Healthy Home Air Informational Article

Purdue university researchers demonstrate us 1 great way to lower 50% ofwinter heating costs

Researchers at Purdue University will work on a new research project thatpromises the potential to cut heating bill by 50 percent for people whoreside in very cold climates. The research, funded by the U.S. Departmentof Energy, builds on previous work that began about five years ago atPurdue's Ray W. Herrick Laboratories.

Heat pumps provide heating in winter and cooling in summer but are notefficient in extreme cold climates. The study involves changes to the wayheat pumps operate to ensure they are more effective in extreme coldtemperatures.

The modern technology works by modifying the traditional vapor-compressioncycle behind standard air conditioning and refrigeration.

The usual vapor-compression cycle has four stages:1° Refrigerant is compressed as a vapor2° Condenses into a liquid3° Expands to a mixture of liquid and vapor4° Then evaporates

The project will investigate two cooling approaches throughout thecompression process.In one approach, relatively a lot of oil are injected into the compressorto absorb heat generated throughout the compression stage.In the second approach, a combination of liquid and vapor refrigerant fromthe expansion stage is injected at various points during compression tosupply cooling.

The newest heat pumps might be half as expensive to work as heatingtechnologies now utilized in cold regions where gas is unavailable andresidents count on electric heaters and liquid propane.

In the meanwhile here some tips to improve you home air quality and saveenergy:

- Ensure your thermostat is located in a spot that's not too cold or hot.

- Install an automatic timer to maintain the thermostat at 68 degreesduring the day and 55 degrees during the night time.

- Use storm or thermal windows in colder areas. The layer of air betweenthe windows acts as insulation helping maintain the heat inside the placesyou want it.

- If you haven't already, insulate your attic and all outside walls.

- Insulate floors over unheated spaces such as your basement, any crawlspaces plus your garage.

- Close off the attic, garage, basement, spare bedrooms and storage areas.Heat only those rooms that you use.

- Seal gaps around any pipes, wires, vents or other openings that couldtransfer your heat to areas that are not heated.

- Dust is a wonderful insulator and tends to build up on radiators andbaseboard heat vents.

Many people have no idea that common indoor air quality practices lowerhome air heating costs too:

- Rain and moist may bring moisture indoors, creating dampness, fungus --big problems for healthy indoor air. Check your roof, foundation andbasement or crawlspace annually to catch leaks or moisture problems androute water away from your home's foundation.

- Help keep asthma triggers away from your home by fixing leaks and dripswhen they start. Standing water and moist encourage the development ofdust mites, mold and mildew -- some of the most common triggers that canworsen asthma. Utilize a dehumidifier or ac unit when needed, and cleanboth regularly.

- High amounts of moisture in your house increase dampness and the growthof mold, which not only damage your home but threaten health. Install andrun exhaust fans in bathrooms to remove unhealthy moisture and odors outof your home.

- Ventilate your kitchen stove directly outside or open a kitchen windowwhen you cook. Keeping exhaust -- including cooking odors and particles --outside of your home prevents dangerous fumes and particles from harmingyou or your family.

About the writer - Rosalind Dall writes for the ductless split system airconditioner blog, her personal hobby blog related to guidelines tohelp people consume less energy and purify indoor air.

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