increase Efficiency

You can decrease a window's U factor by coating your windows with low-emitting (low-E) coatings. Low-E coatings are metal or metallic oxide layers on a window surface that reduces radiative heat flow. There are a variety of applications of low-E coatings that are dependent on geographical location and personal preferences regarding the temperature of your home. Three of the main applications of Low-E coatings are Double-Glazed with High-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass, Double-Glazed with Moderate-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass, Double-Glazed with Low-Solar-Gain Low-E Glass. Higher solar-gain glazing tends to perform better in winter, while lower solar-gain glazing tends to perform better in the summertime.

Understanding Solar-Gain Glazing

Higher solar-gain glazed windows help reduce heat loss but permit solar gain, making them best suited for homes located in heating-dominated climates.

Moderate solar-gain glazed windows may lessen the solar heat gain but they retain high visible transmittance, which helps limit heat loss and solar gain. This sort of glaze is best for homeowners living in climates with heating and cooling concerns.

Lower solar-gain glazed windows are idea for cooling climates as they reduce heat loss in winter, and substantially reduce solar heat gain in the winter and in summer.

A Frame's Contribution to Insulation

A home's insulation is affected by more than just the window itself, but the window frames also play a vital role in maintaining energy efficient insulation. The different types of frames are metal, wood, wood clad, and vinyl. Metal frames are light, strong, durable, and can be morphed to fit virtually any window pane.

Unfortunately, metal frames conduct a lot of heat. Wood is not the most durable frame, but they usually have low U values (.3-.5). Vinyl is a very versatile plastic with good insulating value. Vinyl is comparable to wood in terms of its thermal performance. Its small hollow chambers within the frame help to reduce convection exchange.

Before You Buy

Buying the most expensive energy efficient window is useless without the proper installation. Having a window that fits into your wall is equally as important as having a low U value and low-E coated window.

An improperly placed window may put your home at risk of experiencing conduction, radiation, convection, and air leakage. Thus, it is important to contact Dr. Energy Saver® Western Connecticut in order to maximize the efficacy of your energy efficient replacement windows in CT.

While conducting your research, please visit the sites below for more information:

1. Best Energy Efficient Windows

http://energyefficienthometips.net/best-energy-efficient-windows.html Make sure that you pick the best energy efficient windows that you can afford. It will make a big difference in the amount of money that you spend on your ...

2. Energy Efficient Windows

http://www.efficientwindows.org/ Information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work, and recommendations for their selection and use.

3. Understanding Energy-Efficient Windows - Fine Homebuilding Article http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/understanding-energy-efficient-windows.aspx Feb 1, 1998 ... Energy-efficient windows save money each and every month. .... Low-E coatings work best in heating climates when applied to the internal, ...

4. Best Energy Efficient Windows Love to Know http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Best_Energy_Efficient_Windows Knowing which are the best energy efficient windows for your property is a useful part of green living and environmentally friendly housing. ...

5. Best Energy Efficient Windows - Buying the Most Efficient Windows http://www.going-green-challenge.com/best-energy-efficient-windows.html The Best Energy Efficient Windows: Tips for buying the Best Energy Efficient Windows for Your Home.

6. The Efficient Windows Collaborative: Window Technologies http://www.efficientwindows.org/lowe.cfm Different types of low-E coatings have been designed to allow for high solar ...

Get Rid of Icicles on Roof With CT Energy Expert

Wed, February 2 2011, 00:00:00 -500

Many homeowners may be noticing the snow building up on their rooftops, while others are dodging the icicles falling from their gutters. Both scenarios arenât exactly idealâa roof can cave-in and the ice can fall and hurt someone!

The snow on the rooftop needs to be raked off of the roof before the roof weakens and crumbles to the ground. On the other hand, the icicles can actually be prevented altogether!

Ice damming is a common problem for homeowners. If the roof isnât kept cold, the snow will melt unevenly and slide off the roof. However, the snow that rests on the eaves, or edges of the roof, is far enough away from the roofâs heat that the snow freezes into icicles.

Unfortunately, as many of you know from experience, these icicles can cause some pretty hefty damages to your gutter system and even to unsuspecting people walking below.

Dr. Energy Saverâ¢ can help! With dealers across the country ice damming can become a thing of the past.

Dr. Energy Saver Western Connecticut can help insulate your attic and air seal all leaks. This will keep your roof cold. Contact todayâs energy savings expert in Connecticut! Theyâre ready to help you save energy in CT.

Energy Efficient Attics

Mon, January 10 2011, 00:00:00 -500

One of the main components of a green, energy efficient home, is an energy efficient attic.

An energy efficient attic is:

Properly vented to prevent moisture build up and mold growth

Properly insulated to prevent attic temperatures from interfering with the temperature in the conditioned space. Most insulated attics in Connecticut have roughly 1/3 of the U.S. Department of Energy's recommended R-Value for the Northeast.

Throughly air sealed to prevent air leakage through the ceiling . Due to a physics phenomenon known as "the stack effect", a lot of energy can be wasted through the attic if no steps are taken to prevent that. As the indoor air is heated, it rises and leaks out through the openings in your attic and roof. That is usually conditioned air, that you paid to cool and heat. To balance the supply, unconditioned, outside air is consistently being sucked in from the lower levels of the house, making your HVAC work harder to keep up with cooling and heating that air

The video below will help you understand how attics work and how Dr. Energy Saver home energy specialists can make them work for you, saving you a lot of money in energy bills!

How An Energy Expert Can Find and Fix Energy Problems in Your Home

Wed, December 8 2010, 00:00:00 -500

When one of our local experts comes to your home to answer your questions about CT home energy savings, they'll also offer to perform some tests and do some investigating to identify where your home could save more energy. This is what we like to call an energy evaluation.

Usually homeowners love to witness the blower door test in action! Your expert will use a large fan installed in the main doorway to infiltrate air through the various leakage points around the house.

Once the leaks are identified, we can perform some necessary repairs. As your air sealing contractor in CT, we can seal leaks in addition to our many other energy repairs.

Since air leaks are only part of the overall energy issue in a home, we'll evaluate other areas and problems within your home to establish the key repairs. Here are the areas we'll be considering:

1.    HVAC System: Want to have lower CT heating and cooling expenses? If you don't you may want to after learning they account for nearly half of your total energy bill. We can help you find more efficient, state-of-the-art HVAC systems to cut your energy expenses by hundreds of dollars a year.

2.    Duct Leakage: You can be relieved, there's an easy fix if your home's ducts are leaking. We want to make sure they aren't and won't be leaking anytime soon!

3.    Water Heating: Hot water is so necessary for cooking, showering and various other tasks-- unfortunately, 15 percent of your annual energy bill goes toward heating water. We can help make sure your hot water heater is working well and isn't on its way out the door. In addition, we'll let you know about ever-efficient tankless and heat pump water heater options.

4.    Insulation Levels: With efficient insulation you can keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The Department of Energy recommends certain insulation types and amounts in various areas of your home. That's why we'll check your insulation levels and make sure they're up to par.

5.    Energy Efficient Appliances: It's true; you can save big with energy efficient appliances in Connecticut. By purchasing Energy Star appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and computers, you'll see a decrease in your electric bill. We also want you to know how to use the least amount of energy at all times. Sometimes we think appliances are off, when they're still using energy to maintain a red light, the time or a noise. Plug them into a surge protector, or unplug such appliances after use, in order to make sure they're completely off.

Crawl Space Insulation Dos and Don'ts

Mon, November 15 2010, 00:00:00 -500

If your Connecticut home sits on a vented crawl space foundation, you might be already familiar with the many problems it can bring: the chronic humidity, the mold, the odors, the buckling floors. The moisture loving pests it invites and the occasional house guests: stray cats, skunks, all sorts of rodents and the snakes that feed on them.

But of all the problems, the one that is probably the hardest to deal with is the fact that your crawl space is becoming quite a burden on your budget.

You might be quite weary of the cold drafts coming from it during the frigid New England winter, causing your house to never feel warm enough, even when you have your thermostat set to a hellish temperature. You are paying for enough fuel to heat up a palace and you still need a sweater indoors.

Even in the cold Connecticut winter, you know that you are not supposed to feel that uncomfortable indoors! So you decide to do something about it., and your first thought is crawl space insulation. By insulating the crawl space, you hope to curb some of that heat loss and make your home more comfortable. And you are right! Insulating your crawl space is probably one of the best investments you can make in terms of energy efficiency!

According to Advanced Energy, energy losses through a crawl space are so substantial, that you might as well forfeit any other energy efficient upgrades, until you get that problem fixed.

However, the success of your crawl space insulation problem will greatly depend on the approach you use and the choice of materials. You might be surprised to learn that some of the most common approaches aren't only inefficient, but can actually be disastrous in the crawl space.

In this article you will learn about common crawl space insulation mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.

Don't:
Don't try to control temperature without controlling moisture

Thermal control in a crawl space goes along with moisture control. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, when it comes to crawl spaces, you can't expect to efficiently control one without dealing with the other. Humid air is harder to heat and cool, and the air from the crawl space will always be sucked up to the upper floors.

Do:
Control moisture and temperature at the same time.

As you plan to insulate the crawl space, consider sealing it as well. That means closing and sealing all the vents, and lining the floor and the walls with a vapor barrier. The idea is to completely isolate the crawl space from the ground and the outside air; the two main sources of moisture in the crawl space. You will then need to condition the space using a crawl space conditioning system, or a good dehumidifier.

Consider installing a full CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System, or for additional savings, consider a HeatBlock Crawl Space Radiant Barrier System.

The HeatBlock, offers moisture control and reflects the heat back into the house helping you save energy!

Don't:

Don't use fiberglass between the floor joists, unless your crawl space is sealed and conditioned or dehumidified.

Although this is a very common practice, fiberglass is the worst choice to insulate a crawl space, and in a vented, unconditioned craw space can prove to be disastrous.

Fiberglass soaks moisture, and as it does it loses R-Value. It becomes virtually useless as insulation in a vented crawl space. It also sags with the weight of the water, and as it does, it opens holes in the insulation blanket. Pests and all sorts of critters love to nest on fiberglass, But the worst thing about it is that, because batches are usually held together with an urea based adhesive, when combined with moisture it creates the perfect environment for mold to grow. Mold loves fiberglass so much that in the waterproofing and mold remediation industry they call it "mold candy".

Do:
Use rigid foam board or TerraBlock insulation boards.

TerraBlock is a unique, durable crawl space insulation and liner in one. TerraBlock provides energy-savings and moisture protection at the same time!

It's the first insulation product created specifically for rough, uneven crawl space floors, which can be as cold as 55°F. Made for floors and walls alike, this provides a puncture-resistant, padded solution for your crawl space.

The TerraBlock, which can be combined with our CleanSpace Encapsulation System, or our Heat Block Radiant Barrier, is the ultimate crawl space insulation system! It's superb energy efficient performance, will give you the most energy savings for every dollar spent!

Stop wasting money through your crawl space vents. Contact Dr. Energy Saver of Connecticut today for a Free Crawl Space Insulation Estimate and a complimentary Free Energy Efficiency Evaluation! You will be glad you did!