Retrofitting
Retrofitting is the additions to an existing home to make it more sustainable.
By making improvements around your home such as installing insulation or double glazed windows for example will make your home more sustainable and dramatically increase its energy efficiency. The addition of a gas hot water system or a solar hot water system over a regular hot water system will be a dramtic improvement.
Retrofitting is all about making your home more comfortable by reducing heat loss in winter and keeping it cool in winter. It is all about energy efficiency and a comfortable living environment.
Ask how you can improve your home with questions that include what the current situation is.
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Questions and Answers:
Q. What is the cheapest thing I can do to improve the sustainability and temperature within my home? Samantha Vic
A. That is an excellent question and one that a lot of people are starting to ask. The answer depends very much upon the individual nature of your home, so without seeing your home, we will provide a more general answer.
One of the first steps, and generally the most cost effective, is draught
proofing. However, if you operate an unflued gas heater in your home, you
must replace it (see separate topic on unflued gas heaters) and then draught proof your home.
All homes leak air. Even with all the windows and doors closed, outside air will still enter your home, circulate and leave by another path. Every home must have air changes otherwise our homes would become stale, mouldy and result in poor air quality. The problem in most homes is that leakiness is uncontrolled. In winter, draughts can account from around 25% of heat losses to more than 50% in homes that are very leaky. Living in a home that is not draught proof is why most of us spend huge sums on heating, unknowingly contribute to global warming and are STILL COLD in our homes.
If your home is not draught proofed, it doesn't matter how well insulated your home, no amount of heating will make it warm. The ecoMaster test home saved 50% on its heating bill, 12 tonne of greenhouse gas emissions per year and gained 3 - 4 degrees in winter just with effective draught proofing.
The beauty of draught proofing is that it is designed in change - it does not depend upon you having to remember to do something (like turning off lights). Once a home is draught proofed it will automatically perform better thermally and be more energy efficient.
The cheapest investment you can make is a $2 packet of incense sticks. Walk around your home, particularly on a windy day with a stick burning, you will be able to see draughts immediately.
Places to start are external doors - if you can open an external door and see dust marks in the door jam, that's a clue that it's leaky. There are perimeter seals and draught excluders for every kind of door. We have found that the stick-on-seals do not seal well and often cause warping of the door due to excessive pressure at the top and bottom of the door. There are much better options available that are longer lasting. Windows - it goes without saying that windows that don't close properly create quite a draught - but many Australian homes suffer from that. Open fireplaces must be sealed, and there are many ways of achieving this and still being able to use the fire if need be. Wall vents are no longer required and should be sealed. Cracks and gaps around architraves and skirting boards can be sealed with inexpensive acrylic sealants. Down-lights are often a draught issue as well as precluding proper ceiling insulation. Sealing internal doors to wet areas such as laundry, bathroom and WC (if they are not centrally heated) makes a huge difference, but the benefits can only be realised if the occupants keep these doors closed during winter months. Some skylights are vented (all the time!) as are some toilet windows. Make sure you have a DraftStoppa on all your exhaust fans; they exhaust 24 x 7 (even when turned off).
No matter how thorough you are with your draught proofing, you won't completely seal your home. Bear in mind that the objective is to be able to CONTROL ventilation, not completely avoid it.
UN-FLUED GAS HEATERS
Un-flued gas heaters require a draughty home to operate safely as the combustion uses air from within the home and the resulting combustion gases are likewise exhausted into the home.
- Un-flued gas heaters produce:
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) a colorless, odorless gas that irritates the
mucous membranes in the eye, nose, and throat and causes shortness of breath after exposure to high concentrations. There is evidence that high concentrations or continued exposure to low levels of nitrogen dioxide increases the risk of respiratory infection; there is also evidence from animal studies that repeated exposures to elevated nitrogen dioxide levels may lead, or contribute, to the development of lung disease such as emphysema. People at particular risk from exposure to nitrogen dioxide include children and individuals with asthma and other respiratory diseases.
- Carbon monoxide (CO) a colorless, odorless gas that interferes with
the delivery of oxygen throughout the body. At high concentrations it can cause unconsciousness and death. Lower concentrations can cause a range of symptoms from headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion, and disorientation, to fatigue in healthy people and episodes of increased chest pain in people with chronic heart disease. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are sometimes confused with the flu or food poisoning. Fetuses, infants, elderly people, and people with anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease can be especially sensitive to carbon monoxide exposures.
- Water Vapour leading to a high degree of dampness, condensation,
mould and mildew infestation.
Kind regards,
Lyn Beinat
ecoMaster, Ph 1300 326 627, www.ecoMaster.com.au
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