Conserving Energy & Water Tip of the Month
October Energy Tip: Winter is just around the corner
With cooler temperatures approaching here is a list of things that Facility and Operations staff perform as part of our winterization program. Theses are also things that you can do to reduce your energy consumption and make your home feel more comfortable.
- Clean or replace furnace filters. Dirty filters slow air-flow through your HVAC system making it work harder and costing you more money.
- Check manufacturer's maintenance instructions to make sure your furnace and heat pump are in best working order and have your HVAC system serviced if it has been over a year. Keep your outdoor unit free of debris from fallen leaves or overgrown shrubbery.
- Clean registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators. Make sure furniture, carpeting or drapes do not block their air-flow or pose a fire hazard.
- Close the vents to the crawlspace of your home in the fall to prevent cool air from penetrating under your house.
- Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting or electrical wiring penetrates exterior walls, floors and ceilings.
- Check your ductwork for leaks and sections that may have separated. Secure the connections with mechanical fasteners such as sheet metal screws. Seal the joints with duct mastic or butyl rubber tape.
- Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter. A programmable thermostat allows you to program day, night and weekend settings.
- Service heat pumps annually for proper operation.
- Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
- If you use a fireplace, installing tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system will blow warmed air back into the room. Close the damper when not in use. As much as 14% of your warm air escapes out a chimney.
Source: Benton PUD
October Water Tip: Getting Ready for Winter
No matter what kind of climate you live in, hot, dry or otherwise the success you have with your plants depends on understanding their needs for growth. However, the basics remain the same: they need good soil that drains well, appropriate amounts of sunshine, a uniform supply of moisture and nutrients, and protection from the elements.
Now is also the ideal time to make the addition of soil amendments. In the fall the compost allows the soil to absorb water, increases water infiltration and increases the water holding capacity. This water then becomes available for next years growth of plants. As you add compost, remember that if it has been stabilized by the addition of nitrogen, you need to add a nitrogen fertilizer. This additional nitrogen is to stop the depletion that occurs as organisms in the soil break down the organic matter. Now is also the time to mulch the areas of the landscape that will remain throughout the year.
Temperatures are continuing to go down. This means you can reduce the application of water due to the reduction of demand by the plants.
If you haven't aerated the turf yet, now is a great time to do so. Remember to make more than one pass over the lawn; two or three times will have the greatest return.