Is it a good idea to install a TV over a fireplace? -Herb

Hi Herb,

Mounting a flat screen TV over the fireplace has become quite popular, but there are several potential problems to consider first:

• Heat: Depending on the type and design of the fireplace, it may generate more heat than the TV is designed to handle. To find out, attach a thermometer to the wall above the fireplace while a fire is burning. Temperatures over 100° F are considered too high for most sets. Check the specifications in the operating manual that came with the TV to find the maximum temperature for your set.
• Smoke: A wood burning fireplace can also emit smoke, ash, soot, and other particulate matter into the room. Since hot air rises, these contaminants will be drawn directly into your TV where they can build up and cause problems over time.
• Wiring: If the wall above the fireplace wasn’t wired for a TV, electrical and transmission wires will need to be run first. This can be especially difficult if the wall is brick. In addition, cables for accessories, such as a DVD player or home theater system, will need to be included as well.
• Viewing: Flat screen TVs are made to be viewed at eye level. When mounted higher, the screen may need to be angled downward for optimal viewing. Also, consider whether looking up at the TV for long periods of time will be comfortable.
• Anchoring: When attaching a TV to a wall, make sure it is properly anchored. This is particularly true when mounting a TV on a brick wall, which will require drilling holes with a masonry bit for plastic or lead anchors.

Good luck with your project,

With the rising cost of gas and electricity, finding ways to cut back on your energy consumption is more important than ever. To help you cope, we’re taking a look at four great ways to make your home more energy efficient that are also eligible for the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit by upgrading your heating and cooling system, water heater, windows, and attic insulation.

Home Energy Audit

Blower door test.

One of the best ways to find out how to reduce the amount of energy you use is by having an energy audit conducted on your home. Your local utility provider will often conduct the audit at no cost, or you can hire a private company.

Tests conducted include installing a blower in an exterior door to create negative air pressure inside the house. A smoke pencil and infrared photography are then used to identify areas of air movement and infiltration. Similar tests on the heating and cooling system are used to detect air leaks in the ductwork, which on average account for a 25% to 40% loss in conditioned air in your home.

Once the tests have identified problem areas in walls, around windows and doors, in the attic, and in the heating and cooling system, steps are then taken to seal up any cracks or gaps to make the house tighter and more energy efficient.

Heating & Cooling

In addition to sealing up ductwork, consider replacing an older HVAC unit with a newer, more energy efficient model that has a higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER).

Danny discusses water heaters with actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr.

Water Heaters

Heating water accounts for approximately 13% of the total energy usage in a home. Replacing an inefficient hot water heater with a new high efficiency model can save up to $300 a year on your utility bills. Energy efficient models include:

• Solar water heaters
• Heat pump water heaters
• Tankless water heaters
• High efficiency tank water heaters like the Vertex from A. O. Smith.

Windows Replacement

Up to 50% of the heating and cooling loss in older, existing homes is due to heat loss and gain through the glass in single pane windows and air infiltration in the weather stripping around the sash. While you can replace the entire window unit, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors also offers sash packs that retain the existing window frame while replacing just the sash and balance tracks on each side. The new sash have double pane glass with a low-E coating—to make them very energy efficient—set in a low maintenance, vinyl covered frame.

Insulation

Adding more insulation to your attic is one of the best and most economical ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home and reduce utility bills. A common, inexpensive solution is to install batts or blow in fiberglass or cellulose insulation on top of the existing insulation in your attic. Another option that is gaining in popularity, is to spray expanding foam insulation between the rafters and wall studs.

Spaying foam between the rafters prevents heat from entering your attic and allows your HVAC system to perform more efficiently. While more expensive than traditional insulation, foam has a higher insulation R-value and seal out air infiltration better than fiberglass or cellulose.

Other Tips from This Episode

Related posts:

• Home Energy Audit Finds Ways to Save Energy
• Ten Tips to Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
• (687) Small Town Green: Building an Energy Efficient Home

My ceiling fan vibrates and wobbles when turned on high speed. How can I fix it?
-Bill

Hi Bill,

There are several possible problems that could cause your paddle fan to wobble or vibrate, some of which could pose serious safety concerns if not fixed. Potential problems include:

• Loose screws where the fan attaches to the electrical box at the ceiling.
• Electrical ceiling box isn’t properly secured and reinforced.
• Screws holding blades to mounting brackets are loose.
• Screws holding mounting brackets to fan motor need tightening.
• Fan blades are out of alignment.
• Fan blades are warped.
• Fan blades are out of balance

Start by turning the fan off at the breaker and checking to see if it’s securely attached to the ceiling. If the fan feels loose, tighten the screws at the ceiling that support it, and see if the ceiling box itself is securely attached or needs reinforcement.

Next, make sure the screws that attach the blades to the blade mounts and the mounts to the fan motor are tight. If the fan still wobbles, check the blade alignment by holding a tape measure or yardstick against the ceiling even with the end of the blade, and rotating the fan by hand to see if each blade measures the same. If one of the blades is off, you may be able to slightly bend the metal blade mount to align it, but don’t apply too much pressure or the metal can crack or break.

If the fan still doesn’t run smoothly, the blades are either warped and need to be replaced, or they are out of balance. To balance the blades, attach a small weight—such as a coin or washer—to the top of a blade with tape, then turn the fan on to see if it reduces the wobble. If not, take the weight off, move it to another blade, and try again. Fine-tuning can be accomplished by varying the weight, or by moving the weight in or out on the blade. For the less adventurous do-it-yourselfer, balancing kits—which include weights, a test clip, and detailed instructions—are available at home centers.

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• Hunter Perfect Balance Ceiling Fans

As we move into the halfway mark of Energy Efficiency Month, I am celebrating on October 15th by being part of a panel discussion in Washington, DC, for the conservation of energy and the solutions to attaining this global goal.

Asked to join the panel to give insight for reducing energy use by homeowners, I will be sharing my thoughts and suggestions on different products and techniques available for new construction builders as well as for homeowners thinking of ways to bring their energy bills down.

While there, I will also tour the U.S Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Homes that have been erected in the Mall. The Solar Decathlon is made up of 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. To see what these students are up to, go to www.solardecathlon.org.

This is an exciting time to be mindful of the popular adage: Our greatest source of immediate energy can be provided through conservation.

Here are some popular and quick fixes for your home:

• Caulk those doors and windows.
• Turn off the lights if you’re leaving the room.
• Plug all your TV components into a power strip and turn the strip off before going to bed.
• Install a ceiling fan to help air flow in your room so you can turn down the thermostat in the winter and up in the summer.
• When using smaller pots and pans, use the smaller burners on your stove.
• Install insulation pads behind all your light switches and wall receptacles.
• Check your attic and floor insulation to make sure it is in good condition and hasn’t begun sagging or is crushed with things stored on top of it.

If we can all do just a few simple things, the dividends to the planet and your pocketbook can really add up!

Related posts:

• Energy Efficiency Tax Credits for Homeowners
• Foam Insulation Increases Energy Efficiency in Your Home
• Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home

Drowning in utility bills?

JELD-WEN Windows and Doors can provide relief!

Watch this video from Danny to find out more.

Enter the JELD-WEN Utility Bill Bailout for a chance to win an entire window and door makeover for your home. The winning home will also be featured on an upcoming episode of Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®.

To enter, click on the button below and submit your highest utility bill, along with the size of your home, the number of doors and windows, and why it’s important that your home becomes more energy efficient.

The JELD-WEN Utility Bill Bailout contest runs from August 6, 2009 through January 29, 2010.

©2009 JELD-WEN, inc.; JELD-WEN, the JW icon, AuraLast and Reliability for real life are trademarks or registered trademarks of JELD-WEN, inc., Oregon, USA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Related posts:

• Ten Tips to Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
• JELD-WEN Custom Carved Interior Doors
• How to Claim the Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit for New Homeowners

I would like to install an attic vent fan in the gable vent of my house, but to install it on the side away from the prevailing wind will be extremely difficult. Could it be installed instead in the gable vent on the windward side to draw air into the attic?
-Jeff

Hi Jeff,

If your attic uses soffit vents at the bottom and gable vents at the top for ventilation, having a gable vent fan drawing air into the attic would not be the best solution, since it would tend to create positive pressure in the attic which could reverse the natural air flow that occurs when heat rises up through the soffit vents and out through the gable vents.

If you are unable to install the fan on the end away from the prevailing wind, consider installing a roof mounted power vent fan near the top of the attic instead.

Good luck with your project,

Further Information

• Attic Ventilation
• How to Size Attic Exhaust Vent Fans for Your Home
• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent

Related posts:

• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent
• How to Size Attic Exhaust Vent Fans for Your Home
• How to Install Fiberglass Insulation in Your Attic

Our contractor installed a ridge vent on our roof. We were still getting significant heat build up in the attic, so he then installed a solar roof fan that moves 500 CFM (cubic feet per minute). I noticed you said that these two systems should not be combined. Should we remove the solar vent fan? -Ron

Hi Ron,

Attics are vented using the natural circulation that occurs when hot air rises. Vents in the soffit beneath the eaves at the bottom of the attic draw in cool outside air while gable or ridge vents at the peak of the attic allow heated air to exit. In hot climates, a power vent fan is often mounted behind a gable vent or cut into the roof near the peak to assist this process by forcibly expelling additional hot air from the attic.

Combining an attic power vent fan with a ridge vent is usually not recommended because:

• It could reverse the natural flow of hot air out the ridge vent.
• If air is drawn in through the ridge vent while it’s raining, it might pull rainwater in with it, which could lead to leaking or mold in the attic.

While a power vent fan combined with a ridge vent can work against the natural flow of air through the attic, it will still exhaust more hot air than not having a fan at all, it’s just not the most efficient way to go about it.

Since your solar vent fan only moves 500 CFM (a third to half that of a typical hardwired attic vent fan), it probably won’t move enough air to reverse the action of the ridge vent. Also, since the fan is powered by the sun, it should turn off when the sky is overcast during a storm, which will keep it from drawing rain into the attic.

So, while it’s may not the most efficient way to cool an attic, in your case I would continue using the solar vent fan. You might want to check the attic occasionally when it’s raining to see if there is any water coming in the ridge vent.

Further Information

• Attic Ventilation
• Sizing Attic Vent Fans for Your Home
• Attic Venting and Installing Exhaust Fans

Related posts:

• How to Properly Install an Attic Gable Vent Fan
• How to Size Attic Exhaust Vent Fans for Your Home

What’s the best way to heat and cool a home? I know good windows and insulation are a must, but I’m still puzzled when it comes to heating/cooling systems. -Rob

Hi Rob,

There are a number of choices these days when it comes to heating and cooling your home. Standard air source heat pumps work well for warm to moderate climates, but they can become expensive to use for heat when the temperature drops below 35° F. That’s because they draw their heat from the air, causing backup electric heat strips to cut on for additional heat at lower temperatures. Heat pumps that use natural gas for supplemental heat or gas furnaces are a more efficient option in colder climates.

Since a geothermal heat pump uses the constant temperature of water pumped from a well as the medium of heat exchange, they work better at lower temperatures than air source heat pumps. While the initial cost of installation for a geothermal heat pump is more, it makes up the cost in energy saved in five to ten years.

In addition, the cost of installing an Energy Star approved geothermal heat pump is eligible for a 30% federal tax credit. Details are available on our website at Energy Efficiency Tax Credits for Homeowners.

While electricity is about the only game in town for air conditioning, you can reduce your cooling bill by turning up your thermostat and using the evaporative cooling effect of paddle fans during the hotter months.

A programmable thermostat is another way to make your existing HVAC system use less energy. Simply setting the control to turn the heat or air up when you’re home and down when you’re away can save up to 15% on your energy bill. Not bad for a DIY project that costs under $100!

Good luck with your project,

Related posts:

• Geothermal Heat Pumps for Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling
• Heat Seeker Infrared Thermometer from General Tools
• Save Energy with a Programmable Thermostat

The Heat Seeker Infrared Thermometer from General Tools is perfect way to conduct a do-it-yourself inspection of your heating/cooling system for leaks in the ductwork, or a general home energy audit. To use, simply train the laser pointer on the object and read the remote temperature reading on the LCD screen. The Heat Seeker is available at The Home Depot for less than $70.

I want to install attic vent fans in my roof. Is there a formula on how many you need and the size? -Lin

Hi Lin,

Attic exhaust vent fans can reduce your air conditioning energy costs in the summer as well as prevent condensation and ice dams from forming during the winter. While most are wired into your home electrical system, solar powered vent fans are available that require no electrical hookup. Attic vent fans are designed either to fit over a hole cut in your roof or to mount to the inside of a gable vent.

To determine what size power vent fan(s) you need for your attic, you first need to know the size of your attic in square feet.

Attic Size

To determine the size of your attic, multiply the width by the length of the attic floor in feet. For a single story house, this is usually the same as the square footage of the house itself, plus any attached garage area.

• Example (20’ wide by 50’ long attic): 20’ x 50’ = 1,000 sq. ft. attic space

Vent Fan Size

Next, multiply the square feet of attic space by 0.7 to get the minimum number of cubic feet of air per minute that the fan should be rated to move.

• Example: 1,000 sq. ft. attic x 0.7 = 700 CFM minimum fan rating

Add an additional 20% (CFM x 1.20) if you have a steep roof, and 15% (CFM x 1.15) for a dark roof. Attic vent fans are commonly rated from 800 to 1,600 CFM, making one fans suitable for attics of up to around 2,200 square feet.

Vent Fan Location

Locate roof mounted fans on the back of the roof below the ridge (but not so high as to be visible from the front of the house) in the middle of the main part of the attic. Install gable mounted fans on the gable vent at end of the house faces away from the prevailing winds.

Intake Air Vents

It’s also important to have plenty of soffit or gable vents for the fan to draw air into the attic. To find out if you have enough vent space, divide the cubic feet of air per minute that the fan is rated for by 300 to come up with the minimum number of square feet of intake vent space needed for that size fan.

• Example: 700 CFM ÷ 300 = 2.33 sq. ft. intake vent area

If you prefer the answer in square inches rather than square feet, multiply the answer by 144 and round to the nearest inch (2.33 x 144 = 336 sq. in. vent area).

Fan Thermostat

Set the thermostat on your attic vent fan so that it cuts on between 100° and 110° F. Humidity sensors are also available that cut the fan on if moisture in the attic becomes too high.

Ridge Vents

It’s not a good idea to use a power vent fan if your house has a ridge vent, since the fan will tend to draw in air from the ridge. This works against the natural function of the ridge vent to expel hot air out of the attic as it rises. Also, it’s possible the fan could create enough draft to draw rain in through the ridge vent.

Good luck with your project,

Further Information

• Attic Ventilation
• Attic Venting and Installing Exhaust Fans
• Adding Soffit Vents

Related posts:

• How to Properly Install an Attic Gable Vent Fan
• Combining an Attic Vent Fan with a Roof Ridge Vent
• How to Size a Bathroom Vent Fan