I'd cover your father's...
Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings
Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25%–45%. This will save you around 4%–9% in water heating costs.
If you don't know your water heater tank's R-value, touch it. A tank that's warm to the touch needs additional insulation.
Insulating your storage water heater tank is fairly simple and inexpensive, and it will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre-cut jackets or blankets available from around $10–$20. Choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8. Some utilities sell them at low prices, offer rebates, and even install them at a low or no cost.
eere.energy.gov
==============
Saving Energy: Water Heating
Maintaining Your Water Heater – Insulating
Your attic isn't the only thing that needs insulation. Wrapping the tank and hot water pipes on an older water heater can significantly reduce the amount of "standby" heat loss, saving you money on your energy costs.
A tank wrap is a thick fiberglass blanket, secured around the tank by waterproof tape. You can find water heater insulation kits at your hardware store or home center for about $20. This cost can be paid back in energy savings in just a few months.
Newer water heaters (less than seven years old) don't need a tank wrap, but can benefit from pipe insulation, which can be purchased separately.
Learn how to install a water heater wrap
powerhousetv.com
=====
Duct Insulation
Properly insulating air ducts located in unconditioned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, garages, or unfinished basements can help improve your home's energy efficiency.
Air ducts supply conditioned air from your space heating and cooling equipment to your living spaces. They also return an equal volume of air back to the equipment to be conditioned again.
Ducts are typically made out of thin metal materials that easily conduct heat. Therefore, uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose through conduction 10%–30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home. The heating and cooling equipment then has to compensate for the heat loss and gain by conditioning additional air. This added conditioning raises a homeowner's energy bills. In addition, when ducts lose heat through conduction, rooms served by long duct runs can experience "cold blow" during the winter because they usually have lower heating-supply temperatures.
Ducts in conditioned spaces experience minimal conductive losses and gains since they are exposed to indoor air temperatures. However, these ducts may also require some insulation to prevent condensation on duct walls and to ensure that conditioned air is delivered at the desired temperature.
eere.energy.gov
===
do it yerself
bobvila.com |
