Weather Imagery

Most of the new hot water heaters are pretty efficient and don’t need any additional insulation. However some of the older tanks, or less efficient newer tanks, could benefit from some added insulation. They way to tell if you need more insulation is to simply touch the side of your hot water tank. If it is warm to the touch, then some of the heat is escaping which is a sign the tank isn’t that efficient.

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Environmentalists would like you to believe that the energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CLF’s) are the next best thing to sliced bread because they use roughly 75% less electricity compared to the normal incandescent bulbs we are all familiar with. Each household using CFL’s will draw less power from the electrical grid thus lessening the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere by coal-fired power plants. As a result, we will save the world from certain global warming apocalyptic doom. Wal-Mart, the largest retail store in the world, has embraced the CFL and has dedicated itself to selling 100,000,000 of the new CFL’s this year alone.

At first glance, one could easily jump on board thinking they too can make a difference and save our environment. But if you ask yourself a couple questions, you quickly realize that these new bulbs, although more efficient, pose a much greater risk to the environment than the energy hungry incandescent bulbs.

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Perhaps the most cost efficient means of generating your own power lies in the windmill. It’s a very simple design and doesn’t cost a whole lot, but just like solar power there are a few drawbacks one must take into consideration before purchasing a windmill thinking they will eliminate their electric bill.

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I’m all for clean ways of creating power, especially when it can be done at home. One possibility is installing a home solar power system. The problem is solar panels are not cheap, they are not efficient and only a few select locations will provide the means to recoup the cost of purchasing the system due to local climate (amount of sunlight) and electric company incentives.

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