Heating

heating

Keeping warm is one of the keys to winter happiness.

Energy efficiency isn’t about being cold in winter. It's about making the most of the warmth that is around – whether it is from the sun, your heater or your hot little body.

If there is a burning heating project or question you want answered email us on contact@greenityourself.com.au

How to load a caulking gun

In this quick GIY video I show you how to load a caulking gun. It's an easy thing to do when you know how to get started.

Not only will you be able to draught-proof anything but you can tap into your inner Charlies Angel and combat anything. Of that I'm sure.

It was a very quick film and edit and lacks the finess of my other GIY videos! Quick is good and if you can excuse the ocasional camera wobble and single take feel of it, I think you'll enjoy it. It's very raw. Yeah.

Trickiness rating: Easy

Extractor fans are great for getting rid of smells and steam when they're switched on but the rest of the time they are drafty holes in your ceiling.

Seal them up when they aren't in use with a DraftStoppa® - a plastic casing that goes over your extractor fan in the roof cavity. It has a set of balanced shutters, a bit like butterfly wings, which open when the fan is turned on and close automatically when the fan is turned off.

It is a simple but brilliant idea that works to help stop drafts (hence the name).

WATCH NOW: How to draught-proof wall vents

Wall vents are so passé.

*They are essential in rooms that have an un-flued gas heater or open fire, and in hot and steamy areas (bathroom, laundry and kitchen) to allow good ventilation but are just drafty holes in all other rooms.

If you are using energy to heat or cool your house it is a good idea to draught-proof these vents to stop the precious air escaping. This GIY job is a good temporary solution.

If you want some fresh air you have to take control of it - windows that open and close are great. Permanent wall-vents are bad (except *).

Trickiness Rating: EASY

Skirting boards - the bits of wood that cover the gap where the wall meets the floorboards - look like they would be doing a good job of stopping cold air leaking under their skirts. Don't be fooled by this clever charade.

They are a common place for drafts to sneak in to your house but are really easy to fix.

Another adventure, stalking around the house with the caulking gun, awaits.

Trickiness rating: EASY

Rebates Abound

There are some great rebates and incentives available from your local, state and federal government to help you reduce your energy and water use.

Check out these sites to see what you are eligible for.

Your ducted heating vents may look like well-sealed units but lift a lid and you may be surprised to to find that not all is as it appears.

When you turn your heater on, warm air rushes through the ducts into your house but also draws freezing cold air in from the underfloor space though the gaps around the duct. (quack quack). This doesn’t make for really energy efficient heating.

Grab the caulking gun and seal the gap so you can heat your house without cooling it at the same time.

Trickiness Rating: EASY.

Windows are the weakesk link (thermally speaking) in the average house. They cause more heat gain and loss than any other area of your home - even when they're closed.

To stop this you have to insulate them - double glazing, heavy curtains or some form of secondary glazing that traps a layer of still air. In this GIY project we insulate a timber sash window with a plastic film called Clear Comfort (this is an Australian product but there are a wide range of similar and cheaper products available in the US).

It is affordable (around $12/m²⁾, easy and really makes a difference.

Trickiness rating: EASY

Heating

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